Description
This Sweet and Sour Tempeh is the vegan take on the Asian sweet and sour pork - a dish popular in many Vietnamese homes and local eateries. The name’s poetic, the ingredient’s ordinary, and by ordinary I mean it’s available in most local markets and easy to cook, not the fact it encompasses layers of flavors and is nutritional dense.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 block (250g) of tempeh
- Oil for frying
- 1/2 an onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1-2 stalks of scallion, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
Sweet and Sour sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the tempeh in half lengthwise, then slice into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Shallow-fry the tempeh until golden brown on both sides, about 3–5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, sauté the garlic and the white part of the scallions until fragrant.
- Add the onion and tomato with 2–3 tablespoons of water. Stir-fry until the tomato breaks down and forms a light sauce.
- Add all the sauce ingredients (except the black pepper) and mix well. Let it simmer for 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add the fried tempeh back into the pan and toss to coat evenly. Cook for another 2–3 minutes so the tempeh absorbs the sauce.
- Finish with the green part of the scallions and freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
If you’re allergic to or cannot consume too much soy, check out this homemade Chickpea Tempeh.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stir frying
- Cuisine: Chinese, vietnamese