Been travelling up and down the past few weeks so feel kind of guilty that no soup recipes are forthcoming! I have a few drafts but no nice photos so I thought I'd skip that and do a post on 'tempeh'.To say that I love tempeh (fermented soya bean cake) is an understatement. I love it. I love it because it has a nutty texture with a good bite and lots of goodness too. Soya beans are much adored in Chinese cuisine but this Indonesian/Malay fermented soya bean cake is something most Chinese don't buy - which is unfortunate because it's easy to prepare.
Tempeh is sold in supermarkets and wet markets - either wrapped in traditional banana leaves and newspaper or in plastic. If wrapped in plastic, you can see the mossy growth on the soya bean which can turn off some people.
Tempeh is one of the most nutritious and cheapest sources of protein you can get. It is the kind of food you can buy for RM1 per packet.
But how do you eat tempeh? I slice the tempeh as thinly as I can, douse them well with some turmeric powder (1 tablespoon would do) and 1 tablespoon corn flour with half a teaspoon of fine salt. Leave to marinate for 10 minutes.
Heat up some oil. Here you can either use a pot of oil (like deep frying) or a shallow pan with a little oil (if you're on a health conscious diet).
Fry the tempeh slices until done. If deep-frying, the tempeh will float up when done. If shallow pan-frying, fry for about 5 to 8 minutes on a medium heat or until it turns a golden colour. Drain on paper towels and serve hot with Linghams chili sauce, preferably.
You can eat it as a snack or you can eat it with rice.
If you have never had tempeh before, this is one of the best ways to get acquainted with this protein heavyweight.
Try it!
Comments
The mouldy growth is the good stuff of the tempeh (unless the mouldy growth is pink, green or yellow mould - then it's gone bad). The fermentation process is what makes tempeh well...tempeh. You don't need to wash the tempeh before frying. The good stuff is the fermented mossy, mouldy stuff. Once you fry it, the mouldy taste disappears. I usually store tempeh for about 3-5 days in the fridge. Unless your tempeh is growing pink, green or yellow spots of mould, it's still OK to eat. The mould culture (called Rhizopus fungus) creates that whitish stuff which covers the soyabeans and binds them.
The Ultimate Japanese Health Food
also fermented soy bean, natto usually are eaten on breakfast in Japan.
Natto are reported to have medical benefits below:-
*Prevention of Heart Attacks, Strokes and Senility
*Prevention of Osteoporosis
*Prevention of Cancer
*Antibiotic Effects
*Improvement in Digestion and Prevention of Intestinal *Anti-aging Effects and Prevention of Obesity
*Maintaining Your Pet's Health
Natto are sticky and have acquired taste which some people don't like, the history/origin of tempeh seems are spread from Japan too.
the general way to eat natto is just add some shoyu and mustard and eat it
other ways to eat natto:-
Natto Ice Cream
Natto with rice
Natto with miso soup
Natto Temaki (sushi roll)
Natto Curry
Natto Mayonaise
Natto Toast
Natto Spaghetti
Natto Ramen
Natto Fried Rice (put natto last)
Natto Tempura (very rare)
Usually the Japanese don't cook natto, b'cos it would kill the good bacteria in it.
Penangties can buy Natto at Gama it its sold in 3 packs for around RM 4.70 to RM 4.90, each pack contains 50 grams of Natto