Cooking Tempeh Like A Masterchef: Tips and Tricks on making Delicious Tempeh Dishes

Tempeh is one of the most versatile plant-based ingredients that can be cooked in different ways to mimic varied characteristics. Whether you have previously cooked with Tempeh or you are a clean slate in this matter, Tempeh is easy to cook and can be prepared by anyone. Below is a thorough guide to marinate, cook, season and store tempeh in the most efficient way.

How to Cook Tempeh?

Before we go to the recipes, let us go through some of the tips that we can follow to effectively work with this ingredient.

There are two basic things to keep in mind while cooking with Tempeh- 

• Tempeh loves flavour and has to be seasoned liberally. Season/marinate your Tempeh liberally with spices/marinade of your choice for best results.
• Sautee your seasoned Tempeh for 5-7 mins before using it in your recipe of choice. This allows the Tempeh to soak in the flavours and gives it a nice texture.

You can also explore the pre-marinated tempeh cubes we offer that come soaked in flavours and just need to be pan-tossed in a bit of oil before adding to your recipe. If you are wondering about how to cook tempeh, then we are here to hand hold you through the process.

Tempeh can be used in multiple forms- as cubes, minced, grated or mashed. Pick the form that will suit your recipe best. Cubes work great for curries, snacks and stir-fries while the mince is a great choice for making a stuffing or patties.

You can either use a hand grater or hand crumble the Tempeh for mincing it.The minced tempeh can then be used to make tempeh patties for a tempeh burger, or it can be incorporated in various recipes to add texture and body to the delicacy.

There are numerous ways to cook your Tempeh and we have highlighted some of the traditionalt tempeh recipes below. It is a very versatile food and you can choose from our Cubed, Minced or Mashed variants to create your own tempeh recipes as well..

Choosing Form- Cubed, Minced or Mashed TempehTempeh

Tempeh can be used in multiple forms- as cubes, minced, grated or mashed. Pick the form that will suit your recipe best. Cubes work great for curries, snacks and stir-fries while the mince is a great choice for making a stuffing or patties.

You can either use a hand grater or hand crumble the Tempeh for mincing it.The minced tempeh can then be used to make tempeh patties for a tempeh burger, or it can be incorporated in various recipes to add texture and body to the delicacy. You can also use minced tempeh to make Scrambled Tempeh (Tempeh Bhurji).

Tempeh can be used in various cooking styles as well:

Pan-Fried/ Sauteed Tempeh

Pan-fried Tempeh is a beautiful method of tempeh preparation. Season/marinate the cubed Tempeh as per recipe and then pan toss it with a bit of oil for 5-7 mins. You can also stir fry it along with vegetables and condiments of your choice.The tempeh should be cooked on both sides until they become golden brown. The sauteed tempeh can be added to your delicacies ( Curries, stir-fries, salads, rolls, bowls, tacos etc) or can be served with your choice of dipping sauces. It is one of the easiest tempeh dinner recipes.

Steamed/Thawing Tempeh

Steaming is an excellent method of tempeh preparation. Steaming Tempeh softens the texture and gives it a different feel when compared to pan-tossing it. Steam the tempeh for 15 minutes until soft and warmthen and add it to soups, curries or sauces. The steamed Tempeh can also be seasoned and sauteed before being used in a recipe. 

Grilling Tempeh

Grilling the tempeh will work wonders if you love a charred texture and an overall smoky flavour. Coat the Tempeh cubes with a spiced marinade or your favourite sauces and skewer them onto metal skewers. You can also select from the variety of pre-marinated tempeh cubes available at Hello Tempayy.

You can grill the marinated tempeh on charcoal or gas grills while basting them with extra marinade or spices to make them extra flavourful. Please note that Grilling Tempeh removes moisture from it and the more it is grilled, the more dehydrated it becomes. Grilled Tempeh can be used in sandwiches, tacos, wraps and salad fillings. Tempeh can also be grilled and used as an accompaniment for many dishes.

Baking/Air-Frying Tempeh

Baking or air-frying is an outstanding method for cooking tempeh in a healthy way. If you wish to try out a simple baked tempeh recipe then you can go about it as follows.

Season the Tempeh cubes with a bit of oil, salt, pepper, and other dry spices, and then bake them in the oven for 15 to 20 mins. Various spice/marinade combinations can be used. You can also use an air fryer (for 8-10 mins) instead of an oven for the process. Please note that baking/ airfrying Tempeh dehydrates the cubes and gives it a firm texture. Serving tempeh cubes with dips and sauces of your liking makes them perfect appetisers for parties. They also work great as croutons on salads, with rice bowls or can also be used with tortilla wraps to make burritos.

Tips for Cooking Tempeh Like a Masterchef

While there are various ways of cooking tempeh, knowing a few tips can significantly help with concerns regarding – how to cook and season tempeh to perfection. Additionally, these tips for cooking tempeh can help you understand the ingredient better and help you in putting together the best tempeh recipes.

Choosing the Right Size

While most cooking methods can incorporate the usage of cubes, the smaller the cubes, the better they will absorb flavours and will crisp quicker. So you can slice your cubes thinner incase that would work better for your recipes.Mincing the cubes is a great way to infuse flavour into it and works great especially if you are new to Tempeh.

Making the Marinade

Unlike Paneer or Tofu ( which only coat), Tempeh does a great job of soaking all the flavours added to it. The trick to Tempeh is to choose marinades with strong flavours rather than subtle flavours. Thus, you can make a marinade as simple as soy sauce and chili oil or a tikka masala or experiment with numerous spices to make tempeh scream with flavour. You will need a quarter to half cup of marinade to marinate an eight-ounce block of tempeh. 

Tempeh cubes can be marinated for 10 mins or overnight—more prolonged periods of marination account for more flavourful results. You can also check out the range of pre-marinated tempeh cubes from Hello Tempayy. These are best for times when you have a time crunch.

Tempeh Consumption: 101

Tempeh is a highly versatile ingredient that is really easy to cook. You can eat tempeh as the main course ( As part of your curries, stir-fries, snacks, bowls erc) or use it as an accompaniment to your soups, salads, rice bowls, and other delicacies. There is no risk involved in under or overcooking tempeh. Therefore, you can be worry-free while cooking tempeh using a recipe of your choice or following a tempeh recipe from the options available at Hello Tempayy.

Storing Tips for Better Taste

Ideally, tempeh should be kept refrigerated and consumed within two days once opened. Tempeh can be frozen as well but if you store it in the freezer, ensure you thaw it properly before seasoning and cooking Tempeh. A good way to check if they are thawed is to feel the cubes. Thawed cubes are soft to touch while Frozen Tempeh feels very hard.

You should note that black or grey spots on the Tempeh cubes are a natural by-product of their fermentation process. They do not indicate spoilage and spored Tempeh and is perfectly safe to consume.

Now that you are well versed with the various styles of tempeh preparation, it's time to put on your chef's hat and get experiment with Tempeh. Visit our website - Hello Tempayy, for sourcing your tempeh, whether you prefer natural tempeh cubes or want to try out our range of pre-marinated cubes. You can find various Tempeh recipes here as well. We also offer tempting combos perfect for all your occasions and house parties.