Spicy Tempeh with Green Beans

Is it hard to believe if I told you I have taken a liking for tempeh since young? Yes, when I started to have Malay (Muslim) food in the school canteen. I'm in my comfort zone when it comes to Malay food, at a Malay rice stall to be specific.  It is almost (always) these three items - Potato Cakes (Begedil), Curry Vegetables and Spicy Tempeh.


I have cooked Potato Cakes before, also Curry Vegetables. And I waited after so many years, till today, before attempting to cook Spicy Tempeh.

And do you think I knew the good of tempeh then? NO. I could only recall I like the taste of this dish.

The Spicy Tempeh in the Malay rice stalls are usually cooked with diced green beans, if my memory is with me. I could not find any recipe on Spicy Tempeh with Green Beans. But thanks to Ju (The Little Teochew), I adapted her tempeh recipe (using her combination of red chili, shallots, garlic, soy sauce and sugar), re-created this dish which I enjoyed as a teen and now as adult, still call it Spicy Tempeh with Green Beans, and still enjoying it.

Organic Tempeh from Whole Foods Market


Spicy Tempeh with Green Beans
adapted from The Little Teochew

Ingredients: 4-5 cloves garlic, finely minced; 2 shallots, thinly sliced; 1-2 fresh red chili, remove the seeds and thinly sliced; some soy sauce; 1 pack of tempeh, cubed to bite sizes; 5-6 green beans, blanched, then roughly diced; salt, and brown sugar to taste.

Directions: Heat a little oil in the pan and fry to brown the tempeh (Note: You can also bake the tempeh in the oven, to brown them). Remove and set aside tempeh. Fry the garlic, shallots and chili in the remaining oil, then add soy sauce and continue frying till shallots are almost caramelized and are tender. Add 3-5 tbsps of water, allow it to simmer, then some sugar to  thicken up the sauce. Salt to taste if necessary. With the sauce in the pan, return the browned tempeh to the pan, also add the green beans, then continue frying till entire mixture (tempeh and green beans) is coated with the garlic-shallots-chili-soy sauce-sugar sauce concoction.


I am not bragging but it does resemble the dish I ate while I was much much younger. Happy me!

I am sharing this with My Legume Love Affair - MLLA hosted by Susan - The Well Seasoned Cook.


Tag: tempeh, fermented soy

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