Tempeh Grape Orange Lemon Sauce

Tempeh has been a staple ingredient in Asian cooking, especially Indonesian cooking, for centuries. It is a rich source of protein and goes well with rice and vegetables,  can be added in soup, or sliced and then grilled, fried, or sauteed with other vegetables and sauces for a wonderful starter. Tempeh is often used as a meat substitute in vegan cooking since it has a similar chewy texture, absorbs flavors well, and is rich in proteins and other nutrients. If buying tempeh, try to purchase organic bean tempeh, which is readily available in most health-food stores.

Tempeh’s Beginning?

Tempeh is a gift to the culinary world from Indonesia has a colorful, rich history. Once, when some soybean was leftover outside a factory, fungus grew inside it, and it was later discovered that the fungus and soybean cake were both edible. That microbe, known as Rhizopus Oligosporus, was harvested and used to make tempeh in factories and homes alike. This fungus grows at room temperature, between 26 to 30°C, and binds the proteins in tempeh to form a thin sheet called mycelia.

In Indonesia, tempeh is made by first de-shelling soybeans and then cooking them till they’re soft. The beans are then dried and thoroughly mixed with the catalyst – Rhizopus Oligosporus. In factories, the blocks are then wrapped in plastic bags and allowed to ferment for 24 hours. In villages around Asia, tempeh is made in an artisanal way using banana leaves. First, 80 to 100 gm blocks of tempeh are wrapped in the leaves and placed in a warm place to ferment and form cakes of tempeh.

Tempeh Grape Orange Lemon Sauce marinated on juice or grapes orange and lemon is a totally new sweet and sour tangy flavor to tempeh.

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