This Kung Pao Tempeh from The Lusty Vegan by Ayindé Howell and Zoë Eisenberg is a great signature dish for chef Anyindé because it is a double entendre for his cooking style—like kung POW!
Kung Pao Tempeh
Kung Pao Tempeh is a great signature dish for chef Anyindé Howell because it is a double entendre for his cooking style, like kung POW!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Ingredients
TEMPEH
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed or safflower oil
- 1/2 8-ounce package tempeh, cutcrosswise into 1/8-inch sticks
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or white wine
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium wheat-free tamari
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
RICE
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup dry brown rice
SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or white wine
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium wheat-free tamari
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chili paste
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions white and green parts
- 1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water divided
Instructions
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Tempeh: Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tempeh and cook until golden brown on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes total. Set aside. Combine the marinade ingredients in a glass dish, place the cooked tempeh in the marinade, and allow it to sit for 30 minutes, turning the pieces over half- way through. While the tempeh marinates, make the rice.
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Rice: (See Pro-Tip below) In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups of water and 1 cup of rice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is done, approximate- ly 25 minutes. Remove from the heat.
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Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the wine, tamari, rice vinegar, chili paste, brown sugar, and toasted sesame oil. Add the green onions, water chestnuts, garlic and peanuts. In a sep- arate small bowl, combine the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water and set aside.
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Heat the sauce mixture in a medium saucepan over low heat, until it becomes aromatic, approximately 3 minutes. Remove the tempeh from the marinade and add the tempeh to the sauce, coating it completely.Add the reserved marinade to the tempeh mixture and increase the heat to medium. Once you get to a light simmer, add the cornstarch and water mixture. This will cause the liquid to thicken. Cook, stirring, for approximately 2 minutes. Add more water to make sauce more liquid if desired. Once the proper consistency is reached, remove from the heat and serve hot over the rice.
Recipe Notes
Pro-Tip: Not all rice is made equal. To start off right, clean the grains by running water over them until the water is no longer cloudy.
From The Lusty Vegan © 2014 by Ayindé Howell and Zoë Eisenberg. Used with permission from Vegan Heritage Press.
