Nicola Graimes says: ‘I have always struggled to like tempeh – I thought I should like it, after all I love tofu, but I think it was mainly a textural thing. This recipe has changed my mind. I’ve discovered the secret is to crumble it into small pieces, then stir-fry until golden and flavour it with a mixture of soy and spices. Shichimi togarashi – sometimes called by its first name or nanami – is a fragrant, chilli- hot Japanese spice mix that also features roasted orange peel, seaweed and ginger. It’s one of my favourite ways to add a blast of flavour and heat.’
DETAILS
- Serves 4
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 200g tempeh
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tsp shichimi togarashi
- 100g curly kale, tough stalks removed
- 100g green cabbage or greens, shredded
- 75g Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 600g cooked medium udon noodles
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
- Crumble the tempeh into very small pieces, about the size of a chickpea. Heat half of the sunflower oil and sesame oil in a large wok or frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the tempeh, spreading it out as much as possible, and leave it to brown for a couple of minutes. Stir, then cook until light golden all over. Add half of the soy sauce and togarashi and stir-fry for another 2 minutes until crisp. Tip it into a bowl and keep warm in a low oven.
- Wipe the wok or pan, then heat the remaining oils, add the kale, cabbage, sprouts and garlic and stir-fry for 3 minutes, or until the vegetables have wilted but are still slightly crisp. Add the noodles, separating them with your fingers, then the remaining soy sauce, togarashi and a splash of water. Cook briefly until warmed through, then season with salt and pepper. Serve the noodles, sprinkled with the tempeh and the sesame seeds.
Recipes adapted from The Part-Time Vegetarian’s Year by Nicola Graimes (Nourish, £25). Photography by Haarala Hamilton