Gochujang tempeh

When it comes to vegan protein tofu gets all of the spotlight however if you’re familiar with my recipes I love to feature tempeh and show how it can also be a versatile ingredient which has more protein than tofu and can be equally or if not more delicious as tofu.

Gochujang is Korean red pepper paste that is spicy, sticky and slightly sweet. Its used mostly in kimchi and provides a rich, spicy flavor that works so well as a protein coating and sauce. I love a gochujang recipe!

This dish is the perfect combination of spicy and sweet and works really as a meal prep meal with plenty of protein and flavour.

Serve up with rice and your favourite stir fried vegetables and that’s your dinner done quick and easy!

How to cook tempeh- To get the perfectly cooked tempeh best practice is to break it up into equal sized pieces, dust in corn flour and fry until golden and crispy.

Korean Gochujang tempeh ingredients and substitutes-

• Tempeh- Tempeh has a slightly nutty flavor and is has more of a bite. It works really well in this dish due to its ability to soak up flavor. You can substitute for tofu or fake meat if you like.
• Cornflour- Cornflour coats the tempeh giving it a crispy exterior when fried until golden. You can also use regular flour.
• Gochujang- This ingredient is a Korean red pepper paste which has a deep rich almost tomato flavor with spice and sweetness. You can find this in some big supermarkets, Asian supermarkets or online.
• Dark soy- Dark soy sauce makes this dish rich and salty. You can also use light soy sauce or tamari to make it gluten free.
• Ginger garlic paste- I always keep a jar of ginger and garlic paste in my fridge as I use it for everything. You can buy it in the international section of big supermarkets, Asian/ Indian supermarkets or online.
• Maple syrup- Maple syrup adds another element of sticky sweetness to the sauce. You can also use agave or brown sugar.  

Sticky gochujang tempeh

Tempeh pieces in a sticky, sweet and spicy gochujang sauce.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Korean

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

• 200 g tempeh
• 1/2 an onion
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1 tbsp cornflour

For the sauce-

• 1 tbsp Gochujang
• 2 tbsp dark soy
• 1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp hot water

Instructions

 

• Cut the tempeh into small cubes, add to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle on the cornflour and toss the cubes making sure the pieces are all lightly dusted.
• Fry the tempeh until golden, set aside.
• Chop the onion and pepper into cubes similar size to the tempeh cubes. Fry these in the pan until softened.
• Once the vegetables are soft add back in the tempeh.
• Add all of the sauce ingredients to a small bowl and stir well.
• Add the sauce to the tempeh veg mix. Cook on medium heat until the sauce thickens.
• Serve with rice and your favourite stir fried veggies.

Notes

Crispy tempeh- to get crispy tempeh can take a little bit of patience. Once coated in cornflour fry the tempeh in small batches. Leave the tempeh to cook perfectly on all sides, don’t be tempted to stir until each side is perfectly golden.

If you love tempeh check out some of my other tempeh recipes!

• Vegan Mac N Cheese with Tempeh Bacon
• Chinese Takeaway Style Sweet and Sour Tempeh
• Instant Noodles Stir Fry with Tempeh and Vegetables

• 
  Tofu and Broccoli Udon Noodle Stir Fry
• 
  Chinese Chilli Crisp Mac n Cheese
• 
  Creamy Miso Mushroom Orzo
• 
  Malaysian Vegan Satay Sauce
• 
  Vegan Greek Chicken Souvlaki
• 
  Korean Spicy Braised Tofu