Tempe Goreng

recipe from Shurtleff and Aoyagi’s “The Book of Tempeh,” p. 76. It was good, and very quickly nourishing. I think my tempeh is a bit too al dente. Next time I make it with chana dal I’ll add another five minutes to the boiling time. Meanwhile, for the remaining tempeh I may try some recipes that simmer for a while, so the texture softens a little. I definitely got the nutty sort of taste that is often a descriptor for tempeh. I’ve tasted it before, but it’s a different experience when I know exactly what has gone into it. Other than the chana dal and the starter, the only ingredients involved here were coriander, garlic, salt, and oil. The dip was a sweet soy sauce. This dish would traditionally be made from soy, from what I understand. I began with split chickpeas because they don’t require peeling. (They are already peeled, and the beans need to be peeled for the fermentation process to work.) But I think I prefer the taste of soy.