Tempeh & Green Beans in Tamarind Tomato Braise

The recipe

Tempeh & Green Beans in Tamarind Tomato Braise

Browned tempeh slabs simmer in a tangy tomato, tamarind and soy sauce braise, with green beans added near the end for texture. Serve with white rice.

Ingredients

• 400 g plain tempeh, uncooked, cut into 1 cm-thick slabs
• 300 g raw green beans, edible weight after trimming, halved
• 400 g canned chopped tomatoes, undrained, including juice
• 150 g raw onion, peeled edible weight, thinly sliced
• 12 g raw garlic, peeled edible weight, finely chopped
• 15 g ready-to-use, seedless tamarind paste, not concentrated extract or a pulp block
• 30 g soy sauce
• 10 g white sugar
• 25 g neutral cooking oil, divided into 20 g and 5 g
• 650 ml water (650 g): 450 ml for rice and 200 ml for the braise
• 300 g dry white basmati rice, weighed before rinsing

Instructions

1. Prepare the onion, garlic and green beans. Pat the tempeh dry and cut into slabs. Set out a wide, lidded frying pan, ideally 28–30 cm across, and a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.
2. Rinse the rice and drain thoroughly. Put it in the saucepan with 450 ml water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to the lowest heat and cook for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes before fluffing. Cook the braise while the rice cooks and rests.
3. Heat 20 g oil in the frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the tempeh in two batches, allowing 3 minutes per side for each batch. Transfer to a plate; it should have golden patches and hold its shape.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 5 g oil and the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.
5. Add the undrained tomatoes, 200 ml water, soy sauce, sugar and 5 g tamarind paste. Stir, scraping up the browned bits, and simmer for 2 minutes. Taste the sauce, then incorporate the remaining tamarind in two 5 g additions, stirring and tasting between additions so the acidity builds gradually.
6. Return the tempeh and any plate juices to the pan. Spoon sauce over the slabs, cover and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Add the green beans, nestling them into the sauce. Cover and simmer for 6 minutes, then uncover and cook for 2–3 minutes, until the beans are tender with a little bite and the sauce lightly coats the tempeh.
7. Divide the fluffed rice among four plates and spoon over the tempeh, beans and sauce. The cooking time includes the rice resting period, which overlaps with the braise. This recipe has not been kitchen-tested.

Storage and reheating

Store rice separately from the braise. Cool rice within 1 hour, refrigerate at 4°C or below and use within 24 hours; reheat only once until steaming hot throughout. Refrigerate the braise within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 32°C, in shallow containers. Keep at 4°C or below for up to 3 days and reheat to 74°C throughout.

Substitutions and ingredient notes

Replace the tempeh with 400 g drained firm tofu, patting it dry before browning; handle gently during braising. For a wheat-free version, use a labelled gluten-free soy sauce. Tempeh, tofu and soy sauce contain soy; check every replacement label for soy, wheat and other relevant allergens.

Estimated nutrition

610 kcal · 30g protein · 85.7g carbohydrate · 18.0g fat · 9.2g fibre per serving.

Calculated from measured ingredients and generic composition data. Brand choices and substitutions change the estimate.

Storage references: USDA leftover guidance · FSA food guidance