HOW TO COOK TEMPEH Without Pre-Boiling or Steaming 😎 (The ONLY Method You'll Ever Need to Know)

[@adventuresinveganliving]

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[@Tula_Darkwater]

Skip to 2:15 if you want the instructions right away.

[@landove1486]

Most Tempeh found in US is pasteurized, hence the bitter flavor. Fresh and traditionally made Tempeh taste much milder, earthy, and the texture is more delicate. IMO, way more superior than those mass produced ones in term of flavor and texture.

[@adventuresinveganliving]

I don't doubt that fresh tempeh is more superior. However, we can't discount the convenience of buying mass-produced tempeh from the store here in the US. Very few people around here are going to try making tempeh at home.

[@lauratempestini5719]

Do you have a recipe for unpasteurized soybeans?

[@mahdialin9721]

Bro I buy organic and natural tempeh . It taste LIKE SHIT IF U DONT BOIL BEOFRE MARINATION AND SAUTEE

[@johanne6241]

Agree. When I tried tempeh (store bought) the first time, I just hated it. Now I make the tempeh myself, the taste is definitely better. And there is no need to boil it before making a recipe.

[@OswaldBatesIIIEsq]

​@@johanne6241As much as I love tempeh, I always wanted to try it as a dessert. Put powered sugar and cinnamon on it. I'll get around to it one of these days.

[@dailywwin]

Indonesian here. I’ve been eating tempeh all my life, even since I was born. I moved to the US 4 years ago and I have to say Lightlife tempeh is disgusting! That’s not what tempeh is supposed to taste like. The real fresh tempeh doesn’t taste bitter and is only made with pure soybeans, no added on ingredients. No flaxseeds, no brown rice.. that ruins everything! So, it’s not about the method of cooking that is wrong, but it’s just the product that is not right. I tried Lightlife once only and will never put it in my mouth again ever. If you want good quality tempeh, buy only Indonesian made tempeh or you can make your own tempeh using ragi starter. Do not ever use USA made tempeh, it’s not real and it tastes like plastic no matter how you cook it.

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Can you suggest a good brand of Indonesian-made tempeh that can be found in the US?

[@dailywwin]

@@adventuresinveganliving Wiwas Tempeh is the best one in the US. The other good brand easily found in the US is Tofurky Indonesian style tempeh. Or if you could find Indonesian grocery, just ask them if they have tempeh. Also, the best way to cook tempeh is using a technique called “Ungkep”. So, the tempeh is simmered in spices and water in a covered pot until all the liquid is dry or almost dry. This is the simplest and the best way to make the blandest protein become juicy and flavorful, not only in the outside but also inside. You can use this method to tofu as well.

[@adventuresinveganliving]

​@@dailywwin Thank you for letting me know!

[@dailywwin]

@@adventuresinveganliving You’re welcome :) I suggest you to watch some Indonesian chef channels to get inspiration of how to cook best tempeh. They know what they’re doing and know best how to cook tempeh. My favorite is Devina Hermawan. She’s one of the best Indonesian chefs. Just search “Tempe Devina Hermawan”. She got English subtitles on her channel.

[@ebirding]

I’m interested in this more as I’d like to incorporate tempeh into my diet more. Do you know of any great videos showing the way you like to prepare it?

[@sasgirl26]

WOW thank you so much!!! this is exactly what I was looking for as a first-time tempeh cooker. The convenience of how fast this was compared to tofu (my fav method is freezing overnight, dethawing and then sauteing) is sooooo nice. I appreciate you so much!!! Can't wait to use this in my recipes :)

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Thank you ♥️

[@Sheri...]

Can't wait to try this. I enjoyed all the banter about tempeh in the comments here! I learned a lot.

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Awesome, let me know how it comes out!

[@yowanehakuuu]

I’m allergic to animal products my body reacts so bad with deep acne and itching. So I just started my journey of being vegan. I love good good and today after your video I bought 5 packages of tempeh. I can’t wait to try this recipe

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Glad to hear you decided to go vegan, good luck on your journey!

[@DrSam112]

Thanks. I modified it by using avocado oil, waited till brown on both sides. One round of water with garlic salt and cayenne pepper, then a few more drops of avocado - and kept turning a few times. Came out perfectly to eat on its own or with cheese slices !!! Naughty but nice! Thank for the idea of avocado oil and garlic salt etc. Superb to eat on its own like a snack!

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Awesome, glad to hear you liked the way it came out!

[@Kuptain]

I discovered Tempeh just recently and love it. With your recipe, it was SO much better than how I used to cook it!

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Thank you, so glad to hear that!

[@cltinturkey]

Helpful. Thanks! I've always wanted to learn how to cook tempeh better and will try this method. May I respectfully suggest that you remove your background music or reduce it to a very low level so we can focus on your suggestions? Thank you for considering this. Thanks again for your helpful tips!

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Thank you!

[@conniethornbury9464]

I always have trouble choking tempeh down. This looks simple and delicious. Thank you!

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Thank you, hope you like it!

[@skylar5631]

Omg ! Thank you ! Definitely going to try this soon

[@adventuresinveganliving]

You're very welcome 😊

[@lesliewheeler7071]

That looks so good! When I was living in Indonesia, that's when I was introduced to Tempe...I love it so much ❤️

[@adventuresinveganliving]

That's so cool, eating it right where it was invented! What kind of dishes did you eat it in?

[@lesliewheeler7071]

@@adventuresinveganliving They usually just fried it up as its own dish- Tempe or Tofu.

[@oyamyt]

Thank you for this user-friendly introduction to tempeh. I've never eaten tempeh so have no idea what it should be like but am hoping to start using it regularly for the protein. For this first experiment I used Lightlife and followed your video instructions, including seasoning suggestion. The end result looked right. The texture was crumblier than I expected, and the flavor was faintly bitter, soapy. Does this sound about right? If not, does it need more steaming time, or what? Thanks again.

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Hi, thank you for your comment! Regarding the crumbliness of tempeh when it's cooked, I noticed that it really depends on the brand of tempeh you use. Even within the same brand, there might be some variation from batch to batch. As for the soapy, faintly bitter flavor - it may also depend on the brand, but steaming for a longer time will most likely help. So, instead of adding water twice after you flip the tempeh, try 3-4 times, waiting for the water to evaporate/absorb every time before adding more. Hope this helps! If you try this, please let me know if how it worked!

[@StevenLee-xj6gx]

I just loved the way you prepared tempeh!

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Thank you!

[@mysbhyv1707]

👍 covered steam frying, like cooking japanese gyoza

[@adventuresinveganliving]

It's the best!

[@nimit2535]

Brilliant just what I was looking for!

[@adventuresinveganliving]

@@nimit2535 Thank you 😊

[@trudybongers3534]

Wauw i didn't know this... thanks a lot for your ideas and lessons learned 🤩😻🤩😻🤩😻🤩

[@adventuresinveganliving]

You're welcome 😊

[@LindaCasey]

I've never tasted tempeh before, but I've been trying to figure out how to make a potato salad without using eggs. I was thinking of combining either tofu or tempeh with an egg replacement and black salt to get the consistency of boiled eggs. Do you happen to have a recipe for this? Thanks.🌹 Btw, you remind me of Christine Cushing My Favorite Foods

[@adventuresinveganliving]

I haven't tried that, but it could be interesting to try. Tempeh has kind of a strong-ish flavor though, so it may not work perfectly as a boiled egg substitute. If you're ok with the flavor and texture of scrambled eggs instead of boiled, then Just Egg would work well. I have a video for making breakfast "egg patties" with Just Egg on my channel, so you could follow that technique but scramble the "egg" instead of letting set. Here's that video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpa3kmuvd5ebZ9E

[@friendoflife2416]

Great Hack! My usual method is to fry tempeh in butter and oil- not the healthiest option! Can't wait to try your method!

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Let me know how it comes out!

[@lahelalala]

Excited to try this! I will come back to let you know how it went! ❤ Thanks!

[@adventuresinveganliving]

You're very welcome! 😊

[@bedheadboy]

Im juat guessing on the temp to set the skillet to. I did medium high. Hope it works.

[@arj-peace]

I will try the steaming prep method and maybe i can bring my family around to tempeh. I usually boil it to pre-prep but i think this method would produce a better result. Ive always loved it. I think its the very best vegan protein to make fajitas. Question: wonder if it would be easier to leave the tempeh in slabs to cook, easier to flip, then cut into tiny pieces? Thanks for another nice, practical, and honest video.

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Thanks Aimee! I think cutting it into smaller pieces lets the tempeh cook through quicker and more evenly. But it might still work out if you leave it whole.

[@lauratempestini5719]

Good Idea to try!

[@bpel1766]

That was so quick and you made it look so good! I'm about to try it out.

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Thanks, let me know how it comes out!

[@bpel1766]

@@adventuresinveganliving Oh, it turned out great! You're a superstar! Thank you!

[@adventuresinveganliving]

​@@bpel1766 Awesome, thank you for letting me know! 🤩

[@martycrow]

Two gripes: 1) I lose taste-trust in anyone who uses garlic powder - why? 2) Fusion food is one of the joys of cooking - you learn about taste, texture, authentic produce and recipes, and the part food plays in culture. But I am not convinced by this combo of Indonesian tofu, Andean grain, an Eastern Med/Mid-East sesame paste and a European baby cabbage. It may taste fine, but I feel there are better combinations. I nevertheless enjoyed the video, thanks!

[@hulleeseeya]

I dislike it when cooks "put down" the taste of Tempeh. I think it's delicious. Don't apologize for the taste of a food! Good recipe!

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Agreed, thank you!

[@June-p8j]

Everyone has a different taste bud so if you like tempeh others have to experiment to find the taste that's best for them.

[@maryclairegaloni8727]

Thank you this was helpful information

[@adventuresinveganliving]

You're very welcome 😊

[@mattmatheou1403]

Good stuff keep the good work up.

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Thank you

[@lorriangus]

Looks delish. 😋

[@adventuresinveganliving]

@@lorriangus Thank you

[@hulleeseeya]

PS you don't "apologize" for the taste of brussel sprouts... and tons of people hate it.

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Yup! 😄

[@malcytull]

A great video, thank you for this, I'm going to try it. Could you tell me how many ounces half a cup of it weighs? Thank you again.

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Thank you! I'm not sure about the weight of 1/2 cup, though - i don'thave any tempehon hand right now.. I know that the whole block of uncooked Lightlife tempeh is 8 oz.

[@malcytull]

@@adventuresinveganliving Thanks for your reply, I have found out that the blocks I am buying are 400 grams & 100 grams has about 20 grams of protein, which is the info I wanted. Thanks again.

[@sapphirerenae]

Thank you so much

[@adventuresinveganliving]

You're very welcome 😊

[@joshbisig]

02:50 so you do steam it

[@lauratempestini5719]

Does this remove the bitterness ?

[@adventuresinveganliving]

It tones it down quite a bit.

[@mmedeuxchevaux]

At what setting do you saute the tempeh in the skillet?

[@adventuresinveganliving]

I usually have the heat on medium.

[@Waddidaw-w9b]

The most delicious tempeh is tempeh wrapped in jati leaves , a tree that only exists in Indonesia Whatever food is wrapped in jati leaves will taste delicious, and can even eliminate the fishy smell of fish.

[@dvdmon]

Have you tried this without adding oil? Just water?

[@adventuresinveganliving]

It will work overall, but the tempeh most likely won't develop a "toasted" golden brown layer on the outside.

[@lalahasgone]

I know that not everyone has the luxury to get fresh market tempeh and mass produced tempeh giving it a bad reputation. I highly suggest making it yourself at home, but you need fermentation setup if you happen to not live in an area that resembles topical climate. Oh and one gross thing, lol, some Javanese people love rotten Tempeh (me included), well not really rotten it's like 1-2 days past it's prime condition where the mycelium blackened. It's super funky, we normally boil them and eat it with extremely spicy sambal.

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Thanks Lala!

[@hungryjack5108]

I made tempeh 5 times and they all turned kind of black. They still smelled great but I was scared and threw them away. Seems like they are eatable according what you said. Are they?

[@lalahasgone]

@@hungryjack5108 yes it's still edible, the blackened mycelium is fine, as long as you kept it in a dry environment or the fridge. If the texture is still firm, it's fine, but it'll be extra funky. When the mycelium is blackened and the texture is soft and waterry that's just way beyond, it'll still be edible if you store it in a clean environment but it'll just won't taste good at all. If blackened and smell fine, then the fermentation temperature might be too hot, in this case, it's completely fine, only color is not that appetizing.

[@adventuresinveganliving]

@hungryjack5108 I'd be on the side of caution. Commercially made tempeh is made in a more controlled environment than what we can achieve at home, so if it turns black, then it's most likely fine like the person above said. But at home we could accidentally contaminate it, so it's hard to tell what exactly caused it to go black.

[@lalahasgone]

@@adventuresinveganliving Yes I would agree with that, if you came to Indonesia and are not yet adapted to the food it'll give you some trouble. Tempeh itself is already uncommon that you need to adapt, let alone the blackened tempeh. As long as you know what you put into the making process it should be safe, and I'm going to emphasize the fresh tempeh that turned black due to the hot environment, not the one you intentionally kept 1-2 days past its prime. it is definitely safe as this happens a lot in Indonesia, fresh tempeh in the morning will turn black in the afternoon due to hot air or direct sunlight because fresh tempeh mycelium growth is higher, therefore it decomposes quickly. meanwhile, pasteurized mass-produced tempeh is denser with less mycelium growth, this is intentional to extend the shelf life. stay safe and enjoy your cooking journey

[@_tnk_]

This is genius!

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Thank you 😊

[@nonni3634]

"no steaming"? What do you call the method you used?

[@andromedaletourneau5808]

Would this method work if I'm going to use the tempeh in a saucey stir fry?

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Yes, cook it this way first, then put it into the stir-fry with the sauce.

[@benjamingawanab1948]

I will try today

[@wis9]

nice method. gj on the hq video.

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Thank you

[@MaxPommer-h6d]

Could it be Tempeh contains vitamin K2?

[@StephenTiffoney]

Nice!

[@adventuresinveganliving]

@@StephenTiffoney Thanks!

[@allydecoste4281]

So not sure if i did anything wrong..i used the same flavors and it still doesnt taste that great..texture is ok..but not overly flavorful. Not making me want to buy it again

[@adventuresinveganliving]

It's possible that more seasoning could help. Or, tossing the tempeh in some flavorful sauce after cooking.

[@allydecoste4281]

@@adventuresinveganliving Ok thanks..i seasoned it twice, but maybe my seasoning was old..lol..i may try different seasoning too..but a sauce is a great idea..thanks!!

[@7oclockmiracles88]

Great idea. Thank you!

[@adventuresinveganliving]

You're very welcome! 😊

[@saelina007]

i like her style

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Thanks 😊

[@Kerry6691]

Another great, simple easy to follow dinner suggestion 😊

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Thank you!

[@yvesklein5414]

just leave it in 8 strips to cook, then cut bite-size. it doesn't make sense to flip 32 pieces

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Thanks for the tip!

[@loryearles9987]

Beans would be nice in there

[@lynnritchie231]

I had no idea you had to boil it before......I've just been baking it, or grating it into whatever I'm eating......😅

[@adventuresinveganliving]

You don't have to, of course, if you like your current method!

[@banditpandapewpew]

Aluminium*

[@charkitte]

Yes, do not wrap any food in aluminum foil!

[@LoveStory-o9n]

I like it tempeh

[@sankalparora9374]

This will make my Tempeh recipes eatble. The natural texture of Tempeh is really hard to eat.

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Glad to hear that, let me know when you make this recipe!

[@thanviHimanshu]

Can't we just fry & add enough water once 😅 or stream it with veg biryani

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Adding water once won't get tempeh very tender, that's why I add it more than once. As for biryani, I haven't tried that, but I make another dish where tempeh steams with vegetables for about 10 min, and it comes out good.

[@Lesliemfit]

Yum

[@C0MMuN15t-i3x]

Me: salt water + tempeh + frying = done

[@Megan6772]

This is steaming 😂

[@erazzano]

So you said no steaming, yet...

[@robineggblue6999]

@adventuresinveganliving Thanks for the great video! Just discovered your channel. 👍

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@suzanne6350]

I am sorry, I follow your way exactly. It is tender but still bitter. 😢 This recipe doesn’t make sense, the bitterness supposed to go into the water, but it got trapped under the lid get absorb back into the Tempe.🤔

[@adventuresinveganliving]

The idea is that the bitterness is supposed to break down after all the steaming, that's why it's not supposed to get reabsorbed into the tempeh. Not sure what happened in your situation, but sometimes things just don't go the way we want them to 🫤

[@akulinamackenzie4492]

💕👍

[@skellener]

This looks like steaming to me.

[@siobhanrose1680]

There is only one type of tempeh available here, and I can only speak for that brand, but it’s disgusting, I hate tempeh because of it. I have been vegan nearly 14yrs, and in that time I have only tried 2 different brands (very unavailable here in Australia) and they were both gross, and I don’t think I’ll ever try tempeh again.

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Sorry to hear that! I've never been to Australia, so I'm not familiar with the tempeh situation over there. However, have you checked any Asian stores, especially Indonesian ones? I would think that, since Indonesia is relatively close to Australia (compared to the US 😄), then maybe they would stock tempeh there.

[@AndrewOkus]

Sounds like it's more trouble than it's worth. A healthy hint! Do Not Use Salt! Even sea salt. It's hard on your kidneys. Instead use " Bragg Liquid Aminos". The flavor is unreal! I use it with Thai curry paste. And that red Chinese hot sauce with the Rooster on the bottle. I make the greatest fried shrimp in the world with those 3 ingredients. I bought some tempeh but it looks like it's more trouble than it's worth. Concerning vegan; I have a friend who is a great natural healer. He told me that the sickest people he ever saw were strict macrobiotic eaters. I knew one, he died of cancer at age 60. Hell, our Chemtrail laden air is more dangerous than aT-bone steak.

[@priceandpride]

downside, it tastes disgusting

[@Therealw1]

Tempeh still smelled and tasted like feet 😫

[@adventuresinveganliving]

Oh no! Did you use enough water when sautéing? Usually it will smell at first, but then the stinkiness goes away.