SPICY AUBERGINE & TEMPEH STIR-FRY

This dish is usually cooked with fiery sambal paste, but for my mild sambal I blended chillies and tomatoes. A traditional food from Java made from fermented soya beans, tempeh is a good complement for the aubergine, the soft aubergine works well with the chunky, nutty texture of the tempeh. This is a good option for anyone looking for something healthy, as tempeh contains no cholesterol, and it is a great ingredient for stir-fries and curries.

Author: Norman Musa - recipe from Bowful

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• 2 tsp palm sugar

• 1 tsp fine sea salt

• 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate

• 1 aubergine, about 300g, cut into slices 1cm thick

• 400g tempeh, cut into slices 1cm thick

• Salt and pepper

• Jasmine rice, to serve

For the paste

• 1 banana shallot, peeled

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled

• 4 red chillies, deseeded

• 4 medium tomatoes, deseeded

• 1 stalk of lemongrass, trimmed

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

Recipe:

Blitz together the paste ingredients using a handheld stick blender or food processor until fine

and smooth.

To make the sambal, heat the oil in a small frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook the

paste for 3 minutes. Add the sugar, salt and tamarind and cook for 2 more minutes. Transfer to

a large serving bowl.

Heat a griddle pan or heavy-based frying pan over a high heat and cook the aubergine and

tempeh in batches for 1½ minutes on each side; season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to the serving bowl on top of the cooked sambal, with the tempeh on one side and

the aubergine on the other.

Stir well to coat the aubergine and tempeh evenly with the sambal, then serve immediately

with jasmine rice.

#Protempeh