Serves 3
The beauty of these crumbles is their irregular shape, which char and crisp in the hot oil for a more rustic appearance and texture than their more refined sliced or cubed cousins. Use them to top a salad, stirfry, or sweet potato, or in their namesake dish, Rice Noodles with Tempeh Crumbles and Peanut Sauce.
Juice of 1 lime (2 T.)
1 T. tamari sauce
1 tsp. sambal oelek *
1 tsp. honey
1-2 T. water
1 8 oz. package tempeh, crumbled into chick pea-to-lima bean-size pieces
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
Optional garnishes:
2 scallions, slivered on the diagonal
1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped
Lime wedges for serving
* Sambal oelek, the Indonesian chile paste consisting of crushed red chiles, vinegar and salt, has a distinctive flavor, but you may substitute Sriracha, crushed dried red pepper flakes, or 1 small fresh hot pepper, minced, if that is what you have on hand.
Directions:
- Combine lime juice, tamari sauce, sambal oelek, honey, and water in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat 1 T. oil in large cast iron skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add tempeh in a single layer, season with salt, and cook, undisturbed, until deeply browned, about 2 minutes. Toss, add 1 T. oil if necessary, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until browned all over, 3–5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low, add lime juice mixture to pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is evaporated, 1–2 minutes. Transfer tempeh to a plate; season with salt.