FOOD FRIDAY - TEMPEH BURGERS

“Black beans and soy beans are the cornerstones of longevity diets around the world.” - Dan Buettner

Tempeh is a traditional soy product originally from Indonesia. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form, similar to a very firm vegetarian burger patty. Tempeh is unique among major traditional soy foods in that it is the only one that did not originate from the Sinosphere cuisine. It originated in contemporary Indonesia, and is especially popular on the island of Java, where it is a staple source of protein.

Like tofu, tempeh is made from soybeans, but it is a whole soybean product with different nutritional characteristics and textural qualities. Tempeh's fermentation process and its retention of the whole bean give it a higher content of protein, dietary fibre, and vitamins. It has a firm texture and an earthy flavour, which becomes more pronounced as it ages. Because of its nutritional value, tempeh is used worldwide in vegetarian cuisine, where it is used as a meat analogue. Here is a vegetarian recipe using tempeh.

Tempeh Burgers

Ingredients

200 g tempeh

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 Spring onions

1 onion, minced

1/3 cup celery leaves, chopped

1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 egg, lightly beaten

Method

Mash the tempeh thoroughly. Add the garlic, finely chopped shallots and onion, celery leaves, pepper and soy sauce. Mix well. Shape into burgers and roll in the breadcrumbs, then in the beaten egg and again in the breadcrumbs. Deep fry for about 5 minutes until crispy brown and serve hot with peanut sauce. A seasonal fresh side salad complements the dish well. For a more gourmet presentation, serve the burger with some béarnaise sauce, steamed asparagus and pumpkin mash.

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