Vietnamese coconut and tempeh curry

This is a deliciously simple curry! Tempeh is a fermented soy bean block, originally from Indonesia. We know it’s not a very appealing description, but when prepared right, this dish is packed with flavour and really filling.

Vietnamese coconut and tempeh curry

SERVES

4

PEOPLE

PREP TIME

10

MINUTES

COOKING TIME

35

MINUTES

Ingredients

  • 300g (10oz) sweet potatoes

  • 400g (14oz) potatoes

  • 1 tsp salt

  • a thumb-size piece of fresh ginger

  • 220ml (scant 8fl oz) full-fat coconut milk

  • 400ml (14fl oz) water

  • juice of 2 limes

  • 2 tbsp of maple syrup

  • 2 tbsp curry powder

  • 4 tbsp tamari/soy sauce (make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce if you need to avoid gluten)

  • 1 x 300g (10oz) pack of tempeh (if not available, substitute firm tofu/oyster mushrooms)

  • ½ a head of pak choi

  • ground black pepper

  • To serve:

  • a small bunch of spring onions/scallions (green part only)

  • a bunch of fresh coriander

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F/Gas Mark 6 (180˚C fan)

  2. Chop the sweet potatoes and regular potatoes into bite-size pieces (leaving the skin on). Put on a baking tray with a generous pinch of salt, mix well and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Peel and finely dice the ginger.

  3. To make the dressing, put the coconut milk, water, ginger, lime juice, maple syrup, curry powder and tamari/soy sauce into a blender and whizz until smooth.

  4. Cut the tempeh/tofu into small cubes (around 1 ½ cm) – the smaller they are, the more flavour each piece will have. Put on a baking tray and dress with about half the dressing. It’s important to mix the tempeh and the sauce well, to make sure each piece is full of flavour, and also to make sure that the tempeh is well spread out on the baking tray. Put into the oven alongside the potatoes and bake for 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, stir the tempeh to ensure that the dressing is well distributed.

  5. Meanwhile, pour the other half of the dressing into a large pan – this will become the sauce for the dish, along with any remaining sauce from the baked tempeh. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and reduce to a simmer.

  6. Once the tempeh and potatoes are done, transfer them into the pan of simmering sauce and mix well. Finely chop the pak choi, removing the rub at the end, and add to the pan.

  7. Remove from the heat, taste and season. Finely slice the spring onions/scallions (make sure you just use the green tops) and fresh coriander and sprinkle them over the dish when serving.

    From The Happy Health Plan by David & Stephen Flynn published by Penguin Life

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