Deep Fried Tempeh

This is a basic recipe for frying plain tempeh without marinating. I usually shy away from deep frying, but in the case of plain tempeh I find frying them in hot oil the fastest & easiest method compared to baking in the oven. That’s because there is next to no splatters when deep frying plain (dry) tempeh.

See Also:

• Tempeh Cabbage Curry Recipe
• Curry Cabbage Recipe

We love the taste of tempeh for its strong & nutty taste. Tempeh is usually soaked in a liquid marinate before frying. To season plain tempeh after frying, one can sprinkle salt & pepper as the main seasoning, followed by other seasoned powder (such as cayenne/paprika, seaweed, garlic salt etc). We often eat it plain at home (because the cook is lazy) :P

Fried tempeh can be used as a salad topping, for stir-fries or added to soups, curries & stews. I usually fry a full batch and eat them like a snack, with the remaining tempeh chilled in the fridge for meal prep. I used this particular batch of tempeh for a spicy tempeh cabbage curry (pictured above). 

 
These are packets of tempeh I bought from Sheng Siong (SS). I like buying from SS as each packet of tempeh comes in 2 small rectangular stabs of 40g each, and wrapped in banana leaf. There are more modern vacuumed type of packaging sold at supermarkets, but I like this traditional packaging the most.

There are two ways to cut tempeh before frying. To fry them as a whole block, make criss-cross (or diagonal) superficial slits on one side without cutting all the way through. Alternatively, cut tempeh to bite-sized sections.

Heat peanut or canola oil (or any cooking oil with a high smoke point) until tiny bubbles form (about 180°C (356°F). Deep fry until light golden brown. Plain tempeh is dry, so oil splatters are a rare occurrence during deep frying. Take out the fried pieces and blot out excess oil on tempura paper or kitchen paper towels before serving.