Bring the flavours of Thailand right into your home kitchen! This Thai basil tempeh stir-fry recipe is a healthier vegan version of traditional ‘pad krapow gai’ dish and is loaded with bold Thai flavour.
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
Stir-Fry
- 1 block of tempeh (approx 200g)
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 cup Thai basil, finely chopped
- crushed cashews for topping
- 1 cup of jasmine rice, cooked according to package directions
Sauce
- 2 Tbsp. vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 tsp. sambal oelek (or sriracha)
NOTES
Sometimes tempeh can have a slightly bitter flavour. Steaming it before cooking helps to get rid of this bitterness. It also softens the tempeh so it can more easily absorb the sauce in this recipe!
If you can’t find vegetarian oyster sauce you can substitute hoisin sauce.
Directions
Place the block of tempeh in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the tempeh from the pan. This step is important to remove any bitter flavour the tempeh might have!
Add the tempeh to a food processor and pulse until chopped into small bits.
Heat the vegetable oil in anon-stick pan on medium-high heat, then add the tempeh and let cook for 2-3 minutes. Move the tempeh around with a wooden spoon so it doesn’t stick.
Reduce heat to medium and add the green onions, garlic and Thai basil. Stir together.
Add all the sauce ingredients to the pan and mix together.
Taste the tempeh after adding the sauce and adjust accordingly. Depending on your tempeh and amount, you may need a little more soy sauce, maple syrup, spice… etc.
Serve on top of jasmine rice and top with crushed cashews.
Nutrition facts per serving: Calories 463; protein 23 g; fat 19 g; carbs 54 g.
Jessica Hoffman – Founder & food blogger at Choosing Chia in Montreal
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