KUNG PAO TEMPEH
This month we’re continuing some of our favorite Chinese takeout foods. Kung Pao tempeh was another great recipe suggested by Mama Paige. I am so grateful for her recommendation because this one is perfect! Even Papa Paige said the fried tempeh tastes like chicken even before we added the Kung Pao sauce! So, get ready because you will want to eat this the next time you are craving takeout.
In researching Kung Pao recipes, we found dry sherry is a key ingredient in the sauce. I was a bit apprehensive because..well, it’s dry sherry. Dry sherry has a nutty flavor and left me wanting a big glass of water after tasting it for the first time. Even if it is not my first drinking wine of choice, it is a great wine to have in the kitchen. It is a fortified white. This means it lasts longer than other bottles of white wine. Bonus - it is inexpensive. Do you need any other reason to add this Kung Pao dish to your weekly meal rotation? Just make sure you get dry sherry and not cooking sherry. Cooking sherry has additional sodium in it.
Let’s get into the Recipe!
Let’s make some delicious takeout! If you have not already, cube the tempeh to prepare it for marinating and set aside. In a small bowl, mix vegan chicken broth base, dry sherry, salt, white pepper, cornstarch, soy sauce, and water to make the marinade. Add cubed tempeh to the marinade. Be sure to give it a good stir to coat all of the pieces. Add to a container with a lid and let sit in the fridge overnight. If you don’t have all night, let the tempeh sit in the marinade for at least 2 hours.
When the tempeh is done marinating, it is time to make the Kung Pao sauce and dry dredge mix. In a medium bowl, mix ketchup, dry sherry, soy sauce, chili oil, avocado oil, honey siracha ketchup to make the Kung Pao sauce. You will want the sauce to be ready as soon as the tempeh is out of the frying oil. Next, make the dry dredge mix with flour, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, seasoning salt, ground ginger powder, ground cayenne pepper, allspice, and ground black pepper.
Now that everything is mixed let’s start the process. This is going to be quick. Heat the vegetable oil in a large stockpot or preheat your fryer. While your preferred method is heating, get the tempeh ready. Remove the tempeh from the marinade and toss the pieces in the dry dredge mix. Before adding the pieces back in the marinade to double coat, add chicken broth and water to enhance the wet mixture. Now, add the pieces back into the marinade and toss, then back in the dry mix. Put the coated pieces on the wire rack to rest for a couple of minutes. Letting the pieces rest will help make sure the coating won’t pull away from the tempeh. Once the oil is ready, fry each piece until golden brown. Garnish with red pepper, green peppers, and cashews to taste. Then, toss pieces in the Kung Pao sauce and enjoy with rice or noodles.
Just A Suggestion…
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Kung Pao Tempeh
Ingredients
- 1 pack tempeh – 8 oz, cubed
- Cashews for garnish
- Green bell pepper for garnish
- Red bell pepper for garnish
- 2 Tsp vegan chicken broth base
- 2 Tsp dry sherry
- ¼ Tsp salt
- ¼ Tsp white pepper
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tsp soy sauce
- ¼ C. water
- 2 Tbsp ketchup
- 4 Tbsp dry sherry
- 1½ Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp chili oil
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 Tbsp honey sriracha ketchup
- 3 C. flour
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tsp seasoning salt
- ½ Tsp ground ginger powder
- ½ Tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1 Tsp allspice
- 1 Tsp ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp vegan chicken broth (use the broth from the wedges or mix 2 Tsp of broth base with 2 Tbsp of water
- ¼ C. oat milk
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix vegan chicken broth base, dry sherry, salt, white pepper, cornstarch, soy sauce, and water. Add cubed tempeh. Stir to coat. Then, cover and let sit in the fridge overnight.
- In a medium bowl, mix kung pao sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix ingredients of dry dredge mix. Coat tempeh pieces in dry dredge mix.
- In the marinade container, add vegan chicken broth and oat milk to create a wet dredge. Toss tempeh pieces in the wet dredge. Then, toss in dry dredge mix.
- Let tempeh pieces rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- In a large stockpot, heat vegetable oil for frying. Oil should cover 1/3 of the pot. Once the oil is ready, carefully add tempeh pieces into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on all sides.
- Toss tempeh pieces in kung pao sauce.
- Garnish with red pepper, green peppers, and cashews to taste. Serve with favorite rice or noodles.
