Tempeh and tofu rendang with green beans
45 min · 31 g protein · 428 cals / serving
A quick rendang made with tempeh and tofu, which need none of the hours a beef rendang does: both fried golden, then cooked down in a fragrant paste of shallot, lemongrass, chili, ginger and turmeric with coconut milk until the sauce clings, finished with toasted coconut and green beans.
Ingredients
- 7 oz tempeh, cut in 2 cm (3/4-inch) cubes
- 1 1/2 blocks (14 oz each) prepared extra firm tofu, patted dry, cut in 2 cm (3/4-inch) cubes
- 1 1/2 tsp coconut oil
Spice paste
- 4 shallots, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- a 5 cm (2-inch) piece ginger, or galangal, sliced
- 2 stalks lemongrass, tender part only, sliced
- 3–4 red chili peppers, seeded for less heat
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp light coconut milk, about two thirds of a can
- 1 cup water
- 4 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 lb green beans, frozen cut green beans, no need to thaw
- 2 tbsp shredded coconut, unsweetened
- 1 tbsp lime juice
Steps
- Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pan over medium-high heat and fry the tempeh and tofu in two batches, 5 minutes each, turning, until golden on most sides. Lift them onto a plate.
- While they fry, blend the shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chilies, turmeric and coriander to a paste with a spoon of water, and toast the coconut in a small dry pan for 2 minutes, until golden.
- Fry the paste in the big pan for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and darker. Add the cinnamon, coconut milk, water, soy sauce, sugar, salt and the frozen green beans, return the tempeh and tofu and bring to a boil.
- Simmer, uncovered, for 15–18 minutes, stirring gently and more often as it thickens, until the beans are tender and the sauce is thick and clinging. Stir in the toasted coconut for the last few minutes.
- Stir in the lime juice, taste for salt and serve, with jasmine rice if you like.
Good to know
What is the toasted coconut for?
It is the quick version of kerisik, the toasted coconut paste that gives rendang its nutty depth and helps the sauce cling.
Can I make it with all tempeh?
Yes, and it is closer to the Indonesian rendang tempe, nuttier and denser. It also carries more calories per bite, at about 53 instead of 61.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 92
- Protein
- (29%)
- 7 g
- Fat
- (47%)
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- (25%)
- 7 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 105 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 1710 kcal goes into the pot and 2267 g of ingredients comes out as about 1865 g of food: 92 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.