Tempeh tantanmen
I first had the pleasure of tasting the Japanese take on Sichuan Dandan noodles on an amazing, food-fuelled trip to Tokyo. Being a huge fan of spicy food, my friend recommended that I try Gomaryu, the restaurant that is famous for its catchy slogan, “tantanmen from hell,” which was a place with a level of spice that catered to those who are mellow and insane. A frightened skull welcomed guests on the sign that was placed above the doorway.
An enticing steaming dish of a pork-based tantanmen was served to me, seasoned using a moderate level two spice. The first thing I saw was a thick, nutty, creamy goodness and a pleasant warmth that warmed my insides. The portions were large, with slick noodles and a sesame-based broth that ticked every box.
Here, instead of pork, I’ve cooked chunks of tempeh “rocks” – a technique I learned from my friend, the cookbook’s author Vanja van der Leeden. When cooked in this manner, I don’t feel the need to miss meat or pork at all. The crisp tempeh texture makes an incredible pairing with the very silky sesame soup.
For pantry alternatives, you could substitute the tempeh for firm tofu that has been dried and then crumbled. The choy sum may be replaced with any easy-cooking vegetable. Ramen noodles dried in the oven are a good substitute for dried Asian noodles.
Cooking time and prep 30 minutes
Serves 2
For the tempeh
200g tempeh crumbled into tiny rocks
1 tbsp gochujang or doubanjiang
1 tbsp soy sauce
Two cloves of garlic, cut thinly and peeled
Flavorless oil (such as sunflower oil or grapeseed)
To make the soup base
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 Tbsp Japanese or Chinese sesame paste and peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
One tablespoon of sesame oil
1 1/2 2 tbsp chilli oil with crunchy bits
1 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1 1/2 1 tbsp white miso paste
2 tsp of caster sugar
Pour the broth and garnish
Two eggs (optional)
100g choy sum, cut into large chunks
160g dried ramen
400ml of unsweetened soy milk that is not sweetened
400ml veggie stock preferentially with low salt
Marinate the tempeh granules in the soy and gochujang sauce while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Mix all your soup’s elements into a bowl, then place aside.
Put the eggs into a medium-sized saucepan. Top with cold water to submerge. Add a big amount of salt. Cover the saucepan and bring it to a simmer, then lower the heat to simmer for 6 minutes.
Take the eggs out of the pan and then bring the water back to a boiling point. The eggs should be run under cold water, peeled, and cut in half. Set aside. Blanch the choy-sum for 2 minutes in boiling water. Then drain and refresh in cold water. Remove and put aside.
Make the ramen according to the directions on the packet, after which rinse and stir in some oil to keep the noodles stuck.
In the meantime, put the oil, four teaspoons as well as the garlic in an uncooked non-stick skillet and heat to medium-high temperature. Cook the garlic until they are lightly golden, around 2 to 3 minutes, and then remove the garlic slices from the oil using an ejector and set aside. Utilizing this garlic oil, cook the tempeh at a high temperature, stirring until golden and crispy, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove using a spoon. Mix the tempeh rock with the garlic fried and place aside.
Put the soy milk as well as the stock into the pot and slowly warm at a moderate heat. Don’t allow the broth to come to a boil, or else the mixture will break.
Distribute the base of the soup into two serving dishes. Top with noodles as well as soup broth. Then, garnish with the Choy Sum, tempeh rocks, and eggs.
Sambal Prawns with coconut, cashews
This recipe that Indonesia inspires only requires the most basic kitchen ingredients to make a delicious dish that is warm and has a sweet saltiness. Chilies and garlic are the base of sambal and are cooked in the oil until the garlic starts to turn brown and become wrinkled. In a nod to the Indonesian vegetable dish, sambal goreng buncis Udang (fried sambal made of beans and shrimp), The green beans explode, burning in the pan and then bathing in the delicious and intensely flavored sauce.
The texture is fantastic because of the flaky coconut and snappy cashews, but it’s the mix of kecap manis with the gentle heat of chili that’s got my fork slicing through the plate to get more. Quality frozen prawns that are of good quality are essential food items for emergencies, and that’s the reason I always keep a few inside my fridge.
For a vegan version, cut out the prawns and cook the rest of the recipe just as it is a delicious side dish. You can also substitute the prawns for tempeh, as well as marinated, firm tofu dried and then cooked in a pan until golden.
Time to prepare and cook: 25 minutes
Serves 4
25g desiccated coconut
Cooking oil that is flavorless (such as sunflower oil or grapeseed) or coconut oil
20 medium-sized raw shrimps peeled with tails, frozen in the event of freezing
Two cloves of garlic, crushed and peeled, or two tablespoons of garlic paste
Four long chillies added and finely diced
200g beans cut and trimmed into 5cm lengths that are diagonally
1 tbsp kecap
1/2 1 tsp brown sugar or coconut sugar
60g of salted cashews roasted and roasted
The coconut can be toasted in a wok or a large fry pan on a medium flame for approximately 2 minutes in a frying pan, shaking it frequently until the coconut is golden. Transfer the coconut to a dish.
Clean the pan thoroughly and heat one tablespoon of oil. Place the prawns in one layer, and cook for about two minutes per side or until they’re cooked. Set aside on the plate that is lined with kitchen towels.
Another tablespoon of oil is heated in the pan or wok that is still on the medium-high flame. Add the chilies and garlic, then cook, constantly stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until the chilies soften and begin to wrinkle.
Incorporate the green beans with a teaspoon of water sugar, kecap manis, and a substantial amount of salt. Cook for another 3 hours or more, stirring frequently until the beans are tender with a nutty bite.
Mix in the majority of the cashews and coconut in a small amount, keeping a bit of each to garnish as you return the prawns to the pan. Mix everything. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with the rest of the cashews and coconut.
Tamarind caramel brownies
My husband believes he’s a bit of a brownie snob, and he said that they were his favorite brownie he’s ever had. I’ll let you oo judge this (since the blindness of love is the excessive nature of love), But what’s evident is that the sharpness of tamarind is a great match for sweet desserts, and its sweet, sour flavor contrasts with the richness of caramel.
Warm straight out of the oven. It’s the dessert brownie, one that you serve alongside a spoonful of ice cream. If served chilled or served at room temperature, it’s the perfect treat that’s a great pick-me-up, and a snack could be enjoyed during the sun’s warm afternoon light while sipping the last cup of coffee of the day.
Espresso powder adds the caramel and spice of the chocolate. Likewise, macadamias add an acknowledgment of the flavor of my Australian roots. You can replace the macadamias with any other nuts, including nuts like pecans and walnuts.
To avoid your brownie mix from breaking, ensure that your eggs are cool prior to adding to the mix. The leftovers can be frozen for up to three months. However, the brownies can last approximately three to four days in a sealed container at temperatures of room temperature or for up to one week in the fridge.
Cooking and prep time: 1 hour
Creates 24 squares
100g macadamia nuts roughly chopped
250g of unsalted butter cut into cubes and an extra serving to grease
Dark chocolate 275g, preferably 70% cocoa, cut into small pieces
250g of caster sugar
1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt plus an extra sprinkle to sprinkle
Four eggs, at room temperature, beaten
Plain flour 165g Sifted
One teaspoon espresso powder (or instant coffee) granules dissolving in hot water 1 tsp
To make the caramel tamarind
50g golden syrup or maple syrup
70g of caster sugar
50ml double cream
20g of unsalted butter
A huge pinch of sea salt flaky
25ml tamarind paste
Preheat the oven to a 200C/180C fan. Set the middle shelf up to bake. Macadamia nuts are roasted for about 6 to 8 minutes or until they are golden brown. Then, take them out and put them aside.
To create the caramel, melt caramelized sugar and golden syrup in a heavy saucepan over moderately low heat. Mix the ingredients in the pan instead of stirring them. When the sugar is dissolved and the caramel has begun to bubble and bubble, cook it at an even simmer until it starts to foam and bubble, approximately 3 to 5 minutes total.
Take the pan off the stove. Then, stir into the butter and cream until they are melted and mixed. Add the tamarind and salt and mix thoroughly. Transfer to a large bowl (this will allow it to chill faster). Cover with a lid and leave at room temperature in the freezer to set for 20 minutes, or relax in the fridge for about 30 minutes until the mixture is thick and goopy.
Line a 20x30cm tin with baking parchment. Make sure there is a little overhang of paper around the edges so that you are able to easily take the brownies out of the tin when you need to remove them later.
Begin preparing the brownies. Melt the butter slowly in a small pan. When it is melted, please remove it from the heat. Add the chocolate and let it rest for 2 minutes without stirring.
Stir the butter and chocolate in a couple of minutes. They should have started to melt. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and mix in the salt and sugar.
Once the chocolate is cooled for a couple of minutes, slowly add the eggs at room temperature in small increments at each time, thoroughly mixing each addition with a spoon. Add the macadamia nuts, coffee powder (or instant coffee, and the water mixture) until they are well combined.
Pour half of the brownie mix into the tin you have prepared. Remove the tamarind caramel from the refrigerator or freezer and pour a portion of it over the brownies inside the container. Cover the rest of the brownie mixture and smooth out the surface using a spatula. Sprinkle with the remaining caramel, spreading it over the entire area as soon as possible.
With the help of a spoon for dessert, gently swirl the caramel around the brownie mix. To do this, make sure you dip the end of the spoon around 1 centimeter deep in the brownie mixture and then make squiggly lines as well as figure-of-eight designs throughout it until evenly dispersed.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until it’s cooked but still gooey in the middle. Try it with a skewer. There should be some moist crumbles on the skewer when placed in the middle of the chocolate, as well as perhaps a speck of brown goo. However, you do not want a moist or wet brownie. Sprinkle on a good amount of sea salt when your brownie remains warm after it has been removed from the oven.
Let the brownie sit in the tin for a few hours until it is completely cool. Remove the brownie from the container by using baking parchment. Transfer onto a cutting board, then slice into squares, and serve.
