Yup. Simmer or steam. I don't have a great steaming setup, so this is easier for me. It's the often overlooked first step, which I think makes all of the difference.
I boil/simmer my soy milk to get rid of the nasty taste. It’s now my favorite nondairy milk to make(and of course cook with). I just finished making a batch. Easy Sunday morning!!!
Ohh I never really noticed a bitter taste but in the Caribbean we are used to strong tastes. I should try your method see how it goes. Oh I usually get the smoked tempeh
I am indonesian. Bitterness on tempeh come when its past 2x24 hours on room temperature. You need to stop the molding proces with refrigerate it or marinated it with salted water. If it already bitter. Boiling is sure the choice. U can try it stright raw to taste if its bitter or not.
as an Indonesian living in the UK, yes tempe here is bitter and not taste fresh. Boiling and simmering does help with the taste. Still can't beat the taste of fresh tempe back home in Indonesia.
@@majvlierop it’s bitter, fresh tempe is nutty and earthy. But i found some tempeh that tastes quite similar with the ones in Indonesia. Can’t remember the brands, i bought them from the Chinese store.
Imdonesian here To all Vegans: Please NEVER cook tempeh like how you cook a beef.... it will tastes disgusting! you should cook it like how you cook potato or chicken
the reason tempe outside indonesia have bitter taste because of the weather,,, good tempeh only can made in indonesia or with the simillar weather :) btw in indonesia we usually fried tempe , just marinate with water salt paper and garlic, that it,,,
Not sure if it's all tempeh, or certain brands. Most of what we get here in the states has a slight bitterness at the back end. Most folks probably don't notice or care, but some folks are really turned off to the bitterness. I just wanted to show folks that there was a method to help eliminate it. It's such a delicious food, and I wanted to give some ideas on how people can enjoy it.
sepertinya pengaruh airnya mbak air dengan mineral seperti air sumur atau air pegunungan yg juga ada bakteri tertentu bikin tempe terfermentasi dg baik jika airnya ada unsur kaporit sepertinya itu masalahnya cmiiw
I think I will try this, but boil it with beef broth, add some onion, garlic, a few fresh herbs, and seasonings, then let sit in broth over night. I need to build up my gut bacteria after antiobotics, and they say this is good for it.
Why Westerner always avoided cook tempeh with vegetables oil?...tempeh history from central Java...because at that time during colonialism..people cannot afford to eat meat...only feudal Lord had privelege....if you search central Java culinary...you will know that's lots of them veggie food..and you know why
because vegetable oils are absolute poison and suitable only as industrial oils. I doubt poor people past cooked tempe in stuff like rapeseed or sunflower oil, even in Indonesia lard must have been somewhat affordable.
@mmedeuxchevaux but thats not what he asked. Whether he boiled it or not, does boiling it negate the health benefits to some degree? That's a question I'll bump up.
Some micronutrients are degraded quickly by high temperatures and some may dissolve into the boiling water. Plastic sealed tempeh (or tofu for) is always pasteurized so heating it isn't gonna have any more effect on the pro-biotics in there. I wouldn't worry too much about destroying micronutrients in this case though, cooking and baking it will increase the bioavailability of the macronutrients and you'll get plenty of vitamins from other plant-based food sources for the ones that you destroyed by cooking the tempeh.
Ok honestly THANK YOU for opening it the sensible way. I always see people cutting it all over the place then again with the inner pouch. There’s no reason that should annoy me so much but here we are 🤣
Hey, Michael. Thanks for the video. I've never bought tempeh because I keep telling myself I need to get the fungus spores and make my own. I just never got around to it yet. So I've actually never had it. I guess it's time I tried. Your recipe looks really good.
A lot of folks message me that I should make my own... It's like tofu. Yes, you can totally make it at home. Will I? Maybe once for fun. Until I have to make it myself, I probably won't. Haha.
OMG! I want to get out of bed and try this. Total game changer! I’ve never given up on tempeh, but now we might start a relationship. Thank you very much!
Instead of boiling it first, I crumble it up and then fry on low heat for about 15mins this gets rid of the liquid and a little crispy. It's then perfect to use as mince alternative for really healthy bolegnaise or toss it with ginger, garlic , tamari etc for Asian dishes.
I should've watched this before I decided to try my tempeh raw from the fridge, just treating it like regular old tofu. Bleh. So gross. But after boiling it, then frying, it tastes so much better! Great video,
Not sure if it's all tempeh, or certain brands. Most of what we get here in the states has a slight bitterness at the back end. Most folks probably don't notice or care, but some folks are really turned off to the bitterness. I just wanted to show folks that there was a method to help eliminate it. It's such a delicious food, and I wanted to give some ideas on how people can enjoy it.
best way to to really enjoy it + rice is to deep fry, make into tempura or sambal tempe(especially after u have fried them) or masak lemak or if u have tofu make into "lodeh". i grew up with tempeh. these does not do it justice. #justice for tempe! hahahaha
My thanksgiving is a roasted butternut squash stuffed tempeh sausage and kale and topped with a drizzle of maple syrup. Tempeh “pork” sausage is the bomb.
Thank you for watching! It's a necessity, in my opinion. The bacon is so good. Obviously, it's nothing like bacon, but I think that's a good thing. Let me know how it turns out!
We've done a BBQ Tempeh and the preparation we did was the same as with this one. We sometimes boiled or pour a boiling water on it first, then marinate overnight, then cook.
Thank you so much I just start to make them first time and waiting to be done I am so happy to found your cooking way very beautiful love your presentation 😍
just a little tip for you ----timing with your microwave is a great idea - just place a jar with some water in it to make sure you're not accidently microwaving with an empty microwave!! New sub and new to tempeh, thanks for this video!!!🌱🌱
You can add liquid flour mixture, mixed with spring onions, salt, some flavorings and add tempeh. Then deep fry the tempeh, and it becomes flour fried tempeh. in Indonesia it is called mendoan.
Never realized that tempe is bitter. But probably it is to some people. While simmering, you may want to try putting some spices, like people in Central Java - Indonesia do.
@@MonsonMadeThis Fresh and good tempeh shouldn't taste bitter. In Indonesia, we only sell fresh tempeh here. They always sell new batch of tempeh everyday. The really fresh made tempeh still feel warm. If i buy tempeh, i store it in fridge and use it within 2 - 3 days. It will taste bad after 3 days, even in 3 days it sometimes taste bad. I think that's why outside indonesia tempeh taste bitter because they are sitting in the shelves for so long. Indonesia still use that overripe tempeh that has black color, we call it "tempe bosok or tempe semangit", it has pungent taste and smell but we only use it for seasoning and only add a little amount of it.
@@MonsonMadeThis No Indonesian will say tempe has a bitter taste because it isn't. But after I taste tempe made in Moscow, I definitely can taste it. It's about how the tempe was made (technique, temperature, humidity, etc). So just try to find tempe made in Indonesia or producers who mimics Indonesia's environment ambiance ( I've seen a video about a vegan factory in the US doing it but forgot the name of the company).
Hey, first time I've seen you use those cool tweezers. I'm going to your link and get me some! Great tempeh primer. I tend to reach for tofu automatically, but this helps me remember the tempeh languishing in my fridge. Thanks!!
Hmmm... I've never actually tried. I've heard it's not that difficult, but I've just never personally given it a shot. Maybe one day I'll feel ambitious.
I have been looking into tempeh to try as well, and apparently some of the tempeh easily found here in the USA may not processed as authentically/properly as it is in other brands from other counties. Many people note that sometimes the tempeh found here is bitter and I have seen several cooks/bloggers saying they boil or steam it for around 10 minutes first to remove the bitterness. If anyone has a favorite super authentic tempeh, that is never bitter, even if it is only found at a specialty grocery store it would be nice to have them comment with the name of the brand
First off - you look great! I have tried to use tempeh but the odd flavor was a put off! Thanks, I appreciate your tricks and shall give it another try.
It's been a minute since I've had tempeh, I guess it's time to pick some up now that I've got these pro tips! On different note, I visited your website searching for your cream of chicken recipe and it's so beautiful and easy to navigate. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the fact when you include more than one recipe in a dish, you include both on the same page. It's seriously so helpful!
So glad you made this video. I tried tempeh once and threw it out due to the taste. I will definitely try it again, but this time I will cook it first in broth.
Fresh and good tempeh shouldn't taste bitter. In Indonesia, we only sell fresh tempeh here. They always sell new batch of tempeh everyday. The really fresh made tempeh still feel warm. Tempeh wrapped with banana leaves taste better. If i buy tempeh, i store it in fridge and use it within 2 - 3 days. It will taste bad after 3 days, even in 3 days it sometimes taste bad. I think that's why outside indonesia tempeh taste bitter because they are sitting in the shelves for so long. Indonesia still use that overripe tempeh that has black color, we call it "tempe bosok or tempe semangit", it has pungent taste and smell but we only use it for seasoning and only add a little amount of it.
Looks great; thanks for sharing this on tempeh. Btw, I'm really going off frypans with non-stick coatings and your red & white frypan looks like a ceramic non-stick that really works?? If so, can you tell us what brand it is please Monson? Thanks. ☺🧡
Make sure u buy homemade tempeh,it comes with banana leaves wrapped. Taste much better,a vegan way too than a plastic ones 🖤 Tips : soaked in salt water and adding a fresh chopped garlic for a couple minutes before you fry it.
Thank you so much for the cooking tips! I recently made tempeh-filled wonton soup for the first time and was disappointed by the sour flavor it had; I used uncooked tempeh and boiled the wontons. But I've always liked restaurant tempeh. Now I know why, thanks!
Any idea whether you can freeze tempeh after the simmering/before the final cooking? It seems like it would cut down the cooking for dinner time. I can especially see that as being helpful with bags of frozen crumbles - kind of like Morning Star but better for you. Do you have an ‘Italian’ sausage seasoning, or just breakfast sausage seasoning? Italian Crumbles would be so good in marinara sauce! Or maybe as chunks with peppers and onions! I’m not vegan but I’ve gotten many great ideas from you that have made good substitutes for improving the health value of my dishes. You had one video that was actually on mayo-based sauce substitute for I think it was potato and pasta salads that I ended up with an idea for a cauliflower rice salad instead. I make that just about every week, but without the dressing. CauliRice, bell peppers, green onion, diced raw asparagus, diced artichoke bottom. Use it all week to just add an extra 1/2 cup of veggies whenever to whatever. One of my favorite fillers! And I got it from watching you but making it a bit lower carb. A bit round-about but really a substitute pasta salad
I'm not sure about the freezing. I'm sure it would work, though... Unfortunately I don't have an Italian sausage seasoning. Yet. I should work on developing one. I'm so glad you like the "Universal Vegan Cold Salad Dressing". Not a pretty name, but I agree it's a great mayo and sauce substitute. I try to keep it on hand, too. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!
Thanks for this Michael! I've never cooked with tempeh because I'm kind of afraid of it. LOL But you took a lot of that fear away by demonstrating how simple it really is. I'm definitely picking some up next time I see it. :)
Munson....I have never steamed the tempeh first! I am amazed that I have never heard of this! Thank you! i am going to try it and see if I tell a difference!
There are a lot of variations of the same technique. Steaming. Simmering. Even simmering the tempeh in a bit of liquid and then reducing it as it simmers to both get the bitterness out and to concentrate the flavors into the tempeh.
I agree that it's both intriguing and scary. That's why I wanted to make this video, to kind of take some of the weirdness out of it. Let me know if you give it a go!
I think if you've been at it for a while, you don't really notice it. It's off-putting to some folks, and I've heard people complain about the bitterness as a reason they don't like it. So, decided to give folks a tip if they didn't like the flavor.
It is one of the very few sources of a complete plant protein and so for vegans they use it as meat it has all 9 essential amino acids to build the other 11 non essential amino acids and has enough Bcaas leucine isoleucine and valine to promote muscle protein synthesis to not lose muscle lean body mass as muscle is key to longevity
I don't usually buy the pre-seasoned stuff just because I like to make my own. Simmering it really helps, I think. I have a couple of pizza recipes. One with tempeh on it, actually. I also have a Vegan Roadie recipe for a "crab rangoon" pizza with is so so good.
@@MonsonMadeThis both of them sound like videos in their own right! I used the tempeh crumble for a dish that night that was blown away. I would very much like to hear about this crab Rangoon pizza idea! There is a local butternut squash pizza that has the cashew ricotta cheese dollops that is delicious. I bet yours are amazing as well!
Dude. I needed this so badly. I make terrible tempeh. I have been steaming it but the consistency is always just off to me. I may get brave and try this again and simmer it and some broth. Ty!!
Simmering is my favorite, but you may just not like the texture. It's been an acquired taste for me. I didn't love it at first. But, after playing with it and trying different ways of cooking it, I'm really loving it.