This is one of my favourite dishes for a week night when I’m hungry for goodness and not wanting to spend a lot of time cooking. It’s simple, healthy, plant-based food that’s really tasty and full of freshness. The tempeh is crisped up rich and brown before getting a flavour-packed coating of kashmiri chilli, smoked paprika and lime juice.
I’ll happily admit that I didn’t like tempeh as a kid but done like this it’s a real treat. You can think of this meal as a deconstructed wrap, with all the components handy on a plate so you can choose exactly what suits you best for each mouthful. A key point with the wraps is to get them really well-charred over a gas flame — this adds tons of flavour and gives them a great crispy texture, much more fun than they are straight from the packet.
I love spreading them with peanut butter while they’re still warm so it melts just a little. Cut into wedges with a slice of avocado and a stick of tempeh on top, they’re a rich taste sensation which goes perfectly in my left hand while I use my fork to choose the next fresh salad-bite-combo with my right hand. That’s a really long way of saying it’s fun to eat! I could happily enjoy this meal a couple of times a week, and any leftover tempeh you manage not to finish is awesome in a lunchbox the next day too.
Tempeh
| 3 Tbsp | Peanut oil |
| 1 block | Tempeh, approx. 250g (Main) |
| ½ tsp | Salt |
Coating
| 1 | Lime, zested, then very finely sliced |
| 1 tsp | Smoked paprika |
| ½ tsp | Kashmiri chilli |
| 1 | Lime, juiced |
| 1 tsp | Soy sauce, or tamari |
Wraps and salad
| 3 | Spinach wraps |
| 1 scoop | Peanut butter |
| ½ | Oranges, juiced |
| 1 cup | Beetroot, finely grated |
| 12 | Cos lettuce leaves, approx |
| 1 | Avocado, peeled and sliced |
| 5 cm | Cucumbers, sliced into chunks |
| 10 | Cherry tomatoes, halved |
| 1 handful | Bean sprouts |
Directions
- Heat the peanut oil in a heavy pan. Cut the tempeh into thin sticks to maximise the surface area for the tasty coating, then fry on each side until golden brown, sprinkling with salt as the first side cooks.
- Prepare the coating by mixing all ingredients in a small jug. Tip over the fried tempeh and toss gently until evenly coated. Cook another few minutes until liquid is absorbed and tempeh is crispy again.
- Use steel tongs to hold the wraps over a gas flame until nicely charred on both sides, then spread with peanut butter and cut into segments.
- Squeeze a little orange juice over the grated beetroot and the rest over the lettuce.
- Serve sticks of tempeh on pieces of charred wrap with avocado, and fresh salad veges alongside.
