With a bucketload of green goodness and loads of flavour, this satisfying curry is simple enough to pull together on a weeknight and will provide you with delicious leftovers for lunch. Tempeh is a wholesome form of meat-free protein made from fermented soybeans. I’ve made this using humble frozen spinach showing that healthy food doesn’t need to be made with hard-to-source ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
coconut oil for sautéing
1 onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
4 x large garlic cloves, finely diced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
500 grams frozen spinach leaves (chopped is ideal)
1 x 400 gram tin tomatoes
½ teaspoon salt
1 x 400 gram tin coconut cream
1½ cups vegetable stock
juice of 1 lime
2 x 250 gram blocks tempeh
sea salt and ground black pepper for seasoning
To serve
steamed millet, brown rice or quinoa
dried chilli flakes to garnish
METHOD
Heat a generous dollop of oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, ginger and garlic. Cook until the onion is translucent and tender. Add the spices and stir for a minute, adding more oil if the pan is dry.
Add the spinach (fine to add it frozen), tomatoes, salt, coconut cream and stock. Bring to a boil and stir until the spinach has thawed and is thoroughly combined. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir through the lime juice.
Place in a food processor or blender and blitz until the spinach is finely chopped and the sauce is green. Use a blender if you want a very fine result and a food processor if you like a more roughly chopped sauce.
Heat a very generous dollop of oil in a sauté pan. Cut the tempeh into 2½ cm cubes. Season generously with salt and ground black pepper. Fry in 2–3 batches until golden brown and crisp.
Combine the cooked tempeh and sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve with steamed millet, brown rice or quinoa
Pantry note: Tempeh can be found in the chiller section of your supermarket (with the other vegetarian items).
Kelly Gibney
Kelly Gibney is a food writer, photographer and stylist who focuses on wholesome dishes full of fresh ingredients and flavour. Find more of her beautiful recipes in her weekly Green Mondays column or over on her blog,bonnie delicious.
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