Trying out Tempeh - Tempeh and Vegetable Stir Fry with Mango

I almost always use tofu when I make a stirfry, but for lunch today I decided to switch it up and try tempeh. Well, honestly, we didn't have any tofu but we did have three packages of tempeh sitting in the fridge waiting to be eaten, and I've been meaning to figure out what to do with it since I'm still very much a tempeh newbie. I was pleased with the results, as tempeh acquires a nice smokey flavor when you saute it, which adds an interesting dimension to this sweet and sour dish that tofu wouldn't have.

Mango Tempeh Stir Fry with Vegetables

1 8oz package tempeh, cut into cubes

1 small onion, sliced

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into diagonal rounds

1 small mango, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 red or orange pepper, sliced

Pinch of salt

1-2 tbs. olive oil for sauteing

Sauce:

About 6 tbs. soy sauce

2 tsp. ketchup

2 tbs. + 1 tsp. maple syrup or brown sugar

2-3 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (depending how much spice you like)

1 tbs. Mirin (Japanese rice wine)

3  cloves garlic, finely minced

1-2 tsp. ginger, finely minced

2 tbs. olive oil or canola oil

About 10 tbs. water

1 -2 tbs. Blue Dragon chili mango dipping sauce (optional, but ads a great  flavor to compliment the fruit in the stir-fry. If you don't have any, adding a few tbs. of mango juice or any sort of sweet chili sauce would work)

1 heaping tsp. cornstarch dissolved into about 3 tbs. water

 

In a saucepan, heat the oil and add the minced garlic and ginger. Keep the heat very low to start. Add the soy sauce, water, syrup, ketchup, mirin, mango chili sauce, and Sriracha. Stir well with the heat on medium-low. Taste the sauce and make adjustments if you'd like, adding more syrup, soy sauce, or water if necessary. Once the flavor is to your liking, add in the cornstarch-water mixture and stir well. Turn up the heat a bit to aid thickening, then reduce the heat to a very low simmer to keep it warm.

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and peppers first, letting them cook for at least half a minute before adding the onions. When the onions begin to soften, add the tempeh cubes. Cook until tempeh begins to brown, then add the mango. Saute for 1-2 more minutes, then turn off the heat and the sauce into the skillet. Toss to coat, then serve mixture over warm brown rice. 

Here's a lame cell phone picture I took right before devouring this!