Sweet & Sour Tempeh Peanut Stir-Fry

I actually really like this one but we made it very spicy and it was difficult to taste the sour sauce through the heat. From Big Vegan Flavor by Nisha Vora.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups (285 g) uncooked or 4½ cups (650 g) cooked jasmine rice or sticky white rice
• 2 (8-ounce/227 g) blocks tempeh
• ¼ cup (56 g) neutral-flavored high-heat oil of choice
• Kosher salt
• ¾ cup (105 g) salted or unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 tablespoons (50 g) tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek or chili-garlic sauce, plus more as needed
• 1 tablespoon tamarind paste or concentrate
• 3 tablespoons organic brown sugar or pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons no-sugar-added creamy peanut butter

Stir-Fry

• 1½ tablespoons neutral-flavored oil of choice
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced on a bias (reserve dark green tops for garnish)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½-inch (3.75 cm) piece fresh ginger, grated or minced
• 1 to 3 Thai chiles (or ½ serrano pepper), thinly sliced or minced
• 1 lemongrass stalk, minced
• 4 to 5 fresh makrut lime leaves, minced (or 10 to 12 dried lime leaves)
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 12 to 16 ounces (340 to 455 g) sugar snap peas, halved

For Serving

• A few squeezes of fresh lime juice

Instructions

1. Start by cooking the rice using your preferred method, or get out your leftover cooked rice.
2. Cut the tempeh into matchsticks. The matchsticks yield the best texture, but if you want to save time, you can roughly slice the tempeh and add it to a food processor; pulse repeatedly until it’s in small crumbles.
3. Heat a 12-inch (30 cm) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat for a few minutes until shimmering. Add the tempeh with a few pinches of salt and stir to coat in the oil. Cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, then flip. Repeat this process for 10 more minutes—cooking undisturbed for 2 minutes, then stirring—until most of the tempeh is browned and crispy.
4. Transfer the tempeh to a paper towel-lined surface to absorb excess oil and season with a few pinches of salt.
5. Make the sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, tamari, sambal oelek, tamarind paste, brown sugar, and peanut butter.
6. Make the stir-fry. Return the pan to medium heat for a minute or two. Add the oil and once hot, add the white and light green parts of the scallions, the garlic, ginger, and chiles (if using). Fry until aromatic and the garlic begins to turn golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the lemongrass, lime leaves, and coriander and cook for 30 seconds, stirring or shaking the pan frequently. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the snap peas. Cook until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Pour in the sauce and bring to a boil, scraping up any stuck bits. Once the sauce thickens, about 1 minute, add the tempeh and peanuts. Toss the tempeh until fully coated, then remove from the heat. Remove the dried lime leaves, if used.
8. Squeeze a bit of lime on and taste, adjusting the seasonings. Garnish with scallion greens and serve over rice. When reheating leftovers, finish with a squeeze of lime and add more sambal oelek for heat, if desired.