Marinated tempeh dredged in arrowroot powder bakes to a chewy, meat-like consistency! Bathed in a home made Korean BBQ sauce, this dish goes well with smashed potatoes and fresh corn on the cob. Arrowroot is a thickener much like cornstarch but is much easier on the digestive system and not genetically modified. Gochujang is a fermented Korean red chili paste that is available at most Asian markets. Your favourite hot sauce can be substituted in a pinch!
Korean BBQ Sauce:
- 1/2 cup tamari
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 Tbsp. gochujang (or hot sauce)
- 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp. miso paste (I love chickpea miso from Organic Matters)
- 2 Tbsp. organic ketchup
- 1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder
- 1/4 cup water
Combine all ingredients except for the arrowroot powder and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, simmer for 5 min. Remove 1/3 cup of the BBQ sauce to use as a marinade for the tempeh. Whisk the tablespoon of arrowroot into the 1/4 cup of water. Whisk the arrowroot mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the ingredients. Simmer until thickened. Set aside.
The Tempeh:
- reserved Korean BBQ Sauce
- one pkg. of Indonesian style tempeh
- 1/2 cup arrowroot powder
- avocado oil
Pre-heat your oven to 450 F.
Pour the reserved Korean BBQ Sauce into a medium sized baking dish.
Slice the tempeh into 1/2 in. slices.
Add the sliced tempeh to the marinade. Turn to coat well on all sides. Allow to sit for about 1/2 hour. The tempeh will soak up the sauce quickly.
Spread the arrowroot powder onto a large plate. Roll the tempeh in the arrowroot until well coated. Arrange on a well oiled cookie sheet. Bake at 450 F. for about 1/2 hour turning every 10 min. or so to ensure that all sides get nice and crisped and browned. I like to throw the smashed potatoes onto the same pan. Simply boil smallish potatoes until tender, flatten with a large plate or pot bottom. Drizzle with avocado oil, salt and pepper and then bake along with the tempeh until crisp!
Toss with Korean BBQ Sauce to serve!
