Tempted by Tempeh

Riding the crest of the recent plant-based mock meat protein wave that’s sweeping across the country is tempeh. But is the soy-derived ancient Javanese so-called superfood too good to be true? Raul Dias finds out more

Tempeh Mangalorean ghee roast. PICS COURTESY HELLO TEMPAYY

Meeting at the crossroads of several overlapping trends — be it the need to eat healthy in the midst of a raging pandemic with undeniable zoonotic underpinnings or in keeping with the ‘woke-ness’ of consuming ethically-sourced food — is the new-fangled craze for plant-based, protein-loaded meat substitutes. One that has truly gone into hyperbolic overdrive over the last couple of years.

This, with a range of prefixes bandied about like ‘Impossible’, ‘Beyond’ and ‘Unthinkable’ attached to everything from meat-free burgers to ‘faken-topped ’(fake bacon) pizzas, available mainly in the US.

Closer home in India too, we see all sorts of lab-grown, plant-based kebabs, sausages and more from numerous brands. Can’t eat eggs? No worries! Whip up a vegan omelette with either Evo or vegetarian anda. While the former is made from protein isolated from lentils, the latter has moong dal and chickpeas to thank for its beaten egg doppelganger countenance.

Fried & tested

But let’s take a pause and veer away from these ultra-futuristic ‘Frankenfoods’ and bring to the fore one plant-based meat substitute that has existed for centuries. Patiently waiting in the wings for its time to rise and shine. We’re talking about tempeh. An ancient, fermented soy cake of Javanese origin that’s finally finding a place for itself in the sun. In all its prebiotic, vegan, gluten-free, and allegedly superfood glory.

Tempeh is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process (aided by a starter culture called rhizopus oryzae) that binds the first soaked, then boiled soybeans into a cake form. Said to be packed with protein, fibre and good fats, thus giving vegetarians a much-needed protein-rich boost. Yet, local manufacturers of tempeh like Vegolution — a Bengaluru-based food startup that retails its ready-to-cook, pre-marinated tempeh cubes as Hello Tempayy, are loathe to label it as ‘mock meat’.

“We are not mock meat, but a new vegetarian food that breaks the monotony of the same old choices for protein,” says Siddharth Ramasubramanian, CEO and founder of Hello Tempayy. “Unlike plant-based meats that have limited applications and are priced at a premium, tempeh opens up endless possibilities for daily use.”

While consumed most commonly in Indonesia as a snack in the form of kripik tempe crackers, where thinly sliced tempeh is battered and deep-fried until crispy, tempeh is enjoying an outing like never before in the Indian kitchen. From biryanis and ghee roasts to bhurjis and even a tempeh vada pav, its versatility is noteworthy.

Shankar Krishnamurthy, chef-owner of a number of Hyderabad-based restaurants like Fusion 9, says that he features tempeh on his menus as it is extremely flexible and versatile as an ingredient, in form and imbues flavour absorption. “It can be moulded to (suit) any cuisine; be it Indian, Mediterranean, Arabic, or Oriental. It blends beautifully with flavours from various food cultures,” he opines.

Gut feeling

Besides this adaptability, tempeh is also believed to align with the whole “good for the gut” prebiotic movement that’s grown exponentially over these last two immunity-obsessed pandemic years. In fact, we’ve recently seen companies like Zoh Probiotics who are into the bottled kombucha beverage business also enter the Indian tempeh market with not just their range of plain and flavoured tempeh packs, but also a tempeh culture starter kit for people to experiment with at home.

“As tempeh is a fermented food, the prebiotic fibre that is present allows for better gut digestion and interaction with your gut microbiome which may allow for more short-chain fat acids production which actually increase the good bacteria,” says nutritionist Ryan Fernando.

He also highlights an important aspect that’s often overlooked in our collective obsession with paneer as a non-meat protein source. That being lactose intolerance. “I am allergic to milk like millions of Indians who probably have not discovered this yet. So, adding fermented soya like tempeh (to one’s diet) is a better option than even tofu or paneer.”

Flipsides

But hype aside, an objective analysis of tempeh in the context of its versatility as a protein-laden, plant-based meat substitute along with its seemingly too-good-to-be-true health benefits does reveal a few red herrings. “Let’s be clear on one thing. There is absolutely no threat of tempeh dislodging dairy-based proteins like paneer. Or even its own distant cousins like tofu and soya chaap — which is very popular in North India — from the Indian dining table in the foreseeable future,” says chef and TV presenter Vicky Ratnani. Who, although having cooked with tempeh in the past, isn’t fully sold on its palatability and appeal. “I find its funky, fermented aroma and crumbly texture a bit of a challenge to work my way around it to come up with an interesting dish.” And while moderate consumption of soy-based products is relatively harmless, experts issue a clarion call for going overboard. Especially in eating such self-proclaimed superfoods like tempeh. Many of which may serve as an unintentional smokescreen of sorts thanks to their perceived ‘health benefits’ that may go unchecked. “Soy is considered to be a goitrogenic food. Meaning, they can interfere with the functioning of the thyroid gland. I’d always advise people to check with their doctor about consumption of soy if they are on thyroid medications,” warns sports nutritionist and fitness expert Kajal Bhatena.

Tempeh 2.0

And India is at the very forefront of the whole ‘tempeh next gen’ bandwagon. One where soy tempeh is slowly being supplemented with newer versions derived from other grains, legumes and pulses. Putting a spin is the recently launched chickpea tempeh from Tempe Wala, a packaged retail brand of tempeh that is itself a spin-off from the popular Bengaluru eatery Vegan Heat. An ethically sourced food-centric restaurant that was one of the first places to start experimenting by featuring soy tempeh on its menu a couple of years ago. But recognising this need to come up with a whole slew of soy-free tempeh iterations is something that’s been in the works for the last few months across the world. We’re seeing everything from tempeh made from black beans and black-eyed peas to the more exotic-sounding lupin beans and even the hipster-favoured, now ubiquitous quinoa entering the fray!