Sticky Tempeh Stir-Fry with Ginger Rice

Chinese-Japanese fusion — glossy sweet-savoury tempeh with peppers over yuzu-and-pickled-ginger rice — vegetarian, serves 1, 20 minutes

Ingredients

Fresh

• 1 portion sweet chilli tempeh pieces (~100g)
• ½ red bell pepper, sliced
• ½ yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
• 1 spring onion or small handful red onion, sliced
• Squeeze of fresh lime
• Optional: ¼ avocado, sliced

Storecupboard

• 1 tsp garlic and ginger paste
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 1 tbsp reduced-salt dark soy
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp honey
• ½ tsp cornflour
• Splash of water (for sauce)
• Olive oil or air fryer spray
• Pinch of crushed dried chilli (optional)
• ½ pouch microwave wholegrain rice
• 1 tsp sushi pickled ginger, finely chopped
• Few drops of yuzu citrus seasoning
• Optional: sesame seeds for sprinkling

Method

1. Mix the sauce first. Whisk Shaoxing rice wine, dark soy, oyster sauce, honey, cornflour, and a splash of water in a small bowl until cornflour is dissolved.
2. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat with a small amount of olive oil or air fryer spray.
3. Add the tempeh and sliced peppers. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peppers are starting to char at the edges and tempeh is slightly crisped.
4. Add crushed garlic and garlic-and-ginger paste. Stir 30 seconds — don’t let the garlic burn.
5. Pour in the sauce, stirring constantly. Cornflour will thicken everything within 1-2 minutes into a glossy sticky coating. Splash of water if too thick.
6. While the stir-fry cooks, microwave the rice. Once done, stir through finely chopped pickled ginger, a few drops of yuzu seasoning, and sesame seeds if using.
7. Add a pinch of crushed dried chilli to the stir-fry if you want heat. Squeeze of fresh lime right at the end.
8. Plate ginger rice as the base, sticky tempeh and peppers on top. Avocado slices alongside if using.

Variations

• With chicken: swap tempeh for sliced chicken thigh. Cook chicken first (5-6 min), then add peppers, then continue
• With prawns: add prawns at the very end (1-2 min) so they don’t overcook
• With beef: thinly sliced steak or 5% mince crumbled in
• Sauce variations: add chilli paste for heat, more honey for sweeter, ginger juice for sharper, sesame oil at the end for nutty

DASH Notes

• Tempeh is fermented soy — high protein, less processed than tofu, with prebiotic benefits
• Reduced-salt dark soy keeps sodium moderate but not low (~1g salt across the dish)
• Shaoxing rice wine and oyster sauce are what make Chinese stir-fries taste actually Chinese
• Use as occasional rather than daily — sodium load is meaningful

Notes

• Cornflour is the takeaway-style trick — gives the glossy coating that clings to tempeh
• Shaoxing rice wine is non-negotiable — dry sherry works as a substitute if you ever run out
• Yuzu in the rice is what makes it memorable — just a few drops, it’s potent
• Pickled ginger in rice is genuinely transformative — turns plain rice into something deliberate

Dinner — approximately 515 calories, ~22g protein, ~8g fibre