If you follow a plant-based diet or are looking to consume less meat, this Easy Tempeh Curry with Spiced Chickpeas is a fantastic source of protein. Similar to tofu but with a firmer, meatier texture that has a nutty taste. It’s made of fermented soybeans so it is also great for gut health!
Add some acidity and crunch with this Pickled Daikon Radish recipe or a crisp Asian Cucumber Salad.
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Ingredients
Most of the ingredients needed for this tempeh curry you might already have on hand. Tempeh can be frozen so keep some in your freezer for convenience! I used canned chickpeas but you can use dried chickpeas that have been soaked and cooked. Check out my post on How to Soak and Cook Dried Beans.
- chickpeas
- ground cumin, smoked paprika
- tempeh
- cornstarch
- coconut, avocado, or olive oil
- red onion
- tomato
- garlic
- Indian curry paste (see photo below for the one I use)
- coconut milk
- sugar
- baby spinach
- Optional garnishes: plain yogurt, sliced red onion, fresh cilantro, lemon wedges, chopped peanuts
Instructions
This curry comes together in a few easy steps. Step #1 can be done in a skillet if you prefer not to use your oven. The whole recipe can be made ahead and reheated when ready to serve.
- Roast the chickpeas - First, the chickpeas are tossed in spices and roasted in the oven. This makes the chickpeas full of flavour. You can skip the oven and "roast" the chickpeas in a skillet instead. I used the oven so I can pop them in and forget about them!
- Prepare the ingredients - While the chickpeas are roasting, cut the tofu into cubes, chop the vegetables and measure out the rest of the ingredients.
- Cook the tempeh - Heat oil in a skillet and fry the tempeh on all sides until browned. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside until later.
- Cook the vegetables - Saute the onion, garlic, and tomatoes until soft.
- Add the tempeh, chickpeas, and coconut milk - Return the tempeh to the pan and add the chickpeas and coconut milk. Mix everything together.
- Simmer - Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Continue simmering until the desired thickness is achieved.
- Add spinach and season - Stir in the spinach leaves and continue simmering until wilted. Add lemon juice, taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.
Substitutions
Here are a few substitutions to make your life easier!
Chickpeas - any type of beans or lentils can be substituted.
Tempeh - use extra firm tofu in place of tempeh.
Indian curry paste - substitute with Thai red or yellow curry paste OR 2 teaspoons of curry powder.
Baby Spinach - use any leafy green you like such as chopped kale or arugula. Kale may require a longer cooking time. Add in during step 10.
Variations
Try some of the switch-ups below to add variety to the same dish.
- Tempeh and Vegetable Curry - replace the chickpeas with a favourite vegetable like cauliflower, carrots, bell peppers, or a combination.
- Chicken and Chickpea Curry - replace tempeh for cubed chicken breast. Omit the cornstarch and fry the chicken pieces following the same recipe instructions.
- Thai Tempeh Curry - substitute the Indian curry paste for your favourite Thai curry paste. Add chopped peanuts for garnish.
- Spicy - add chopped fresh chili peppers in step 7 and/or add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the roasted chickpeas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tempeh originated in Indonesia and is a popular source of protein there. Like tofu, tempeh is made from soybeans, but the soybeans used for tempeh have been fermented and then pressed into a block. It is also made of whole soybeans which makes it less processed.
Because of the fermentation process, tempeh has a stronger, earthier flavour than tofu. It also has a nutty and chewy texture that stands up well to cooking.
Tempeh is sold in most major grocery stores and is usually found in the refrigerated section where you find tofu or vegan meat replacement products. You can also find it in Asian or health food stores.
Storage
Store covered in the refrigerator for 5 days. Freeze for 3 months.
What to Serve with Tempeh Curry
- Cucumber Raita
- Easy Thai Style Cucumber Salad
- Pickled Carrot and Daikon Radish
- Quick Pickled Onions
- Creamy Cauliflower and Celery Root Puree
- Sauteed Lemon Garlic Kale
📖 Recipe
Easy Curried Tempeh with Spiced Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 (390 ml/14 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil
- 1 (250g) package tempeh, original flavour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ large red onion. Peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced
- 1 medium to large fresh tomato, large dice
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
- 3 + 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoon curry paste (I used Patak's hot curry paste)
- 1 (398 ml/14 oz can full fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves, packed
Optional Garnishes
- plain yogurt
- sliced red onion
- chopped fresh cilantro
- fresh lemon wedges
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Toss chickpeas with cumin, smoked paprika, and salt. Place on a parchment lined baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.
- Cut tempeh into approximately 1 cm/1/2 inch cubes. Toss with cornstarch and ½ tsp. salt.
- Prepare the onion, garlic, and tomato.
- Heat 2 - 3 tbsp. coconut oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add tempeh and fry to brown all sides. Lower heat if browning too quickly. Remove from pan to a bowl or plate.
- Lower heat to medium-low. Add another tablespoon of coconut oil to the pan.
- Add sliced onions and sauté until softened. 8-10 minutes.
- Add garlic and tomatoes and stir for one minute.
- Add tempeh, chickpeas, and curry paste. Stir to coat everything in the curry paste.
- Add coconut milk and 1 teaspoon sugar. Mix everything together.
- Increase heat to bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue simmering for 10 minutes or until it reaches your desired thickness.
- Add spinach and stir until wilted.
- Serve with your favourite rice, spaghetti squash, cauliflower rice or zucchini "noodles".
Deb says
Hi Andrea, do you know of a curry paste that doesn't have a 'may contain' warning for nuts / peanuts?
Andrea says
Unfortunately I don't know of any but to be honest, I haven't really looked. If you find one please let me know and I'll do the same!
Lynn Norton says
I’m not vegan or even vegetarian and I’ve never had tempeh before but this dish is a keeper. I loved it. So delicious.Makes me think I could handle meatless May. 👍🏻
Pam says
Another winner! I used canned tomatoes and added thinly sliced red pepper because I needed to use it and served it over cauliflower rice. I found the dish not only delicious but very satisfying and filling which meant more leftovers.
Jennifer Tindale says
Wonderful depth of flavour! I can see this becoming one of my favourite meals. I substituted carrots for the tomatoes and baby bok choy for the spinach because those are the veggies I had in the fridge.
Andrea says
I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe Jennifer! Great substitutions and thanks for commenting!
Lynn says
I love this recipe and have made it many times. For some reason, I can't find any good big tomatoes right now. Could I substitute with chopped up grape tomatoes or canned? Really craving this and not sure how to adjust.
Andrea says
Hi Lynn!
Yes absolutely! My preference would be to use canned as they will be more juicy but grape tomatoes would work too. Let me know how it turns out
Sue says
Hi Andrea! I’m just about to start putting this dish together tonight and realize that I can’t find a place where the flout listed in the recipe ingredients should go. Is it to coat tofu or tempeh before frying? Coat something? Also would love to know how to make crispy chickpeas. I kept mine going for an extra half hour but it didn’t change the texture.
Enjoy your vaca days!
S
Andrea says
Hi Sue! There isn't any flour (assuming that's what you meant) in the recipe. The cornstarch is added in step #3. For the chickpeas, make sure to dry them really well and roast at a lower temp. (like 350F) for a longer time if you want them to get crispy. It could take an hour but will depend on the brand and the moisture content so keep an eye on them and shake the pan every 10-15 mins. Hope that helps!
Lynn Norton says
So good. I’m trying to cut back to mostly meatless meals. This is a definite keeper. Thank you Andrea. I love all your recipes.
Angie says
Amazing recipe! I had it for dinner and also tried it for breakfast with a fried egg 🍳 on top - delicious! Thanks again!!
Andrea says
Oh I love that you had it for breakfast too! Just perfect! So happy you enjoyed it!
Linda McDonnell says
I can't believe how good this is. The flavours are unbelievable together and the Tempeh is perfect. I give it five stars. Served it on top of cauliflower florets.
Andrea says
Hi Linda! I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting!
Lynn says
Made this for the week and it is delicious! Favourite recipe of yours so far. If I wanted to try it with chicken next time, would I pre-cook the chicken and just add it in at the step where you add the tempeh back into the curry? Thanks for all these tasty recipes!
Andrea says
Hi Lynn!
Yes exactly! Brown it in the pan just like the tempeh. Set it aside while you prepare the rest and then add it back in when you would add the tempeh. I'm so happy you like the recipe! I'm currently in the process of adding more information to that post! 😀
Karen says
Approximately how many average-size boneless, skinless chicken breasts would I use in place of the tempeh?
Andrea says
Hi Karen!
Two regular sized breasts should do or go with the appropriate same weight as the tempeh (250 g). Hope that helps and that you enjoy it!
Karen says
I’ve just made this, using 2 cubed boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of tempeh. It was absolutely delicious. The only fault was it wasn’t quite spicy enough for me. I will definitely be making this again!
Andrea says
Hi Karen!
So happy you enjoyed it! Maybe toss some chopped up birds eye chilis in there next time. Hope you try it again and can find the right heat level for you. Thanks so much for commenting!
Debbie says
Hi Andrea, I just finished making the chick pea and tempeh dish. Oh my, it’s delicious. I used extra firm tofu in place of the tempeh as that’s what I had in the fridge, and am serving it with zucchini noodles. Just the right amount of heat for me and it’s so creamy and flavourful. Thank you for another marvellous dish.
Debbie
Andrea says
My pleasure Debbie!
I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for commenting!
Rose Marie says
Oh my goodness do not understand why this is not rated 5 star ! Totally DELISH … my meat loving hubby ( who picked up some burgers when I told him what was for dinner just in case) said it was a Do Over ! He left the table totally full and content and I may have heard my tummy wrong for 2 less bites! NO regrets ! Looking forward to lunch tomorrow!
Andrea says
Hi Rose! I'm so happy you both enjoyed it so much! It does make great leftovers too! Thanks for your comment!
Heidi says
Loved this! Could have been a bit more spicy for me but the flavour was so delicious
Mona says
Yet another dish of Andrea's that doesn't disappoint! My first time using tempeh, so a bit hesitant, but glad I followed through. Used same curry paste as in the recipe, and I agree with sherry - just the right amount of heat. Omitted spinach but served with fresh crunchy romaine. So, sooooo good!
sherry says
Andrea, this was indeed a hit. I did change it up with chicken instead of the tempeh (not sure hubby would be to thrilled with the new food lol). It really was amazing. just the right amount of heat too! I served his with basmati rice and mine had the zucchini noodles.. yummy. 🙂