I have to admit, that even though I don’t eat meat, I don’t really eat much of vegetarian protein such as tempeh. I prefer eggs, beans and my favorite lentils. Today however I wanted to do an exception and make an Indian curry dish with tempeh. Tempeh fits perfectly to that type of dishes because it absorbs all the flavors and masala is a very flavorful dish with slightly sweet undertone and creamy sauce. The addition of potatoes is a perfect match because they don’t overpower the taste and the starch from potatoes makes the sauce even creamier.

Masala usually is made with chicken breast and is extremely popular in Britain where Indian cuisine became widespread. Some sources claim that it actually originated in England not India and is the most known Indian dish in the West. I make my masala witha spice mix known as garam masala. You can buy ready mix in most of the supermarkets or make your own.  To make your own garam masala spice mix, simply grind and mix spices such as cinnamon,  ground ginger, peppercorns, cardamon, coriander seeds, cumin, nutmeg, cloves and/or star anise. In this recipe I’m using many other spices besides garam masala but if you don’t have all of these spices, don’t worry, you can simply add more garam masala mixed with turmeric or curry powder (turmeric is one of the ingredients in curry powder). There is no one, single recipe for masala, every chef makes it differently and adds different spices. Just remember to always add chili or chili powder and ginger which is ubiquitous in Indian cooking. Another thing is that masala is often made with coconut milk, so if you wish you can omit the sugar and substitute heavy cream for coconut milk.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings):

8oz sliced tempeh
2 medium peeled potatoes
3 cups vegetable stock
1 chopped onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1 habanero or red chili pepper
1/2 Tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1/2 Tbsp Turmeric
1/2 Tbsp garam masala
1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika
2 bay leaves
3 cardamon pods
1 cup tomato sauce
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp sugar
Small bunch of chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil

In a pan toast coriander and cumin seeds until they become aromatic. Grind them in pestle and mortar.

In a pan saute the onion on 1 Tbsp of canola oil. When onion becomes slightly brown and soft add chili pepper, garlic, ginger, ground coriander and cumin, turmeric, garam masala, smoked paprika, bay leaves and cardamon pods. Mix and fry 1-2 minutes.

Add tempeh.

Add tomato sauce, potatoes and pour 3 cups of vegetable stock. Stir, cover and simmer on a low heat 40 min or until potatoes are soft. If necessary add more water or stock.

5 min before the end, season with salt and sugar, add cilantro and heavy cream. Serve with basmati rice.

Nutrition Facts in 1 portion (whole dish yields 4 portions, no rice included in the calculations):

Energy:
Kilocalories 282.25 kcal, Protein 11.29 g, Carbohydrate 30.56 g
Fat:
Total 13.61 g, Saturated Fat 4.49 g, Monounsaturated Fat 3.77 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1.24 g, Trans Fatty Acid 0.01 g, Cholesterol 20.55 mg
Carbohydrates:
Dietary Fiber, 7.53 g, Sugar 6.8 g