Vegan Fried Rice with Sriracha Tempeh

Not only that! Just 20-25 minutes start to finish!

Fried rice are my favorite for nothing!

These are BEST for ditch-delivery-dinner on busy weekdays. A batch of cooked rice, protein, veggies, and spices get magic-bath in wok and turn into a scrumptious meal.

My favorite part? Kitchen smells like - waiting for order in Asian Restaurant!!

These days, whenever I open my recipe drafts, I land on a summer salad. I don't want you to miss any of those salads.. However, today I decided to skip salad and bring to you this protein packed summer meal - Vegetarian Fried Rice with Crispy Tempeh. ( with extra emphasis on Tempeh). If you have never tried Tempeh because it tastes boring then this recipe will be game changer! Not only that, spicy fried rice loaded with crunchy veggies, seasoned with soy, sriracha, and fresh lime juice are to-die for. 

Oh, and you can tone down the spices and pack for kiddo's lunch. (hint hint)

Why Tempeh and Why not Tofu?

First, I would say, be my guest, replace temph with tofu and you will not regret a thing. This Fried Rice recipe is very versatile and simple. You can even replace both, tempeh and tofu, with some lean protein such as white meat chicken or shrimp. When Vishal is not in mood of veggies, his favorite are these Shrimp Fried Rice.

Why I chose Tempeh?

Good question! First because it packed with vegetarian protein. Can you believe, a cup of tempeh has about 31 grams of protein? Second because I wanted to share with you, right way to cook and add lots of flavor to tempeh. When Vishal opt for Shrimp Fried Rice, I often add some crispy fried tempeh in my share. A serving of protein never hurts. 

If you are new to tempeh? It is a soy product, near cousin of Tofu, and is made of controlled fermented soy beans pressed into a block. I always have tofu in refrigerator for those last-minute curry requests or when we are on no-meat diet. Tofu is like a sponge which absorbs any flavor very quickly. Tempeh absorbs flavor too but need some tricks to make it taste right. Honestly, for this reason, it took me some time to try Tempeh..

How to Cook Tempeh?

The best way to cook tempeh is baking or searing on hot griddle/pan. This is where my fried rice recipe naturally works to make tempeh cook perfectly. I use wok to fry rice. Just like meat or tofu, before frying rice, I cook *marinated tempeh in hot wok. This caramelize the marinate and  skin of tempeh, and make tempeh delicious, and spongy with sealed-in marinate.

The best way to make tempeh flavorful is marination. Just like poultry or meat, marinated tempeh tastes way more delicious and flavorful. To marinate tempeh, I used mixture of soy sauce, sriracha, and fresh lime juice. I used the leftover marinade later for fried rice. Longer marination will make tempeh more flavorful. 

The best thing I like about veggie fried rice, or these vegan fried rice, or veggie rice in general is that I can throw-in any vegetables of my choice. Like today, I picked green peas, celery, carrots, corn, and green beans. This veggie medley keeps changing depending upon fresh produce in fridge.

Other than a flexible no-brainer, vegetable fried rice are great for few more reasons:
1) These make great side dish.
2) Vegetarian or not, vegetarian rice everyone enjoys.
3) Vegetarian rice travel well and are perfect to cover vegetarian guests in BBQ or Potluck party. So what if it is a BBQ party, no guest should feel neglected. Don't you think?

Remember, good food makes everyone feel at home. :)

If you are on-board, here are few fried rice or simply vegetarian rice recipes from CDH:

1) Kimchi Fried Rice
2) Brown Rice and Mushroom Salad
3) Vegan Tofu Scramble Rice
4) Cilantro Lime Rice
5) Spanish Tomato Rice
6) Yogurt Rice 

With this delicious thought I take your leave. I see you soon with another delicious recipe.

-Savita