Crispy pan-fried tempeh gets a quick glaze of orange, lime and soy sauce. Serve the slices with fresh lemon yogurt, homemade chili oil and airy rice-paper crackers: a colorful starter with sweet-and-sour flavor, heat and crunch.
This modern starter is all about contrasts. Tempeh has a firm, compact bite and can develop a golden-brown crust in the pan; the citrus glaze adds a glossy, sweet-and-sour coating. Lime and orange bring different kinds of freshness: lime is sharp and direct, while orange is rounder and more fragrant. Soy sauce adds salt and umami, so the glaze doesn’t taste purely fruity. A little sugar helps it turn slightly syrupy while letting the citrus shine.
Cut the tempeh into slices about a centimeter thick. Thinner slices are easier to bite through but dry out faster; thicker pieces stay firm, though they take a little longer to brown all over. Pat wet tempeh dry first and give the pan time to get hot. Fry the slices in a single layer and turn them only once they release easily from the pan and are browned underneath. Add the citrus glaze at the very end: otherwise, the sugars in the juice may burn before the tempeh gets crisp.
The yogurt balances the chili oil and gives the dish a fresh finish. Use full-fat or low-fat yogurt for a creamy sauce; plant-based yogurt works too, ideally an unsweetened variety with a neutral flavor. Taste the sauce after adding the lemon and salt: it should taste fresh, but not so sour that it overpowers the orange in the glaze. Chili flakes gradually release their flavor into oil. Pour the warm oil over the flakes and sesame seeds, but don’t let it get piping hot; this keeps the chili from turning bitter. Adjust the amount of chili flakes if you want less heat.
Rice paper turns into an airy, crisp cracker in just a few seconds when you lower it into hot oil while dry. Work one sheet at a time and use tongs: the paper can splatter and curls up almost immediately. Drain the crackers on paper towels and serve them soon after frying so they stay crisp. You can find rice paper in Asian supermarkets and often in larger supermarkets too. The crackers look decorative, but their main purpose is to scoop up pieces of tempeh and sauce.
This is very much a contemporary combination, not a traditional Southeast Asian dish. Tempeh and rice paper provide a starting point, while the lemon yogurt and chili oil come together in their own balance of flavors. Serve the tempeh as a sharing starter, with the yogurt on a platter and the oil drizzled over or served on the side. You can prepare the components ahead of time, but fry the rice-paper crackers just before serving. Store leftover tempeh covered in the refrigerator and reheat it thoroughly later; keep the crackers separate, as moisture will make them soft.
In a heatproof bowl, stir together the chili flakes and sesame seeds. Heat 60 ml oil in a small saucepan until hot but not smoking. Carefully pour the oil over the chili and sesame mixture and set the chili oil aside.
Mix the yogurt with the lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Set aside.
Cut the tempeh into slices about 1 cm thick. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the tempeh in a single layer for 3–4 minutes per side, until golden brown and crisp; work in batches if needed.
Meanwhile, mix the orange juice and zest with the lime juice, soy sauce and sugar. Pour this into the pan with the fried tempeh and turn the slices a few times until the liquid is glossy and slightly syrupy. Remove the pan from the heat.
Heat the frying oil in a small, deep pan to 180 °C. Cut or tear each sheet of rice paper into four pieces. Lower the pieces into the oil one at a time using tongs; they puff up in a few seconds. Remove them from the oil immediately and drain on paper towels.
Spread the lemon yogurt over a platter and place the tempeh on top. Drizzle with some chili oil, scatter over the cilantro leaves and serve with the rice crackers. Serve the remaining chili oil on the side.
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