Tempeh and plant protein, the vegan way at Ohana

Tempeh is a firm cake of whole soybeans, fermented until a white mould binds them together, first made on the island of Java in Indonesia. It has about 19 to 20 g of protein in every 100 g, a nutty taste and a bite that holds in a hot pan, which is why it takes the place of fish and prawns in four of the eleven vegan ways on our menu.

What is tempeh?

It is one of the old foods of Java, where people were eating it commonly by around 1700. The method is simple and clever.

• Whole soybeans are soaked, hulled and partly cooked.
• They are mixed with a starter, the spores of a mould called Rhizopus.
• The beans are spread in a thin layer and kept warm, at about 30 degrees, for a day or two.
• Fine white threads grow through the beans and knit them into a solid cake.

The result can be sliced like bread, and you still see every bean in the cut. It tastes nutty and earthy, a little like mushrooms.

How does tempeh differ from tofu?

Both come from the soybean, and they are often confused. They are made in opposite ways.

• Tofu is made from soy milk. The milk is curdled and the curds are pressed into a block, much as fresh cheese is made. It is soft, pale and mild, and it takes the taste of whatever it is cooked in.
• Tempeh is the whole bean, fermented. It is firmer and drier, it has a taste of its own, and it holds more protein and fibre than tofu.

In the kitchen, tofu is good at soaking up a sauce. Tempeh is good at being the thing the sauce goes on. It can be cut thick, marinated, seared until brown and served as a steak.

How do we cook tempeh?

The Indonesian way first, then our own. The tempeh is simmered in a marinade made here: jaggery, garlic, ginger, coriander seed, bay leaf and lime. Then it is seared in a hot pan until golden. In Central Java a close cousin of this is called tempe bacem: tempeh braised with palm sugar and spices, then fried.

Which dishes have a vegan way?

A vegan way is the same dish thought through again without animal products. On the menu it sits beside the original. There are eleven. Four are built on tempeh:

• Tempeh Steak with Pineapple Curry, 6,400 LKR. A steak of golden marinated tempeh on coconut mashed potatoes, under a curry of coconut milk and sweet pineapple with curry leaves, ginger and cinnamon. The original is the Mahi Mahi Pineapple Curry.
• Vegan Sweet Curry, 6,200 LKR. Gentle on the chilli and rich with coconut milk pressed by hand to order, with ginger, garlic and turmeric, golden tempeh and basmati. The original is the Sweet Prawn Curry.
• Tempeh Poke Bowl, 4,200 LKR. Tempeh on basmati with avocado, cucumber, pickled red onion and a local orange, lime and teriyaki dressing. The original is the Tuna Poke Bowl.
• Vegan Papaya & Tempeh Salad, 3,400 LKR. Tempeh on papaya, mango and leaves, dressed with passion fruit and lime, under toasted peanuts and mint.

Seven need no tempeh:

• Vegan Yemeni Shakshuka, 3,000 LKR. Chickpeas take the place of the eggs in our cumin and paprika tomato sauce, with toasted sourdough.
• Vegan Avo Toast, 2,400 LKR, and Vegan Zucchini Toast, 2,450 LKR.
• Plantain Chips with pineapple salsa, 1,600 LKR, and French Fries with salsa tatemada, 1,800 LKR. The mayonnaise gives way to a salsa.
• Toasted Sourdough with olive oil, 700 LKR.
• Vegan Grilled Pineapple, 1,700 LKR. With a spoon of cold coconut cream where the ice cream was.

You can also add tempeh to a plate: 25 g, marinated and pan-fried, is 950 LKR on any toast, bowl, salad, starter or main course.

Where else is the plant protein?

Not only in soy.

• Legume Breakfast, 2,400 LKR. Warm mung beans and chickpeas with rice, grated coconut, a fresh lunu miris of onion, chilli and lime, and green chimichurri. A Sri Lankan morning, all from plants.
• Papadam Nachos, 2,100 LKR. The hummus is chickpeas and tahini. A side of beetroot hummus is 450 LKR.
• Nuts and seeds. 20 g of our toasted peanuts, pumpkin seeds, cashews and almonds is 400 LKR on a bowl or a toast. Our peanut butter, ground here, is 300 LKR.
• A scoop of plant protein, 1,500 LKR. 30 g of plant protein powder, blended into a smoothie or a bowl.
• Green Morning, 8,100 LKR. A breakfast board that is plant-based from the bread to the cup: the Vegan Avo Toast, a Tropical Smoothie Bowl, a Glow Shot, a watermelon juice and a pot of Ceylon tea.

One note, so that nobody is surprised. The Turtle Beach Power Shake, 2,500 LKR, is built on plant protein, but it is blended with fresh milk, so as it comes it is not vegan.

What should a vegan guest know?

• One kitchen. Ours is one shared kitchen with one fryer. A vegan way has no animal product in its recipe, but we cannot promise that no trace is there.
• Soy. Tempeh is soy. The Tempeh Poke Bowl also lists gluten and sesame, and the papaya salad lists peanuts. Every dish on the full menu shows its allergens.
• The plant milks. Every matcha here is made on oat milk from the start. For coffee, oat milk and coconut milk are extras.

There is a wider look at eating this way in vegan and healthy food in Dikwella. The crisp on the poke bowl has its own story in papadam explained, and the bread under the toasts in sourdough by the sea.

Tempeh is not Sri Lankan, but the way we cook it is: jaggery, lime, ginger, coconut. That is what the island grows and how we cook it, with or without fish.

Good to know

• Breakfast, with the toasts and the Legume Breakfast, is served from 08:00 to 11:00. The curries, bowls and salads are served from 11:00 to 21:00.
• Prices are in LKR, plus a 10% service charge. Filtered water is on the house.
• No alcohol is served.
• Tell us about any allergy before you order.
• We are at Turtle Beach, Dikwella, less than five minutes by road from Hiriketiya.