Nashville Hot Tempeh

I know for some vegans, meat alternatives or substitutes are a big no-no, but for me, I've found myself enjoying them a lot more as of late, with so many new options entering the market. I was first introduced to tempeh as a soy based meat alternative maybe a couple of years back. I remember trying the Tiba Tempeh range and absolutely loving it, as a nice change from tofu. The product isn't exactly as accessible as tofu is just yet though, and I'm yet to only source it online,in a very pricey Waitrose, or in 'big Sainsbury's'. When I do manage to get my hands on some though, I find myself usually just sticking to a basic marinade and frying to make an almost bacon but this time I felt like doing something a little different.

I've made KFC style tofu a handful of times now but I thought I could give something similar a go with my new ingredient this time round. TikTok recipes seem to be my go to as of late, and I've been discovering a whole heap of new foodie creators, many plant-based and many not! I came across a recipe for Nashville Hot KFC style Chicken and thought it would be great fun to try out. Of course the recipe was far from plant-based but with a few tweaks here and there I think I've found a solid alternative. You can see the original recipe from Tazxbakes here, but you can find how I made it my own below:

 

Ingredients:

500g tempeh (I used The Tofoo Co.)

 

For the marinade

250ml buttermilk (250ml soy milk, 1 tbsp. lemon juice)

75ml hot sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. chilli powder

1 tbsp. paprika

 

Flour mix

250g plain flour

30g corn flour

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. chilli powder

3 tbsp. paprika

2 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. Cajun

2 tsp. cayenne pepper

 

Thicker batter

Marinade

1 flax egg

45g plain flour

Method:

Nothing changed other than having to make my buttermilk and making a flax egg by using 1 tbsp. ground flax seeds and 1 tbsp. water and leaving for a few minutes to thicken.

Click here for the complete original method.

I served my Nashville Hot Tempeh with some fried plantain and it was absolutely delicious, although I could have done with a bit more of a kick!