Taiwanese Braised Tempeh

A vegan riff on lu rou fan — the Taiwanese pork belly rice dish — using tempeh crumbled to mimic minced meat. Doubanjiang and layered soy bring the savory depth; star anise and dried chili do the aromatic heavy lifting.

Why It Works

Lu rou fan works because pork belly renders down into rich, gelatinous fat that coats rice and carries the braising sauce. Tempeh can’t replicate the fat, but it absorbs braising liquid aggressively — which means the sauce itself has to be calibrated carefully or it becomes a salt delivery system. The fix: use the full mushroom soaking liquid to dilute the braise, then reduce only partway so you get body without concentration. Doubanjiang provides fermented umami and chile heat in one ingredient; dark soy adds sweetness and the mahogany color without adding much extra sodium.

Ingredients

Sauce scales linearly. Braise time does not — don’t reduce below 2–3 tbsp liquid remaining or it over-salts.

• 1 block (8 oz / 230 g) tempeh
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1½ cups (360 ml) hot water — for soaking mushrooms; reserve all of it for braising
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 shallot, finely minced
• 2 dried chilis, deseeded and minced
• 1 whole star anise
• 1 bay leaf
• Neutral oil for frying

Seasonings / Sauce

• 1 tsp doubanjiang (spicy fermented bean paste) — start here; add a second tsp at the end if you want more heat/depth
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce (reduced from original 4 tbsp — the main salt fix)
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce — adds color and molasses depth, not much salt
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• ½ tsp rice vinegar — add off heat at the end to cut salt perception

Instructions

1. Blanch the tempeh. Crumble the block into a rough mince — irregular chunks are fine, you want texture variation. Drop into boiling water and blanch for 10 minutes to purge bitterness. Drain and set aside.

2. Soak the mushrooms. Cover dried shiitakes in the 1½ cups hot water. Soak 15–20 minutes until fully softened. Squeeze out, mince finely. Reserve every drop of the soaking liquid — this is your braising base.

3. Build the aromatics. Heat a thin film of oil in a wide pan or wok over medium heat. Add the doubanjiang and fry for 1 minute until the oil turns red and fragrant. Add garlic, ginger, shallot, and dried chilis; stir-fry 2–3 minutes until softened and aromatic.

4. Add the solids. Add the tempeh, minced mushrooms, star anise, and bay leaf. Toss to coat in the aromatics, frying 3–4 minutes until the tempeh picks up a little color.

5. Braise. Add all the braising liquid: mushroom soaking water, light soy, dark soy, Shaoxing wine, and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover, and braise on low for 15–20 minutes.

6. Reduce carefully. Uncover and reduce the liquid over medium heat until it’s thickened but not dried out — you want a glossy, clingy sauce, not a paste. Stop while there’s still visible liquid pooling at the bottom (2–3 tbsp remaining).

7. Finish. Remove from heat. Fish out the star anise and bay leaf. Taste — if it still reads salty, add the ½ tsp rice vinegar and stir. Adjust heat or sweetness as needed.

8. Serve over steamed white rice with sliced scallions. Pickled vegetables (quick-pickled cucumbers or daikon) on the side balance the richness.

Variations & Substitutions

• Doubanjiang: If you can’t find it, use 1 tsp miso + ½ tsp chili garlic paste as a rough substitute — different but similar fermented-savory lane
• Shaoxing wine: Dry sherry is the best sub; mirin works but adds sweetness (back off the sugar slightly)
• Heat level: The dried chilis and doubanjiang together are moderate. Remove chilis or swap to 1 mild dried chili if needed
• Tempeh bitterness: Blanching is load-bearing — don’t skip it. 10 minutes in boiling water is enough

Notes from Testing

• Saltiness: Original recipe calls for 4 tbsp light soy + 2 tbsp dark soy — this is too much for the reduction step. Cutting light soy to 2 tbsp and finishing with a splash of rice vinegar fixes it without losing depth.
• Don’t reduce too far. The braise concentrates fast in the last few minutes — watch it and pull it when the sauce is clingy, not when it’s dry.
• Source: Adapted from Che Jorge’s vegan Taiwanese braised tempeh (chejorge.com, 2021). Salt and liquid ratios adjusted based on testing.