Tempeh is the protein powerhouse your vegetarian diet needs

Vegetarians and vegans will agree that the most annoying question that they’ve been asked from fellow meat eaters is—“are you sure you’re getting enough protein?” While they do pay more attention to meeting their protein quota, it’s not all dreary. In fact, a typical Indian diet has multiple sources of the nutrient on the plate—from chickpeas, beans (like rajma), lentils, and even paneer, according to Dr Jennifer Prabhu, MD Internal Medicine, MD Pediatrics, who is the co-founder and CEO of Circee Health, a Mumbai-based disease-reversal platform. But these plant-based protein ingredients also sneak in other not-so-wanted elements into your meal, like saturated fats.

So, if you’re on the lookout for a newer protein-rich source to shake up your routine, then tempeh might just stop your search.

What is tempeh?

Tempeh is an Indonesian soybean cake, patty, or block made by partially cooking soybeans and using a natural ferment. Wondering what it tastes like? It has a nutty, earthy taste coupled with a chewy texture compared to its staid cousin tofu. Since it’s fermented, it boasts of a bunch of additional health benefits that other plant-based proteins do not. “Tempeh contains high biological value protein that helps build lean muscle mass, helping in improved metabolism and fat loss. It's good for managing diabetes, PCOS, and menopausal symptoms,” says Dr Priyanka Marakini, nutritionist and a naturopathy plus yoga physician.

Tempeh versus other proteins

We now know what tempeh is, but why should we add it to our diet? And if we were to throw tempeh, tofu, and paneer in a boxing ring, who would win? While tofu has eight grams of protein per 100 grams, paneer has 18 grams. Tempeh on the other hand, has 19 grams of protein per 100 grams. Though that may seem only marginally better than paneer, the fact that tempeh has little to no fat and a lower glycemic index gives it the edge over the other two.

Does tempeh get the thumbs-up from Indian consumer?

The tempeh craze has been riding on the plant-based protein wave all over the world, and now it seems the appetite for the protein has caught up in India. Siddharth Ramasubramanian, founder and CEO of Hello Tempayy, a company that sells ready-to-cook tempeh, weighs in—“We have seen an almost instant and incredible response to Hello Tempayy products since we first launched in early 2021. We grew from one city to eight cities in just over 18 months and that bears testament to the adaptability and potential for tempeh in India. The texture and taste profile fits well into the Indian palate—whether it is curries, stir-fries or rolls and salads, customers are using it across meal occasions.”

 

Give me more tempeh!—how do I add it to my diet?

Like most things, balance is the key when it comes to incorporating new ingredients and dishes on your plate. “I recommend adding 100-200 grams of tempeh in your diet on a regular basis to boost immunity and add healthy protein, plus it makes for a healthy snack for children and young adults because long- term studies have shown that tempeh can help reduce the risk of obesity and non-communicable diseases,” says Dr Prabhu.

The meaty texture of tempeh make it the perfect substitute in dishes where you’d want to mimic the mouth-feel of animal-based protein. Dr Marakini gives some inspiration for your next tempeh meal—“it doesn't require a lot of time to cook, so it's easy to add into your everyday diet. I like making tempeh bhurjee for breakfast, use tempeh cubes in a Mexican bowl for lunch or make tempeh curry or a quick stir-fry for dinner. But my constants are tempeh stir-fry, tempeh sandwich and tempeh cutlets.”

Tempeh’s future in India

There’s no dearth of vegetarians in the country, and as the Indian audience opens up to newer sources of protein, tempeh’s popularity will only continue to grow. “In a country with the largest number of vegetarians globally, where even non-vegetarians eat vegetarian-only meals regularly, we see tremendous upside potential. Building awareness around the importance of protein and other supporting nutrients in one’s daily diet will yield very positive long-term results for India, which ranks among the lowest in the world in per capita protein consumption,” Ramasubramanian concludes.