Crispy Coconut Tempeh

This vegan spin on coconut shrimp uses crumbled tempeh instead of shrimp. A mixture of coconut milk, sambal oelek, honey and cornstarch helps shredded coconut and panko stick to the tempeh, then the little nuggets fry up light, crispy and coconut-y through and through. A dusting of lime salt gives these a little spark (like the salted rim on a cocktail), and of course there’s a dipping sauce. Coconut shrimp is typically served with sweet chile sauce, but here, just use more of the sweet, spicy coconut milk. To make these tempeh nuggets a meal, serve with grains, sautéed greens like kale or spinach, or rice noodles.

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Ingredients

• 1 ½

  cups shredded unsweetened coconut

• ½

  cup panko bread crumbs

• Kosher salt

• 1

  teaspoon lime zest (from 1 lime)

• 1

  (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

• 2

  tablespoons sambal oelek or Sriracha

• 1

  tablespoon honey

• ½

  cup cornstarch

• 2

  teaspoons lime juice (from 1 lime)

• Neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed (about 1 cup), plus more as needed

• 2

  (8-ounce) packages tempeh, crumbled into ½- to 1-inch pieces

Preparation

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the shredded coconut and the panko. Season with salt. In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons salt and the lime zest. Rub the mixture together with your fingers until you smell lime.
2. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, add the coconut milk, sambal oelek and honey, and stir with a fork to combine. Season to taste with salt. Transfer 1/2 cup of the coconut milk mixture (about a third) to a medium bowl. Add the cornstarch and stir with a fork to combine. To the remaining coconut milk in the small bowl, add the lime juice. This is your dipping sauce; set aside until ready to serve.
3. Heat ¼ inch oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium. Working in batches, coat the tempeh in the cornstarch-coconut milk mixture, then coat all sides in the coconut-panko mixture, pressing firmly to adhere. Drop a pinch of coconut-panko in the skillet; if it sizzles and browns, the oil’s ready. Add the tempeh and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately sprinkle with the lime salt. Repeat with the remaining tempeh.
4. Eat right away with the coconut milk-lime dipping sauce.