Kinema
fermented soybeans cooked with tomato and chilli, pungent and deeply savoury
Allergens in Kinema: mustard, soy.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 250g, crumbled and left uncovered overnight Tofustanding in for kinema, fermented whole soybeans; the flavour is milder but the base is right
- 3, chopped Tomato
- 2, chopped Onion
- 8 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Ginger
- 5 Green Chilli
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- a handful Coriander Leaves
- 3 tbsp Mustard Oil
- to taste Salt
Cookware
stovetop
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Kinema is a Limbu and Nepali ferment of the eastern Himalaya, close kin to Japanese natto. It smells strong and tastes savoury rather than sour.
- Real kinema cannot be improvised. This uses crumbled tofu for texture and leans on the mustard oil and chilli for character; it is a version, not the thing itself.
Method
- Fry the crumbled tofu in the mustard oil until browned and dry at the edges, 8 minutes.
- Add the onion, garlic, ginger and green chillies and cook until soft.
- Add the turmeric and tomato and cook down until the oil separates, about 8 minutes.
- Add 150ml water and simmer 5 minutes into a thick, spoonable curry.
- Season and finish with coriander. Serve with rice.
Storage
Keeps 3 days refrigerated. Reheat to a full simmer.
Nutrition Medium estimate
One serving of Kinema (237 g) is about 237 calories, or 101 calories per 100 g.
Medium protein: 13 g a serving, 22% of the calories
| Per serving237 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 237 kcal | 101 kcal |
| Protein | 12.8 g | 5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 14.0 g | 6 g |
| of which sugars | 5.2 g | 2 g |
| Fibre | 3.9 g | 2 g |
| Fat | 16.3 g | 7 g |
| of which saturated | 2.1 g | 1 g |
| of which unsaturated | 12.9 g | 6 g |
Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Healthy Indian recipes · Vegan Indian recipes · Vegetarian Indian recipes · Gluten-free Indian recipes · Dairy-free Indian recipes · Northeast Indian recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.