Thai Yellow Chikun Curry

Ingredients
• 4 cups vegan no-chicken broth or similar
• 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 T grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 tsp yellow curry powder
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 can (14 oz) coconut milk (full fat; not lite)
• ½ cup green peas, fresh or from frozen
• 1 can (15 oz) straw mushrooms
• 2 tsp sambal oelek (chili paste) or other hot red pepper sauce, or to taste
• a few Thai bird’s eye chilies (optional)
• 1 and ½ cup Stewing Chikun, torn into bite-size pieces; or Shredded Chikun (both from the Seitan and Beyond Cookbook; the Soy Chikun Strips from the same cookbook can be used as substitute if desired; or simply use bite-size cubes of pressed tofu or additional vegetables if you wish to omit the chikun or tofu entirely)
• sea salt or kosher salt, to taste
• chopped Thai basil for garnish (optional)
• chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)
• cooked jasmine rice for serving

Preparation
In a large soup pot, simmer the potatoes, ginger, garlic and curry powder until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a blender and process until smooth (exercise caution when blending hot liquids; place a kitchen towel over the blender lid and begin on low speed progressing slowly to high speed).

Transfer the purée back to the soup pot. Place over medium-low heat and stir in the coconut milk.

Mist a skillet with cooking oil and sauté the onions and bell pepper over medium heat until softened. Add to the soup pot. Stir in the peas, mushrooms, sambal oelek and optional bird’s eye chilies. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until the bell pepper is very tender.

Add the Stewing Chikun and simmer an additional 10 minutes; season with salt to taste. If using Shredded Chikun, stir into the curry just before serving. Garnish with the Thai basil and cilantro.

Warning: Do not eat the bird’s eye chilies!

Thai Yellow Chikun Curry

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Seasoned Tofu Chikun Strips

Stir Fry featuring Asian-Style Soy Chikun Strips

South of the Border Salad featuring Tex-Mex Soy Chikun Strips

These soy-based chikun strips are incredibly easy to make and remarkably resemble grilled strips of seasoned chicken. The ingredients are simple: tofu and a seasoning marinade. The secret is all in the preparation technique. A tofu press is recommended in order to compress the tofu properly and remove as much water as possible. However, the traditional plate and heavy weight method will work too, but the texture may not be as dense.

Each block of tofu will yield 8 ounces of prepared chikun. Most households do not possess more than 1 tofu press, so if you wish to prepare additional chikun strips, press the first block and then store in the refrigerator in an airtight container while additional blocks are pressed. For additional blocks, simply double or triple the water and seasonings in the recipe.

IMPORTANT! DO NOT use a toaster oven for baking the tofu!

Ingredients:
• 1 block (14 oz) extra-firm water-packed tofu (not silken tofu)
• ⅓ cup water
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp fine sea salt or kosher salt
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp poultry seasoning
• ¼ tsp garlic powder

Technique:
Press the tofu until thoroughly compressed and as much water has been removed as possible (keep stored in the refrigerator while pressing). This will take a minimum of several hours (overnight being ideal). Blot the tofu with a paper towel.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place a stainless steel cooking rack on a baking sheet and line with parchment paper. Place the block of tofu on the parchment paper and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. The tofu will develop a firm golden crust while baking. Let the block cool completely after baking.

Trim the crust from the block of tofu since it will be rather tough. Small amounts of crust may remain – that’s okay. For chikun strips, simply slice the tofu into strips. For shredded chikun, use the tines of a fork to tear off bite-size pieces. Place the strips or shreds into a zip-lock bag.

Now, in a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. The dry seasoning powders may take a moment to dissolve, so keep whisking until blended. Pour the seasoning marinade over the tofu in the bag. Press as much air out of the bag as possible; seal and refrigerate for several hours (overnight is best).

Note: Other herbs and spices can be added to the marinade to accommodate specific ethnic food flavors.

For a Tex-Mex variation, prepare the marinade with the basic recipe and add 1 tsp mild chili powder, an additional ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp ground cumin, an additional ¼ tsp garlic powder and ¼ tsp chipotle chili powder.

For an Asian Stir Fry variation, marinate and sauté the chikun as directed and add a dash or two of tamari while sautéing. Toss with a tablespoon of chili garlic sauce just before removing from the skillet.

For a Mediterranean variation, prepare the marinade with the basic recipe but reduce the water to ¼ cup. Add 1 T lemon juice, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried oregano, an additional ½ tsp onion powder and an additional ¼ tsp garlic powder. Finish with fresh ground black pepper.

The strips or shreds are now ready to be pan-grilled or sautéed. This step is necessary to prepare the chikun for serving or using in recipes. Lightly oil a non-stick skillet with cooking oil and place over medium heat. Add the chikun including any residual marinade.

Sauté until the excess liquid has evaporated and the chikun is golden. Use a gentle touch while sautéing; the chikun is firm but can break apart excessively if stirred roughly. Use immediately in your favorite hot recipe or chill for use in cold recipes (wraps, salads, etc.) For soups, add the chikun the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking time to avoid becoming too soft.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use within 5 days or freeze up to 1 month.

Seasoned Tofu Chikun Strips

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Lemon Tempeh

This dish is the vegan variation of Chinese lemon chicken. The tempeh can also be subbed with pressed extra-firm tofu or vegan chikun. The sauce is lemony, sweet, savory and has just a hint of heat.

Ingredients for the Tempeh
• 1 package (8 oz) tempeh (or 8 oz pressed and cubed block tofu or vegan chikun)
• 2 T tamari, soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos™
• 2 T Shaoxing wine or sweet mirin (or water)
• 2 T unmodified potato starch, cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• 2 T all-purpose flour or rice flour
• toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

For the Sauce
• 1 T peanut oil or other cooking oil, plus more for frying
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• 1 cup vegan chikun broth or vegetable broth
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 T organic sugar, or to taste
• 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
• 1 tsp sambal oelek, Sriracha™ or other hot red pepper sauce
• 4 tsp unmodified potato starch, cornstarch or arrowroot powder, dissolved in just enough water to create a slurry
• sea salt or kosher salt, to taste

Preparation
Slice the tempeh in half crosswise and simmer in enough water to cover for 10 minutes. This will help soften the tempeh and remove bitterness. Drain on paper towels until cooled. Slice the tempeh into bite-size cubes. Place the cubes into a food storage bag and add the tamari and wine/mirin. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of a few hours and best overnight.

Drain the excess marinade from the bag and add 2 tablespoons starch and the flour. Seal and gently toss to coat evenly. Place on a plate to dry while the sauce is prepared.

Add the 1 tablespoon oil to a medium saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the remaining sauce ingredients except for the starch slurry. Bring to a boil, whisk in the starch slurry and stir until thickened. Taste the sauce and add additional sugar or salt as desired. Reduce the heat to low to keep warm while frying the tempeh.

In a wok or deep skillet, heat 1-inch of oil over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, carefully add the cubed tempeh and fry until golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Add the fried tempeh to the lemon sauce and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.

Lemon Tempeh

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Triple Dip Seasoned Breading for Frying

This is my own breading blend for creating an extra-crispy seasoned coating when frying plant-based chikun or pressed tofu “tenders”.

Ingredients for the dry mixture
• 1 and ½ cup all-purpose flour or rice flour
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp fine sea salt or kosher salt
• 2 tsp sweet paprika (or smoked paprika for a smoky flavor)
• 1 tsp coarse ground black pepper

Ingredients for the batter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour or rice flour
• 2 tsp baking powder (preferably aluminum-free)
• 1 tsp fine sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 and ½ cup organic plain unsweetened soymilk or non-dairy buttermilk
(buttermilk recipes can be found in the Non-Dairy Evolution Cookbook)

Other ingredients
• high-temp cooking oil for frying

Preparation
Sift or whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the batter ingredients until smooth (small lumps are okay). The batter will thicken upon standing. A thick batter is ideal for this technique so do not dilute with additional milk.

Dip the plant protein of your choice into the dry mixture. Dip into the batter until coated evenly; shake off any excess. Dip again into the dry mixture until coated evenly and set aside on a plate.

In a deep fryer, or deep skillet or wok, heat a sufficient amount of cooking oil to 350°F (test with an instant-read thermometer). Fry in the hot oil until golden brown, turning occasionally. Place on a plate lined with several layers of paper towels to drain. Serve hot or cold.

Triple Dip Seasoned Breading for Frying