Vegan Oriental Dishes

January is here, and for many in the food world, this means Veganuary. Whether it’s a long-term commitment to eating animal-product free, or just a month-long health kick to help shift some of that Christmas weight, many are turning to the vegan way of life this month. While meat, fish and egg are regularly seen in East Asian cuisine, the abundance of fresh vegetables and rice actually makes oriental food a great choice for the switch to animal-free. We present you with a range of naturally vegan, or substituted recipes to try out this year:

Vegan Singapore Noodles (serves 4)

This yummy dish, using rice noodles and veggies is completely vegan naturally! To make it you will need:

275g rice noodles

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 red pepper, cut into slices

1 carrot, thinly peeled

3 spring onions, sliced

1 tin of beansprouts

100g snow peas

2 heads of bok choy

240ml vegetable stock

3 tablespoons tamari soy sauce

2 tsp sweet soy sauce or brown sugar

1 tsp sesame oil

1) Soak the rice noodles in a bowl of water for around ten minutes to soften them.

2) In a large wok or pan, heat oil and begin to gently stir fry the garlic, red pepper and peas. After a minute, add in the carrot and spring onion. Fry for 30 seconds.

3) Drain the water from the noodles and add them to the wok. Stir continually to ensure the noodles don’t stick together, and so that they can cook evenly.

4) Add in the soy sauce and sugar. Gradually add in the stock, gently stirring the mixture as you do. Stir fry the ingredients until the noodles have absorbed most of the liquid.

5) Taste check and add any additional seasonings or sugar as necessary.

6) When you are a minute or two away from the noodles being ready, add in the bean sprouts and bok choy. Cover them with the heated noodle mix to allow them to quickly warm up and then turn off the heat.

7) Add the sesame oil once the heat has been turned off, and then stir through. Serve and enjoy!

(8 portions)

Try this eggless vegan take on the Chinese classic. For this recipe, you will need:

2 blocks tofu

2 onions

100g peas

80g mushrooms, sliced

140g tinned water chestnuts

220g bean sprouts

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp soy sauce

100g flour

2 tsp baking powder

1) Heat the oven to 160C

2) Saute the mushrooms, onions, peas and water chestnuts in the sesame oil for around four minutes. Add the bean sprouts, then cook for another minute.

3) Using a food processor, combine half of the tofu with the soy sauce and mix until smooth.

4) In a large bowl, add this mixture to the remaining tofu, flour and baking powder and stir by hand. Add in the vegetables and mix.

5) Shape the mixture into patties and lay on a baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes and then turn each patty over and return them to the oven for another 15 minutes.

(serves 4)

Another staple of Asian cuisine is of course the egg fried rice. With egg off the menu for those abiding by the vegan rules, tofu is used as a substitute in this spin on a classic dish. For this recipe, you will need:

700-800g pre-cooked white rice (around 200g per person)

1 block soft tofu

100g cashew nuts, chopped

6 spring onions, chopped

3 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp oil

½ tsp salt

½ tsp turmeric

1) Mash the tofu in a bowl with the salt and turmeric.

2) In a wok or large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over a medium heat. Add the tofu to the pan and continuously stir for around 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set it aside.

3) In a different (or cleaned) wok, warm the remaining oil over a high heat and add the rice and spring onions. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Pour over the soy sauce and continue stir-frying for another 5 minutes.

4) Add in the cashew nuts and the tofu and mix well.

Are you going to try any of these vegan dishes, or do you have a recipe of your own you’d love to share? Let us know via our social media channels!