vegan chilli squid recipe
a wagamama classic, now vegan. made with king oyster mushrooms that resemble the texture of squid.
serves 2
300g (10oz) king oyster mushrooms (about 4), sliced lengthways into ‘chips’
30g (1oz) chickpea flour
30ml (1fl oz) sticky vegan sauce
100g (3½oz) plain flour
a pinch of bicarbonate of soda
310ml (10fl oz) vegetable oil
2 teaspoons shichimi powder
method
first wash and drain the oyster mushrooms, making sure a little moisture is left on them, then roll and toss in the chickpea flour and set aside.
make sure the sticky vegan sauce is ready to hand for later.
to make the batter, sift the flour with the bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl. in a separate bowl, mix together 10ml (2 teaspoons) oil with 175ml (6 fl oz) water, then gradually add this to the flour, whisking gently to ensure there are no lumps.
pour the remaining vegetable oil into a deep pan and place over a medium heat. add one drop of batter to see if the oil is ready; the batter should sizzle and not drop to the bottom of the pan.
using a chopstick, pick up one of the mushroom pieces, drop in the batter and turn to ensure it is coated all over, then place into the oil and cook until light golden in colour. repeat with all the mushroom and all the batter and, when each piece is cooked, lift out of the pan and transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to get rid of any excess oil.
arrange all the battered mushroom in a mixing bowl and sprinkle with shichimi powder to coat all the pieces.
transfer to a serving plate with a ramekin of sticky vegan sauce.
yasai gyoza ramen recipe
you can use whichever gyoza you like to make this delicious ramen your own.
serves 2
10 steamed yasai gyoza
1 pak choi/bok choi
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon shichimi
2 nests vegan noodles
600ml (20fl oz) vegetable stock
2 tablespoons veg stir-fry sauce (we like lee kum kee sauce)
2 tablespoons vegan chilli sambal paste
2 spring onions, julienned
5g (1 teaspoon) fresh coriander
1 teaspoon chilli oil
method
if you’ve made your gyoza especially for this dish, keep them warm whilst preparing the rest of the ingredients. if you have some uncooked yasai gyoza left over from a previous recipe, fry or steam them (whichever you prefer).
cut the pak choi in half lengthways so you have two pieces and wash well to remove any grit from in between the leaves. leave to drain.
heat a dash of oil in a pan, add the pak choi halves and leave for a minute. turn over and cook on the other side. the pak choi should look slightly charred. once cooked sprinkle with shichimi, set aside and keep warm.
cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet.
stir the veg stir-fry sauce into the vegetable stock until well combined.
place the cooked noodles in two hot bowls and pour over the stock mixture.
arrange the yasai gyoza and roasted pak choi on top of the noodles and add the vegan chilli sambal paste.
garnish with spring onions, coriander and a dash of chilli oil.
+ a bonus dessert recipe: banana katsu
fried bananas with a katsu crunch and toffee sauce… irresistible.
serves 2
50g (2oz) plain flour
150ml (5fl oz) vegetable oil, for frying 40g (1½oz) panko breadcrumbs
2 bananas, sliced in half
2 scoops salted caramel ice cream
for the toffee sauce
20g (¾oz) vegan butter
1 heaped tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons coconut milk
a pinch of sea salt
method
start by making the toffee sauce. place the vegan butter and sugar in a saucepan (non-stick) over a medium heat and stir until it starts to turn an amber colour. carefully pour in the coconut milk; it will be bubbly but just continue to whisk continuously. cook until the sauce thickens, adding salt to taste. set aside and keep warm.
in a bowl, whisk together the plain flour with a splash of oil, ensuring there are no lumps. add a tablespoon of water at a time until the consistency is between single and double cream; this is your batter.
place the panko breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. dunk the bananas into the vegan batter and then roll them in the breadcrumbs.
place the oil in a deep saucepan over a medium heat. to test if the oil is ready; drop a couple of breadcrumbs into the oil. if they don’t sizzle the oil is not hot enough, if they burn then the oil is too hot – they should bubble and float to the top.
carefully lower the panko bananas into the oil and cook until golden. remove with a slotted spoon, drain off the excess oil and place two halves in each bowl.
add a scoop of ice cream to each bowl and drizzle with toffee sauce.
if you’re not vegan, just use the same quantities of normal butter and cream instead of coconut milk. we love the northern bloc salted caramel and almond swirl ice cream.
