Plant Powered Asian Eats
Submitted by Luann Ji
April is here and so is spring! As the weather gets warmer and people spend more of their time outside, I am reminded of how grateful I am to be on this beautiful Earth we all get to call home. Maintaining and protecting the environment that surrounds us can seem challenging at times, but one easy way that you can help is by giving the power of plants a try in your daily diet. One part of practicing food sustainability is cutting down on carbon emissions contributed from the production and consumption of animal products more than plant based ones. On top of this, switching to such alternatives can even encourage others to see the personal and green benefits of growing your own food. To help, here are two tasty vegan takes on Asian dishes.
Whole Kabocha Gratin – かぼちゃグラタン
This pumpkin gratin packed with a mix of vegetables topped with a creamy white sauce is an absolute must try. I came across it while doing my daily scroll on TikTok and stopped to watch this truly scrumptious treat being made. I discovered the TikTok from the account, @okonomikitchen, filled with vegan options for mostly Asian meals created by Japanese Canadian food influencer, Lisa Kitahara.
Ingredients
- 1, 3 ½ lbs (1470g) Kabocha squash
- 1 small onion (100g) sliced
- 2 cups (130g) Shimeji mushrooms
- 3 tbsp (45g) Butter (use any vegan butter or oil desired)
- 1/2 cup (90g) Canned corn
- 1/3 (50g) Edamame
- 1 1/2 cups (350ml) Soy milk
- 1 tbsp (20g) Miso paste
- 3 tbsp (23g) All purpose flour
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp (80g + 20g) Mozzarella cheese, divided
- Parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Scrub and wash the Kabocha. Dry with a towel and then wrap with cling wrap. Microwave for 5 minutes at 600W. Flip and microwave for another 5 minutes, or until tender to the touch.
- Once cooled enough to handle, slice off the top of the Kabocha (so it looks like a lid). Scoop out the seeds and set aside.
- Over medium high, add butter and cook the onions for 1 minute. Add the onions and cook until they are semi-translucent. Add mushrooms and cook for another minute or until softened. Add the flour and fry for another minute. Turn off the heat and pour the soy milk in 3 increments, stirring each time so it does not get clumpy. Turn the heat back on and stir. Add the corn, edamame, 2 tbsp cheese, salt and pepper. Mix again until everything is well combined. Taste and add season to your liking.
- Ladle the filling into the kabocha. Add cheese on top and bake at 400 (204℃)F for 10 minutes or until cheese has melted and kabocha is tender.
- Optional step: Torch the cheese. Finally, sprinkle fresh or dried parsley on top for garnish. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Crunchy Gochujang Cauliflower
Another mouth watering food TikTok I came across is from @thekoreanvegan. Joanne Molinaro is a food influencer and fabulous cook based in Chicago, USA dedicated to “veganizing” classic Korean eats. What I love most about her content is how she shares the story behind each dish and makes that experience relatable to her viewers. Often, she gives valuable life lessons which are great to listen to while watching her effortlessly make such appetizing meals. Her Korean and vegan spin on General Tso’s Chicken is definitely worth recreating. Instead of chicken, she substitutes cauliflower coated in a flavorful gochujang sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower rough chopped
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon “no chicken” vegetable base
- 3 tablespoons plant milk
- 2, 2 cups plus ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1 teaspoon gochujang
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup onion chopped
- 5-6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 leaves red cabbage chopped
- 1 carrot chopped into very small pieces
- 2 whole scallions chopped
- 1/3 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Tips for Cooking
- For the chicken alternative, Molinaro on her website shows ways in which you can create the tofu.
- I used cauliflower here because the flavor pairs incredibly well with the sauce, and moreover, it isn’t too heavy like tofu might be.
- I like to cut the cauliflower into big chunks, as while they are marinating, they will inevitably start to fall apart (and create little chunks for “popcorn cauli”!).
- I marinate the cauliflower in a little “no-chicken” vegetable base to add some extra flavor.
- You have to coat each chunk of cauliflower very well in the corn starch. A thin coating will not create the “crunch” you’ll want. It should be thick—thicker than you think is necessary.
- You can double fry the cauliflower for extra crunch.
Instructions
- Place cauliflower chunks into a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable base (I like “Better than Boullion”),together with the plant milk. Mix the cauliflower so that they are evenly coated and set the bowl aside (you can also refrigerate it overnight).
- To another large bowl, add 1 cup of corn starch (save the rest for later), ½ tablespoon of garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Stir everything together with a whisk and set it aside.
- Prepare the sauce in advance by whisking together the 1 teaspoon of the vegetable base, regular soy sauce, light soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, mustard, gochujang, maple syrup, and ½ tablespoon of cornstarch.
- In a very large cast iron pan or deep fryer, bring the vegetable oil to 350°F. While you are waiting for the oil to get hot, dredge some of the cauliflower in the cornstarch + garlic powder mixture. Make sure that each chunk is thickly coated with the cornstarch. You want the cauliflower to be super dry.
- Place the dredged cauliflower in the hot oil, ensuring not to crowd the pan. You will have to work in batches and once the corn starch is all used up, add the second cup of corn starch, together with the garlic powder and black pepper, so that you can continue to fully dredge your cauliflower.
- Fry your cauliflower for approximately 3 to 5 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Remove them from the oil and place them on a cooling rack to drain the excess oil. Repeat for the remaining cauliflower.
- Once all the cauliflower has been fried once, you can fry them all a second time(without worrying about over-crowding the pan) for extra crunch.
- Once you have completed frying all your cauliflower, begin making the sauce by adding extra virgin olive oil to a large pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, onion, carrot, cabbage, and scallions to the pan. Sauté the vegetables until the onion starts to turn translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth and cook for another 30 seconds. Then, stir in the sauce you prepared earlier. Cook the sauce over medium high heat for about 1 minute, until it gets thick.
- Turn off the heat and pour the fried cauliflower into the sauce. Stir the cauliflower gently until they are evenly coated. Drizzle them with the sesame oil and sprinkle the sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Works Cited
Kitahara, Lisa. “Whole Kabocha Gratin かぼちゃグラタン.” Okonomi Kitchen, 20 Oct 2021, https://okonomikitchen.com/whole-kabocha-gratin/.
Molinaro, Joanne. “Crunchy Gochujang Cauliflower.” The Korean Vegan, https://thekoreanvegan.com/crunchy-gochujang-cauliflower/.
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