While Chinese may be a common option for vegans eating out, that is no reason not to make your favorites at home. Here is a great rendition of orange “chicken.” If you are looking for the neon orange, sickly sweet sauce found in grocery story delis, look elsewhere. If you are looking for some vegan Chinese that will make you reconsider dialing for take out, keep reading. I used Trader Joe’s Chickenless Strips for this (two eight ounce packages), but you can use any vegan meat you like, or tofu or seitan. Serve with steamed rice and whatever veggies you fancy.
Vegan Orange “Chicken”
1 lb vegan “chicken”, seitan, or tofu cut into bite size pieces.
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
water as needed (about ½-1 cup)
oil for frying, enough to fill a pot or wok with 1 inch of oil
Sauce
1 tablespoon ginger, minced or grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or more to taste)
3 green onions, sliced (about ¼ cup)
1/2 tsp sesame oil
6 Tbsp rice vinegar, divided
5 Tbsp soy sauce
5 Tbsp sugar
zest of 1 orange
juice of 2 oranges
1 Tbsp corn starch dissolved in ¼ cup water
Combine baking powder, salt, pepper, canola oil, cornstarch, and flour in a large bowl. Add enough water to make a smooth batter (should be thick enough to coat pieces, but should flow around the “chicken”). Toss the “chicken” pieces in batter to evenly coat.
Heat oil in deep fryer or a wok to 325°. Add the “chicken” pieces to the oil (one at a time) and fry in batches till golden brown, about 3-4 min. Remove from oil and drain on a plate covered with paper towels.
Combine 5 Tbsp rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, orange juice, and orange zest in small bowl and set aside. In wok over high heat, stir fry sesame oil, garlic, ginger, green onion, and 1 Tbsp rice vinegar until fragrant and slightly browned. Add the orange juice mixture and allow to boil. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until the sauce thickens (should only take a couple min). Add the fried “chicken” pieces and toss to coat. Serve over rice or with vegetables.
