Recipes: Viewing Vegan Articles

Pandan Agar Agar:

1. Add all ingredients to a medium sized pot and gently bring to the boil.
2. Stir to dissolve the sugar and immediately reduce the heat once it reaches a boil. Simmer for 5 mins then pour into a mould (I used a 7”x10” plastic container). Allow to sit at room temperature for half an hour then place in the fridge to set. This will take a few hours.
3. Once set, you can cut your agar agar into blocks and serve.

Coffee Agar Agar:

1. Add all ingredients to a medium sized pot and gently bring to the boil.
2. Stir to mix in the condensed milk and immediately reduce the heat once it reaches a boil. Simmer for 5 mins then pour into a mould (I used a 7”x10” plastic container). Allow to sit at room temperature for half an hour then place in the fridge to set. This will take a few hours.
3. Once set, you can cut your agar agar into blocks and serve.

Prepare the Black Sesame Filling

1. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan for 5-8 mins on medium-low heat, stirring continuously until fragrant. Cool completely before adding to a food processor. Blitz to grind seeds to a paste. Add sugar and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse to combine. Place filling in a bowl, cover and chill for 30 mins to harden.
2. Once the filling is chilled, you will be able to portion it into little 5g balls. If the balls are too soft, return them the fridge for another 10-20 mins to set before continuing. 

Prepare the Peanut Filling

3. Toast the peanuts in a dry pan for 3-5 mins on medium-low heat, stirring continuously until fragrant. Allow to cool completely. I like to pound my peanuts using a mortar and pestle until they resemble rough sand. Add sugar and mix through. Add butter and mix through. Place filling in a bowl, cover and chill for 30 mins to harden.
4. Once the filling is chilled, you will be able to portion it into little 5g balls. If the balls are too soft, return them the fridge for another 10-20 mins to set before continuing. 

Prepare the Dough

5. Add glutinous rice flour and potato starch in a bowl. Slowly add in the water, stirring as you go until a smooth ball is formed. You may not need all the water.
6. Break off 12-13g balls from your dough. Make rice balls one at a time, flattening the dough ball into a disc, placing a ball of filling in the middle then enclosing the dough over the filling. Roll the ball in your hands until it’s round and smooth. Set aside while you make the rest of the balls.

You can freeze the balls at this stage (do not allow them to touch) and cook them at a later stage.

Prepare the Sugar Syrup

7. Add sugar, water and ginger slices to a large bowl. Bring to the boil, stirring to melt the sugar. Once the syrup starts to boil, reduce the heat to low until it is ready to receive the rice balls.

Cook the Tang Yuan

8. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Cook your tang yuan in batches by slowly adding into the boiling water. Carefully nudge them so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot and to each other. After one minute, remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer them directly into the simmering sugar syrup. Cook for a further minute or until they rise to the top.

Serve tang yuan warm in a bowl partly filled with the sugar syrup.

Makes 11

1. Line a 20cm x 26cm tray with baking paper with greaseproof paper.

2. Roughly chop half of the peanuts.

3. In a medium sized pot, add honey and heat until boiling. Simmer gently on low heat for a few minutes (less if you want a chewy bar). Be careful not to burn the honey.

4. Add peanuts and sesame seeds. Mix through.

5. Remove from the heat and pour into prepared tray. Smooth into an even, flat slab. Lightly sprinkle salt on top and gently press into the surface.

6. Leave to cool on the benchtop for about 30mins then chill in the fridge for another 30mins.

7. To serve, lift the slab out of the baking tray and place on a chopping board. Carefully cut the slab in half, lengthways. Slice fingers/bar out of the two pieces. You should get 11 fingers from each piece.

1. Remove any husk and silk from your corn cobs. Grill on the bbq or griddle pan on the stove, turning every so often so that everything cooks evenly.

While your corn is cooking, prepare the seasoned mayo.

2. Zest the lime (keep the lime intact for later) and add to a small bowl.
3. Remove the spine from the makrut lime leaves. Finely slice with a sharp knife then chop into fine pieces. Add to the bowl with the zest, along with the garlic and mayo. Mix to combine then season with salt to taste.
4. When the corn is cooked, brush on the seasoned mayo and garnish with chopped coriander, finely grated Parmesan (optional) and dried chilli powder (optional).

Prepare the Dough and Oil

1. Add yeast, sugar and 250mL water to bowl and mix to combine. Leave for 10 mins until bubbles form.

2. Meanwhile, add the flour to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast mixture. Mix on the lowest speed for 10 minutes. Form dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover and set aside for 2 hours.

3. Meanwhile, make the oil filling. Add the spring onions, Chinese five spice and salt into a heat proof bowl. Heat oil in a small pot/pan until smoking then pour into the bowl. Carefully mix to distribute flavours and set aside to cool completely.

4. After 2 hours, turn your dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll it out to approx. 2cm thickness. Dissolve baking powder and 2 tsp water in a small bowl then pour into the centre of the dough. Fold in the sides and knead through for about 2 mins or until smooth.

Shape the Dough

5. Roll dough into a large 20cm x 30cm rectangle. Brush on the seasoned oil mix (you may not need all of it. Gently mark the dough to divide it into three long strips. Fold the end pieces of the dough into the centre along the marked lines. You should end up with 3 layers of dough, stacked/folded on top of each other. Cut into 12 slices.  

6. Take one strip. Using a chopstick, press down along the length/centre of the strip. Stretch the strip to double in length. Drape the strip of dough over the chopstick. Pinch the enda closed with one hand while twisting the dough with the chopstick in the other. Place the twisted dough over the punched ends to cover. Lightly press down with your chopstick and slide it out. Repeat to shape the remaining buns

Cook the Buns

7. Heat 1-2T oil into a large 12” cast iron/non-stick skillet. Place in rolls. When the rolls start to brown, add in 200mL water. Cover with a lid and allow buns to steam on med heat until all the water has almost evaporated. Uncover and allow the water to fully evaporate and the buns to take on more colour for another minute or so.

Serve warm.

Prepare the Tofu Chips

1. Cut lemongrass and chilli into 1½ cm pieces and blitz in a strong food processor until the mix resembles straw. If you don’t have a processor, you can finely slice the lemongrass stalks into rings before finely dicing together with the chilli.
2. Add lemongrass and chilli mix to a bowl, along with the soy sauce, salt and honey. Mix to combine. Add tofu chips and coat. Leave to marinate for one hour.

Now for the Stir Fry

1. Heat 3T oil in a wok or non-stick skillet. Add marinated tofu chips and sauté to heat through. When the tofu starts to develop a little sear, remove from the pan and set aside (along with all the marinade).
2. Heat 1T oil in the wok. Add mock meat and sauté to heat through.
3. Add lotus roots and sauté to heat through.
4. Return the tofu chips and marinade to the wok and sauté.
5. Add snow peas* and sauté until desired doneness.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, by adding salt or a little vegetarian stir fry sauce.

Serve with steamed rice

*You can simply add these into your stir fry raw and allow the ingredients in the pan to heat them through, or blanch them in a pot of boiling water (with salt and oil added to retain its colour) first for 10 seconds before draining and setting aside until needed.

Prepare the Mushrooms

1. Rehydrate the wood ear mushrooms in a bowl with boiling water and leave them to soak for about 30 mins. Once ready, drain away water, squeeze out excess water and cut out any hard central bits.Roughly chop and set aside.
2. Remove any dirt/debris from the fresh mushrooms with a pastry brush (natural hair brush, not silicone). Give the mushrooms a wipe with kitchen paper towel if necessary.
3. Chop the king mushrooms into small pieces (3-5mm).
4. Remove the hard woody stems from the shitake mushrooms and chop into small pieces - cut all mushrooms to the same size.
5. Slice away and discard the bottom part of the enoki mushroom (like removing the woody ends off asparagus spears). Cut the stems into 2cm lengths.

Time to Cook

Tip: Cook your mushrooms in batches. Do not overcrowd your pan as your mushrooms will stew. I cooked my mushrooms in 3 separate batches

1. Heat a large skillet on high and add 3 T olive oil.  Add in 1/3 of the chopped garlic. Saute and let it sizzle for about 20 minutes.
2. Add in 1/3 of the chopped king mushrooms and 1/3 of the chopped shitake mushrooms. Stir to coat the mushrooms in the garlicky oil. Let the mushrooms cook in the pan, giving it a stir every now and then to prevent burning. The mushrooms should shrink in size and develop colour.
3. Add in 1/2 tsp salt and stir through.
4. Add in 1 1/2 T vegetarian oyster sauce and stir through. Be careful not to burn the sauce.
5. Add in 1/3 of the chopped enoki mushrooms and stir through. When the enoki mushrooms wilt a little, you can add in 1/3 of the chopped wood ear mushrooms.
6. Give everything a good stir through and add crack pepper.
7. Your mix is ready when the mushrooms have shrunk in size, dehydrated in the pan and developed colour and depth of flavour.
8. Throw in 1/3 of the chopped coriander.
9. Taste and season further if necessary.
10. Place prepared mushroom mix in a large mixing bowl.
11. Now repeat and make another two batches of shiitake & king oyster mushroom, adding each completed batch into the same large mixing bowl.

When all three batches are prepared, mix them altogether in the mixing bowl to combine. There should be 650-700g of mushroom mix, ready to use.

Serve with noodles or rice

Serves 4-6 (as part of a shared meal)

For the taro:

1. Cut the taro into 1cm slices then steam for 20mins or until cooked.

2. Place cooked taro into a large bowl and add seasonings. Roughly mash to mix the seasonings evenly through the taro.

3. Add wheat starch to a small, heatproof bowl. Add boiling water and mix with a spoon to make a rough paste. Add this paste to the taro and mix to combine.

4. Add 1/2T canola oil to the taro and quickly mix with gloved hands to reach a smooth, shiny ball.

5. Lightly grease a large piece of cling film with oil and place taro onto the centre. Press down and shape into an oval disc (27cmx14cm). Wrap and place in the freezer for a couple of hours or so to firm up.

6. Heat oil in a large wok and deep fry taro disc (remove cling wrap first) until golden. Place on a wire rack to quickly drain.

7. While still hot, cut taro disc into serving pieces on a chopping board and serve with dipping sauce.

For the sauce:

1. Add all sauce ingredients into a small pot and heat to dissolve the sugar. Simmer until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
 

Cook from frozen & do not thaw 

Microwave:

1. Remove meal from cardboard sleeve

2. Microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes and 30 seconds

3. Remove from the microwave. Allow to stand for 1 minute before peling off the film 

Conventional Oven- 

1.Pre heat over to 180 degrees celcius 

2. Remove frozen mean from cardboard sleeve. Peel off plastic film from the tray

3. Bake for 15 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven. Allow to stand for 1 minute before peling off the film