Vegan/Vegetarian Roasted Chicken Rice (Using Air Fryer)

 

Traditional Hainanese and roasted chicken rice uses the stock from cooking chicken to make the flavourful and fragrant rice, and also in accompanying soup. And since this is the vegetarian version, it is much easier and of course cruelty free. It is authentically served with a hot chilli sauce dip that is made up of freshly minced red chilli and garlic, and topped with dark soy sauce and a heap of freshly pounded ginger.

 

For vegan roasted 'chicken' rice, the most common substitute is fried beancurd skin. I am not a fan of mock meat but I can accept this vegetarian 'chicken' because it is basically made from beancurd skin and spices. To make it more healthy, I do not deep fry them, instead I use Airfryer (I used this brand). No additional oil needed, and yet taste equally great like deep-fried, Airfryer is indeed one of the best ever innovation in the kitchen, perfect!

 

I love rice and I am crazy over the fragrant rice for 'chicken' rice. I also cook this flavourful rice and treat it like plain rice and accompanied by dishes of stir fry veggies and steamed tofu. Next I plan to use this rice for my next project: Hakka Thunder Tea Rice, pronounced as Lei cha, 擂茶. Stay tuned!

Dietary: Vegetarian, Vegan.
Serve 2

Ingredients

For fragrant rice:

 2 cups* or 270g long-grain rice, washed & drained (I used brown rice)
 2 cups* or 380ml water

Herb
 2 pcs ginger, roughly sliced
 4 cloves garlic^, keep skin & smashed (optional)
 1 stalk lemon grass, peel off outer layers, cut into 4 cm
 4 pandan leaves, tied into a knot
 1 pcs bay leaf (optional)

Seasoning

 3 tsp sesame oil
 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
 1/2 tsp soy sauce or Braggs Liquid Aminos
 1/2 tsp brown sugar or molasses (or any sweeteners)

For vegan 'chicken'
 3-4 pcs vegan 'chicken' drumstick (made from beancurd)

Garnish/Side
 Beansprouts, stir fried
 Chinese cabbage (bok choy), stir fried
 Cucumber, sliced
 Tomato, sliced
 Lettuce 
 Vegan 'chicken' rice chilli dip topped with dark soy sauce and pounded ginger
 Cilantro sprigs


Method
☼ Cooking Fragrant Rice

1. Mix all ingredients and seasonings together, and give it a good stir.

 

2. Transfer mixture into rice cooker pot, turn on the rice cooker. When the rice is cooked, then use the rice scoop to stir the rice and loosen it up, leave it in the cooker for another few minutes. If you do not have a rice cooker, place mixture in a steamer bowl and steam for 25-30 minutes until it reached your desired consistency.

 

 

☼ Cooking 'chicken'

Deep Frying:

Heat oil to about few inch in wok or large skillet over medium-high heat to about 375°F.  Add 'chicken', turning occasionally until they are golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

 

Using Airfryer:
Preheat the Airfryer to 160℃ for 3 minutes. Evenly place the 'chicken' in the fryer basket and slide the basket into the Airfryer. Set the timer to 18-20 minutes, turning few times until golden brown.

Using Oven:
Preheat the oven to 180℃.  Evenly spread the 'chicken' on a baking tray with parchment paper. Using a oven thermometer, ensure it is at the right temperature 180℃.  Pop the tray into the oven for about 25 minutes, turning few times until golden brown.

 

☼ Setting

Remove the stick inside the 'chicken' drumstick, cut into slices. Remove the herbs from rice then scoop rice onto individual serving dish, garnish and serve immediately.

 

Notes

^ Buddhist vegetarians who do not take garlic can omit this.

* The ratio for perfectly-cooked rice in most rice cookers (works for my Toshiba) is 1:1 rice and water, but it might vary with different rice cookers and the type of rice you are using.

* The measuring cup I used in this recipe comes along with the rice cooker and it looks like this below. 1 full cup of this rice measuring cup yield 135g of uncooked rice and 190ml water.  

Measuring Cup from Rice Cooker

 

Cooking Fragrant Rice

Vegan/Vegetarian Pumpkin Rice (One-Pot)

 

 

When the pumpkin season hits, recipes of pumpkin main-course and dessert are flooded online. I also got hold of a big pumpkin from the market and used it for a few rounds of this Pumpkin Rice and puree the balance and freeze it for dessert recipes.

 

After cooking my One-Pot Yam Rice many times, I really enjoy cooking one-pot-rice especially on weekday evenings because there are lesser plates and cutleries to wash after a great nutritious fulfilling meal. This recipe is surely a keeper and useful for a quick meal.

 

I have tried this dish umpteen times to perfect it to reach the al-dente texture for the rice. Due to the fact that pumpkin releases a lot of moisture when cooked, the amount of water for cooking the rice has to be adjusted accordingly to get the right consistency for the rice i.e. not too wet and not soggy. Please refer below for the note on rice and water before trying this recipe. 

For aesthetic reason, I omitted few of my favourite condiments like dark soy sauce and vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce because it makes the rice colour very dark and not golden yellow colour like pumpkin.

Dietary: Vegetarian, Vegan.

Serve 2-3

Ingredients

 Non-GMO canola oil, for frying

 4 cloves garlic, chopped ^
 1/2 medium onion, chopped ^
 2 fresh shiitake/button mushrooms, chopped

 120g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded & 1cm cubed
 1 cup* or 135g brown long-grain rice, washed & drained
 175ml water* or vegetable broth, for cooking rice

 

Optional Veggies (small amount each)

 Carrot, chopped

 Firm tofu, cubed

 Cloud ear fungus, chopped

 Bamboo shoot, chopped

 Yellow bell pepper, chopped

 Vegan ham, chopped 

 

Seasoning

 2 tsp soy sauce or Braggs Liquid Aminos

 1/2 tsp sesame oil

 Pinch of sea salt
 Pinch of white pepper 
  

Garnish

 Spring onions, chopped

 Coriander, chopped
 Fried shallots
 Vegetarian sambal shrimp bites

 Vegetarian sambal chilli

Method

1. Heat up oil in a wok or large skillet. Sauté the onion and garlic until aromatic.

2. Add mushroom and optional veggies, and  add some soy sauce and sauté until light brown and almost cooked for about 2 minutes.

 

3. Pour in pumpkin and uncooked rice, mix gently and be careful not to mash the pumpkin. Add seasonings, sauté lightly for about 1 minute. 

4. Add water and stir mixture until well combined for 30 seconds. 

5. Transfer mixture into rice cooker pot, turn on the rice cooker. When the rice is cooked, use the rice scoop to stir the rice and loosen it up. If you do not have a rice cooker, place mixture in a steamer bowl and steam for 25-30 minutes until it reached your desired consistency.
 

6. If you find the rice too wet for your liking after stirring, press the mode for 'cook rice' again. The new cycle will continue to cook and dry up the mixture to the right consistency and automatically turn to 'keep warm' mode when ready. It works this way for most rice cookers, this is mine for reference. Loosen the rice and keep warm in the cooker for a few minutes.

7. Garnish and serve immediately.

 



Step 4: After Sautéing in the Pan  

Step 5: Ready to Start in Rice Cooker 



Notes

^ Buddhist vegetarians who do not take garlic and onion can omit these and replace with some ginger.

 

* The ratio for perfectly-cooked rice in most rice cookers (works for my Toshiba) is 1:1 rice and water, but it might vary with different rice cookers and the type of rice you are using.

 

* The measuring cup I used in this recipe comes along with the rice cooker and it looks like this below. 1 full cup of this rice measuring cup yield 135g of uncooked rice and 190ml water. I scooped off 4 teaspoon of water (20ml) to make it 170ml of water. If you do not have a measuring cup from the rice cooker, you might want to follow this recipe exactly to use 135g of uncooked rice with 170ml water (serve 2-3 pax). Do take note that result might vary with different rice cookers.

 

Measuring Cup from Rice Cooker

 

Vegan/Vegetarian Yam Rice (One-Pot)

 

Being a very traditional Chinese at heart, I am a fan of rice a.k.a 饭桶! Try this recipe, just stir fry the ingredients and pop it into the rice cooker together with the rice, how simple!

Dietary: Vegetarian, Vegan.
Serve 2-3

Ingredients

 4 cloves garlic, chopped
 1/4 onion, chopped
 100g yam/taro, peeled & chopped
 3 fresh shiitake/button mushrooms, chopped
 1 cup* or 135g brown long-grain rice, washed & drained
 175ml water* or vegetable broth, for cooking rice
 Non-GMO canola oil, for frying

Optional Veggies (small amount each)

 Carrot, chopped

 Yellow bell pepper, chopped

 Vegan ham, chopped 

Seasoning
 1 tsp sweet soy sauce
 1 tsp dark soy sauce
 1 tsp soy sauce or Braggs Liquid Aminos
 1/2 Tbsp vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce
 1 tsp sesame oil
 Pinch of white pepper
 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
 3cm length cinnamon stick
 
Garnish
 Spring onions
 Fried shallots
 Vegetarian sambal chilli


Method

1. Heat up oil in a large skillet or wok. Sauté the onion and garlic until aromatic.

2. Add yam, mushroom and optional veggies, and  add some soy sauce and sauté until light brown and almost cooked for about 2 minutes.

3. Pour in uncooked rice, add seasonings and sauté lightly for about 1 minute. 

4. Add water and stir mixture until well combined for 30 seconds. 

5. Transfer mixture into rice cooker pot, turn on the rice cooker. When the rice is cooked, use the rice scoop to stir the rice and loosen it up. If you do not have a rice cooker, place mixture in a steamer bowl and steam for 25-30 minutes until it reached your desired consistency.

6. If you find the rice too wet for your liking after stirring, press the mode for 'cook rice' again. The new cycle will continue to cook and dry up the mixture to the right consistency and automatically turn to 'keep warm' mode when ready. It works this way for most rice cookers, this is mine for reference. Loosen the rice and keep warm in the cooker for a few minutes.

7. Garnish and serve immediately.

Notes

^ Buddhist vegetarians who do not take garlic and onion can omit these and replace with some ginger.

 

* The ratio for perfectly-cooked rice in most rice cookers (works for my Toshiba) is 1:1 rice and water, but it might vary with different rice cookers and the type of rice you are using.

 

* The measuring cup I used in this recipe comes along with the rice cooker and it looks like this below. 1 full cup of this rice measuring cup yield 135g of uncooked rice and 190ml water.  

 

Tips
☼ Remember to wear gloves when handling raw yam or else you will end up with itchy hands!