Vegan Takoyaki

Previously, I have made Tofu Takoyaki. Very delicious, but not authentic. Well that's going to change! If you want to get super technical, this is called "Konnyakuyaki".
This is a very specific recipe, needing out-of-the-ordinary equipment and ingredients. I have tried to offer replacements where possible.

Hardware:
Takoyaki pan
toothpick or skewer
canola oil for greasing

Batter:
2 C Vegan takoyaki powder mix
OR
2 Cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1 C cold dashi stock (water soaked with konbu OR mixed with instant konbu granules)
2 Tbsp oil
extra cold water (if needed)

Filling:
Konnyaku* block (not noodles), cut into squares (or mushrooms halves)
Red pickled ginger, chopped
Green onions, chopped
Tempura bits (tenkasu), optional

Toppings:
Takoyaki/okonomiyaki/tonkatsu sauce (whichever you can find vegan will do)
Vegan mayo
Nori powder (fine cut seaweed)


Preheat the takoyaki pan. Traditionally, over the stove, or turn on the electric type.



1. Stir all the batter ingredients together. It should be a runny medium batter, if not, add the cold water little by little.



2. Grease the takoyaki pan with a paper towel dipped in oil.

3. Spoon in the batter to overfill the cups.

4. Place a square of konnyaku in the center of each cup.

5. As is starts to cook, sprinkle the ginger and onions and tempura bits on top.



6. Now comes the tricky part. Turning. After a minute, using your skewer/toothpick, you grab the edge of the takoyaki ball and flip it over half way so the other side can start to cook. Pick up the spilled over filling and shove it in there too. Keep continuously rotating them until they are completely round and golden brown.



Here is a video, it shows all of these cooking steps.





7. Once they are golden and firm, place them on your plate. Drizzle your sauce and mayo on top, with a sprinkling of nori flakes. You are ready to eat!



*My host family told my konnyaku is a "sea potato". This..... is not true. Even though it is often called a "yam", it isn't that either! This "potato" is made into flour and has hijiki added to it for the color. It has a jiggly texture a lot of people don't like at first, and the taste can be too "fishy" sometimes. But it is a perfect replacement for octopus legs in this recipe!

Yuba

Yuba (tofu skin in Japanese) is a very delicate dish that is very easy to make! The time you put in to it is so worth it!

Ingredients:

Soy milk*
Soy sauce
Scallions, sliced (optional)
Wasabi paste (optional)

1 C soy milk = one serving.

*If possible, use a pure soy milk with no additives. Store bought is fine though, it's just a pinch sweeter.

Equipment:

Non-stick frying pan/skillet (NOT sauce pan)
Chopsticks or spatula
Small dessert bowl




1. In your frying pan, pour soy milk and heat on low-medium.

2. In a couple minutes, a slight skin will start to form on the top. When a skin has formed over the entire top (not just the center), use the chopsticks or spatula to start from the sides to pick up the ENTIRE skin in one piece. (It's totally ok if it rips, no one will know).



3. Place skin in the little bowl.



4. Repeat until all the soy milk is used. If making extra, pour in more soy milk as it gets low.

5. Pour a little soy sauce around the yuba. Add a pinch of wasabi on top and garnish with sliced scallions and present!



Amazing fresh and warm, but still great cold!
Mix wasabi with soy sauce before eating. Enjoy!

Shoujin ryouri

"Shoujin ryouri （精進料理) is a type of vegan cuisine that was developed by Japanese Buddhist monks. It is based on a foundation of vegetables and rice, and various vegetable proteins."

It is also amazing and amazingly hard to find on average in Japan, because the Japanese love to make the EXACT SAME FOOD but put fish stock in it (stocks, sauces, soups, dips, EVERYTHING).

So if you are in Japan, head up to Koya-san in Wakayama Prefecture which is littered with vegan monks and shoujin ryouri abound!

Before we get to cooking, lets take a look at some real traditional shoujin ryouri (top left, clockwise):


Dinner:Gomatofu (sesame seed block), green konyakku, rice noodles, fruit, mustard dipping sauce, beer, wakame soup with tofu skin and gluten balls, oily soup (in center) with tofu skin and veggies, hot green tea, pickled vegetables, rice


Dinner:Soba (buckwheat noodles) with mushrooms, pears, vegetable tempura, stuffed tofu, koyadofu (dried tofu), konbu seaweed


Breakfast: tofu burger, wrapped seaweed, stick potatoes with plum sauce ("eggs"), soy jerky, miso soup with gluten chunks, hot green tea, rice, pickled veggies, cold greens (center)


Lunch: gomatofu, veggie & fruit tempura, tempura dipping sauce, hot soba soup, cold veggies: koyadofu, konbu, veggies, tofu burger & soy jerky, rice, pickled vegetables, and cold greens (center)

After eating all this amazing food, I wanted to make my own version of shoujin ryouri... so I did!


Black goma tofu, dengaku eggplant with extra sauce, tandoori veggies, rice with beans and grains, soba noodle soup with gluten balls (fu), tempura & curry salt, tempeh bacon, stir fry rice noodles


Tempura: sweet potato, kabocha pumpkin, broccoli, mushrooms with mix of curry powder & salt to dip them in, tempeh bacon, rice noodles stir fry (soy sauce & sesame oil)



Tandoori veggie kebabs: Mix of tandoori paste and oil which I marinated tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and tofu, then grilled.


Dengaku Eggplant: Dengaku- sweet miso sauce is a mix of miso, sugar, mirin and stock. Placed on eggplant then grilled with sesame seeds on top.


Goma tofu: Actually, there's no tofu in it! It is sesame seeds crushed an pressed together to look like a block of tofu. Serve with soy sauce and wasabi. It is one of my favorite foods.

Let this bring inspiration to make your own mini-feast!!! The only thing that's holding you back are how many plates you have =)

Pot stickers

a.k.a. gyoza or Chinese dumplings




This recipe is pretty organic, working with what you have! I think mushrooms make a pretty good filling (in lieu of fake meat), I added some tofu just to bulk it up.


Mushrooms (pack), diced
Onions (1/2), diced
Tofu (1/2 block), drained & crumbled
carrot (1/2 stick),
sesame oil*
small bowl of water

Pack of pot sticker wrappers**
oil for frying

*Sesame oil really makes this meal, so try to use it!
**Big grocery stores don't really carry vegan wrappers, but little Asian stores do.

1. Stir fry all the veggies and tofu together with a little sesame oil until all the vegetables are soft and the liquid is gone. Remove from heat.



2. Place about a small tablespoon size scoop of filling in the middle of a wrapper.



3. Dab your finger in the bowl of water and rub along half of the edge of the wrapper, making a semi circle. This will keep it together.

4. Bring edges together and pinch together while trying to make sure the air is pressed out. (There are also pot sticker presser which makes it a little easier!).





5. When you are finished, heat a frying pan on medium heat. Place pot stickers in pan and cover with a lid to steam the top (you will not flip them).

6. When the bottom is nice and brown, flip them out onto a plate!

Serve with a soy dipping sauce!

Tofu Tonkatsu

Tonkatsu, a fried pork cutlet, is a very popular dish in Japan. Imagine my surprise when I opened up The Asian Vegan Kitchen by Hema Parekh and saw its fatty fried vegan twin staring back at me! You use freeze dried tofu (called "koyadofu") which gives it a nice texture when rehydrated. It even passed omni-monkey's taste test. It's a little work, but SO worth it!



This is the exact recipe from The Asian Vegan Kitchen and you NEED to go buy this AWESOME book RIGHT NOW!!

"8 cakes koyadofu, about 6 ounces (170g) in total
All-purpose flour for dusting
1 C (125g) all-purpose flour
1/2 C (120 ml) water
1 C (100g) breadcrumbs (panko)
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Shredded white cabbage, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Tonkatsu sauce

SIMMERING SAUCE:
2 C (480 ml) dashi stock
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon mirin
1/2 inch (1 cm) cube fresh giner, peeled and grated
1/2 teaspoon grated garlic



I used 5 large blocks that was about 6oz/170g

1. Soak the koyadofu cakes in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain.



2. In a saucepan use a large pan!!, combine the simmering sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Put in the drained koyadofu and simmer for 8-10 minutes over medium heat, until all the liquid is absorbed.



3. Dab the koyadofu in the dusting flour. Mix 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup of water to make a thick paste. Dip the floured koyadofu in the flour-and-water paste, then roll each cake int he bread crumbs. Set aside.

4. Heat the oil for deep-frying to 350F (180C). Slide the breaded tofu pieces into the oil in batches and deep-fry until crisp and golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with shredded cabbage, lemon wedges, and tonkatsu sauce."

Eggplant Rice Bowl

"Gyuu-don" in Japan is a popular beef rice bowl. Gross I know. But don't worry! A super tastier & healthier rice bowl is ready to take it's place as Number One!

EGGPLANT RICE BOWL!
"Nasu-don"

makes 4 bowls

2 medium Asian eggplants (or one regular large eggplant)
1 onion, chopped
1 C "dashi" (konbu, wakame, or vegetable stock)
1/4 C + 1 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp mirin (rice vinegar)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 C water + 2 Tbsp cornstarch

Short grain rice, cooked (bout 4 cups)

Toppings:
grated ginger (the kind in the tube. or pickled ginger works well too)
scallions

1. Cut eggplants in half



2. Grill the eggplants until the skin is wrinkly and just starting to char.
Try broiling them in the oven, or on a high temp close to the heat source in your toaster oven. For a last resort, try a creme brulee torch!



3. Place them in an ice bath for 5 minutes.



4. While waiting, place dashi stock, soy sauce, vinegars, and sugar in a pan on medium heat and bring to a simmer.

5. After the ice bath, peel the eggplants and discard the skins (the smell will tempt you, but don't eat them yet!)



6. Cut each eggplant in four long strips and then cut those in half, giving you 8 pieces.



7. Add eggplant and onion to broth. Simmer for 10 minutes.



8. Slowly pour in the cornstarch/water mixture. Stir constantly until it thickens.



9. Pour over rice. Top with scallions and ginger. Dig in! (Oh it's so good!)



No eggplants? No worries! Use any veggies on hand with the same sauce.

Vegan Tofu Takoyaki

Takoyaki is a Japanese dish that translates to "fried octopus balls." And that's "balls" as in the shape of dish! It is a piece of octopus covered in batter and cooked in special takoyaki-iron that produces the ball shape. Osaka is very famous for its takoyaki.



I decided to translate & alter an authentic Japanese tofu takoyaki recipe so that the rubbery filling is a mushroom! I'm a genius, I know.



Ingredients:
1 tub of 14 oz extra firm tofu, drained & pressed
14 small-medium sized white button mushrooms, extruding stem bottoms cut off
1/4 heaping cup of flour

Ingredients PART 2:
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp pickled ginger, chopped (or 1/2 tsp ground ginger)
1 Tbsp golden sesame seeds

frying oil
metal tongs

Toppings (opt)- Use all of these for an authentic eating experience (I did leave out the fish flakes though!):
-Okonomiyaki sauce (available at any Asian grocer- check ingredients) BBQ sauce is an acceptable substitute
-mayo, drizzled
-nori (seaweed) flakes


I say 14 mushrooms, but in reality, you may use more or less depending on the size of your mushrooms

1. Heat oil on medium in a deep dish pan to start to heat up.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix all of PART 2 from the ingredients.

3. Crumble tofu into same mixing bowl. Mix well with hands, fork, potato masher, etc. Make sure the tofu is finely mashed. No chunks.

4. Mix in flour well. It should thicken into a "dough" immediately.




5. Take a palm full of dough and place a mushroom on top of it.




6. Start to work the dough around the mushroom until "just covered." Squeeze around between your cupped palms to distribute the dough around more evenly. This also squishes out any excess air.



7. Place in hot oil. Fry a minute each side until golden. Turn using a pair of tongs. (If you didn't have a lot of oil/deep pan like me, you may have to turn the mushroom on its side to cook as well).




8. Place on paper towel to drain excess oil.

Enjoy with your toppings!

Mapo Dofu/ Mabo Tofu

This is the best I've ever had! And smells divine!
This dish is popular in China and Japan. Spicy and warm with the smoothness of tofu.



1 box silken-firm tofu
1/2 C beef-style crumbles (or TVP bits, slightly moistened)
3 Tbsp sesame oil
1 chili pepper, minced (or 3 Tbsp mild chili powder)
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp soy sauce + 1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch + 1/2C water

green onions for garnish

If you don't have silken, a regular tub of tofu is fine. Also reg oil is fine too, still yummy! Exactness is just for optimum results! Honestly, it's just as good without the crumbles.


1. Carefully wrap tofu in a tea towel or paper towels to soak up the excess liquid. Set aside.

2. Heat oil on medium heat and add garlic, onions and chili pepper. Fry until onions are soft.

***NOTE: To regulate spiciness, use chili powder. Start step #2 with 1 Tbsp of chili powder. Add an additional 1 Tbsp for every step until spiciness is desired.***

3. Cut tofu into about 1 cm squares while waiting (about 48 squares)

4. Add vegetarian "beef" crumbles until it darkens a bit.

5. Add soy sauce and sugar mixture.

6. GENTLY add tofu. Silken tofu is very very delicate. Lightly push everything around to mix.

7. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on med-low heat.

8. Add cornstarch and water mixture. Gently stir, it will thicken immediately.

9. Taste, and add chili powder/hot sauce to your liking.

10. If you like, garnish with green onions and serve alone or with a side of rice.

ENJOY!

If you are pressed for time or are lazy, you can buy a pre-made Mapo sauce pouch in varying spiciness at any Asian grocer. Usually vegan, but you always double check don't you my beautiful readers? Just add your own tofu and crumbles!

Japanese food

Two seasonal autumn packages.



Tofu salad.


Cold grilled eggplant sushi with ginger on top.