Vegetarian Hainanese Chicken Rice

Mum’s Vegetarian Hainanese Chicken Rice is perfect for any Meatless Monday! It’s super easy because it uses store-bought vegan chicken, so all you have to do is steam or sear it to get your preferred texture. Finish it off with a fragrant ginger sauce and fresh cucumbers.

For the complete experience, pair it with Mum’s Mushroom and Chinese Cabbage Soup!

Flavor in every layer

Whenever I ask Mum to teach me how to make a vegetarian dish, she ALWAYS delivers. Even if she hasn’t made the recipe before, Mum’ll find a way to recreate the flavors in a way that’s absolutely delicious, and her Vegetarian Hainanese Chicken Rice is one of them!

You can get it silky just like the original by boiling or steaming the vegan protein or pan sear it until golden and crisp on the outside.

Mum also serves it alongside its signature ginger sauce, which has the beautiful balance of sweet, salty and tangy. It’s paired with a warm kick from the chili and thin ginger threads.

That’s not all! Every part of this dish – and I mean EVERY part – gets a dose of love. The grains are infused with a light smokiness while being roasted with ginger before they’re cooked.

That way, you get flavor from the inside out for your Vegetarian Hainanese Chicken Rice in every bite you take!

What can I use instead of chicken?

When I asked Mum to teach me how to make Vegetarian Hainanese Chicken, she headed off to our local Asian vegan grocery store to ask for their recommendations for a meatless substitute.

They recommended a vegan product from the brand Sayur, which is sold frozen and pre-seasoned. Like many mock meats, this one is made using wheat protein.

Preparation is easy and all you have to do it let it thaw enough to take apart to cut.

There are many other brands and types of mock meats (Mum uses them to make dishes including congee, Bún Bò Huế Chay and Bánh Canh Chay), so just use what you have available. If you can’t get your hands on any, I would suggest replacing it with seared firm tofu or your favorite mushrooms.

For extra flavor, marinate the tofu or mushrooms with some vegetable stock powder before you fry them. The flavors and textures won’t be the same as the ones from Mum’s recipe, but you can add a fragrant kick with the ginger sauce.

Serve everything with cooked rice and you’re ready for a terrific meal!

Why this recipe works

• Using store-bought vegan products means the flavors are pre-seasoned, so there’s no fuss and no extra dishes to wash up.
• Each grain is roasted with ginger for another layer of fragrance.
• Pounding the ginger using a mortar and pestle releases the natural juices and oils that get infused into the sauce.

What you’ll need

For the ‘chicken’ and rice

About the ingredients

We serve our Vegetarian Hainanese Chicken and Rice with jasmine rice, but you can use whichever you prefer. Just keep in mind that different types have different cooking times.

The grains also cook using slightly less water than if we were to make white rice.

For the sauce

About the fish sauce

Mum uses a vegan fish sauce from the brand Red Lotus, but there are many other brands available online and in Asian vegan shops.

How to make this recipe

Rinse then drain the grains in a colander. Let it drip dry for a minimum of 1 hour.

Pro Tip: Do this a few hours or the night before so the liquid has evaporated. Alternatively, do it while the mock meat is thawing.

Pound the ginger using a mortar and pestle. You can also use a microplane grater.

Heat up a wok or pan on medium heat, then dry roast 40g (0.09lb) of the pounded ginger for 1 minute or until it starts to dry.

Pour the grains into the wok or pan and roast them on low-medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the vegetable stock powder and salt, then mix through for another 3 minutes or until they just start to take on a golden color.

Make sure to stir constantly so they don’t burn.

Transfer the roasted grains into a rice cooker and add the hot water. Close the lid, set the rice cooker to the ‘white rice’ setting and let it cook while you prepare the other ingredients.

Combine the vegan fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, chili and remaining ginger. Stir together well, then let it rest as you work on the protein.

Heat up a wok or pan on high heat and pour in the oil. Add the vegan chicken pieces in to fry for 1 minute on each side or until golden brown.

Note: If you prefer it to look more like Hainanese Chicken, I would suggest that you steam or boil the pieces for 5-10 minutes instead. We just like the extra flavor pan frying adds to the outside.

Plate when ready.

When the rice is just cooked, fluff it out and let it rest for another 10 minutes.

Serve it with the vegan meat, ginger sauce and freshly sliced cucumbers and tomatoes!

Recipe FAQs

Tips for the best results

• Add aromatics. Mum doesn’t eat garlic or shallots as part of her vegetarianism, but you can certainly add them for extra flavor if you do eat it. They can go into the rice cooker while everything’s uncooked, then steam them with the grains to infuse. Pandan leaves are also a great option.
• Use a mortar and pestle. Instead of juicing the ginger and making grainy fibers the way a microplane grater would, mortar and pestles pound the ingredients to release their natural juices and oils.
• Let the vegan meat thaw. Vegan protein products are often stored frozen in the shops, so give it time to defrost, otherwise if you try to pull it apart before it’s ready then it could tear at the edges.
• Use the rice water to cook the chicken first. Instead of pan frying, boil the vegan meat for 3 minutes (or until cooked), then add that flavored water into the rice cooker.

Our favorite meatless recipes

• Braised Eggplant with Tofu – Tender, creamy and full of flavor, Mum’s braised eggplants are incredible with rice.
• Bì Chay (Shredded Pork) – This is Grandma and Aunty’s recipe for a super crunchy and fragrant topping you can have in a salad, wrapped in rice paper rolls or on its own.
• Cà Ri Chay (Vietnamese Curry) – Thick and luscious, this meatless version of a Vietnamese classic is best served with noodles and baguettes.
• Chả Giò Chay (Spring Rolls) – We fry these until golden and shatteringly crisp, but they’re moist and nutty from the taro filling.
• Phở Chay (Vegetarian Phở) – One of Vitenam’s most recognized noodle soups is now meatless with Mum’s version. It has all the signature aromatics you’ll love from the beef version.

Want more home cooked recipes?

Subscribe to our email list and be the first to get recipe updates as soon as they’re posted. You can also follow Wok & Kin on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter!

Join the family!