Vegetarian Hainanese Chicken Rice

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Vegetarian Hainanese Chicken Rice

Vegetarian Hainanese Chicken Rice is easy because it uses store-bought vegan chicken, so you just have to steam or sear it to get your preferred texture!

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Vegan Meat Thawing Time2

Total Time2 50

Course: Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Hainanese

Servings:

Calories: 263kcal

Author: Jeannette

Equipment

mortar and pestle/microplane grater
Rice cooker

Ingredients

For The 'Chicken' And Rice

800 g / 1.8 lb vegan chicken (or to preference; cut into pieces roughly 5cm/2" thick)
40 g / 0.09 lb ginger
1/2 tbsp vegetable stock powder
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
2 US cup rice
2 US cup hot water (or to preference)
2 tbsp oil

For The Sauce

50 g / 0.11 lb ginger
2 1/2 tbsp vinegar (or to taste)
1 tbsp vegan fish sauce (or to taste)
2 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
chili (finely chopped; optional)

Instructions

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 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!

Notes

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.
This recipe uses a vegan meat from the brand Sayur, which is sold frozen and pre-seasoned. Like many mock meats, this one is made using wheat protein. Just make sure to thaw it before use.
We serve our recipe with jasmine rice, but you can use whichever you prefer. Just keep in mind that different types have different cooking times.
Mum uses a vegan fish sauce from the brand Red Lotus, but there are many other brands available online and in Asian vegan shops.

Nutrition