Prawn Special Fried Rice
Special fried rice is a Chinese takeaway staple, but is often very hard for vegans to replicate at home. Our handy take on the classic comes packed with plant-based prawns and veggies - with an 'egg' mix made of silken tofu, Indian black salt and turmeric. In short, it's an absolute fever dream of flavour and you definitely need to try it next time you're craving Chinese food for dinner.
Serves
Ingredients
For the veg and rice
<item-todo-done>1 red pepper<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 medium carrots<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>3 spring onions<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 red chilli (optional for garnish)<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 250g pouches pre-cooked basmati or jasmine rice<item-todo-done>
For the tofu ‘egg’
<item-todo-done>1 300g pack silken tofu<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tsp Indian black salt (Kala Namak)<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp turmeric<item-todo-done>
For the sauce
<item-todo-done>2 tbsp soy sauce<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp rice vinegar<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine<item-todo-done>
For the stir-fry
<item-todo-done>2 tbsp vegetable oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tsp garlic paste<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tsp ginger paste<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>12 plant-based prawns (defrosted)<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>100g garden peas<item-todo-done>
To finish
<item-todo-done>1 tbsp toasted sesame oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> generous pinch of white pepper<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tsp sesame seeds<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> Sriracha to taste<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Wide high sided frying pan or wok | Blender
Prepare the ingredients
- Core and dice the red pepper.
- Peel, trim and dice the carrot.
- Trim and finely slice the spring onions.
- Finely slice the chilli, if using.
- Break up the rice with your hands to separate the grains.
Prepare the tofu
- Drain any excess water from the tofu, then put the tofu, turmeric and kala namak in the blender and blitz until smooth.
- Adjust seasoning if needed.
Make the sauce
- Mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar and rice wine in a bowl.
Cook the tofu ‘egg’
- Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in the wok over medium high heat.
- Pour in the blended tofu (it should lightly sizzle), and stir until cooked through and beginning to firm up.
- Remove from the pan and set aside in a bowl.
Cook the veg and prawns
- Add the remaining oil to the pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add the pepper and carrot and stir for 2 minutes.
- Add the spring onions (saving a few green slices for garnish) and prawns to the pan and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the garlic and ginger pastes and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the stir-fry sauce and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the rice and peas and stir for 2 minutes, using the back of your spatula to flatten out and break any remaining rice clumps.
Cook the two elements and serve
- Push the pan ingredients to the edges to create a central well, then pour the tofu ‘egg’ back into the pan.
- Briefly warm through and then fold the rice and prawns into the tofu, stirring well to coat everything.
- Off heat, drizzle the dish with toasted sesame oil, a good squeeze of sriracha and more soy sauce and white pepper to taste.
- Spoon into bowls and sprinkle over the spring onions, sesame seeds and chilli slices if using, and serve immediately.