ramyaramesh3007These grilled vegan Japanese skewers are packed with the juiciest marinated tofu and crunchy bell peppers – it will leave you wanting for more! Gluten free option.
Yakitori is traditionally a Japanese style skewered chicken dish with bamboo sticks and are grilled over a charcoal fire. We’ll be making a vegan version today with extra firm tofu and crunchy green bell peppers. You can be versatile and substitute the vegetables with sweet pineapples, leek, spring onions or even make separate sticks with blistered shishito peppers.
Even though traditionally these are grilled over charcoal, we can make it simple by just pan fry them in minimal oil and flipping them until they get that grilled or ‘charred’ look.
You can also broil them in the oven at 220°C for about 15 to 20 minutes until they look ‘charred’, flipping them halfway.
The marinade and coating will be similar to the sauce used in the traditional version, called tare – it consists of a simple blend of soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar. If you make Japanese recipes at home frequently, these condiments are a must have!
Here are some of my favourite viral Japanese-American fusion recipes made vegan: Spicy Sushi Rice Paper Rolls, Sushi Bake, and Spicy ‘Salmon’ Rice Balls.
Gluten Free Option
You can serve this dish over some Japanese sushi rice, leftover marinade, toasted sesame seeds and nori flakes. All the ingredients are naturally gluten free except for light soy sauce – you can always substitute it with a gluten free option or coconut aminos. Here are some of my favourite substitutes:
Vegan Yakitori (Japanese Grilled Skewers)
Ingredients
- 8-10 yakitori sticks (or short satay sticks)
- 400 g extra firm tofu
- 1 green bell pepper
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sake
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- toasted sesame seeds
- nori flakes
- 2 servings white rice (or unseasoned sushi rice)
Instructions
- Freeze extra firm tofu overnight. Thaw on the counter for a few hours or microwave for 2 minutes.
- Squeeze the extra water out and dap with paper towels to ensure there's no moisture.
- Make your marinade – combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, and brown sugar. Give it a good stir.
- Break your tofu into chunks and add to the marinade. Toss it until fully coated and marinate for about 20 minutes.
- Soak your bamboo or wooden sticks in water. This is to prevent them from burning when you are grilling them.
- Meanwhile, chop your desired vegetables like green bell pepper into 1cmx1cm chunks or squares.
- Insert them one by one – tofu followed by green bell pepper and repeat until your stick is 3/4 full.
- Add some oil to a flat frying pan. Lay down your skewers and flip them once they are grilled and slightly charred. Drizzle with more of the marinade as they are frying.
- Once done, sprinkle some marinade and nori flakes on your rice. Place the skewers on top and top with sesame seeds. Enjoy!