Vegan Taiwanese Fried 'Chicken'
This vegan fried 'chicken' street snack is crispy, addictive, dusted with spices and tossed with crisp basil leaves – it’s so popular in Taiwan for a reason!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 4-5 pieces large beancurd skin you can use smaller pieces or 300g tofu as well
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce gluten free
- 2 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 2 tsp 5-spice powder
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 cup tapioca starch
- 1 tsp black salt
- 1 cup thai basil leaves
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine soy sauce, shaoxing wine, five-spice powder, white pepper, salt and corn starch. Add the beancurd skin pieces to the marinade and mix until well coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours – overnight for best flavour.
- In a shallow dish or bowl, add tapioca starch. Heat oil in a pan.
- Remove the marinated beancurd from the refrigerator. Dredge each piece of beancurd skin 'chicken' in the flour mixture until evenly coated, shaking off any excess flour.
- Carefully lower the pieces into the hot oil, in batches, to avoid overcrowding the fryer. Fry for 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through, stirring occasionally for even cooking.
- Toss in basil leaves and fry until crisp. Ensure basil leaves are as dry as possible and beware of any oil splattering.
- Once cooked, use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to remove the beancurd skin from the oil and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Add fried basil leaves for extra flavour. Enjoy!