Vegan 'chicken nuggets'

[kokopelli]

Actually I've never eaten a chicken nugget, they came out after I became vegan, but I think this recipe is probably quite a lot like them...so if, like me, you're not 100% into healthy food and you enjoy the occasional deep-fried treat, try this! I'm definitely going to make it for my nieces when they next visit...they used to live on nuggets before they became vegetarians.

Cook 1 1/2 cups soya beans, drain and save the juice.

Mash 2 cups cooked soya beans,

then mix in:

1 cup soya bean juice
2/3 cup whole cooked soya beans
1 1/2 cups white flour (strong breadmaking flour's best)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon soya sauce
1-2 tsp garlic powder
1 minced onion
1 tsp mixed herbs (optional)
1/2 tsp chilli powder

Mix together to make a thick paste (add more flour or liquid if necessary)
Heat oil in deep frying pan or wok.
Drop in spoonfuls of the mixture, fry until light brown, then turn over to fry the other side.

Yummy! Nice with hot sauce, home-made salsa or whatever you like, and salad. And they're nice cold, too. It's a modified recipe from 'The Farm Vegetarian Cookbook'.

[RockyRaccoon]

Thanks for posting this recipe kokopelli :) I can't find any vegan ones in the shops. There's not much my daughter says she misses apart from chicken nuggets, so I'm going to definately give it a go. I'll let you know how I get on.

[kokopelli]

Rocky Raccoon, I love your avatar :)

The texture of these things comes out quite 'meaty', I was surprised when I made them. It's probably the combination of the gluten in the flour and the fibrous mashed beans. But the whole beans probably make them less like 'real' chicken nuggets, and I suppose it would be possible to leave them out, or use less, if your daughter didn't like them.

I'm looking forward to trying them out on my nieces...once I made them 'magic nuggets', the nuggets that don't contain dead animals, which were really just battered tofu chunks, but they weren't too happy with them! That was when they'd just given up meat though. Now they like tofu. I think it's a lot to do with whether the taste and texture of their old favourites is still fresh in their memories. I hope your daughter likes them! :)

[feline01]

Sounds good, I wonder how it would work if you mashed the soybeans first, what do you think?

[kokopelli]

Hi Feline :)

I quite liked them with some whole soyabeans, but I just thought they might be more like chicken nuggets without them, ie if all the beans were mashed instead of just some of them. My partner thinks they wouldn't be as nice without the whole beans, though. Worth trying both ways, I suppose!

[feline01]

I am currently making them with your recipe followed exactly (almost, added extra garlic powder) and they definitely work with the 2/3 cup whole. I sampled 3 :o and they are absolutely delicious. Though my husband said I should call them soybean nuggets instead so I think that will be the name in our home.

Thanks for the recipe :D

It's like having vegan carnival food!

[RockyRaccoon]

I made these on the weekend and I loved them! Unfortuanately MiniRaccoon didn't like them, never mind I'll keep trying there. The quantities in the recipe made loads, far too many for me to eat, so I took them to a picnic yesterday and even the meat eaters wolfed them down :D .

I did alter the recipe a bit to try and appeal to MiniRaccoon tastes. I left out the mixed herbs and the chilli powder, and used real garlic as I didn't have any powdered garlic. I minced the onion in a food processor then added half the soya beans and everything else and whizzed to a fairly smooth paste consistency. Then I added the rest of the beans and whizzed a little more, so the beans were chopped but not smooth. I then shallow fried them.

Thanks feline01,
Delicious :)

[feline01]

Thanks feline01,
Delicious :)
Don't thank me, thank kokopelli for that yummy recipe :) . I still can't get over how good they were, I used a vidalia onion in my recipe which is a really sweet onion, YUM!!

[RockyRaccoon]

Don't thank me, thank kokopelli for that yummy recipe :) .
Oops :o
I really should read more carefully. Rushing gets me into all sorts of trouble.

And now for the correction:

Thanks KOKOPELLI!

[kokopelli]

I'm glad you liked them, but really you should thank 'The Farm Vegetarian Cookbook', not me, because that's where the recipe originated. And they're actually called 'Soy Fritters' there....but I thought they're like chicken nuggets, and I know lots of kids love nuggets, so that's why I changed the name. Sorry MiniRaccoon wasn't so keen.... :( In The Farm recipe, the quantities were even larger!! I reduced the amounts because I thought it would be too much for most people!

I really recommend The Farm book, it's got lots of great recipes, I bought it soon after my first child was born and it's been in constant use ever since! The Farm was started in the 1970s with 1,000 vegans living on 1,000 acres in Tennessee. I first heard of them through their book 'Spiritual Midwifery', which is the best guide to vegan pregnancy and childbirth I've seen. And the cookbook is excellent because it's based on their accumulated experience of veganism, including raising kids as vegans. The sweet recipes have usually got way too much sugar though, so I always reduce the amount.

When I get a chance, I'll post their tofu cheesecake recipe...mmm!

[Kumem]

I have only been vegan for 1 day! Have not quite ventured into cooking things like this, but I bought some vegan 'chicken' nuggets from Goodness Direct. I think that the prepackaged stuff, whilst not as healthy, is a lifeline for people new to veganism whilst they build their confidence and learn what products they like. saying that, this recipes sounds nice and simple and yummy, so I might make it my first one to try!

Liz

[kokopelli]

Congratulations on becoming vegan Kumem, a whole new adventure in cooking awaits you :)

Rocky Raccoon, I recognise your new avatar...it's an Alex Grey!

[RockyRaccoon]

Rocky Raccoon, I recognise your new avatar...it's an Alex Grey!
Aye ;)
Shame it's so small though, you miss all the detail.
If you like Alex Grey, you might like some of these (http://www.imaginify.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=gallery&file=index) other artists :)

[kokopelli]

Thanks for the link!

Do you think Alex Grey's related to the Grey of Grey's Anatomy, the super-detailed anatomical textbook? :D

[RockyRaccoon]

Do you think Alex Grey's related to the Grey of Grey's Anatomy, the super-detailed anatomical textbook? :D
:D Now that would make for an interesting textbook.

By the way, I like your avatar. I think your avatar and mine sit rather well together!

Oh dear, seem to have gone right of topic...... :D

[acousticCORE123]

I just used this recipe for something other than chicken nuggets. Instead of frying up small nuggets of the paste, I fried rather larger 'cutlet' sized pieces. The first one I made came out under cooked on the inside so I put the next one in the oven for a bit to get it cooking before I fried it and it worked. I put hot sauce on it and threw it in a sandwich for a nice spicy buffalo style feel. :)

[Nicole_1989]

As much as I hate to say it I indeed cared for the taste of chicken nuggets in my childhood days, although this was long before I new just how we came about these little golden nuggets! I admit that your little creation with the nuggets and hot sauce sounded great! :D I will have to try it some time!