Chickenless fried rice with bok choy and tofu
Attention tofu skeptics: this fried rice is a game changer. The texture of the crumbled tofu when combined with the flavour of the vegetarian chicken bouillon simulates those little chicken pieces found in the traditional dish incredibly well. I packed this rice full of finely chopped veggies and day-old basmati (which is apparently the secret to the perfect crispy, fluffy, fried rice texture, don't ask me why), and seriously, it's exactly how I remember takeout chicken fried rice tasting! Plus, it's wayyyy less sodium and sugar than anything you'll get from a restaurant. So, do yourself a favour and find some vegetarian chicken bouillon (or just veggie bouillon, it'll still add great flavour), and get to the kitchen!
This recipe is vegan, gluten free, and refined sugar free.
If you make this recipe and want to show off on IG, you can tag me, @gardentotableblog.ca!
Serves 4
Ready in 40 minutes
Ingredients
3 cups basmati rice, day old
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
4 heads baby bok choy, chopped
450 grams (one block) non-gmo extra firm tofu, pressed, drained, crumbled
2 tablespoons low sodium vegetarian chicken bouillon
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon avocado oil
2-4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1-2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1-2 teaspoons sriracha
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Instructions
In a large frying pan, heat avocado oil over medium heat
In a large mixing bowl, combine day old rice, chopped vegetables, crumbled tofu, and remaining ingredients (except the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, and toasted sesame oil)
Once the pan is thoroughly heated, pour the rice mixture into the pan and give it a quick toss
Firmly press the rice into the pan with the back of a spatula, and let it sit for 2-3 minutes to crisp. Give it a toss, and keep repeating this process until the rice is as crispy as you like. I repeated this process probably 10 times. It's tedious, but worth it
Deglaze the pan with soy sauce and give it a final toss. Once off the heat, add rice vinegar, sriracha, and toasted sesame oil