Indo Chinese crispy chicken made vegan has amazing textures and flavors! Soy curls with a crisp coating are tossed in a sticky-spicy-garlicky sauce. Serve this as an appetizer or as an entree over rice with your favorite veggies.
This is another favorite Indo Chinese dish. Indochinese cuisine has is a sub cuisine of Indian cuisine with many Chinese and inspired dishes, indianized with spices or change in cooking style.
This dish is usually made with chicken which gets battered and baked or fried until it is crisp and then tossed in a delicious sticky, garlicky, spicy sauce. I use soy curls for the chicken in this recipe. You can also make this with tofu, a vegan chicken substitute, or seitan, but definitely make it because the sauce is the bomb.
If you’re new to Indo Chinese food, it’s a cuisine that originated in Kolkata in the late 1700s when Chinese immigrants were moving to the region in large numbers. It’s an Indian take on Chinese dishes that arose when those immigrants started cooking their favorite dishes from home using ingredients available locally as well as to please the Indian palate. Dishes like Schezwan fried rice and chili chicken have their roots here.
This vegan version of Indo Chinese crispy chicken doesn’t sacrifice any of the textures and flavors of the original. Soy curls have an amazing, chicken-like texture that works perfectly in this dish. And the sauce is just absolutely incredible.
Soy curls are a meat substitute made with just soybeans. You can find them online on Amazon or their brand website butler foods, or in some grocery stores.
Why You’ll Love Indo Chinese Crispy Chicken
- crispy soy curls with super flavorful coating
- Sticky-sweet-spicy sauce is quick and easy to make!
- easy weeknight meal
- serve as appetizer or entree
- nut-free with gluten-free and soy-free options
More Indo Chinese Recipes
For the Sauce
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 hot green chili, minced, such as Serrano or Thai chili. For less heat, you can also use a tablespoon of chopped green bell pepper instead
- 2 tablespoons green onion, white parts, use the green parts for garnish
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, or use tamari for gluten-free
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar, or rice vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder, or use paprika
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1/2 a green bell pepper, chopped small
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch, mixed with 1/2 cup of water
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Make the crispy soy curl chicken.
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Soak your soy curls in hot water or broth for 15 minutes, if you haven’t already, then drain completely and lightly squeeze out any excess moisture. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, add the ginger garlic paste, soy sauce, Kashmiri chili powder, white pepper, and salt and mix really well to combine. Add the soy curls and toss well to coat.
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In another small bowl, mix the cornstarch, flour, and baking powder until well combined, then sprinkle this all over the soy curls, tossing well to coat. The mixture will be dry initially, but then it will pick up the moisture from the marinade and the soy curls and coat the soy curls like a thick batter. If it stays too dry, you can sprinkle in some water to help it coat the soy curls as a batter.
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To bake: Drizzle 1 to 2 teaspoons of oil over the battered soy curls, and then spread them onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until crisp.
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To pan fry: Add 2 teaspoons of the oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, drop the soy curls into the skillet and cook until they’re golden on one side. Then, flip and cook the other side, as well. Stir occasionally in between, so that the soy curls don’t stick to each other. Continue to cook until they’re golden and crispy on most of the edges. This can take anywhere from 8 to 10 minutes. (You can also add another teaspoon of oil towards the end of cooking to help them crisp up even more . ) Remove these from the skillet and set aside..
Make the sauce.
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Heat the oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and green chili, and mix and cook until the garlic is starting to turn translucent.
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Mix in the white parts of the green onion, and cook for half a minute, then add in all of the sauces and spices and the ginger garlic paste. Mix well and bring to a boil.
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Mix in the green bell pepper and the cornstarch slurry, and bring to a boil again.
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Toss the crisped up soy curls into the sauce, coating it really well, and switch off the heat immediately. Garnish with the green onions and sesame seeds. Let the soy curls sit for another minute or 2 to absorb some of the sauce and the flavors and then serve as-is or over rice.
Make ahead and Storage: Soy curls tend to absorb a lot of moisture, so if you’re making this ahead, the sauce is going to get absorbed and dry out. So keep half of the sauce separate and store and add to the soy curls later if you’re making this ahead. Then, add a little bit more water to the sauce when heating, and once it comes to boil, mix in the soy curls and serve.
Variations: You can make this with seitan, tofu, chickpea tofu, or even chickpeas in place of the soy curls.
Indo Chinese crispy chicken is naturally nut-free.
To make this gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce and more cornstarch instead of the flour.
For soy-free, use seitan, chickpeas, or another soy-free vegan chicken substitute, and use coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce.
Calories: 197kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 0.3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 612mg, Potassium: 177mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 494IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 128mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- soy curls – This is your chicken substitute. You can use other vegan chicken substitutes, like tofu, seitan, chickpea tofu, or chickpeas.
- ginger garlic paste – Gives the coating so much amazing flavor!. Use minced ginger and garlic as sun
- soy sauce – Adds salt, moisture, and umami to the crispy soy curls coating and the sauce. Use tamari for gluten-free
- ground spices – You’re using Kashmiri chili powder (or paprika) and white pepper in the coating and in the sauce.
- cornstarch – Helps the soy curls get crispy and thickens the sauce. Use other starch like arrowroot or tapioca as a substitute
- All purpose or more cornstarch- To coat the soy curls.
- baking powder – Helps the coating stick get crispier .
- oil – To saute.
- garlic – Boosts the sauce flavor so much!
- hot green chili – such as Serrano or Indian chili. You can use bell pepper instead for less heat.
- green onion – You’ll use the white parts in the sauce and the green parts for garnish.
- ketchup – Adds sweetness and umami to the sauce.
- vinegar – For tang. You can use rice vinegar or white vinegar.
- bell pepper – For crunch!
Tips
- Baking the soy curls will get them crispier, but pan frying makes this a one-pan meal. Choose what works best for you!
- Soy curls soak up a lot of moisture. That’s great at the end of cooking when you want them to take on some of the sauce flavors before serving. When storing, though, it can be an issue. If you’re making this ahead, store half of the sauce separately to warm up with some water just before serving.
How to Make Indo Chinese Crispy Chicken Soy Curls
First, make the crispy soy curl chicken.
If you’re baking the soy curls, preheat the oven to 400° F (205° C)
Soak your soy curls in hot water or broth for 15 minutes, if you haven’t already, then drain completely and lightly squeeze out excess moisture. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add the ginger garlic paste, soy sauce, Kashmiri chili powder, white pepper, and salt and mix really well to combine. Add the soaked and drained soy curls and toss well to coat.
In another small bowl, mix the cornstarch, flour, and baking powder until well combined, then sprinkle this all over the soy curls, tossing well to coat. The mixture will be dry initially, but then it will pick up the moisture from the marinade and the soy curls and coat the soy curls like a thick batter. If it stays too dry, you can sprinkle in some water to help it coat the soy curls as a batter.
To bake: Drizzle 1 to 2 teaspoons of oil over the soy curls, and then spread them onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until crisp.
To pan fry: Add 2 teaspoons of the oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, drop the soy curls into the skillet and cook until they’re golden on one side. Then, flip and cook the other side, as well. Stir occasionally in between, so that the soy curls don’t stick to each other. Continue to cook until they’re golden and crispy on most of the edges. This can take anywhere from 8 to 10 minutes. Remove these from the skillet and set aside. You can also add another teaspoon of oil towards the end of cooking to help them crisp up even more.
Now, make the sauce.
Heat the oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and green chili, and mix and cook until the garlic is starting to turn translucent.
Mix in the white parts of the green onion, and cook for half a minute, then add in all of the sauces and spices and the ginger garlic paste. Mix well and bring to a boil.
Mix in the green bell pepper and the cornstarch slurry, and bring to a boil again.
Toss the crisped up soy curls into the sauce, coating it really well, and switch off the heat immediately. Garnish with the green onions and sesame seeds.
Let the soy curls sit for another minute or two to absorb some of the sauce and the flavors and then serve as-is or over rice or noodles
Frequently Asked Questions
Indo Chinese crispy chicken is naturally nut-free.
To make this gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce and more cornstarch or a gluten-free flour blend instead of the all purpose flour.
For soy-free, use seitan, chickpeas, or another soy-free vegan chicken substitute, and use coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce.
You can make this with seitan, tofu, chickpea tofu, cauliflower or even chickpeas in place of the soy curls.
Mix only half the sauce in the soycurls. Store the soycurls and remaining sauce refrigerated in closed containers for upto 3 days. Reheat together on a skillet or microwave.
