Curry chicken is the de facto family gathering dish in Singapore and Malaysia. Often made in huge portions, this curry is meant to be eaten all day and perhaps the next. Due to its popularity, many hawker stalls serve this dish as a noodle soup. This vegan chicken curry noodle soup is made with seitan and defrosted frozen tofu.
This vegan chicken curry noodle soup is so comforting, especially on rainy days. It reminds me of big family gatherings and warm hugs from loving aunties.
The slight Chinese influence of star anise and cinnamon add a highlight of flavour that marries to the curry harmoniously. The fragrance from all the aromatics combined is just incredible. It has to be sniffed to be believed! I use vegan yellow noodles made in the Philippines. If you cannot find a vegan yellow noodle, feel free to use rice noodles or white wheat noodles instead.
I use the WTF or Wash The Flour method of making seitan with flour. Find out more at the Seitan Society website. If this is your first time doing WTF, watch this video by Greg Cook first. You will need a good vegan chick’un stock powder to make this. My recommendations are Vigor & Health Vegetarian G Seasoning (sadly not as kinky as it sounds but extremely tasty) and Massel Premium Stock Powder Chicken Style. You can also use mushroom stock powder.
Tips
- I have very spicy dried chillies, so you might like to add more chillies to your recipe!
- Spend the time slowly frying the spice paste and enjoy the wonderful aroma as it cooks.
- Save a small chunk of dough and wash it less, then wrap it around your seitan to create ‘skin’ (see drumstick photo below).
- For maximum yum, simmer the seitan and cook the curry on the same day. Then rest the seitan in the curry overnight.
- If you can’t be bothered with making seitan, check out Vegan Singapore Not-Chicken Curry for a tofu and mushroom version.
Ingredients
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Seitan
- Seitan Seasoning
- For Simmering
- For Curry
- Spice Paste
Instructions
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Make the seitan
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Combine the flour and water and knead into a sexy round dough. The dough should not be sticky to your hands or the table/bowl and should bounce back slightly when pressed.
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Immerse the dough ball in a bowl of water and rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours. (I normally do 6 hours or overnight.)
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Wash the dough until the water is only slightly cloudy. You will be tempted to stop here. This is the stage called "brains". Do not stop here, keep washing. The dough mass will fall apart and then come together again.
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In the end, the ball of gluten should be stretchy and holding together. The gluten strands should be well defined with no large white blobs. (Optional: Save the starchy water for making other stuff!)
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Incorporate the seitan seasoning into your gluten mass. You may need to cut the mass up with scissors and massage violently. It's all good, the gluten loves a good rub. After seasoning, rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours. (I normally do 6 hours or overnight.)
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After a good relaxing time in the fridge, break the seitan mass into smaller chunks as you please. I made a 'breast' and a 'drumstick' with lemongrass.
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Fry the seitan chunks with some oil over medium-low heat. Add water enough to cover 3/4 of the chunks. Simmer on low heat for 45 minutes, turning midway.
- After simmering, leave your seitan to rest. The longer you rest it, the firmer it will be. Resting time can range from 30 minutes to overnight. On serving day
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Blend all the spice paste (rempah) ingredients.
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Heat a non-stick pan over low heat and gently fry the rempah. When the rempah darkens and becomes thicker, it is ready.
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Cut the yellow onion and potatoes into quarters and cut each piece into half again. Add the yellow onion to the spice paste in the pan and fry for about 3 minutes.
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Turn the heat up to medium. Add 2 cups of water, the curry leaves, lemongrass, star anise, cinnamon, and 1 tsp of vegetable stock powder. Bring to boil and add cut potatoes and seitan chicken.
- Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the defrosted frozen tofu and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Check to see if the potatoes are fully cooked by poking them with a skewer or fork. Add 100ml of coconut cream to the curry and mix well.
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Cook the vegan yellow noodles.
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Place noodles in serving bowls and serve curry over.
