Vegan Popcorn Chicken
The popular golden, crunchy, bite sized popcorn chicken goes all vegan in our kitchen.
A hot favorite with the kids and adults is the popcorn chicken; you get it in a cup in various fast foods – great finger foods for snacks or on the go. Arjun came up with this vegan versions and I bet it tastes as good as the real chicken. We have used the soy proteins/TVP here, commonly known as Nutrela and easily available in all Indian grocery stores as nuggets or granules. The nuggets work best for this recipe. We have double coated the nuggets for a thicker and crunchier outside; do it once if you are lazy or do not need a thick and crunchy coat.
Vegan Popcorn Chicken
Ingredients:
- 1.5 Cups Dry Soy Chunks or Nuggets/TVP
- Water
- 2 Garlic Cloves, Mashed
- 1″ Ginger, Grated
- Salt
For the coating:
- 1/4- 1/2 cup (7 approx. tablespoon) All Purpose Flour (adjust amount, a little more or less)
- 1/2 Cup Corn Starch/Corn Flour
- 1 Cup Water
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Any other spice if you want to use (Optional)
- 1 Cup Bread Crumbs
- Oil for deep frying
Updated the amount of all purpose flour. there was a mistake in the previous mentioned amount.
Preparation:Boil about 4 Cups of water with mashed garlic and grated fresh ginger. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt & add the soy chunks/nuggets to the water. Cover & Soak for about 15 Minutes. There is no harm done if they soak longer than 15 minutes. Just don’t leave it overnight:-)
Drain the Soy Chunks, and cool. Gently squeeze out some water out of the nuggets (by wrapping them in a cheese cloth or paper towels or between the palm of your hands), they will still stay soft after doing this. Set the nuggets aside.
Combine the all purpose flour and one cup of water and stir till smooth and lump free. Divide this thick batter in to 2 equal halves in two wide bottomed bowls/deep dishes.
In a zip lock bag pour in the corn flour/corn starch.
In another zip lock bag, combine the bread crumbs, black pepper, salt and garlic powder (+ any other spices if you are using them). Shake them till well combined.
Take all the nuggets and add them to one of the bowls containing the flour batter. Toss them well till all the nuggets are well coated on all sides. Toss all the batter coated nuggets into the zip lock bag containing the corn flour/corn starch. Lock the back and give a good shake till all the nuggets are coated with the corn flour.
Pour out the nuggets into the other bowl/dish containing the flour batter. Toss again till the nuggets are well coated on all sides. Now pour out the nuggets in the bag with the bread crumbs and spices. Shake the bag really really well to coat the nuggets evenly on all sides.
Heat oil and a pan. (There should be enough oil for the nuggets to be completely deep fried); You will know that the oil is hot and ready, when you drop a pinch of bread crumb in the oil and it sizzles back right up to the top. Add the nuggets to the oil and fry them till golden brown. (If you have used a smaller pan, fry them in batches). Drain on a paper towel.
Serve hot with your favorite sauce/ketchup/chutney.
Great for parties and if you are planning on pick up foods for kids and adults.
Related Posts:
Khandvi: Layered Chickpea Swirls
What a great idea to use soy chunks. They look so yummy. Love that extra crunchy coating!
This is a sure winner. Great one Soma. Happy New Year to you and the family
Will you adopt me? Please? please?? This is sooooo my kinda dish! I could eat it all day long. Gorgeous pics. You are a super star!
That looks so good.. love the cruncy texture.
That looks delicious and tasty
Cheers,
Rosa
The title is so catchy Soma, for a moment I was confused. But after reading the recipe I am so impressed. The pictures are so stunning.
Hi Soma, I got so curious with the title and after I read the complete post I was thoroughly impressed. I have to try this soon. Just loved the idea. Will surely let you know once I have tried this. Many thanks for sharing.
Would love to hear from u some day at my blog.
Great one Soma! and the pictures are so stunning and tempting….I am sure my son will love this…will try this one soon and let you know….Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
When ever mom made something with soya when i was at home i neve rliked it, even though she used to be anrry with me telling it is really healthy.
I love this idea though looks so good.
these look really yummy and tempting! 🙂 (in fact, they look very similar to the popcorn chicken at KFC – which used to be one of my favs before i went vegetarian) thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
SUch a lovely dish soma, will try out soon..thanks for sharing..
hey..it looks lovely..will try soon…
thanks for sharing..
That looks so so good. I hate deep frying in my ill-ventilated kitchen but this recipe may be well worth it!
Vegan popcorn chicken – who knew?! Looks fantastic though 🙂 All the best for a wonderful 2010 to you and your family!
OMG- It looks exactly like the KFC ‘s one!
Wish U a Wonderful Blogging Year Soma 🙂
How innovative! For some time after seeing the title in my feeds, I wondered what it meant and then guessed it could be soya. I’ve never had much luck with these products.
First time I’ve seen these. They look so crispy. Happy New Year.
Wow! After the recent deep-frying failure in my own “ill-ventilated kitchen” (I hear you, Nupur), I am charged to try these nuggets. Addictive.
Happy New Year, Soma!
I’m confused. Vegans abhor the killing, eating and/or use of animals…..yet they want to eat something that reminds them of eating an animal? Seems hypocritical somehow. C’est la vie.
That said, these look yummy and I’d totally try some. (Then again, I eat everything.)
Wow, these chicken popcorns look yummie, great to serve as appetizer…will definitely give a try…hope you had a nice Holiday.
Wow this sounds so good! Love fried foods so this would be a great one to try!
Vegan Popcorn Chicken???? Liked the way you named it…I have made cutlets/patties and some kheema curry recipe with the soy nuggets. This recipe is simply great. Would love to make it for my daughter.
Gosh, that looks soo..good!
lovely! bookmarked!
I’m alwa looking for vegetarian options for when we have guests over. This seems a beautiful option. Thanks for sharing.
Those look and sound scrumptious! An excellent vegan version!
So cute! I don’t know if we get soy chunks here, but that is a great idea. I feed my daughter largely vegan cuisine, she is squeamish and sensitive.
Dear Soma,
Wish U & your family a very Happy New Year : 2010.
Nice twist using soy chunks….my nephew when he was toddler use to demand chicken for every meal, & my sis use to serve him soy chunks in various forms saying that it is chicken….ha..& he use to eat it happily….
this looks delicious and a great click!
thy look so yum..
Oh yum. I have never quite figured out soya nuggets, they looked awfully dry to me when I passed them in the store. So thanks for the tip on SOAKING!! These look perfect for the kids!
O that looks so good. I love nuggets wether they are true chicken or something not so chickeny… Looks great!
I don’t think i can stop snacking on these! Great idea using soy chunks!
Super recipe for the vegan’s… Nice one 🙂
this is bookmarked…awesome!
Hi Soma
Thanks for sharing this recipe, actually my daughter was asking something like this after she ate very similar nuggets at christmas party. We were looking into the supermarkets, but never found with spicy flavour. So this is the one!!!!!!!!!! I will make it .
I was planning on making a Chicken tonight. Your recipe has given me further inspiration. Thank you so much for sharing. I really love your blog..
What a lovely idea! I was intrigued by the Vegan Popcorn Chicken title thinking what on earth? But I LOVE the idea of using soy. These look so perfectly crunchy and addictive 🙂 I’ll have to give them a try. Thanks!
what a delight !!
Hang on…3.5 tablespoons of Flour and 1 Cup of Water?
It hasn’t come out as a ‘thick batter’. A very very watery one instead.
The post is updated. Please check. Thanks for pointing that out and really sorry for the mistake.(the mix is supposed to be kind of thin as it is supposed to just about make it wet and sticky for the corn flour/starch to coat the nuggets).
I am allergic to soy. Will steamed small florets of cauliflower work here?
It will totally work with cauliflowers!
similar recipes: http://www.recipeforlove.com/starters-snacks/gobi-manchuriancauliflower-fritters-in-spicy-sauce/
I am planning to again prepare this !
Pretty great post. I just stumbled upon your blog site and wanted to say that I have genuinely loved reading your web site posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon. My best regards, Carolann.
Frying them in olive oil really brings out the essence of the garlic – superb!
Hi Soma,
Made these some time back and posted it on my blog recently… Thanks so much for the lovely recipe… my little one really enjoyed it…
http://www.swapnascuisine.com/2011/08/vegan-popcorn-chicken.html
This looks great! If only I wasn’t trying to lose a few pounds!
I tried and loved this recipe…. Thank you! 🙂
nice snacks. we can serve it as starter. i dont have many idea of starter . thanx next time i can prepare this as starter in party.
Made these yesterday! Delicious!
can i oven baked them instead of deep-frying?
what do s the brand of soy nuggets and where so you buy them?
We buy ours from the Indian Grocery stores. They have different brands and all are pretty much the same. Ask for “Nutrella”.