Plant-based Chicken Ala King
Growing up in a Jewish home, I had never really tasted Chicken Ala King (as the mixing of dairy and meat products are forbidden). But I always knew what it was and was always curious to try it. Since going vegan, I’ve realized that I didn’t have to miss out on amazing dishes like Chicken Ala King my whole-life, I could easily just have replaced the dairy milk with non-dairy milk or replaced the meat with a plant-based version. So simple and yet it’s something I, and most of my community, never thought of doing. This is one of the things I am so grateful for since going plant-based: This journey has made me 10x more creative in the kitchen and has opened up my horizons to so many new foods and dishes which I never would’ve tried before! It always boggles my mind when people say that plant-based diets are limited or restricted, because my experience and that of most of my patients has been the opposite of this.
And so, I present to you my plant-based take on Chicken Ala King. I can’t tell you how it compares to the “real-deal” as I’ve never tasted it but I can tell you that the “chicken“ tastes just like real chicken and that the sauce is super creamy and decadent yet cholesterol and completely heart-healthy (unlike it’s dairy-laden counterpart).
I tested this dish out with a few different chicken-alternatives and I (and my meat-eating family members) concluded that the Quorn Savoury pieces work best in this dish. If you can’t find these or are intolerant to any of the ingredients, you could also try the Fry’s chicken strips, Soya Rama Chickliks or even chickpeas or tofu instead.
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For my patients on calorie-controlled meal plans:
1 x serving of this recipe (1/10th of the recipe) =
1 legume/ protein serving
1 fat serving
1 veg serving
SERVES 10
Ingredients:
For the batter:
1 tbsp olive oil
200ml coconut milk
300ml unsweetened soy milk
2 packets (560g) Quorn savoury pieces
2 small onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup tapioca flour (or you can use corn flour instead)
50g Flora Vegan margarine
250g sliced mushrooms
2 green peppers, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan on medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, green peppers, quorn pieces and mushrooms and saute until cooked (about 10-15 minutes). Set aside while you prepare your sauce.
2. Heat a large pot on low heat and add the margarine. Slowly whisk the tapioca flour into the melting margarine until a thick paste is formed.
3. Pour the coconut milk slowly into the pot whilst whisking to prevent any lumps from forming. Then pour the soy milk into the pot and keep whisking over low-medium heat until a thick roux is formed. If your roux is too thick, add more soy milk to thin it out. If it’s too thin add more tapioca flour to thicken it.
4. Season your sauce with onion powder, nutritional yeast, nutmeg, parsley and salt and pepper; then add the sauteed vegetables into the roux and stir until well combined and heated through.
5. Serve along with brown rice or whole-wheat spaghetti.
