Vegan Chicken Kondattam

Try my Vegan Chicken Kondattam – a vegan spin on a popular crispy spicy Indian chicken dish from the state of Kerala that uses marinated and baked soy curls instead of fried  chicken. Soy-free alternative added. Gluten-free nutfree recipe

Bringing you a regional fave! This spicy crispy Vegan Chicken Kondattam – a vegan spin on the popular version from Kerala. Make it as spicy as you like!

Chicken kondattam is a spicy dish from the state of Kerala. Traditionally, for this dish, chicken is marinated in a fiery red marinade and then fried. Then it is tossed with thick sauce of dried chilies, curry leaves, ground spices, and Indian red chili powder or Kashmiri chili powder.

This plant-based version uses soaked soycurls instead of chicken. Just like the original recipe, we marinate the soy curls in a spicy red marinade but we bake them instead of frying. While the soy curls are baking, we prepare that signature spicy and delicious gravy.

Once the soy curls are baked we toss them in the gravy which is all glossy and shiny thanks to a quick cornstarch slurry. Done, you’ve made dinner.

This dish can be served as a starter but I usually serve it for lunch or dinner with rice to tone down the heat . It can be quickly made at home whenever you crave a restaurant-style take-out. You can use other proteins such as seitan or tofu here. Or use cauliflower!

I happened upon this dish while researching on the various restaurant style chikin dishes to veganize. If you are wondering why try these vegan versions? 1. To show that you don’t need the meat in these delicious sauces 2. Many people try vegan diet not because they don’t like meat or animal products, it’s because they don’t like the suffering, pain and death needed to produce it. In the 13 years since we’ve been vegan, we go through phases of wanting more veggie and bean foods, or wanting meaty foods. It changes and having these options adds flavorful variety to the menu. Try this fiery kerala style chikin fry!

Who you will love this vegan soy curls kondattam

• It’s another fantastic way to use soy curls
• its crispy spicy fiery and delicious!
• it’s gluten-free and nutfree
• you can make it with other protein like tofu, or seitan!
• get adventurous with cooking not so known regional Indian recipes!

More soycurl recipes:

• Vegan Chilli Chicken Soycurls
• Vegan Dragon Chicken Soycurls
• Sesame Shallot Soy Curl Stir Fry
• Butter chicken soy curls 
• Coconut chikin curry with soy curls
• Korean bbq soy curls Crunchwrap 
• General Tso soy curls 

Ingredients:

• soy curls – soaked in broth or water for 10 minutes or so. If you cannot get any, use seitan or other chicken subs or use tofu! See tips for alternatives.
• the marinade is made with a blend of Kashmiri chili powder, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, pepper, vinegar, cornstarch and oil mixed with water
•  for the sauce, dried chilies and curry leaves and fried in oil to get the flavor started
• onion, garlic, ginger, and green chilies are added to the sauce for heat and umami
• ground spices: Kashmiri chili powder, Garam Masala and coriander are added
• ketchup adds sweetness and body
• soy sauce or tamari is added for saltiness
• a cornstarch slurry is added right in the end to thicken the sauce

Tips:

• Soy curls are available easily in the US. They are not the same as soy chunks that are chewier and take much longer to cook. They are made with whole non-gmo soybeans and you can find them in some stores or order them online on amazon or butlerfoods.com. There are similar options in other countries that have different names. You don’t want to use the very meaty soy chunks but the thinner chicken-like alternatives if available.
• To make this soy-free, you can use your favorite vegan chicken substitute, which is not soy-based, like seitan. You don’t need to soak the seitan, you can just marinate it and use. And use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce
• This dish tastes best when served warm and fresh out of the frying pan.
• Curry leaves: fresh curry leaves can be found in Indian stores, Asian stores and online on Amazon and Indian store websites. They can be frozen in a closed container for upto a year and used directly from the freezer. Dried curry leaves are also available online on Amazon. If you can’t find them, omit. Add a bit of lime juice and ground coriander to the sauce instead.

How to make Vegan Chicken Kondattam

Soak the soy curls in warm 1 1/2 cups of broth or water for 10 minutes or so. Then drain the soycurls but reserve the water to use later.

For the marinade, add the ginger garlic paste and vinegar to the drained soy curls and toss well. Then add in the spices and mix in. Then add the cornstarch and add well to coat.

Spread the soycurls on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit(206 degrees Celsius) for 15 to 20 minutes or until crisp on the outside.

For the sauce, heat the oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add the dried chilies and curry leaves and mix.

Then add the onion, garlic, ginger, and green chilies and toss well. Add a pinch of salt.

Cook until the onion is golden. Then add in the Kashmiri chili powder and Garam masala or coriander if using.

Then add in the ketchup, soy sauce and mix well. Bring to a boil. Mix the cornstarch in 1/2 cup of water or use 1/2 cup of the reserved soy curl water /broth. Then add to the skillet and bring to a boil.

Then add the baked soy curls and toss well to coat.

Take off the heat. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately over rice or with flatbread.

Turn these into tacos

I also like to make my tacos or sandwiches with this because they’re quite spicy.

You can add to tacos on top with some coleslaw or add some pickled onion, carrots, and cucumber as the sweet and sour pickling goes really well with this.

You can also add in some cheese if you’re making tacos or sandwiches with this.