Name: Vegan Kung Pao chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: serves 2
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp cornflour; 2 spring onions, sliced thinly; 3 tbsp / 45 ml tamari (for gluten-free version) or soy sauce; water; fresh coriander, to garnish; 2 aubergines; 1 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns; 4 small garlic cloves, chopped thinly; thumb-size knob of fresh ginger, chopped thinly; ½-1 tsp hot chilli flakes; 1 (scant) tbsp rice wine vinegar; 1 and ½ tbsp maple syrup

Vegan Kung Pao chicken

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Our vegan Kung Pao chicken is a fab Jamie Oliver's recipe veganised by Lazy Cat Kitchen. Instead of chicken, we used aubergine and it worked a treat.

By: Ania (via Lazycatkitchen)

Original Publish: Jul 10, 2015

Last Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Yields: serves 2

Nutrition Facts

336.32 Calories

9.69 gramsProtein

45.18 gramsCarbs

15.48 gramsFat

Instructions

Cut aubergines into thick wedges lengthwise.
OPTIONAL: Place aubergines in a colander over a deep plate. Sprinkle liberally with table salt and set aside for 30 mins to drain. After 30 mins, wash the salt off and blot aubergine dry with a piece of kitchen towel.
In a pan, dry-roast Szechuan peppercorns on a low-medium heat for a couple of minutes. They will start releasing an incredible aroma.
Using pestle and mortar or a coffee grinder grind roasted Szechuan peppercorns to fine powder. Sift it through a small sieve to get rid of larger bits.
Mix ground Szechuan peppercorns with 2 tbsp of cornflour. Brush fleshy parts of the aubergine wedges with a bit of olive oil and then coat them in cornflour mix.
Heat up a griddle pan and grill aubergine wedges on it until soft and browned on both sides**. You may need to fry aubergine in batches if your griddle pan is small. Once ready, set aside.
In a bowl, combine ½ tbsp cornflour with 2 tbsp of water. Add in tamari or soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and maple syrup.