Spicy Beefless Stir-Fry Topped With Scallion and Coriander

Kozmic Blues's Note:

Adapted and veganized from Cooking Channel's Chinese Food Made Easy. I used gardein frozen beefless tips for this, but I imagine pieces of seitan would work wonderfully here as well. Serve this with wasabi mayo (recipe below) over some warm flatbread or tortillas...DELICIOUS!! This recipe is so quick and easy to throw together. Cumin is not a spice one might expect to find in a Chinese dish. There is a large population of Muslim Chinese in Beijing. They came from western China and brought with them a unique cuisine that call for the use of spices such as cumin and fennel, which found their way to China along the Silk route. The spices in the dish are distinct and extremely flavourful, and pair amazingly with the fresh scallion and coriander. Please, if you can, take the time to freshly grind your cumin from the whole seeds. I used a mortal and pestle, and it made ALL the difference!

• Total Time: 10 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

For the Wasabi Mayo

• 1/2 tablespoon wasabi powder
• 4 teaspoons water
• 3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise (I use Veganaise)
• 1 pinch powdered sugar

For the Spicy Coating

• 2 tablespoons cumin, freshly ground
• 2 tablespoons dried chili pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

for the Beefless Stir-fry

• 8 ounces seitan (I used 8oz package Gardein Beefless Tips)
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 teaspoon rice wine or 1 teaspoon dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and stalks, roughly chopped
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced

Directions:

1. To make the mayo: In a small bowl, mix the wasabi powder with 1 teaspoon water to make a paste.
2. Mix the wasabi paste, remaining water and vegan mayonnaise together. Season with some sugar, and set aside.
3. To make the spicy coating: Grind your cumin seeds in a mortal and pestle.
4. Once ground into a powder, add dried chile flakes, black pepper, and salt.
5. Heat a wok or pan over high heat and add the peanut oil.
6. Add the beefless tips or seitan and stir-fry for less than 1 minute.
7. Add spicy mixture and stir to coat pieces in spice and oil.
8. When spices become fragrant, pour in the rice wine or sherry, and season with the soy sauce.
9. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cilantro, and spring onions. Serve immediately on warmed bread of choice with wasabi mayo.