Party Poppers

Not too tricky
1:50 h
32 ingredients

Have you got that Friday feeling?? We certainly have! Hopefully you have a wonderful weekend in store, perhaps you're having a party or seeing some mates? If you are - MAKE THESE- delicious vegan party food that EVERYONE WILL LOVE! These party poppers are the perfect replacement for popcorn chicken. The ultimate plant based snack. They're perfectly seasoned and have a really satisfying bite to them. You won't be able to stop nibbling. Colonel who? These pretty party popper pieces pair practically perfectly with BBQ sauce. Also a great kids vegan recipe...they will love it too!

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the popcorn bites

90g vital wheat gluten
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp ground sage
¼ tsp ground thyme
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
130ml vegetable stock
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
½ tsp apple cider vinegar
tbsp vegetable oil for frying
10g nutritional yeast
2 tsp smoked paprika

For the buttermilk marinade

400ml soy milk
2 lemons
200ml coconut yoghurt - the thicker the better
2 tsp salt

For the dry coating

2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
300g plain flour
1 tsp pepper

For the Asian BBQ sauce

1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 small onion
2 red chillies
4cm piece of fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves
300ml apple juice
200ml red wine vinegar
150ml soy sauce
200g light brown sugar

To serve

10g coriander leaves
½ tbsp chilli flakes

Before you start

Step 1

First make the dough for the popcorn bites

Place the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast and all the herbs and spices in a large bowl and mix to combine
In a separate bowl or jug mix together the vegetable stock, olive oil and apple cider vinegar
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly until it comes together as a dough - this dough is known as seitan
Tip the dough on to the floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes, until the dough becomes uniform and a bit spongy, being careful not to overwork it as it can get tough
Cut into bitesize cubes
Pour boiling water into the large saucepan until it’s 2cm deep
Place the steamer basket or colander on top of the pan and add the seitan cubes
Cover with the lid and simmer for 45 minutes to steam the dough
Check the water every now and then and top it up with boiling water if necessary to stop the pan burning dry
Remove after 45 minutes and set aside to cool to room temperature

Ingredients

2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
90g vital wheat gluten
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp ground sage
¼ tsp ground thyme
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
130ml vegetable stock
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
½ tsp apple cider vinegar
300g plain flour
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp salt

Step 2

To make the buttermilk marinade

Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice into a bowl, catching any pips in your other hand
Pour in the soya milk, coconut yoghurt and salt, and whisk together well
Now make the dry coating by combining all the ingredients in a separate bowl
Put the cooled dough cubes into the buttermilk marinade and stir to cover
Leave for 10 minutes to marinate
Dip the marinated dough pieces into the dry batter, rolling them around to cover
Now double-dip them in the marinade and roll them in the dry batter for a second time

Ingredients

400ml soy milk
2 lemons
200ml coconut yoghurt - the thicker the better
2 tsp smoked paprika

Step 3

For the first fry

Pour the oil for deep-frying into the large frying pan so that it comes no more than halfway up the sides
Heat the oil to 130°C (this is a fairly low temperature for deep frying so if you don’t have a thermometer, drop a cube of bread into the pan to test the temperature: when it’s ready it should float but take a little while to brown)
Transfer some of the battered bites to the pan using a slotted spoon – do this in batches so the oil stays at the correct temperature
Fry, turning regularly, until light golden brown and a light crust has started to form, about 3 minutes
Transfer to plate lined with kitchen paper to drain and cool to room temperature, then transfer to freezer bags or lay on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and put them in the freezer for at least an hour
Keep the oil in the pan to use again later

Ingredients

tbsp vegetable oil for frying

Step 4

Meanwhile, make the Asian BBQ sauce

Add the oil to the pan
Peel and finely chop the onions and add the to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring
Rip the stems from the chillies, cut them in half lengthways and remove the seeds if you prefer a milder sauce, then finely chop
Peel the ginger by scraping off the skin with a spoon and finely chop
Peel and finely chop the garlic.
Add all the ingredients to the pan and stir until the sugar dissolves
Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a low simmer
Cook for 40 - 45 minutes until the sauce is thick, then taste and season
Blend in a powerful blender until smooth
Transfer to a sterilised bottle or jar and store in the fridge

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 small onion
2 red chillies
4cm piece of fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves
300ml apple juice
200ml red wine vinegar
150ml soy sauce
200g light brown sugar
10g nutritional yeast

Step 5

Finish and serve

Finely chop the fresh coriander leaves and sprinkle over the bites along with the red chilli flakes
Once the bites are frozen, take them out of the freezer
Reheat the oil to 180°C, or until a wooden spoon dipped into the oil sizzles around the edges
Fry the frozen bites, in batches, until they are dark golden brown, about 5 minutes
Transfer to kitchen paper and sprinkle with sea salt
Serve with Asian BBQ sauce or your favourite dip on the side

Ingredients

10g coriander leaves
½ tbsp chilli flakes