Vegan Gluten Free Mock Duck Recipe (Ganmodoki)

Vegan, gluten-free mock duck recipe(Ganmodoki)

What better to post as my first recipe here than one of my all-time favorite Japanese dishes?  This is a very simple, protein-rich, delicious main dish that is pretty versatile – just pair it with Japanese rice or noodles and serve it with some kind of soy-based sauce.  The combination of flavours and textures is incredible, and it works equally well hot from the pan as it does cold in a bento the next day.  The really important thing here is the tofu; try to find Japanese or Korean soft or silken tofu in an asian food store, rather than using normal European/American tofu, which is much firmer, and usually tasteless.  If you can’t get anything other than firm tofu, this recipe will still work, but you’ll need to spend a bit of time mashing or blending the tofu thoroughly before adding any other ingredients!

If you aren’t vegan or gluten free, firm tofu works better if you add an egg, or substitute white flour into the recipe, but don’t worry, with a bit of patience, just about any variation will work here!

Vegan Gluten Free Mock Duck Recipe (Ganmodoki)

Total prep and cooking time: approximately 30 minutes

Recipe makes: 20 – 30 patties

Ingredients:

1 block silken Japanese tofu

½  medium red pepper, finely chopped

½ medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

¼ to ½ cup oat flour (depending on tofu type – more flour will be needed for silken tofu than firm)

¼ to ½ cup water (depending on tofu type – more water will be needed for firm tofu than silken)

Olive oil for cooking

Mix together the tofu and vegetables until fully combined.  Add ¼ cup of flour and mix, then ¼ cup water and mix, and alternate between the two until you can roll the mixture into balls that will stick together.  At this point, heat up some olive oil in a pan – you can cook these with a little olive oil, and a bit of care, or in a lot of olive oil for very crispy edges.  Traditionally, these are completely fried, but they’re delicious either way: its up to you!  

Roll out the mixture into balls approximately 1 inch in diameter (again, the size is up to you, but I think that smaller patties are easier to work with) and then press flat in your palm.  The mixture should be sticking together very easily – if it is too crumbly, add more flour and a bit of water until it is workable.  

Fry the patties on high heat until golden brown – about 3 minutes on each side.

Serve hot or cold with some Japanese rice, pickles, and vegetables – don’t forget the soy sauce (I always use tamari outside Japan, as it is gluten free, and delicious)!