Vegan Duck Donburi with Spicy Plum Hoisin Sauce.

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If you love being adventurous with your food then this dish is right up your street. The spicy plum hoisin sauce is quite literally a journey on your tongue. And when paired with crispy faux meat, fresh & vibrant veggies, and warm fluffy brown rice, I promise you, you will be in heaven.

Serves: 2 | Total Cooking Time: 35-40 minutes

Ingredients

For the bowl:

• 100g uncooked wholegrain rice

• 2 spring onions, sliced

• Large handful of lambs lettuce

• 200g seitan, thinly sliced (you can also use shredded plant-based meat)

• Vegetables of choice (I used cucumber, carrots & red cabbage, sliced lengthways)

• 1 sliced red chilli peppers, deseeded.

For the Spicy Plum Hoisin Sauce: (you can make this sauce beforehand if you wish and store in the fridge for up to 5 days)

• 1 tbsp tamarind paste

• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes

• 1 plum, de-stoned

• 1cm piece of ginger

• Juice of 1 small orange

• 4 tbsp water

• 2 springs of mint

• 3 soft medjool dates, de-stoned

• 1 level tbsp brown miso paste

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

• 1/4 tsp ground Chinese 5 spice

• 1 garlic clove

• 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

• 0.5 tsp of hot sauce

• 1 level tsp corn starch

Instructions

1. To begin, pre-heat your oven to 190ºC fan and prepare a baking tray for your seitan, or choice of meat replacement. Lay your meat replacement out neatly onto the tray and cook for roughly 15 minutes, turning over half way through (you want it to be nice and crispy, so if you feel your ‘meat’ needs longer then simply continue to cook for as long as needed).

2. In a saucepan, add some fresh water and begin to cook your brown rice according to packet instructions.

3. Meanwhile, begin to make your spicy plum hoisin sauce (you can also make this a day before to save time and keep in the fridge). Place all the ingredients, except for the corn starch, into a blender and blend until smooth.

4. Pour the blended sauce into another small saucepan on medium heat. In a small cup or bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 tbsp of water until dissolved. Then pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan with the spicy plum sauce and mix until thickened.

5. Once thickened, fold your cooked seitan or meat replacement into the sauce, and take off the heat.

6. Begin to assemble your bowl by creating a bed of rice, then top with your sliced spring onions and desired veggies. Then spoon in your crispy, spicy-plum-sauce-coated meat before finally sprinkling some freshly sliced chilli on top, and serve.

If you do make this recipe let me know by sharing a photo with me! I would love more than anything to see your creations.