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    Home > Global Vegan Recipes > Vegan Chinese Recipes

    Vegetable Kung Pao

    Posted: Nov 25, 2009 ยท Updated: Aug 16, 2021

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Photo of vegetable kung pao

    Desi and I had our friend, Roshani, over for dinner the other night. Roshani's a fan of Indo-Chinese cuisine, so picking out what I would cook for her was a breeze. And it was also perfect because as you know this is Chinese month here at Holy Cow! when we celebrate all food Chinese

    Among the dishes I made were Vegetable Kung Pao which you are bound to find on any Indo-Chinese restaurant menu. While Kung Pao is a dish originally from China's Schizuan province, Indian cooks have for years now adapted it to suit local tastes

    I love cooking Chinese because it gives me a chance to add a plethora of colorful, healthful vegetable to almost any recipe. Also, the strong, vibrant flavors of all those sauces and vinegars and oils would, I think, make it difficult even for a meat-eater to miss the meat.

    One tip for Chinese cooking: try using vegetable stock in soups and any saucy dishes because the stock adds a richer dimension and flavor to the final result.

    This is a short post on a busy day, but before I go I want to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving, and hope yours will NOT include death and suffering in the form of a cruelly slaughtered, stripped and stuffed turkey. This is a time to be grateful for everything that's right in our world. Honestly, I can't think of a better way to celebrate that than with a delicious vegetarian or vegan meal that boosts health instead of weighing it down with cholesterol.

    There are thousands of delicious options, and if you need more than what this blog and dozens of other vegan blogs have to offer, you can check out the New York Times which has been posting vegetarian options for Thanksgiving on its Well blog. Martha Stewart recently did a show on a vegetarian thanksgiving.

    Also, check out my vegan Thanksgiving feast with an Indian flavor from last year.

    And now for the Kung Pao. One note on this-- the recipe includes lot of heat with three different kinds of chillies, so if you don't like your food hot, feel free to leave out everything but the red chillies that go in at the beginning of the recipe.

    Enjoy, all!

    More vegan Indo-Chinese recipes

    • Vegetable Fried Rice
    • Chilli Tofu
    • Veg Manchurian
    • Garlic Fried Rice
    Closeup photo of veg kung pao

    Vegetable Kung Pao

    A delicious recipe from Indian-Chinese cuisine, this veg kung pao is packed with colorful veggies in a savory sauce.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: Indo-Chinese
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: Vegetable Kung Pao
    Prep Time: 20 mins
    Cook Time: 30 mins
    Total Time: 50 mins
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 231kcal
    Author: Vaishali ยท Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

    Ingredients 

    • 1 red onion , chopped
    • 1 carrot , cut on a bias in thin discs
    • 10-15 mushrooms , halved or quartered if large
    • 1 small head broccoli , separate into florets. Peel the larger stems and cut them into discs.
    • 2 green bell peppers , chopped, or any color
    • 2 stalks celery , chopped
    • 2 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with ยผ cup water
    • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
    • 2-3 red chili peppers , broken into 1-inch pieces
    • 2 teaspoon garlic paste
    • 2 teaspoon ginger paste
    • ยผ cup peanuts , toasted lightly on a skillet and then coarsely chopped
    • 4-5 scallions , chopped
    • Salt to taste

    Mix in a bowl

    • 2 cups vegetable stock or water
    • ยผ cup soy sauce or more to taste
    • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1 -2 teaspoon Sriracha or any hot chili sauce
    • 2-3 green chili peppers (optional, and only if you like a lot of heat)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Heat the sesame oil in a wok or other large nonstick skillet.
    • Add the red chillies and saute for a minute or so until they start to darken.
    • Add the ginger and garlic pastes and saute for a few seconds.
    • Add the vegetables and stir-fry on high heat, stirring constantly, about 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften.
    • Now add the stock-soy sauce mixture in and allow it to come to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer a couple of minutes or until the veggies are cooked but have a good bite to them. You don't want your vegetables to turn soft and mushy.
    • Add the peanuts and stir in. Now add the cornstarch-water mixture, one teaspoon at a time, until you have a sauce that's fairly thick. Do NOT add the cornstarch at once-- watch your recipe closely and add only as much as you need.
    • Check for salt and add if needed. Add the scallions and give it a quick stir. Turn off heat and serve hot.

    Recipe notes

    Tip: It is important that all your vegetables be roughly the same size when you chop them so they will cook evenly. Make those veggies that take a little longer to cook, like carrots, a little smaller. You can use all kinds of veggies here, including cabbage. You can also add some tofu, cut in cubes, just before you add the cornstarch.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Potassium: 1032mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 4242IU | Vitamin C: 191mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment and recipe rating below!
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    About Vaishali


    I cook and eat simple, tasty and nutritious plant-based food in my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. Read more about me here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Samaira

      December 07, 2020 at 9:00 am

      Hello Vaishali,

      We follow your recipes a lot. But, in this particular recipe, you said to cut the carrots small, but they are so quick to cook. Did you mean cut the cattors big size?

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        December 07, 2020 at 10:09 am

        Hi, I think carrots take a little longer than other veggies like, say, peppers, or broccoli, so I'd advise cutting them fairly small so they cook at the same time as the other veggies. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    2. Harj

      April 18, 2015 at 1:19 am

      YUM! I made this for dinner yesterday and it's DELICIOUS! First time I've made Chinese food that I actually want to eat...thanks for the great recipe Vaishali! Also, do you take requests? ๐Ÿ™‚ If yes, then I would like to request hot and sour soup please ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    3. Indigo

      August 28, 2014 at 10:28 pm

      WOW! ! I was looking for a simple either Pad Thai or Kung Pao recipe for dinner and I am completely blown away by this fabulous recipe!! LOVE IT!!!

      Reply
    4. Debra

      November 26, 2009 at 10:39 pm

      Happy Thanksgiving!
      Debra @ Vegan Family Style
      ps check out the cookbook giveaway on my blog

      Reply
    5. Gita

      November 26, 2009 at 2:07 pm

      Happy Thanksgiving Vaishali...kung pao looks delicious ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    6. Parita

      November 26, 2009 at 2:04 pm

      Vegetable Kung Pao looks so inviting, love the choice of veggies vaishali!

      Reply
    7. Uma

      November 26, 2009 at 5:45 am

      that's a delicious dish Vaishali! looks so nice.

      Reply
    8. Cham

      November 26, 2009 at 3:45 am

      My son is great fan of non veg version! I will try this one too tasty!

      Reply
    9. Zengirl

      November 25, 2009 at 10:36 pm

      I love indo-chinese food, this is great! Wishing you and other happy thanksgiving!

      We are having small gathering and doing Vegan feast.

      Reply
    10. Priya

      November 25, 2009 at 8:16 pm

      Wow such a delectable dish..love this..

      Reply
    11. Pavani

      November 25, 2009 at 8:03 pm

      Happy Thanksgiving to you too Vaishali. Veggie Kung Pao looks yumm.. Adding seitan or tofu would be a great addition too.

      Reply
    12. nithya at hungrydesi

      November 25, 2009 at 6:44 pm

      I love Kung Pao - this sounds great. The crunchiness of the celery and peanuts is amazing!

      Reply

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    Vaishali Honawar, Holy Cow Vegan author, profile photo

    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

    More about me โ†’

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    Vaishali Honawar, Holy Cow Vegan author, profile photo

    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

    More about me โ†’

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