• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Poppys Wild Kitchen
  • Recipes
  • Plants
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Plants
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Plants
    • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
  • ×

    Home » Dinner

    Vegan Egg Foo Young Without Tofu

    Published: Dec 1, 2022 by Poppy Hudson

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Vegan egg foo young pancakes served with shiitake mushroom sauce.
    Vegan egg batter with crunchy bean sprouts and water chestnuts.
    Vegan egg foo young pancakes served with jasmine rice and shiitake mushroom sauce.

    Does Vegan Egg Foo Young sound impossible? It's not! Find out why this delicious recipe is one of my favorite go-to dishes for an easy Chinese dinner.

    Vegan egg foo young patties topped with shiitake mushroom sauce.

    If you want to avoid tofu, you'll be happy to know these tender, veggie-filled pancakes smothered in mushroom gravy don't contain any bean curd.

    Now don't get me wrong. The ever-versatile tofu is still a mainstay in my kitchen. But sometimes you want variety.

    Or perhaps you have a family member that prefers not to eat tofu. Thus, this entree is for everyone, including those who are not a fan of the beautiful, jiggly bean curd.

    Jump to:
    • 🏆 Top tip
    • ⭐ Why it works
    • 📋 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Steps
    • 🔑 Key seasoning
    • 🧂 Is Himalayan salt the same as black salt?
    • 🥚 Vegan egg substitute
    • 🍄 Shiitake mushroom sauce
    • 🍽 Serving
    • 🥙 More vegan International favorites
    • 📖 Recipe

    🏆 Top tip

    Blend the vegan egg foo young batter until it's very smooth, light, and fluffy.

    ⭐ Why it works

    • Vegan egg made from all-natural ingredients.
    • Crunchy bean sprouts and water chestnuts.
    • Easy Asian-inspired dinner.
    • Makes delicious leftovers and freezes well.

    📋 Ingredients

    Soaked moong da, basmati rice, and eggy flavor seasonings.
    • Moong dal - yellow dal from split and skinned moong beans.
    • Basmati rice - white basmati or jasmine rice make the pancakes light and tender.
    • Ginger, onion powder, and turmeric - a trio for savory spice and color.
    • Kala namak - Indian black salt is essential for a natural eggy flavor.
    • White pepper - also gives a special Chinese food taste.

    🔪 Steps

    Make vegan egg batter, fold in vegetables, fry pancakes and make mushroom suace.
    1. Make vegan egg batter with soaked moong bean dal and basmati rice.
    2. Fold in crunchy vegetables.
    3. Fry pancakes.
    4. Make sauce with shiitake mushrooms and garlic.

    🔑 Key seasoning

    There's one indispensable ingredient in this recipe. That star seasoning is kala namak black salt. I love how the aromatic quality from naturally occurring sulfur compounds in kala namak fools your senses into thinking you are eating eggs. It's truly amazing!

    🧂 Is Himalayan salt the same as black salt?

    But maybe you are wondering what kala namak salt is? Kala namak also called black salt, starts out as pink rock salt mined near the Himalayas. You can purchase pink Himalayan salt as it is, but it won't have the magical culinary qualities of black salt.

    To create the pungent sulfurous aroma of kala namak, pink rock salt is fired in a kiln with charcoal. The high heat transforms compounds in the salt giving the finished product a dark purple-black color as well as its distinct smell.

    Once it's finely ground, the "black" salt turns a pinkish color. So, don't confuse gourmet black salts from places other than India with Himalayan black salt. Fortunately, your nose will give you the final confirmation!

    🥚 Vegan egg substitute

    The blended batter made from yellow lentils and basmati rice is an incredible egg substitute and an excellent source of plant protein.

    Ginger and white pepper complement the eggy flavor of the black salt, making each bite of vegan egg foo young scrumptious.

    Bean sprout, carrot and water chestnut filling for vegan egg foo young.

    These delicious pan-fried cakes are stuffed with bean sprouts, sweet carrots, and crunchy water chestnuts.

    The moong dal batter holds the crunchy fillings together and turns light and springy as it all cooks in a skillet.

    Scooped egg foo young batter.

    The savory vegan pancakes fry up in minutes. I always make a double batch because they make the best leftovers. I pop them in a toaster oven straight from the freezer, if they make it that far!

    🍄 Shiitake mushroom sauce

    Baby shiitake mushrooms prepped for sauce.

    The finished pancakes are topped with a silky baby shiitake mushroom sauce. It's light and glistening, more like a glaze than a heavy gravy. Arrowroot in place of flour or cornstarch is the thickener that gives the sauce its clear appearance.

    Look how the precious shiitake mushrooms shine in the finished sauce. The gravy moistens the vegan egg foo young just the right amount without overwhelming the delicate flavors of the water chestnuts and bean sprouts inside.

    Baby shiitake mushroom sauce thickened with arrowroot.

    🍽 Serving

    I like to serve this for dinner with steamed rice and bok choy flash braised in vegetable broth. Ladle your mushroom gravy over the pancakes and sprinkle everything with sliced green onion for a complete and satisfying meal.

    Pan-fried vegan egg foo young.

    🥙 More vegan International favorites

    • Vegan Black Bean Tacos With Mango Salsa
    • Vegan Thai Green Curry
    • BEST Falafel Sandwich & Sauce
    • Quick Vegan Beef Chop Suey

    Let us know if you try this recipe! Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below, and don’t forget to tag a photo #poppyswildkitchenrecipes on Instagram @poppyswildkitchen Aloha!

    📖 Recipe

    Vegan Mushroom Egg Foo Young served with rice.

    Vegan Egg Foo Young - No Tofu

    Gingery Vegan Egg Foo Young pancakes are full of crunchy vegetables and made with moong dal instead of tofu. Served with silky baby shiitake mushroom sauce on top. Gluten-free, dairy-free, and whole food.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    4
    Calories: 340kcal
    Author: Poppy Hudson

    Ingredients

    Vegan Egg Foo Young Batter

    • ⅔ cup yellow split moong dal
    • 2 TB basmati or jasmine rice
    • 2 TB chopped ginger
    • 1 TB lemon juice
    • 1 tsp. kala namak black salt
    • ¼ tsp. white pepper
    • ¼ tsp. turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp. onion powder
    • 2 TB neutral oil
    • ½ cup water

    Vegetable Filling

    • 2 cups raw bean sprouts
    • 1 cup sliced water chestnuts
    • 1 cup shredded raw carrot
    • 2 TB soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
    • ½ tsp. baking soda

    Shiitake Mushroom Sauce

    • 1 ½ TB arrowroot starch
    • ⅛ tsp. garlic powder
    • 1/16 tsp. Himalayan pink salt or sea salt
    • 1 ½ cups water
    • 2 ½ TB soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
    • 1 TB neutral oil
    • 4 oz. fresh baby shiitaki mushrooms, about 1 ½ cups

    Instructions

    Soak dal and rice for 4 hours or overnight

    • Place yellow dal and rice in a medium-sized bowl. Cover with 2 cups of water and soak for 4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Rinse in a strainer and shake off the excess water.

    Make pancakes

    • Place soaked dal and rice in a blender with ginger, lemon juice, black salt, pepper, turmeric, onion powder, oil, and water. Blend on high speed until the batter is very smooth, light, and fluffy.
    • Pour batter into a bowl. Fold in bean sprouts, water chestnuts, and carrots. Dissolve baking soda in soy sauce. Lightly stir the dissolved baking soda mixture into the batter.
    • Grease a large cast iron skillet with a small amount of neutral oil and set it at medium-low heat. Pour the batter into the heated skillet ¼ cup at a time and spread to 4 inches wide with a fork. Cook until golden on both sides.

    Shiitake mushroom sauce

    • Dissolve arrowroot starch in a bowl with water, soy sauce, garlic powder, and salt.
    • Pour oil in a skillet and heat to medium. Add mushrooms and sautee briefly.
    • Add arrowroot mixture to mushrooms. Turn up the heat and bring it to a quick boil. As soon as the gravy thickens, the sauce is ready.

    Serve

    • Serve vegan egg foo young with mushroom sauce and slivered green onions over the top.

    Store

    • Store leftover pancakes and sauce separately in the refrigerator for 5 days. The pancakes can also be frozen for up to 3 months. The mushroom sauce does not freeze, but the reheated pancakes are delicious topped with chipotle mayo or other sauces you might have on hand.

    Notes

    Ingredient Notes
    Kala namak Indian black salt is essential for the recipe.
    Arrowroot starch will make a clear, silky shiitake mushroom sauce that glistens. You can substitute cornstarch 1 for 1 in this recipe, but it will change the texture and appearance of the sauce slightly.
    Reheating leftovers
    If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, the pancakes taste incredible reheated in a toaster oven for a couple of minutes. Top with chipotle mayo or any favorite sauce.  They make a delicious 5-minute breakfast.
    I have even used them in place of sandwich bread, filled with greens and juicy tomatoes!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 11g | Sodium: 1857mg | Potassium: 425mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 5424IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @PoppysWildKitchen or tag #poppyswildkitchen!

    More Dinner Recipes

    • Vegan Black-Eyed Pea Chili
    • Saucy Chickpeas and Rice
    • Palak Chana Dal With Lagos Spinach
    • Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      "Share Your Thoughts" Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Randy W Hays

      January 06, 2023 at 3:51 pm

      5 stars
      This was the hit of our recent dinner party. With modifications, it is how I will make omelets, fritattas, and fritters from now on.

      Not only great for breakfast, but we will leave the leftovers on the counter and nibble on them cold.

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Poppy Hudson

        January 06, 2023 at 8:13 pm

        Wonderful! So happy to hear of your many ideas going forward. You're welcome 😉.

        Reply
    2. JuneBug

      June 23, 2022 at 2:49 pm

      The best vegan foo Yong ever! I am deleting all my other Foo young recipes, because this is the only one I will be making. Thanks for your creativity!

      Reply
      • Poppy Hudson

        June 24, 2022 at 9:59 am

        That's wonderful to hear! Thank you for your comments. Aloha

        Reply
    3. Eva

      January 14, 2022 at 11:03 am

      5 stars
      This is the absolute best faux egg foo young! It is company worthy! I won't use garbanzo bean flour anymore in place of eggs or tofu.
      I only tweaked the veggies a bit, but using just your chosen veggies I'm sure is great!
      The mushrooms and sauce were spot-on!
      I've bookmarked your web page!

      Reply
      • Poppy Hudson

        January 14, 2022 at 12:44 pm

        Aloha Eva, I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe and had some fun with your own veggie combination! I agree the soaked moong dal tastes SO much better than garbanzo bean flour. Thank you for your kind comments and follow. All the best! Poppy

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Aloha!

    Photo of Poppy Hudson outdoors at the community garden.

    Hello, I'm Poppy. Delighted to meet you! I LOVE creating exquisitely delicious food from beautiful, seasonal, and exotic produce. Gardening and living in nature's paradise makes it easy. Come learn how you can feel more alive with nutritious plant-forward recipes in your own kitchen.

    Read more......

    Winter Recipes

    Cozy, warming recipes for cooler weather.

    • Tasty Turmeric and Garlic Immunity Broth
    • Vegan Strawberry Jam Cookies
    • Hot and Sour Thai Soup
    • Papaya Oatmeal With Macadamia Granola
    • Vegan Vanilla Pudding - Gluten Free
    • Roselle

    Edible Plants

    Learn about the botanical and edible features of amazing wild and tropical plants used in our recipes.

    • Lagos Spinach
    • Moringa Tree
    • Hawaiian Noni
    • Sea Purslane

    See all Plants→

    Popular Recipes

    Tasty favorite dishes to make over and over any time of year. Healthy and nutritious go hand in hand with these tried and true recipes.

    • Buckwheat Banana Pancakes Vegan
    • BEST Falafel Sandwich & Sauce
    • Dragon Fruit Juice Recipe
    • Vegan Egg Foo Young Without Tofu

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    Coming soon!

    Contact

    [email protected]

    Copyright © 2021 Poppy's Wild Kitchen