In Greece, we celebrate two great events on March 25th: the celebration of the Greek Revolution against Ottomans and the Feast of the Annunciation (most Greeks are Orthodox).
On that day, we’re taking a break from Sarakosti (40-day Lenten period) which is the most important fasting period for Greeks and we eat the traditional food of the day, fried salted cod with garlic sauce.
As vegans do not eat animals, we exclude the poor cod from our dish but we still keep the tradition 😉
Because don’t ever think that you cannot taste seafood in the vegan lifestyle!
If you love seafood as well, you can enjoy it by consuming edible seaweed without harming any animals!
As a matter of fact, this is what gives the fishy taste. Although there is a wide variety of edible seaweed and each one has its role and a different flavor, the most common are the nori sheets that you can find in many stores.
Even though it’s best to marinate the oyster mushrooms for a day, you can do it for less time. Just keep in mind that the flavor will be less “fishy”.
Fry them with this simple gluten-free batter and they are ready!
You can enjoy this delicious vegan cod with garlic sauce or vegan mayonnaise, Greek cabbage salad (Politiki) and ouzo!
In our digital cookbook “Eat Like A Greek Vegan” you’ll find recipes for garlic sauce and politiki salad!
Fried Cod The Greek Way – Vegan & Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 300 gr oyster mushrooms medium-large
- 2 nori (seaweed) sheets
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
For the batter
- 100 gr chickpea flour
- 200 gr soda/sparkling water + 120 gr chickpea flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tbsp. vinegar
- 1 tbsp. linseed oil optional
- salt, pepper
- 1 nori sheet
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth and spread them in a baking dish.
- Blend the 2 nori leaves in the food processor and pour them over the mushrooms. Make sure that this mix goes everywhere.
- Add the oil with the lemon on top and leave this mixture in the fridge to marinate for about a day. The longer it stays in the fridge, the more it takes on the sea flavors.
To make the batter:
- Divide the 100 gr of chickpea flour into 2 dishes.
- Put the soda/sparkling water in a bowl, slowly add 120 gr of chickpea flour, vinegar and (optionally, linseed oil), baking powder, salt, pepper and mix with the whisker to make a thick but smooth mixture.
- With a pair of scissors, cut a nori sheet in half and then, into strips. Leave it aside.
- Dip the mushrooms first in the chickpea flour (so that they stick better to the batter), then in the batter and finally, in the chickpea flour. Shake lightly to remove excessive flour.
- Take a nori strip and stick it on one side of each mushroom. If it does not stick, dip the nori in the batter and then, place it on the mushroom.
- Heat oil in a frying pan. The temperature of the oil must be 180°C (356 F), otherwise the mushrooms will either burn or boil.
- When the oil is ready, fry them little by little so that the temperature does not drop.
- Lower the temperature so that they do not burn. Fry them on both sides and remove any small pieces that remain in the pan.Place them on a dish with a paper towel to remove excessive oil.
- Serve with plenty of lemon, garlic and salad.
