Yesterday's post featured a vegan version of Flemish beef stew that was made by braising seitan in beer and then finishing the dish off by adding roasted veggies and sauerkraut. Today, we're traveling to the Philippines to experience a completely different take on the popular dish.
Kaldereta—a type of beef stew—is a common dish in the Philippines that traditionally uses meat, tomato sauce, and sometimes veggies. To make a tastier vegan version, I used seitan once again to mimic the meat, and I also added coconut milk to provide a little creaminess.
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I was wary of mixing the tomato sauce and coconut milk because I had never tried the combo before. Surprisingly, the flavors complemented each other perfectly.
Enjoy!
Spicy Vegan Kaldereta
1 lb. seitan, cut into medium-sized cubes
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium-sized red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1/4 tsp. crushed dried chili
1 carrot, cut into half-inch cubes
1 medium russet potato, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
•Wash the seitan well, removing starchy residue on the outside. Squeeze to remove excess water and slice into half-inch-thick strips. Marinate in soy sauce overnight.
•Heat oil in a wok. Stir in the onions and sauté until transparent. Add the garlic and sauté until golden brown.
•Add the peppers and chili, then the carrots and potatoes, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the seitan and stir-fry for 3 minutes.
•Slowly pour in the coconut milk, bring to a boil, and cook on high for 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, bring to a second boil, and cook on high for a minute.
•Add more soy sauce, if desired. Slowly pour in the cornstarch a teaspoon at a time, until the sauce acquires the desired thickness.
Makes 5 servings
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Comments ( 7 )
I like the sound of these ingredients ... especially since I always keep them all on hand. Thanks for the recipe.
Posted by Alisa - Frugal Foodie | February 24, 2009 8:45 PM
Posted on February 24, 2009 20:45
I loved that you featured a Filipino recipe. I don't see enough of these in Vegan form. If someone wants to avoid the seitan (in case they want to stay away from gluten), this would taste just as good without any kind of meat substitute in it. The reason I love kaldereta so much is the flavor of the broth & the veggies anyways. Thanks for sharing this recipe with the masses!
Posted by michelle | February 25, 2009 5:07 PM
Posted on February 25, 2009 17:07
Sounds good- nice simple ingredients. Maybe add diced celery- always good in stew. Up here in Canada there is great fake beef (vegan) by Its All Good. That would work really well here.
Posted by Jamie | February 28, 2009 7:04 AM
Posted on February 28, 2009 07:04
wow...this looks incredible! thanks for sharing. however...i am really not sure where to buy seitan. i usually buy tvp in various forms...would cubed tvp work? let me know and thanks again!
Posted by vanessa | March 7, 2009 4:20 PM
Posted on March 7, 2009 16:20
Loved it! Thank you for sharing. I blogged about my results here: http://tsinayvegan.blogspot.com/2009/03/seitan-kaldereta.html
Posted by TJ | March 11, 2009 6:34 PM
Posted on March 11, 2009 18:34
I tried it and it was delicious!!!!! I didn't cook the potatoe beforehand so I ended up having to scoop out the pieces at the end and microwave them for a few minutes. Next time I will do that before putting them in. Also, I didn't have any chilis so I used a couple dashes of cayenne pepper. The flavor of this dish is just OUTSTANDING!!!! Thanks for sharing it.
Posted by Melody Paris | March 14, 2009 6:46 PM
Posted on March 14, 2009 18:46
I made this recipe with a few friends and it was AMAZING. We didn't use seitan either.
Posted by Foreign Desi | May 22, 2009 3:51 PM
Posted on May 22, 2009 15:51