Vegan Recipes: Family-Friendly Ones You Must Try

Vegan food has often had a bad rep of being flavourless, boring, and 'too healthy'. But this can't be farther from the truth. With the right ingredients, measurement, seasoning, and of course recipe, you can turn any old vegan dish into an indulgent five-star meal fit for the whole family. While the bulk of vegan food is plant-based, this doesn't mean you have to eat rabbit food all the time. Vegans make all types of delicious meals and with the help of our local influencers, we can even make vegan versions of popular Malaysian food like rendang and serunding! Here are some vegan recipes you should definitely try for the whole family. Hard-Boiled Eggs Eggs are a simple food in theory, but almost impossible to replicate as a plant-based version. However, recent years have shown that vegans are indeed innovative with food technology. Turmeric and carrots are combined to get an iconic yellow yolk, while black salt is added for the signature egg flavour and smell. Lastly, we have agar powder to give that gelatine texture we know so well to create a near identical hard-boiled egg vegans can enjoy. For Yolk300 g tofu (silken)1/4 tsp mushroom seasoning1/4 tsp kala namak (black salt)3/4 tsp agar powderFor Whites18 g raw cashew nuts18 g carrots (chopped)1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast1/2 tbsp oil1/4 tsp mushroom seasoning1/8 tsp tapioca starch1 pinch turmeric1/4 tsp agar powder1/4 cup oat milk Blend all tofu, seasoning, black salt and agar powder. Place on medium heat, and let bubble for 1 minute.Take off heat. Spoon mixture into egg-mould, and even out with back of spoon. Leave in fridge for 1 hour.Once the egg whites have set, use a melon baller or teaspoon to scoop out a cavity into each one. Save the extra egg white bits for later. Return the egg white halves back into the mould.Boil cashew and carrots in water for 15 minutes or until soft. Strain and add into blender with nutritional yeast, salt, agar, corn starch, turmeric, oil, oat milk and the egg white bits from earlier. Place under medium heat until bubbling. Spoon mixture into egg white halves. Leave to set in the fridge for 1 hour. Serve at room temperature or cold. Vegan Serunding Serunding or meat floss is a quintessential side-dish in many traditional dishes. It is often eaten during special occasions like Hari Raya. While usually made from beef or chicken, this vegan version uses mushrooms, which is an amazing meat substitute. 500 g oyster mushroom (shredded)1 tsp fennel seeds (or powder) (toasted)1 tsp coriander seeds (or powder) (toasted)1 large onion (or small shallots)3 cloves garlic2 stalks lemongrass10 dried chilies (or fresh chilies for less heat)1.5 inch galangal1.5 inch ginger1 tbsp oil (or more)1/2 cup water 500 ml coconut creamsalt (to taste)25 g kerisik (toasted coconut paste)1/2 tbsp mushroom seasoning1 tbsp brown sugar (or to taste)1 tbsp asam jawa (tamarind paste) (or to taste) Shred oyster mushroom into thin uniform pieces and soak dried chilies in hot water.Roughly slice lemongrass, garlic, onions, ginger and galangal. Blend with the dried chilies, coriander and fennel.Transfer paste to an oiled pot and sauté until dry.Add mushroom seasoning and salt. Next, add the mushrooms and mix well.Add the coconut cream, kerisik, brown sugar and asm jawa. Stir for a while. Leave to simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.After an hour, lower heat and continue stirring, being careful to keep an eye on the pot. Once done, the mixture should be crispy and aromatic.Serve room temperature with nasi impit, rice or bread. Vegan Fish Vegans often seem to have a substitute for beef and chicken but rarely for fish. But with the help of some seaweed (or nori) sheets to impart that fishy, umami flavour, this plant-based fish meat can now be enjoyed by vegans. Here's a vegan fish recipe for you to try. 400 g firm tofu (excess water removed)4-5 water chestnuts (washed and peeled)7-8 shiitake mushrooms (stem discarded)1 tbsp dried seaweed powder1/4 tsp garlic powder1 tbsp brown sugar1/4 tsp white pepper1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsp cornstarch3 bean curd sheets3 roasted seaweed sheets Cornstarch (for coating)Oil (for frying)1 tbsp floor (mixed with 3 tbsp water) Blend the tofu, water chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms and seasoning into a food processor. Pulse until all the ingredients are completely mixed and smooth. Set asidePlace the tofu mixture into the bowl. Mix in 2 tbsp of cornstarch and mix well. Place the bean curd sheet on the clean surface. Rehydrate the bean curd sheet with water. Then, place the seaweed sheets on the bean curd sheet. Spread the tofu mixture onto the seaweed sheet. Apply a thin layer of the slurry at the end of the bean curd sheet (it helps to secure the roll) Gently roll to cover the filling till you reach the end and ensure both ends are folded inside to secure the roll.Bring a pot of water to a boil and steam the vegan fish about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool at room temperature. Cut the vegan fish into your desired size and shallow fry the vegan fish till browned and set aside. Potato Begedil Spring Roll Potatoes are a lovely starchy and versatile food that can bulk up your meals, allowing you to stay fuller for longer. This carb-rich potato begedil is an indulgent snack perfect for slow weekend evenings. 600 g potatoes (4 potatoes)2 stalks scallions (chopped)1 fresh chili (chopped)50 g fried shallots1/4 tsp white pepper1/4 tsp coriander powder1/4 tsp cumin powder1/4 tsp salt1 tsp sugar Boil the potato till soft and then drain out the water. Place in a mixing bowl with scallions, chilies and seasonings. Mash and set aside.Cut the spring roll wrappers into half, fill the spring roll wrappers with 1 tbsp of mashed potato, apply a thin layer of batter at the edges of the wrappers.Roll up and make sure the filling is packed tightly. Fry the spring rolls in batches for 2-3 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Drain on a paper towel.Serve warm or room temperature with condiment of choice. Easy Low Fat Lentil Bolognese Italian cuisine is not naturally vegan. After all, there's cheese in almost everything. But this doesn't mean vegans can't enjoy a nice plate of Bolognese if they want to. A good substitute for minced meat is lentils, which have a meaty texture when cooked the right way. 2/3 cups water6-7 cloves garlic1 large white onion1 tsp Himalayan salt1 tbsp cooking oil2 heaped spoonfuls nutritional yeast3 tbsp agave nectar or brown sugar1 tsp ground cumin1 tsp smoked paprika1/4 tsp cinnamon1 tsp dried oregano1 tsp dried basil1 tsp dried parsley Soak lentils overnight. Boil lentils for 25 minutes (or about 12-15 minutes if using red lentils) and drain. Then, save the water in a separate bowl.Heat oil in pan. Sauté garlic and onion for 3-5 minutes until brown at the edges. Add in lentils and all other ingredients, and stir to combine.Turn off heat and serve over pasta, potatoes or in between two bread bun slices to make a Sloppy Joe! Savoury Vegetable Pancake Many of us may be so used to the thick, sweet American pancakes. But we Asians have our own savoury version too. Traditional recipes usually include egg as a binder, but if you eliminate that one ingredient, you'll have yourself a vegan pancake that's fit for any plant-based diet. 2 cups thinly chopped vegetables and/or legumes of choice1/2 cup all-purpose flour1/3 cup water1/4 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar1/4 tsp turmeric for colour (optional)1-2 pinches black salt (for eggy aroma) (or plain salt, for non-egg taste)2 tbsp cooking oil In a large mixing bowl, toss all chopped vegetables until evenly mixed. In a separate bowl, mix flour, water, baking soda, vinegar, turmeric, and salt to make batter. Add in the veggies. In a flat non-stick frying pan, heat 1 tbsp cooking oil. Pour mixture into pan and even out to cover bottom of pan. Let cook for 5-6 minutes on medium to high heat. Flip to cook the other side, adding oil as needed.Once done, remove from pan and slice into bite-sized pieces and serve with dipping sauce of choice. Mushroom Satay Satay is one of those evergreen Malaysian delicacies enjoyed by locals and foreigners alike. It's one of our signature dishes but also quite vegan-unfriendly. It's 99% meat. But thank the vegan gods for mushrooms because they are the main star in this vegan satay recipe! 100 g dried monkey head mushrooms (a.k.a. hericium, or lion's mane mushrooms)3 stalks lemongrass1/2 inch fresh turmeric (or 1 tsp turmeric powder)1/2 inch ginger1/4 inch galangal3 large red onions4 cloves garlic1/2 tsp coriander seeds/powder1/2 tsp fennel seeds/powder1/2 tsp cumin seeds/powder1 tbsp mushroom seasoning2 tsp salt60 g coconut sugar80 ml vegetable oilExtra oil (for basting)1 stalk lemongrass (bashed)12 skewers Soak the mushrooms overnight. The next day drain the water out, re-soak and squeeze. Continue rinsing the mushrooms like this 2 to 3 more times. Remove stems, tear to smaller pieces and set aside.Blend the aromatics (turmeric, lemongrass, onion, garlic, galangal, ginger) and spices into a fine paste.Add seasoning, salt, sugar and oil. Stir to combine. Coat mushroom pieces in the mixture and let marinade for an hour.Spear mushroom pieces through skewers, making sure to leave an extra space at the bottom. Use any remaining marinade mixed with oil as a basting liquid. Grill satay until golden and charred. Serve with peanut sauce and sides of your choice. Jackfruit Rendang One of the more complicated dishes in Malay cuisine, rendang involves a lot of ingredients and slow cooking to help develop the flavours. Just like most local delicacies, its mostly meat, usually beef or chicken. This plant-based, vegan-friendly version makes use of young jackfruits, a rising star in vegan cooking. 5 big red onions (or 10 shallots)1 bulb garlic10 red chilies2 inches galangals2 inches ginger2 inches turmeric4 stalks lemongrass10 chilies3 cans young jackfruit6 packets enoki mushrooms1 turmeric leaf4 kaffir lime leaves 2 1/2 tbsp mushroom seasoning250 ml coconut cream250 ml waterSalt4 tbsp cooking oil Roughly chop chilies, onions, garlic, galangal, turmeric and ginger and sauté over medium heat until soft and golden brown.Decant into a blender and pulverise into a fine paste. Set aside.Drain the jackfruit using a cloth and wring out until dry.Trim mushroom ends and fry in oil until golden brown.Mix in aromatic paste and lime leaves and stir until dry. Add water according to preference. Add kerisik, mushroom seasoning and salt.Then, add the jackfruit and stir until tender. Finally, add coconut cream and stir to combine.Leave to a gentle simmer. Finely slice turmeric leaves and sprinkle generously over the dish. Serve warm or room temperature with rice or nasi impit. Enjoy these Vegan Recipes with Your Loved Ones There are so many vegan recipes out there awaiting you. Don't be afraid to explore outside your comfort zones. Whether you're a new vegan or a veteran in the plant-based diet world, there is always some new dish to try. So why not try your hand at these recipes, they may just become a family favourite. Bon Appetit! Check out more mouth-watering recipes on our Motherhood Story here.

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