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.
Servings 8 eggs
Equipment
- Blender
- Pot
- Egg-shaped mould
- Melon-Baller
Ingredients
For Yolk
- 300 g tofu silken
- 1/4 tsp mushroom seasoning
- 1/4 tsp kala namak (black salt)
- 3/4 tsp agar powder
For Whites
- 18 g raw cashew nuts
- 18 g carrots chopped
- 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tbsp oil
- 1/4 tsp mushroom seasoning
- 1/8 tsp tapioca starch
- 1 pinch turmeric
- 1/4 tsp agar powder
- 1/4 cup oat milk
Instructions
- 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.
Servings 2 cups
Equipment
- Blender
- Pot
Ingredients
- 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 garlic
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 10 dried chilies or fresh chilies for less heat
- 1.5 inch galangal
- 1.5 inch ginger
- 1 tbsp oil or more
- 1/2 cup water
- 500 ml coconut cream
- salt to taste
- 25 g kerisik (toasted coconut paste)
- 1/2 tbsp mushroom seasoning
- 1 tbsp brown sugar or to taste
- 1 tbsp asam jawa (tamarind paste) or to taste
Instructions
- 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.
Servings 4 people
Equipment
- Blender
- Pot
- Steamer
Ingredients
- 400 g firm tofu excess water removed
- 4-5 water chestnuts washed and peeled
- 7-8 shiitake mushrooms stem discarded
- 1 tbsp dried seaweed powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 bean curd sheets
- 3 roasted seaweed sheets
- Cornstarch for coating
- Oil for frying
- 1 tbsp floor mixed with 3 tbsp water
Instructions
- Blend the tofu, water chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms and seasoning into a food processor. Pulse until all the ingredients are completely mixed and smooth. Set aside
- Place 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.
Servings 4 people
Equipment
- Pot
- Masher
- Tray
Ingredients
- 600 g potatoes 4 potatoes
- 2 stalks scallions chopped
- 1 fresh chili chopped
- 50 g fried shallots
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
Instructions
- 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.
Servings 1 person
Equipment
- Pot
- Strainer
Ingredients
- 2/3 cups water
- 6-7 cloves garlic
- 1 large white onion
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 heaped spoonfuls nutritional yeast
- 3 tbsp agave nectar or brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried parsley
Instructions
- 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.
Servings 2 people
Equipment
- Pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups thinly chopped vegetables and/or legumes of choice
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp turmeric for colour optional
- 1-2 pinches black salt (for eggy aroma) or plain salt, for non-egg taste
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- 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!
Equipment
- Blender
- Oven, grill or barbeque pit
Ingredients
- 100 g dried monkey head mushrooms a.k.a. hericium, or lion's mane mushrooms
- 3 stalks lemongrass
- 1/2 inch fresh turmeric or 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 inch ginger
- 1/4 inch galangal
- 3 large red onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds/powder
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds/powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds/powder
- 1 tbsp mushroom seasoning
- 2 tsp salt
- 60 g coconut sugar
- 80 ml vegetable oil
- Extra oil for basting
- 1 stalk lemongrass bashed
- 12 skewers
Instructions
- 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.
Servings 5 people
Equipment
- Blender
- Pot
Ingredients
- 5 big red onions or 10 shallots
- 1 bulb garlic
- 10 red chilies
- 2 inches galangals
- 2 inches ginger
- 2 inches turmeric
- 4 stalks lemongrass
- 10 chilies
- 3 cans young jackfruit
- 6 packets enoki mushrooms
- 1 turmeric leaf
- 4 kaffir lime leaves
- 2 1/2 tbsp mushroom seasoning
- 250 ml coconut cream
- 250 ml water
- Salt
- 4 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- 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.