Vegan Bicol Express (Filipino Spicy Coconut Stew)
Servings 3 people
Ingredients
- 1 block (14oz) extra firm tofu pressed & pat dry
- 5 pcs sliced hot green chili Thai chili, Serrano pepper, green Labuyo chili, or jalapeño
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- ½ cup shiitake mushroom roughly chopped (see notes)
- 1 tsp ginger finely minced
- ½ medium yellow or white onion diced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- salt & pepper to taste
FOR THE BROTH
- 2 cups (1 can) full fat coconut milk
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp Better Than Buillon Vegetable Base (see notes)
- 2 tsp low sodium tamari or low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- In a small sauce bowl, pour ½ cup of water. Add the teaspoon of the vegetable paste and whisk to dissolve. Set aside until later use.
- Preheat a sauté skillet (or cast iron) to medium high heat. Coat with a tablespoon of any neutral flavored oil.
- Prepare the tofu. Carefully press out the excess liquid without tearing (or breaking) the block. Slice into bite-sized cubes and pat dry. Season on each side with a sprinkle of salt & pepper.
- Sear the tofu on each side until it is golden brown; just to give it color and more texture. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Using the same skillet: toss the onions, ginger, sliced green chilis, and mushrooms to sauté. Sauté for 1-2 minutes or until it is fragrant. Add the garlic and mix. Leave alone for another minute until garlic is slightly golden.
- Lower down the heat to medium low. Toss the tofu back into the skillet and mix. Pour the vegetable based liquid into the skillet and stir. Add the coconut milk, stir, and cover with a lid to simmer for 3-5 minutes.
- Remove the lid. Splash low sodium tamari (or low sodium soy sauce) to the broth. Season with onion and garlic powder. Stir and let it simmer, one more time, for about 5 minutes with the lid on. Turn off heat. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and a hint of lemon juice to finish.
- Serve with a bed of rice and garnish a whole green chili to eat.
Notes
Adjust your spice level - If you are not a fan of spicy (or have a lower tolerance for heat), adjust the heat to your liking by reducing the amount of chili used in the recipe and/or use milder chilis. You can also remove the seeds of the pepper for less heat.
Shiitake mushrooms - I used dehydrated shiitake mushrooms (found in most Asian supermarkets and main grocery stores). If you are using dehydrated shiitake, soak in hot water for 5-10 minutes or until it is tender. Squeeze out the excess liquids and slice accordingly for the recipe.
Using Vegetable Paste - For this recipe, I used the Better Than Bouillon vegetable paste to give it a richer flavor. If you are unable to find this (or would rather not spend on it), you can substitute it with 1/2 cup of vegetable broth.
Adding olive oil - Bicol Express is traditionally cooked with pork, which usually gave the dish a "fuller/gelatinous" broth due to the fat content. Since we are not using any animal products, adding a tablespoon of olive oil will give a similar effect but it will taste "cleaner", which is a good thing.