****THIS RECIPE HAS BEEN UPDATED. PLEASE SEE THE MOST RECENT VERSION BY CLICK HERE****
Yes, the time has come to do a vegan Mechado Recipe, a vegan version of the Filipino meat and potato stew also known as Mechado. But, this is not just any Mechado, this is my mom’s Mechado.
My mom would always get requests to cook this dish for family gatherings. No one cooks it like her. With her help, I was lucky enough to achieve the same taste without the meat.
This vegan Mechado even has a meaty bite because it uses wheat gluten. If you are allergic to gluten, feel free to use tofu or tempeh. Otherwise, wheat gluten will be the best option for this dish.
****THIS RECIPE HAS BEEN UPDATED. PLEASE SEE THE MOST RECENT VERSION BY CLICK HERE****
- yellow onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
- 2 potatoes (any kind), peeled and cut into chunks
- 1¾ cup tomato sauce
- 1½ tablepsoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ cup carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3 tablespoons refined coconut oil
- Make sure the wheat gluten you've bought is firm and dense. Sometimes, the edges could be soft and tender. If so, cut out these soft edges and use only the firm, middle part. Cut the firm part into big chunks and bake them with no oil at 375 degrees in the oven (this baking trick is credited to my vegan Filipina friend, Myrtle of NYC). Bake for 20 minutes or until the gluten is toasted and crunchy.
- Saute garlic in oil until fragrant. Follow with onions and tomatoes. Cook until mixture is soft and tender.
- Mix in potatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, and soy sauce. Mix well. Cover pot and lower heat. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes have softened.
- Add carrots and wheat gluten.
- Season with refined coconut oil, sea salt, and muscovado sugar. The traditional version does not use sugar or sea salt, but I'm using those to substitute the fish sauce or patis, which is known to give a savory, slightly sweet taste to the Mechado. Adjust any of these three (oil, salt, sugar) based on what tastes good to you. Just make sure it's more savory than sweet. You do not want to put a lot of sugar, just a little to give a subtle sweet flavor.
- Put to a boil. Add more water if sauce dries up. Just make sure to adjust the seasoning again when you add water.
- Turn off heat and serve hot, preferably with rice on the side.
****THIS RECIPE HAS BEEN UPDATED. PLEASE SEE THE MOST RECENT VERSION BY CLICK HERE****
When you could veganize a meat and potato stew, it would be very difficult to go back to the meat version. Vegan Mechado will definitely satisfy and fill you up without the guilt.
With the help of wheat gluten for texture, tomato sauce and vegetable saute for flavor, and coco oil-salt-sugar combo for the “meat” fattiness and flavor, Vegan Mechado is truly possible and delicious. Kain na, let’s eat!