This Filipino Vegan Escabeche is tangy, sweet, and delicious with a bowl of steamed rice. The main ingredient is tofu which replaces the fish, but this Filipino Vegan Escabeche doesn’t lack in taste!
What is Filipino Vegan Escabeche?
Escabeche is a dish that is typically made from fish that is marinated and cooked in vinegar and vegetables. In the Philippines, it refers specifically to sweet and sour fish, where the fish is first fried and then soaked or marinated in sweet and sour sauce.
The vegetables and spices in this recipe are what the fish version uses – carrots, onion, garlic, ginger, and bell pepper. The sauce is what makes it very unique in taste and such an appetizing addition to your Filipino vegan collection of recipes.
What can I use instead of tofu?
I found using this vegan fish product works really well for this dish. Here is another version of the vegan fish which you can find at some of your local health food stores. I usually find the vegan fish at my local Asian market.
Tips and Tricks for Making This Filipino Vegan Escabeche – Sweet & Sour Fish Recipe:
- Once you have added the vinegar, it is important to wait a bit before stirring the Escabeche. A few seconds will allow the vinegar to “cook”, thus releasing a delicious tang to the dish.
- You can keep Escabeche for two to three days in the chiller and about a week in the freezer. Just place in an airtight container and warm it up before serving.
- Do not overcook your vegetables. A delicious Escabeche has to have that crunch from the vegetables.
- Before frying your tofu for the Escabeche, pat it dry after slicing. Patting it dry with a kitchen towel or paper towel will prevent oil splatters which can hurt and burn your skin.
- After frying the tofu, get rid of excess oil by placing them on a kitchen paper towel. It will absorb all the excess oils from the fried tofu.
How to Make this Filipino Vegan Escabeche – Sweet & Sour Fish Recipe:
Here’s a quick overview of all the ingredients you will need:
- coconut oil
- tofu
- garlic
- ginger
- red onion
- tomato
- carrots
- bell pepper
- water
- vinegar
- soy sauce
- tomato paste
- brown sugar
- cornstarch
Pre-heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add coconut oil. Once it’s hot, fry tofu until it’s golden brown and set aside:
In the same pan, saute garlic, ginger, and onion until translucent:
Next, add the tomato and stir until the thinly sliced tomatoes are cooked just right:
After about 3 minutes, add the thinly sliced carrots:
Then add the bell pepper strips and mix until well combined:
After about 2 minutes, add 1 cup of water and allow it to boil:
Then add vinegar, wait about 30 seconds and then add the soy sauce and allow it to simmer:
Mix in the tomato paste, brown sugar, and cornstarch to thicken the sauce:
Add fried tofu, salt, and pepper and mix:
If needed, season with salt and pepper:
Vegan Escabeche is best eaten with steamed rice but you can also eat it on its own 🙂
Frequently Asked Questions for the Filipino Vegan Escabeche:
Q: Where can I find Vegetarian Meat?
A: Vegetarian meat is available in Asian grocery stores and also in regular grocery stores. Also, there are vegan vegetarian specialty stores that sell everything vegan and vegetarian.
Q: Where is Escabeche from?
A: Escabeche is an original dish from Persia where they cook or poach the fish and cook it with vinegar and add seasonings like paprika or saffron, which in the Philippines has a local version called kasubha.
Q: What is the difference between ceviche and escabeche?
A: Ceviche is a fish dish that is eaten raw. Both recipes use vinegar but there is a big difference between the two since Escabeche is using fried fish and has a sweet and sour sauce.
Q: Do I need to use tofu as the fish for this recipe?
A: If you can eat fish, you can omit the tofu. Also if you live in the USA, there’s different options for …
More Delicious Authentic Filipino Food Recipes:
- Pancit Bihon
- Fried Rice
- Pinakbet
- Ensaladang Talong
- Buko Pandan
- Cassava Cake
- Biko – Filipino Sweet Sticky Rice
Filipino Vegan Escabeche - Sweet & Sour Fish
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 cup 200g block tofu cut into a rectangular shape, depends on preferred thickness
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger julienne
- 1 large red onion chopped
- 1 large tomato julienne
- 1 med carrots julienne
- 1 small red/orange bell pepper
- 1 cup of water
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 1 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon of pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add coconut oil. Once it’s hot, fry tofu until it’s golden brown and set aside.
- In the same pan, saute garlic, ginger, onion, and tomato until translucent.
- After about 3 minutes, add carrots, bell pepper, and mix until well combined
- After about 2 minutes, add 1 cup of water and allow it to boil, then add vinegar, wait about 30 seconds and then add the soy sauce and allow it to simmer.
- Mix in the tomato paste, brown sugar, and cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
- Add fried tofu, salt, and pepper and mix.
- If needed, season with salt and pepper.
- Serve with steam rice
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