Vegetable Kare-Kare (Peanut Stew)

This version of vegetable kare-kare is healthier than the traditional Filipino dish because it has no cholesterol. It uses gluten instead of oxtail or other meat. It is also packed with vegetables and made complete with a nutty, low-sodium sauce.

For those of you who are not familiar with Kare Kare, it is a filipino peanut stew, colored with annatto, thickened with ground rice, flavored with meats and gulay (vegetables), and served with bagoong (shrimp paste) and rice. The stew is traditionally made from a base of stewed oxtail, pork hocks, calves feet, pig feet, beef stew meat and occasionally offal, or tripe.

Vegetable Kare-Kare (Peanut Stew) Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cup gluten or seitan,* cubes

• 2 tablespoons corn oil

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 onion, medium, sliced

• ½ cup ground peanuts

• ¼ cup ground toasted rice**

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup eggplant, slice

• ½ cup string beans, sliced

• ⅔ cup banana heart or bud

• ½ cup bok choy (pechay), sliced

* Gluten is made from protein that is in a variety of grains, such as wheat and rye, and is mixed and kneaded with water. Seitan is a form of wheat gluten. It is sold as strips or in cans at health food stores and Asian supermarkets.

** To make ground, toasted rice: Place rice, ½ cup at a time, in a frying pan or wok and heat over moderate heat, stirring frequently to keep it from burning and to allow it to develop a uniform, deep golden color—2 to 3 minutes. Then remove it from heat and cool to room temperature. Grind the toasted rice coarsely—not finely grounded—in a blende , or spice or coffee grinder.

Directions

1. Sauté gluten cubes in corn oil. Add garlic and onions.

2. Pour enough water to cover gluten, and add ground peanuts and ground rice to thicken.

3. Season with salt.

4. Add the eggplant, then string beans, then banana, then bok choy (pechay) on top of the cooked gluten.

Nutrition Information

Each serving provides:

Calories: 300 | Total Fat: 12 g | Saturated Fat: 1.5 g | Cholesterol: 0 mg | Sodium: 125 mg Total Fiber: 4 g | Protein: 36 g | Carbohydrates: 20 g | Potassium: 320 mg

Source: PHC Alive Diet, Division of Nutrition and Dietetics, Philippine Heart Center, East Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines, page 91.