Vegan Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly - Thịt kho tàu chay

Step 1

Dehydrate the TVP slices by pouring hot water on them and letting them sit for 20 minutes.

Step 2

Drain and rinse and squeeze out excess water out of the TVP slices.

Step 3

On a pan on low heat, combine the rice flour, tapioca starch, coconut milk and water.

Step 4

Keep mixing the mixture until it forms a thick white paste, that is very similar to pork fat. This takes about 5-10 minutes.

Step 5

Rehydrate the tofu skin sheet by pouring hot water on top until softened (about a few minutes).

Step 6

To make the vegan pork belly, layer the 3 layers together: bread 'skin' in the bottom, followed by a thick layer of the coconut 'fat', 'lean meat' (tofu or TVP slcies), coconut 'fat' and 'lean meat' tofu. The coconut 'fat' in between each layer will help the layers stick together.

Step 7

Wrap the vegan pork belly tightly with aluminium foil and steam for 25-30 minutes.

Step 8

Afterwards, chill the vegan pork belly in the fridge for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight).

Step 9

Cut into thin slices that resemble 'pork belly' slices.

Step 10

Finely chop the onion, garlic, and chili pepper.

Step 11

Add oil to a non-stick pan on medium-high heat, fry the vegan pork belly until both sides are golden, then remove from heat.

Step 12

On a pot or pan, add some water and the sugar on medium heat, and stir vigorously until the sugar melts and you are left with a caramelized sauce.

Step 13

Back to the pot, add the minced onion, garlic and chili and stir for 1-2 minutes on low heat.

Step 14

Add in the fried vegan pork belly slices.

Step 15

Add 3 tbsp soy sauce, black pepper, mushroom seasoning, coconut water (can sub with water) and mix well.

Step 16

When the mixture starts to come to a boil, bring to a low simmer for 10 minutes with the lid closed. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 17

Serve the vegan 'pork belly' on a plate, garnish with green onions and chili slices. Serve with a bowl of rice and enjoy!