• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
CASA Veneracion

CASA Veneracion

Filipino food for the 21st century

  • About
  • Devour Asia
  • Renaissance Mom
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch / Dinner
    • Main Courses
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Noodles
  • Snacks
  • Drinks
  • Sweets
  • Christmas
  • Slow Cooker Recipes
  • About Us
  • Privacy
  • Devour Asia
  • Renaissance Mom
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch / Dinner
    • Main Courses
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
    • Noodles
  • Snacks
  • Drinks
  • Sweets
  • Christmas
You are here: Home / Modern Filipino / Lunch / Dinner / Halang-halang, vegan style

Halang-halang, vegan style

Spicy hot, creamy, aromatic and delicious. Halang-halang is a Visayan dish traditionally cooked with chicken or pork. It is served either as a stew or as a soup. Despite the many variations, there are two ingredients that define halang-halang — coconut milk and chilies. The name of the dish itself, according to Visayan readers, literally translates to anghang-anghang (or hot-hot, in English).

This is vegan style halang-halang. Instead of chicken or pork, I used tofu. And in place of sili leaves, I added spearmint leaves. Why mint leaves? The cooling sensation of mint goes terribly well with both the creaminess of the broth and the heat from the chilies. I would have added Thai basil too but our Thai basil in the garden is almost bald so I should give it time to grow more leaves before I start plucking again.

Halang-halang, vegan style

Halang-halang, vegan style
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 1
Author: Connie Veneracion

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 4 cloves garlic - crushed
  • 1 small onion - thinly sliced
  • a knob of ginger - sliced
  • 2 finger chilies - cut in halves
  • salt - to taste
  • pepper - to taste
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 small chayote - peeled, cored and cut into wedges
  • 100 grams firm tofu - cubed and fried (see tips)
  • a few sprigs of spearmint

Instructions

  • Heat the cooking oil in a pot. Saute the garlic, onion, ginger and chilies with a little salt and pepper until softened and fragrant, about five minutes with occasional stirring.
  • Pour in the coconut milk.
  • Add the chayote wedges. Bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes.
  • Taste the broth, add more salt and pepper, if needed.
  • Add the fried tofu. Simmer for another four minutes or until the tofu is heated through.
  • Taste the broth once more. The tofu would have soaked up the salt so you may need to ajust the seasonings.
  • Add the spearmint and simmer for another minute.
  • Serve as a soup or with rice.Heat the cooking oil in a pot. Saute the garlic, onion, ginger and chilies with a little salt and pepper until softened and fragrant, about five minutes with occasional stirring.
  • Pour in the coconut milk.
  • Add the chayote wedges. Bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes.
  • Taste the broth, add more salt and pepper, if needed.
  • Add the fried tofu. Simmer for another four minutes or until the tofu is heated through.
  • Taste the broth once more. The tofu would have soaked up the salt so you may need to ajust the seasonings.
  • Add the spearmint and simmer for another minute.
  • Halang-halang, vegan style
  • Serve as a stand-alone soup or with rice.
Do you like seriously Asian food?Check out Devour.Asia!

If you cooked this dish (or made this drink) and you want to share your masterpiece, please use your own photos and write the cooking steps in your own words.

More Modern Filipino Recipes to Try!
Mango Melon Milkshake

Mango Melon Milkshake

Molo soup (pancit Molo) recipe

Molo Soup

Chicken inasal, rice, salad and dipping sauce on a blue plate

Chicken Inasal

Sinigang na kanduli sa miso (catfish in miso sour soup)

Catfish and Miso Sour Soup

Tilapia with kalamansi sauce sprinkled with sliced chili and onion leaves

Tilapia with Kalamansi Sauce

Fish and malunggay soup in white bowl

Fish and malunggay soup

05/01/2014 : See more in Lunch / Dinner Modern Filipino Soups, Coconuts, Low Fat, Tofu, Vegan

About Connie Veneracion

Hello and welcome! I'm a retired lawyer and columnist, wife for 29 years, mom of two, and a passionate cook. What is this blog about? Recipes for dishes we have cooked at home since 2003.

Previous Post: « Beef With Ginger and Malunggay Soup Beef With Ginger and Malunggay Soup
Next Post: Crispy Pork Belly (Lechon Kawali) With Pineapple and Chili Crispy Pork Belly With Pineapple and Chili »

Sidebar

RSS Devour Asia

  • Tonjiru (Butajiru): Pork and Vegetables Miso Soup
  • Smoked Salmon and Furikake Onigiri
  • 15-minute Mushroom and Vegetable Stir Fry

RSS Renaissance Mom

  • Spanish Torta
  • Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Dip / Spread
  • Sangria
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Contact

Everything © Connie, Speedy, Sam & Alex Veneracion. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.