Vegetable Kare Kare Peanut Stew

A traditional Filipino stew featuring a thick, savory peanut sauce.

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp corn oil
9 oz (250 g) gluten or seitan cubes
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, sliced
½ C ground peanuts
¼ C ground toasted rice
Atsuete (optional)—soak 1 Tbsp of annoto seeds in ½ C water for 30 mins; add the liquid (not the seeds) to the recipe
¼ tsp salt
7 oz (200 g) eggplant, sliced
3½ oz (100 g) string beans, sliced
5 oz (150 g) banana heart or bud
3½ oz (100 g) bok choy (pechay), sliced

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—in a blender,
or spice or coffee grinder.
2 Heat the corn oil in a large skillet. Sauté the gluten/seitan, then add the garlic and
onion.
3 Add enough water to cover gluten, add ground peanuts and ground rice, and simmer
to thicken.
4 Add atsuete for coloring, and season with salt.
5 Turn heat to low, and add the eggplant, then string beans, then banana heart, then
bok choy (pechay). Cook until vegetables are tender (don’t overcook).
Note: This recipe doesn’t contain cholesterol because it uses the protein product gluten
instead of oxtails or other meat. (Gluten is made from protein that is in a variety of
grains, such as wheat and rye. One form of wheat gluten, seitan, is sold as strips or in
cans at health food stores and Asian supermarkets.)

Calories 300, Total fat 12 g, Saturated fat 2 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 125 mg, Total fiber 4 g, Protein 36 g, Carbohydrates 20 g, Potassium 320 mg

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.