Okoy is one of the best snacks or appetizers out there. Its stunning, golden brown appearance is one hard to ignore; popularized by street vendors around the country, okoy is beloved for its easy to find ingredients and its simple cooking process. While the traditional okoy is one you make with shrimps and bean sprouts, the kind we’re making today is that of a healthier variety. That’s right; equally delicious but even healthier, this vegetable okoy can satisfy your cravings as much as regular okoy can!
Carrots, squash, and malunggay leaves are just a few of the ingredients that make this vegetable okoy stand out. For your friends who aren’t too keen on seafood, or if you’re more of a veggie lover yourself, this recipe is definitely for you. You’d be surprised to find you won’t even miss the taste of shrimp when you bite into this delightful dish. And with the perfect dipping sauce by your side, what’s not to love?
Whether you’re enjoying it as a snack by the road or with second servings of white rice, vegetable okoy is a fantastic meal your whole family will love. Let’s make this vegetable okoy together!
How to Cook Vegetable Okoy
Making vegetable okoy is a lot easier than one might think! To make the process even simpler, I’ve divided it into three main parts, which will definitely help you manage your time better. In just a few moments, you and your family will be able to dig into this healthy, crunchy snack!
Making the batter
The first step to making a delicious vegetable okoy is to make your batter. Take 8 ounces of kalabasa, 1 carrot, and half of an onion, and slice them into matchstick pieces. You want to get them as thin as they possibly can! Once you’ve sliced them all, combine them in a mixing bowl, alongside a quarter cup of malunggay leaves. Stir and toss, blending all these ingredients together.
In a separate bowl, meanwhile, beat an egg and add a quarter cup of water. Mix well before gradually adding in your other dry ingredients. These include a quarter cup of flour, and half a cup of cornstarch. As you’re mixing, add your salt, garlic powder, and ground black pepper as well! Whisk your vegetable okoy batter as long as you need to. The goal here is to smoothen out your batter so your vegetable okoy doesn’t end up too clumpy.
When you’ve smoothened it out enough, combine your vegetable okoy batter with your vegetables. Fold until you’ve coated the vegetables completely with your batter, then set it aside.
Making the dipping sauce
Vegetable okoy isn’t complete without the savory dipping sauce that accompanies it. Make this by combining all of your sauce ingredients in a bowl. These include half a piece of onion you’ve chopped, as well as 2 tablespoons worth of green onions. You’ll also need ¾ cup of white vinegar, 1 ½ tablespoons of fish sauce, and ground black pepper to taste.
Mix all of these together — and just like that, you’ve made your vegetable okoy dipping sauce! Wasn’t that easy?
Let’s get cooking!
Now that you’ve got both your batter and sauce ready, it’s time to really cook your vegetable okoy!
In a large pan, heat up a cup of cooking oil. Scoop around a quarter cup of the mixture and place it on a saucer or small bowl. Slowly slide the mixture onto the pan, then fry until golden brown and crispy. Flip your okoy piece and do the same to the other side, frying it until you’ve cooked it all the way through. Once it’s a nice and gorgeous color, you can remove your vegetable okoy from the pan. Place it on a plate that you’ve lined with a paper towel. This will help get rid of any excess oil and grease that might make your vegetable okoy less crispy later on. Keep doing this with your vegetable okoy until you’ve used up the entirety of the mixture. Don’t worry; you’ll have enough okoy to go around!
When you’re done cooking all your okoy pieces, transfer them to a serving plate. Prep your dipping sauce beside it, and serve! Share and enjoy this crispy, crunchy treat with the rest of your family.
Let us know what you think of this vegetable okoy!
Related Recipes
Did you like this Filipino appetizer? Here are a few more that you’re sure to love, too! Crispy and crunchy like our vegetable okoy, you and your family can also enjoy these treats in no time!
Vegetable Okoy
Ingredients
- 8 ounces kalabasa
- 1 piece carrot
- ½ piece onion
- 3/4 cup malunggay leaves
- 1 cup cooking oil
Batter:
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup water
Dipping Sauce:
- ½ piece onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons green onion chopped
- ¾ cups white vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice the kalabasa, carrot, and half of the onion into matchstick pieces.
- Combine all the sliced vegetables including the malunggay leaves in a mixing bowl. Toss to blend.
- Make the batter by beating an egg on a separate bowl. Add water. Mix well. Gradually add flour and cornstarch while mixing. Add salt, garlic powder, and ground black pepper. Whisk until the texture of the batter smoothens.
- Combine the batter with the vegetables. Fold until the vegetables are completely coated with the batter.
- Make the dipping sauce by combining all dipping sauce ingredient in a bowl. Stir until blended.
- Heat oil in a pan. Scoop around ¼ cup of mixture and place it on a saucer or small bowl. Slide the mixture into the pan. Fry until golden brown and crispy. Flip the okoy and do the same to the opposite side. Remove from the pan and place on a plate lined with a paper towel. Perform the same step until the entire mixture is consumed.
- Transfer to a serving plate. Serve with dipping sauce. Share and enjoy!
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