Lugaw is a Filipino rice congee either known as arroz caldo (with chicken) or goto (with beef). Sometimes, it has other kinds of ingredients like shrimp, tofu, and eggs. My old neighborhood eatery had one with ground beef crumbles (I suspect out of budget restrictions). And of course, it could be vegan too!
Lugaw by itself is plain and humble, but festive with various toppings and condiments. The fixings could go over the top. A friend once told me about a restaurant owner who threw her birthday party with a lugaw buffet. One big pot of plain rice lugaw served alongside bowls and bowls of fixings, condiments, toppings, and sauces. What a great party idea!
I do have several parties coming up soon. After all, the holiday season is just around the corner. But I am particularly interested in throwing a lugaw buffet for two occasions – Thanksgiving with family and Earthlings screening with friends (my newly-vegan friends are curious about the documentary).
I got plenty of ideas from seeing how my hometown eateries would serve lugaw to their anticipating customers. I also got ideas after working at a restaurant called Samovar in San Francisco where we would serve a rice congee called jook, with fixings on the side. The jook was naturally vegan and was my favorite from the menu. With all these ideas swirling in my head, I knew I just had to make a vegan lugaw buffet happen.
- Rice Lugaw and/or
- Quinoa Lugaw
- Traditional Flair:
- fried tofu (or fresh or both)
- yuba strips
- fried tempeh
- white fungus, soaked in water to reconstitute
- vegan chicharon (vegan pork rinds)
- sauteed oyster mushrooms
- sauteed trumpet mushrooms
- woodear mushrooms, rinsed
- seitan chunks, cooked per package directions
- roasted seaweed
- green onion
- roasted garlic (or fried until golden brown)
- Modern Interpretations:
- edamame, steamed
- kale shreds
- wakame seaweed, rinsed
- sweet potato, chopped and steamed
- Condiments:
- black pepper
- soy sauce (or tamari)
- spiced vinegar
- calamansi
- hot sauce (like Sriracha)
- vegan fish sauce (recipe from Miyoko's cookbook)
- Place each ingredient in a clear or nicely decorated bowls.
- Arrange fixings on the serving table to create a buffet spread.
- Serve warm especially the lugaw. Use either an electronic slow cooker or a food warmer.
This Thanksgiving, we’ll be filled with parties and get-together. Loved ones knocking on the door, smiles and hugs all around, food and laughter will be filling the dining room if not the entire house. Celebrations call for good food. Try something different this year like a lugaw buffet, and make loud and happy conversations even louder and happier.
As far as toppings go, let your imagination run wild. Be creative with all the possible ingredients that could go with rice congee. Who knows, you might find unlikely combinations that are actually great together. Heck, you could even run a contest and award the guest with the best lugaw combination!
Happy thanksgiving everyone! I am grateful for family, friends, my fiancee (I just got engaged!), my health, my work, and last but not least, you! Thank you for believing in Astig Vegan. You make my dreams come true. Thank you 🙂