My sister’s neighbor recently harvested tons of tomatoes from her backyard. They were big, juicy, organic Campari tomatoes. The neighbor was feeling generous so she gave two full bags to my sister. But my sister didn’t seem to know what to do with them, so she gave the other half to me. And just like a typical Filipino household that has too many tomatoes (yes this happens), there’s only one solution- it’s Sarciado time!
No, it’s not a dance, though it does sound like it. Sarciado (pronounced Sar-sha-doh) is a Filipino dish that features one of our main staples: tomatoes. Sarciado is savory, sweet, and hearty and delicious with rice.
Most of the time, Filipino cooking needs tomatoes for sautéing or “gisa” (gee-sah), together with garlic and onions. But when there are too many tomatoes in hand, you can bet Sarciado will be on the menu.
The original recipe also calls for fish, but I went with fried tofu. As long as the traditional flavors are in every bite, you won’t miss out with the vegan version. Just make sure it has the sweet-salty taste from the liberal use of sugar and salt.
- 3-5 tablespoons canola oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and minced
- ½ onion, peeled and chopped
- 7-8 tomatoes, finely minced
- 1 pack, extra-firm tofu, quartered (or any shape you want really)
- 5-6 tablespoon organic sugar (conventional sugar in the US is not vegan)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Heat a medium-size pan over high heat and fry the tofu in oil until brown and crunchy (Make sure oil is hot before adding the tofu).
- Once fried, remove the tofu and lower the heat.
- Saute garlic and onions until onions have turned soft and translucent.
- Mix in the tomatoes.
- Season with sugar and salt. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Add the fried tofu, mix well, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Turn off heat and serve hot, preferably with white rice on the side.
The important part is to make sure the tomatoes are finely minced, and the salt-sugar seasoning is apparent.
Vegan Sarciado is not only easy to make, it’s also easy on the wallet. The ingredients for Sarciado don’t cost a fortune, especially if they’re from the neighbor’s garden.
Nothing beats freshly picked, vine-ripened tomatoes for sarciado. Love the tartness and sweetness of the tomatoes. I’ve never made sarciado with tofu before and I don’t see why I shouldn’t try. Now my mouth is watering for sarciado ladled over rice. Sarap!
Thanks Jun! I’m a fan of your blog and quite honored to have you leave a comment. Take Care!