Vegan Hawaiian Loco Moco

This 'ono classic is sure to make anyone who tries it smile. Enjoy this local Hawaiian dish and bring some island joy to your table!

---

Everyone has specific childhood memories that they treasure and one of my memories was when my dad would take me swimming. He was a member of the Elks Club located on the outskirts of Waikiki and they had a pool. I couldn’t even begin to count the number of days or hours I’ve spent in that pool, but I do remember always leaving with pruned hands and feet. A typical pool day at the Elks Club consisted of a long day of swimming, some curly fries for a snack, and a stop at Rainbow Drive-Inn before heading home.

Serving up the best local plate lunches, Rainbow Drive-Inn is a well-known spot in Hawaii. In fact, my mom even worked there because she loved their food and wanted to get some free meals. My order from day 1 was always the Slush Float and Loco Moco. It was the perfect combination after a long day of swimming in the sun.

Loco Moco is such an iconic local Hawaii dish and one of my favorites. It’s so simple, yet so delicious! A Loco Moco is simply rice topped with a hamburger patty, followed by a sunny side up or easy over egg, and finished with loads of gravy. When I decided to try and “veganize” all my childhood favorites, this was the first thing that popped into my head. After a couple months of recipe testing, I am happy to say I was able to recreate a Loco Moco and not only recreate it, but make it easy, healthy, and of course delicious! My goal isn’t only to recreate these dishes, but to also make sure they use simple, whole food ingredients that are healthy.

---

Here’s the 411 for those not familiar with the stars of this recipe:

• Liquid Aminos: Great healthy soy sauce alternative that I recommend you try to incorporate more into your life. This can be found in most grocery stores in the condiments section.
• Nutritional Yeast (Nooch): Provides a nutty flavor that many associate with a cheesy flavor profile. Great source of B12 and can be found in most grocery stores in the condiments section.
• Black Salt (Kala Namak): An Indian salt that provides an “eggy” taste and if you take a sniff you’ll know what I mean. Can be found in health grocery stores in the international section or ordered online through Amazon.

---

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Total Time: 45 min
Servings: 6 large bowls

---

INGREDIENTS

General

• 6 cups Cooked Brown Rice
• Green Onion, chopped (to top)

Vegan Burger

• 1 c Mushroom, diced
• 1 c Yellow Onion, diced
• 1 c Brown Rice, cooked
• 5 Tbsp Flaxseed Meal
• 1 can Kidney Beans (15 oz), drained and rinsed
• 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• 1 Tbsp Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/4 c Walnuts, chopped (optional, makes for a “meatier” texture)
• Salt to taste
• 3 tsp Olive Oil

Vegan Egg

Egg White

• 1 c Silken Tofu
• 1/2 tsp Black Salt
• 2 Tbsp Cornstarch (or Arrowroot Powder)

Egg Yolk

• 1/4 c Pumpkin puree (or steamed Sweet Potato)
• 1/2 tsp Black Salt
• 2 tsp Lemon Juice
• 2 tsp Nutritional Yeast
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• 1-2 Tbsp Water (to thin)

Vegan Gravy

• 5 Tbsp Whole Wheat Flour
• 5 Tbsp Vegan Butter
• 3 c Vegetable Broth (I highly recommend a spiced veggie broth - Here's my favorite)
• 1 tsp Poultry Seasoning

---

INSTRUCTIONS

Vegan Burger

1. Drain and rinse the red kidney beans.
2. Chop up the vegetables.
3. Sautee the onion in 1.5 tsp olive oil until slightly brown.
4. Sautee the mushroom in 1.5 tsp olive oil. Add the cumin after a few minutes. The mushrooms are done when they are slightly crispy, but not too crispy.
5. Combine red kidney beans, tomato paste, liquid aminos, onion, garlic powder, black pepper, and flax seed meal in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
6. Add mushrooms to the food processor and pulse until mixed together. You do not want the mushrooms to blend smooth.
7. Move mixture to a bowl and fold in the brown rice and walnuts, if desired.
8. Form a ball and refrigerate for 15 minutes. This step can be skipped if the grill is already hot!
9. Form 6 patties on parchment paper.
10. Grill around 400F for about 7 minutes on each side. You can also bake it at 350F for 20 minutes, flipping half-way through.

Vegan Egg

1. Blend all ingredients of the Egg Whites until smooth.
2. Blend all ingredients of the Egg Yolk until smooth. If using sweet potato, cut into pieces and steam for 15-20 minutes.
3. In a pan on medium heat, lay down two tablespoons of Egg White mixture and form into an oval. Place a teaspoon of Egg Yok mixture into the middle of the Egg White mixture
4. Cover the Vegan Egg and fry for 2-4 minutes.

Vegan Gravy

1. Warm up the vegan butter and place in a medium pot.
2. Sift the flour into the butter and mix thoroughly.
3. Heat up the mixture until fragrant (smells kind of like toast).
4. Add in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
5. Bring to a simmer.
6. Add in the poultry seasoning
7. Sift in more flour for desired consistency
8. Keep warm until serving but it reheats without problem too

Assembly

1. Scoop a cup of rice into a bowl.
2. Place the burger patty on top of the rice.
3. Place the vegan egg on the burger.
4. Scoop on as much gravy as desired (never can bee too much though!)
5. Top with chopped green onion.

---

I hope you have fun recreating this iconic Hawaiian dish and I hope this inspires you to try and recreate some of your own childhood dishes in a healthier and of course delicious manner!
- Nutti Nelli

PROCESS SHOTS (Click to enlarge)

×