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Crunchy. Golden. Basically, the lovechild of your favorite fritter and veggies. This vegetable okoy recipe is what happens when healthy veggies rally together for a crispy uprising. It's an easy-to-make one-pan banger that comes sizzlin' the heck out of your skillet in under 20 minutes.
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This is the Filipino answer to Indonesian bakwan sayur, Sephardic zucchini latkes, and Eastern European vegan potato latkes-but with oodles more flavor and way more sass. Okoy takes that beloved crispy-veggie format and cranks it to 11 with kalabasa sweetness, sprouty juiciness, and that signature spicy pink vinegar dipping sauce.
With shredded kalabasa, carrots, and sprouts locking arms in a cornstarch-laced batter so airy, it might just levitate. Fry 'em till they're more golden than a sunset in Boracay, and don't you dare skip that pink chili vinegar unless you're morally opposed to flavor.
This isn't just a side dish. This is the crunchy lead role your din din rotation's been waiting for. Get your oil hot and your spatula ready. Let's fry some feelings, shall we?
Loved this recipe! Loved the crispy, crunchy strips of squash and carrots and the bit of heat from the chilis. I made the pink vinegar, too, and loved it as a dip & topper. I air fried the patties and they turned out great. Flattening the patties before cooking them made them crispier. Will definitely make these again!
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🥰Why you'll adore this okoy recipe
✊ Vegan AF: Like all of my vegan Filipino recipes, this okoy doesn't have eggs, shrimp, dairy, or anything else that clogs up your arteries or your conscience. It's cholesterol-free, and just one flour swap away from being one of your fave gluten-free vegan recipes too.
🌶️ Customizable Heat: Control your chili levels or leave it out altogether-okoy still slaps.
🌿 Garden-Cleanout Ready: This recipe thrives on fridge odds and ends. Sub in cabbage, kale, or even shredded sweet potato.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of my vegan recipes, this one has been tested across the kitchens of hundreds of recipe testers. Okoy cravings? Reliably conquered.
🤫 Learn the secrets for perfect vegan Filipino meals
This guide to my most popular plant-based recipes from the Philippines is 100% FREE, & you'll love the actual heck out of it 🥰
🥬Vegetable okoy ingredients
Kabocha Squash
Kalabasa brings that iconic pumpkiny sweetness that you probably already know and love if you've ever made ginataang kalabasa. No need to peel it as the skin is edible and actually yummy. If you're swapping in pumpkin or butternut squash, make sure to give those a peel first.
Spinach
Use mature bunched spinach, or sub in thawed and well-drained frozen spinach. Just avoid baby spinach if you can; it's too delicate and turns to mush under heat. Kale, moringa leaves, or Swiss chard are solid alternatives-just chop 'em small.
Bean Sprouts
Mung bean sprouts are all about crisp texture and mild bite. They're low in fat, naturally cholesterol-free, and help keep the fritters juicy inside. Soy sprouts also work in the recipe.
White Pepper
This spice is a quiet staple in tons of Southeast Asian dishes, think pad ped, som tam, or even a garlicky vegan banh mi. If you don't have any white pepper, black pepper'll do, but the flavor will be less complex and smokey.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Butternut Squash Okoy
Use peeled, shredded butternut squash instead of kalabasa for a slightly nuttier, mellow vibe. It's perfect for when you want to sneak okoy onto your holiday table-especially at Thanksgiving. Serve it with maple bourbon cranberry sauce, harissa roasted carrots, and a scoop of dairy-free mashed potatoes, and watch it disappear faster than the smiles on everyone's faces when your uncle starts serving up his political hot takes.
Gluten-Free Okoy
Trade out the all-purpose flour for a 50/50 mix of white rice flour and cassava flour, or your go-to gluten-free blend. The texture holds, the crunch stays poppin', and nobody misses the gluten (not even a li'l).
📖 How to make vegan okoy
If I were hungry, I'd skip to the end too. If you're just here for the recipe card and ready to get cooking, scroll on down. Otherwise, here's how to bring this crispy magic to life:
Step One
Shreddy Ruxpin:
Either with a box grater or by using a food processor fitted with a shredding disc, shred the kabocha and carrot.
Step Two
Spinach the Bottle:
Toss the shredded veggies in a large bowl with chopped spinach, bean sprouts, and sliced chili.
Step Three
Batter Call Saul:
In another bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, white pepper, and water until smooth.
Step Four
Mixer Rogers' Neighborhood:
Add the batter into the prepped veggies and stir until evenly coated.
Step Five
The Frylight Zone:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon ¼-cup of the veg and batter mixture into the pan and flatten slightly. Fry for 3-4 minutes per side, until crisp and golden.
Step Six
Wire Rack Ack Ack Ack Ack, You Oughta Know by Now:
Transfer cooked fritters to a wire rack to cool and drip dry.
✅ Make sure the wire rack is suspended over a baking pan or plate so you don't make a gross mess of your countertops.
Step Seven
Vinegar Diesel:
Combine red onion, minced chili, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Stir until sugar dissolves.
Step Eight
The Jackson Chives:
Serve warm with chives, cilantro, and a healthy pour of pink chili vinegar.
💡Serving Ideas
First up, you know there are some dope sauces you can rock if you aren't a fan of the pink chili vinegar. Thai sweet chili sauce, chili garlic sauce, and sambal oelek are probably my personal faves for something on the spicier end of the spectrum. If you hate spicy stuff, you can dip them into kecap manis, Vietnamese peanut sauce, or some tamarind date chutney.
Serving your okoy as an appetizer or game day snack? Double up with vegan lumpiang shanghai and hit that crispy combo like a snack squad reunion. Or serve those fritters with a meaty plate of ginataang langka.
Want to serve these as a side to a nourishing vegetarian meal? Adobong sitaw, tofu sisig, and ginisang munggo are all nourishing plant-based Filipino classics.
👉Top tips
- Squeeze the Veggies Dry: Excess water is your fritters' enemy. After shredding the kalabasa and carrots, give them a good squeeze using your hands or a clean kitchen towel. Dry veggies mean the batter clings better and fries up even crispier.
- Ditch the Paper Towels: Draining your okoy on a wire rack lets air circulate and keeps that crunch going strong because it doesn't sit on the bottom as it does when you put it onto a plate with a paper towel on it. It's also less wasteful.
- Slice Chili Super Thin: Nobody wants a big ol' bite of fire (OK, maybe me, but I am weird). Finely sliced chili distributes heat evenly and adds pops of flavor instead of making your tongue call 911, cause shawty fire burning on the dancefloor.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Pop the cooked fritters on a wire rack set in a low oven (around 200°F/95°C) until you're ready to serve. It keeps them hot without letting them steam and go limp.
Yes, but thaw and drain them completely before using. Any extra moisture will mess with your crisp factor.
❄️ Refrigerating:
Store leftover fritters in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
🧊 Freezing:
Layer with parchment and freeze in a container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
🔥 Stovetop Reheating:
Re-crisp in a skillet over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side with a tiny touch of oil added to the pan.
🥵 Oven Reheating:
Reheat for7-8 minutes in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C)
To bake vegetable okoy instead of frying, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Once the fritter batter is prepared, scoop approximately ¼-cup (60 mL) portions onto the baking sheet, flattening each slightly to form uniform patties. Leave space between each one to allow for even baking.
Lightly brush or spreay the tops with oil to promote browning. Bake for 18-20 minutes, then flip the fritters and continue baking for another 8-10 minutes, or until both sides are golden and the edges are crisp. Let them cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.
🇵🇭You'll love these vegetarian Filipino recipes too:
Learn to make absurdly good vegan food from the Philippines in a super-fun recorded cooking class with Chef Adam Sobel!
Vegetable Okoy
Ingredients
The Vegetables:
- 2 cups kabocha squash kalabasa, shredded
- 1 cup carrot shredded
- 1 cup bunched spinach chopped
- 1 cup bean sprouts chopped
- 1 bird's eye chili thinly sliced
The Batter & Frying Oil:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 ¼ cup water
- ¾ cup canola oil vegetable oil, or sunflower oil
The Pink Chili Vinegar:
- ¼ cup red onion shredded
- 2 bird's eye chilies minced
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Optional Garnishes:
- 4 teaspoons chives thinly sliced
- Cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Shred the kabocha squash and carrot.
- Place the shreaded veggies in a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped spinach, bean sprouts, and sliced bird's eye chili.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, white pepper, and water until a smooth batter forms.
- Add the vegetables to the batter and stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. After 2 minutes, when the oil is hot, spoon ¼ cup portions of the vegetable mixture into the skillet, flattening each slightly with the back of a spoon. Fry for 3-4 minutes per side, turning once, until the fritters are golden brown and crisp.
- Transfer to a wire rack suspended over a baking pan to drain excess oil.
- In a small bowl, combine the red onion, minced bird's eye chilies, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Serve the fritters warm, garnished with chives and cilantro with the pink chili vinegar on the side for dipping.
Notes
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Maggie Brandl says
Loved this recipe! Loved the crispy, crunchy strips of squash and carrots and the bit of heat from the chilis. I made the pink vinegar, too, and loved it as a dip & topper. I air fried the patties and they turned out great. Flattening the patties before cooking them made them crispier. Will definitely make these again!