Vegan Ceviche with Coconut Recipe

Light, refreshing and delicious vegan ceviche made with young coconut. Great to serve as an appetizer or snack with tortilla chips.

Ceviche (se-vee-chay) is a popular dish made in Central and South America. It is made with marinated raw fish or seafood. Making a vegan version of it may sound like an oxymoron. But it had to done, since how else can a vegan/ vegetarian enjoy this citrusy, delicious dish.

Traditionally seafood is marinated in lots of citrus juice, like lime/ lemon and spiced with aji or chili peppers. The acid in the citrus 'cooks' it. So, this is a raw dish that needs no cooking.

How to make this dish Vegan?

The main aim in making vegan ceviche is to mimic the texture of the original dish. In this recipe, I am using young coconut meat as a substitute.

It has a texture very similar to fresh fish. It absorbs and takes on flavors added to it making it a perfect choice. This recipe is adapted from a cooking show in Cooking Channel.

Ingredients Needed

The main ingredient to make this vegan ceviche is 'Young Coconut'. These are widely available in Asian grocery stores usually along side regular brown ones.

They have to be opened to get to the meat and water. It sounds daunting but it is not. The video below shows how I opened mine. You need a sturdy knife to do this job.

Young coconut meat is tender with a subtle coconut flavor.

Citrus plays a big role in the traditional recipe and so it does in this version as well. A combination of lime and orange juice add lots of flavor to the dish.

All the other ingredients add texture, color and complement the flavors of the main ingredients.

Instructions

The first and the time consuming part of this dish is the opening of the coconut. I tried to show how I opened mine in the video. It doesn't look very pretty, but I got the job done.

Your aim is to remove the husk on the top part of the fruit just until you expose the shell. Once that is removed, the shell can be cracked quite easily with the knife. Drain the coconut water and scoop out the the delicious, tender meat.

• Rinse, drain and chop the coconut. Add the chopped veggies - cucumber, tomatoes and scallions. Toss to combine.
• Stir in orange juice and lime juice. Mix well.
• Season with cayenne pepper (red chili powder), salt and pepper. If serving later, then this mixture can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.
• Just before serving, add chopped avocados, toss to combine and serve with tortilla chips.

Tips

• If you want to make this dish ahead of time, then add all the ingredients except for the avocado (and of course, the tortilla chips) and refrigerate the mixture for up to 2 hours. Add the avocado just before serving and toss gently to combine.
• You can serve with tortilla chips or over a bed of lettuce as a salad. Either way it would be delicious.
• This is great to serve with any Tex-Mex style dishes. Serve over tacos, burritos or add them to Mexican quinoa bowl. 
• One delicious idea is instead of adding the avocado to the dish, mash it with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Slather this over a crispy tostada shell and top it with the ceviche. Enjoy!!

Taste Test

This is a tasty and refreshing dish. There are so many delicious textures and flavors in this dish that even my picky son loved it. This is a great summer dish which can be enjoyed any time of the year.

Substitution Ideas

Here are some substitution ideas for young coconut to make vegan ceviche:

• heart of palm - has similar texture. Rinse, drain and use canned.
• regular coconut - but instead of using chopped, use grated coconut.
• tofu - use firm or medium tofu. Make sure to press it well to remove excess liquid.

Few More Coconut recipes:

• Bell Pepper Coconut Masala Curry
• Indian Style Coconut Rice Noodles
• Coconut flour Chocolate Muffins