How to Make Vegan Fish in Teriyaki Sauce

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I grew up in Herzliya, and most of my childhood was spent at the beach or in the fields and citrus groves near my home. Because of that, I don't eat fish—I refuse to contribute to the systematic destruction of the oceans by the food industry.

I don't want to destroy the delicate ecological balance, and if I have to "shut my mouth" and simply not eat fish, then that is a small price I am willing to pay.

I must admit, I do miss the taste of fish, especially in Asian styles. That combination of salty, sour, and deep "ocean" flavors is something I long for.

This recipe tries to recreate those beloved old flavors of fish without destroying the sea.

Yes, it's vegan fish.

A bit about the recipe

The base of the "fish" is ground tofu with a bit of soy milk, salt, crushed garlic, and nutritional yeast. This combination of ingredients is essential for deepening the flavors and creating that savory umami taste.

To give the patty a fishy or "ocean" flavor, I used Nori seaweed sheets, which also function as the "skin" of the fish.

The quick teriyaki sauce is a mix of soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, and crushed garlic. It’s optional, but it adds so much (and honestly, it's incredibly delicious!)

Nutritional values for vegan fish

One serving of vegan fish (out of 8) contains:

• 110 kcal
• 7.7g protein
• 2g carbohydrates
• 8g fat (of which 1.25g is saturated fat)

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How to Make Vegan Fish

Serving size 8 servings

Calories 110 kcal

Ingredients

For the fish

• 300 g firm tofu
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk
• pinch salt
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
• 1 sheet Nori seaweed for sushi
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• pinch flour

For the sauce

• 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chili oil
• 1 clove crushed garlic

For serving

• some sesame seeds for serving

Instructions

1. Grind the tofu in a food processor until it reaches a grainy texture.

2. Add the soy milk, garlic, salt, and nutritional yeast and continue to grind until it reaches a sticky consistency.

3. Cut the Nori sheet into 8 equal pieces.

4. Sprinkle a bit of flour on each piece of Nori and, using a spoon, spread an even layer of the tofu paste on each square.

5. Heat the sesame oil in a pan over low heat.

6. When the oil is hot, gently place the Nori-tofu pieces in the pan with the seaweed side facing down.

7. Fry for about 1-2 minutes until the seaweed becomes slightly crispy, then carefully flip.

8. Using a spatula, remove the "fish" from the pan.

Preparing the sauce

1. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and chili oil to the hot pan and mix well.

2. Return the Nori-tofu pieces to the pan and cook for a few seconds until the sauce is absorbed.

3. Brush on a little more sauce and remove from heat.

4. Serve over rice with a sprinkle of sesame seeds on top.