Vegan CHamoru Shrimp Patties or Buñelos Uhang (boo-neh-los oo-hang), another Guam favorite! Oh so crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. These savory morsels are so delicious and taste almost exactly the same as the original. So easy to make, that you can bring it to your next fiesta!
What are CHamoru shrimp patties?
Basically, these are a type of fritter. To my knowledge, fritters are usually made with a variety of vegetables, battered, and deep-fried. The CHamoru shrimp patty is an adaptation of the American fritters. The addition of shrimp is what makes this dish unique to Guam.
Before I moved to the mainlands, I helped my friends at The Earth Kitchen create a vegan CHamoru fiesta plate for a one-night pop-up event (It was held at the old Java Hut location, behind Tamuning Payless) . And of course, these babies were on the menu! For weeks, I tested these vegan chamoru shrimp patties. I wanted to make sure that these were perfect! We wanted to showcase that you can be vegan on Guam, without having to miss any of your favorite fiesta food.
As a result, it was a successful night. We received so many positive comments about all the food we created that night. A lot of folks that night said that the shrimp patties were that they tasted just like the original. One of my friends even told me that she hasn’t had them in so long because she is allergic to shrimp! This just goes to show you, that you don’t need to be vegan to eat vegan food.
How do you make vegan CHamoru shrimp patties?
I know what you’re thinking, how can you call these shrimp patties if these are vegan? Well, the secret is…it’s in the seasoning. Yup, you heard me, it’s in the seasoning! To get that seafood flavor, I used old bay seasoning. Fun fact, the old bay seasoning doesn’t have any seafood in its ingredients, so it’s vegan-friendly! So you mix it in the batter along with some frozen peas, carrots, and corn – and there you have it. Vegan CHamoru shrimp patties, all the same great flavors without the use of shrimp.
Top tips:
Make vegan buttermilk. Making buttermilk will help bind the batter together without the use of eggs. It’s pretty easy, simply combine non-dairy milk and vinegar. Set it aside to curdle!
Use a lot of seasoning. You’ll notice in the recipe that the amount of seasoning seems like a lot. I’m telling you, it’s the perfect blend, and you’ll get that lovely “seafood” flavor come through.
Be careful with hot oil. These babies are deep-fried, so this goes without saying, but always be careful when it comes to hot oil. Gently drop the batter into the oil, do not drop them for a high point.
Make sure your oil is hot enough. Specifically a stable 350° Fahrenheit. I suggest using a food thermometer for more accuracy.
Another way to check without a thermometer is to take one end of a wooden skewer or wooden spoon and dip it in the oil. If there are bubbles forming around it and they float up, your oil is ready, if it’s bubbling vigorously, it’s too hot.
If you’d tried this recipe out let me know in the comments! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @flouredframe and don’t forget to tag me when you create my recipes! Happy cooking!
Vegan CHamoru Shrimp Patties or Bunelos Uhang (boo-neh-los oo-hang), another Guam favorite! Oh so crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. These savory morsels are so delicious and taste almost exactly the same as the original. So easy to make, that you can bring it to your next fiesta!
Ingredients
Scale
1 cup – unsweetened soy milk or any non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon – vinegar
¼ yellow onion, roughly diced
3 garlic cloves, roughly minced
1 cup – all-purpose flour, leveled and sifted
1 teaspoon – baking powder
1 teaspoon – black pepper
1 teaspoon – sea salt
1 teaspoon – old bay seasoning
1 cup frozen peas and carrots, defrosted
1/2 cup – frozen sweet corn. defrosted
Oil, for frying
Equipment:
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Sharp knife
Chopping board
Medium mixing bowl
Large pot or dutch oven
Small cookie scooper (sub for a tablespoon or large dinner spoon)
Spider strainer
Wire cooling rack with a baking sheet underneath
Instructions
Mix soy milk and vinegar until well combined. The soy milk will thicken, set aside for 5 minutes to curdle.
While you wait, chop up the onions and garlic, and defrost the frozen vegetables. Set aside until ready to use.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, old bay seasoning, mix to combine.
Add in onions, garlic, defrosted peas and carrots, defrosted corn, and soymilk mixture. Stir until it creates a thick batter. It should be a bit thicker than pancake batter. See notes
Fill a large pot with oil, and place over medium-high heat. Have enough oil so that the patties can float as they cook.
Using a cookie scoop or a heaping spoonful of the batter, and gently drop it into the oil. Cook about 3-4 at a time. Be careful of the splatter, and do not overcrowd the pan.
Flip the patties when one side is golden brown, and continue cooking until the other side is golden brown.
After frying the patties place them on a cooling rack with a baking sheet underneath or a plate with a paper towel to drain the excess oil. Allow them to cool before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Combining soymilk and vinegar creates vegan buttermilk.
If your batter is too runny, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until you get the right consistency. If it’s too thick, almost like dough, add a tablespoon of soy milk at a time until you get the right consistency.
If you have a thermometer, heat oil to 350° degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can get an approximate idea of the temperature of the oil by dropping a small piece of batter into it. If the oil around the batter bubbles aggressively and the test piece floats, but doesn’t instantly brown or blacken, it’s about right. Another thing to note is that if the oil is not ready, the batter will soak up all the oil.
I have not tested these in an air fryer, as I do not own one, however, this batter is too loose to cook in an air fryer.
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