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Aloha Veggies

Veg-Forward Recipes Celebrating the Flavors of Hawai'i

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Explore Hawai‘i’s diverse culinary heritage through 100+ flavor-packed, approachable, plant-based recipes for local Hawai‘i favorites from the bestselling author of Aloha Kitchen.

When Hawai‘i-born Alana Kysar returned home as an adult, Maui’s flourishing farmers’ markets and community crop shares inspired her to create veggie-centric spins on beloved local dishes. Hawai‘i's most iconic foods came to life with vibrant freshness and satisfying new textures. Aloha Veggies brings this evolution of local Hawai‘i food to your kitchen, offering simple, irresistible, and nutritious recipes for everyday meals. 

Alana’s equation for a balanced veg-forward meal is based on the local Hawai‘i plate lunch: Main + Starch + Side = Complete Meal, plus a bonus sweet, of course. The recipes in Aloha Veggies are organized by classic local flavors and dishes—from Mochiko, Loco Moco, and Adobo to Fried Rice, Poke, and Potato Mac Salad—each with four variations to try. Classic Mochiko sets you up with the batter typically used for fried chicken, tweaked to accommodate any veggies you please. For a twist, try Ginger-y or Sesame-y Mochiko variations. Pair Cabbage Adobo with Butternut Squash and Black Lentils with some Mushroomy Rice and an Everyday Quickle. Next week, try Braised Miso Eggplant with Pan-Seared Crispy Rice and Namasu Sweet Potato Salad. Since no meal is complete without a treat, Alana offers a rainbow of variations on favorite local Hawai‘i desserts from Passion Fruit Chiffon Cake to Ube Butter Mochi and more.

Alongside mouthwatering recipes, Alana profiles farms and farmers growing some of her favorite produce, encouraging a renewed connection to the land and the people who grow our food. Aloha Veggies reveals the limitless possibilities that arise when you center vegetables on your plate, inspiring a new generation of home cooks in Hawai‘i and beyond.
“Alana’s cooking celebrates the beauty of generosity and place—a connection to Hawai‘i that feels both intimate and expansive. Aloha Veggies is a love letter to the islands, to vegetables, to the art of the vegetable-forward plate lunch, and so much more. It’s a soulful reminder that food can hold memory, history, and joy all at once.”—Joshua McFadden, James Beard Award–winning cookbook author and food writer

“Alana Kysar does it again and has brought the generous and warm spirit of aloha into our kitchens with recipes that celebrate the beauty of vegetables! Between the pages of mouthwatering Huli Huli Tofu with Watercress and vibrant Guava Chiffon Roll, Alana gives us a colorful peek into life on the islands, where connection to nature and understanding how our food gets to our table offer a delicious life.”—Kristina Cho, James Beard Award–winning author of Mooncakes and Milk Bread and Chinese Enough

Aloha Veggies is one of my most anticipated 2026 releases, and Alana has done it again! This book has the same charisma, creativity, and whimsy as its predecessor, Aloha Kitchen! This book is not just another vegetable book—it’s a celebration of vegetables through the lens of local Hawaiian cooking, which is as exciting as it sounds. It’s an invitation to discover vegetables in a new, vibrant way. This is for sure to be a new lexicon of plant-based cooking!”—Betty Liu, James Beard Award–nominated cookbook author of The Chinese Way and My Shanghai

“Alana Kysar’s book breaks new ground for Hawai‘i-style cooking. While most food of the islands is meat-centric, Aloha Veggies brings a much-needed reinterpretation of the vibrant and culturally-rich foods of Hawai‘i to those who love vegetables. This is the perfect companion to Alana’s first book, Aloha Kitchen, one of my favorite cookbooks of all time. Vegetable lovers rejoice!”—Hetty Lui McKinnon, James Beard Award–winning cookbook author and food writer

“Alana Kysar’s Aloha Veggies fills all my criteria for a book I want to cook my way through. She cleverly organizes the recipes using local favorites as anchors. Each recipe tells a story and has a reference point. Each recipe is complex in flavor yet simple to execute. Mahalo, Alana, for showcasing Hawai‘i’s bounty. Indeed, it’s ‘lucky we live Hawai‘i’ for all the delicious, fresh, and nutritious produce our islands provide.”—Robynne Maii, executive chef and owner of Fête and Mille Fête

“ By honoring cherished food memories while embracing the new bounty of Hawai‘i’s farms, this book expands the possibilities of local cuisine and offers fresh inspiration for home cooks everywhere.”—Bryant Terry, James Beard Award–winning chef and author of Vegetable Kingdom and Afro-Vegan
© Asia Brynne
Alana Kysar is a Hawai‘i-born cookbook author, recipe developer, and photographer whose work celebrates the islands’ multicultural culinary heritage. Her debut cookbook Aloha Kitchen was an IACP Award finalist and named one of the best cookbooks of 2019 by NPR, The New York Times, and Library Journal. After launching her acclaimed blog Fix Feast Flair in 2015 and winning Saveur's Best New Voice award, Alana spent over a decade in California before returning home to Hawai‘i. She lives in Kula, Maui, with her husband and miniature dachshunds, working from her home studio to share Hawai‘i's cultural stories through food. View titles by Alana Kysar

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About

Explore Hawai‘i’s diverse culinary heritage through 100+ flavor-packed, approachable, plant-based recipes for local Hawai‘i favorites from the bestselling author of Aloha Kitchen.

When Hawai‘i-born Alana Kysar returned home as an adult, Maui’s flourishing farmers’ markets and community crop shares inspired her to create veggie-centric spins on beloved local dishes. Hawai‘i's most iconic foods came to life with vibrant freshness and satisfying new textures. Aloha Veggies brings this evolution of local Hawai‘i food to your kitchen, offering simple, irresistible, and nutritious recipes for everyday meals. 

Alana’s equation for a balanced veg-forward meal is based on the local Hawai‘i plate lunch: Main + Starch + Side = Complete Meal, plus a bonus sweet, of course. The recipes in Aloha Veggies are organized by classic local flavors and dishes—from Mochiko, Loco Moco, and Adobo to Fried Rice, Poke, and Potato Mac Salad—each with four variations to try. Classic Mochiko sets you up with the batter typically used for fried chicken, tweaked to accommodate any veggies you please. For a twist, try Ginger-y or Sesame-y Mochiko variations. Pair Cabbage Adobo with Butternut Squash and Black Lentils with some Mushroomy Rice and an Everyday Quickle. Next week, try Braised Miso Eggplant with Pan-Seared Crispy Rice and Namasu Sweet Potato Salad. Since no meal is complete without a treat, Alana offers a rainbow of variations on favorite local Hawai‘i desserts from Passion Fruit Chiffon Cake to Ube Butter Mochi and more.

Alongside mouthwatering recipes, Alana profiles farms and farmers growing some of her favorite produce, encouraging a renewed connection to the land and the people who grow our food. Aloha Veggies reveals the limitless possibilities that arise when you center vegetables on your plate, inspiring a new generation of home cooks in Hawai‘i and beyond.

Praise

“Alana’s cooking celebrates the beauty of generosity and place—a connection to Hawai‘i that feels both intimate and expansive. Aloha Veggies is a love letter to the islands, to vegetables, to the art of the vegetable-forward plate lunch, and so much more. It’s a soulful reminder that food can hold memory, history, and joy all at once.”—Joshua McFadden, James Beard Award–winning cookbook author and food writer

“Alana Kysar does it again and has brought the generous and warm spirit of aloha into our kitchens with recipes that celebrate the beauty of vegetables! Between the pages of mouthwatering Huli Huli Tofu with Watercress and vibrant Guava Chiffon Roll, Alana gives us a colorful peek into life on the islands, where connection to nature and understanding how our food gets to our table offer a delicious life.”—Kristina Cho, James Beard Award–winning author of Mooncakes and Milk Bread and Chinese Enough

Aloha Veggies is one of my most anticipated 2026 releases, and Alana has done it again! This book has the same charisma, creativity, and whimsy as its predecessor, Aloha Kitchen! This book is not just another vegetable book—it’s a celebration of vegetables through the lens of local Hawaiian cooking, which is as exciting as it sounds. It’s an invitation to discover vegetables in a new, vibrant way. This is for sure to be a new lexicon of plant-based cooking!”—Betty Liu, James Beard Award–nominated cookbook author of The Chinese Way and My Shanghai

“Alana Kysar’s book breaks new ground for Hawai‘i-style cooking. While most food of the islands is meat-centric, Aloha Veggies brings a much-needed reinterpretation of the vibrant and culturally-rich foods of Hawai‘i to those who love vegetables. This is the perfect companion to Alana’s first book, Aloha Kitchen, one of my favorite cookbooks of all time. Vegetable lovers rejoice!”—Hetty Lui McKinnon, James Beard Award–winning cookbook author and food writer

“Alana Kysar’s Aloha Veggies fills all my criteria for a book I want to cook my way through. She cleverly organizes the recipes using local favorites as anchors. Each recipe tells a story and has a reference point. Each recipe is complex in flavor yet simple to execute. Mahalo, Alana, for showcasing Hawai‘i’s bounty. Indeed, it’s ‘lucky we live Hawai‘i’ for all the delicious, fresh, and nutritious produce our islands provide.”—Robynne Maii, executive chef and owner of Fête and Mille Fête

“ By honoring cherished food memories while embracing the new bounty of Hawai‘i’s farms, this book expands the possibilities of local cuisine and offers fresh inspiration for home cooks everywhere.”—Bryant Terry, James Beard Award–winning chef and author of Vegetable Kingdom and Afro-Vegan

Author

© Asia Brynne
Alana Kysar is a Hawai‘i-born cookbook author, recipe developer, and photographer whose work celebrates the islands’ multicultural culinary heritage. Her debut cookbook Aloha Kitchen was an IACP Award finalist and named one of the best cookbooks of 2019 by NPR, The New York Times, and Library Journal. After launching her acclaimed blog Fix Feast Flair in 2015 and winning Saveur's Best New Voice award, Alana spent over a decade in California before returning home to Hawai‘i. She lives in Kula, Maui, with her husband and miniature dachshunds, working from her home studio to share Hawai‘i's cultural stories through food. View titles by Alana Kysar