LIFESTYLE - Celebrity chef Videhi Sivurusan shares recipes for vegan comfort food.
Spicy Veggie Shepherd’s Pie
Spicy Veggie Shepherd’s Pie
1 cup (250ml) soya chunks soaked in boiling water
1 tbs (15ml) flour for dusting
salt
30ml olive oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds
¼ cumin seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
2 bays leaves
1/3 cup (80ml) chopped celery stalks
1-2 green chillies, roughly chopped (optional)
1 tbs (15ml) garlic and ginger paste
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tbs (15ml) coriander powder
1-2 tbs mixed masala
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium baby marrow, sliced
1 tbs fresh thyme
45ml tomato paste
2 cups of vegetable stock or plain water
¾ cup frozen peas
Topping
5 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
large knob of vegan margarine
1/3 cup (50ml) hot almond or soya milk
pinch of salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Drain the soya chunks. Lightly salt and dust with flour.
Heat the oil. Add the soya chunks and sauté for a few minutes. Remove and set aside.
In the same pot, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, bay leaves, celery stalks, chillies, garlic and ginger paste and onion. Fry until the onions are translucent.
Add the coriander powder and the mixed masala. Fry for a few seconds then add the carrots, baby marrow and thyme. Stir it. Return the soya chunks to the pot. Mix it. Make sure all the spices are blended in well.
Add tomato paste. Cook for a minute or two. Add the stock or water and peas. Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.
Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and mash with butter and milk. Season with salt. Top on the cooked mixture and dot with small knobs of vegan margarine. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Dumplings And Soup Greens
Dumplings And Soup Greens
Soup
1 tbs (15ml) olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1-3 dry red chillies, lightly crushed
¼ tsp cumin seeds
2 medium potatoes, cubed
2 small turnips, cubed
2 medium carrots, cubed
1 tbs (15ml) crushed garlic
1½ cups (375ml) sliced leeks
1 tsp (5ml) salt
½ tsp roughly ground black pepper
60ml tomato paste
½ tsp (2.5ml) brown sugar (optional)
2 cups (250ml) of roughly chopped celery leaves (use stalks as well)
1 cup (250ml) roughly chopped parsley
1.8 litres boiling water or vegetable stock
a big pot with a tight-fitting lid.
Dumplings
3 cups (750ml) cake wheat flour
6 tsp (30ml) baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tbs vegan margarine
1½-2 cups water (add more or less if required)
Method
Mix all the dumpling ingredients together except the water and the vegan margarine.
Next, rub the margarine into the flour and add the water, a little at a time, to form a sticky dough. Do not add all the water at once.
As soon as the dough has reached a thick, sticky consistency - stop. Divide it into four pieces and keep aside.
Heat the oil in a pot. Add the onions, red chillies and cumin seeds. Cook until the onions are golden brown. Add the potatoes, turnips, carrots, leeks, garlic, salt and black pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and brown sugar. Cook for 1 minute. Combine the celery and parsley. Stir in well. Add water and bring to a boil.
Place the portions of the dumpling mixture into a boiling soup pot. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Do not open the pot. After 30 minutes, turn off the heat and serve.
Green Mung Beans With Pasta Rice Stew, Broccoli And Tofu
Green Mung Beans With Pasta Rice Stew, Broccoli And Tofu
½ cup (125ml) green mung dhal (soaked in water)
water for boiling the mung dhal
1-2 glugs of oil
2 star anise
1 sprig curry leaf
½ tsp (2.5ml) yellow asafoetida powder
¼ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp cumin seeds
½ cup (125ml) chopped onion
2-3 green chillies, roughly sliced
1 tbs (15ml) fresh garlic and ginger paste
½ tbs (7.5ml) coriander powder
1 tsp (5ml) cumin powder
1 tsp (5ml) turmeric powder
1 tsp (5ml) garam masala
2 tsp (5ml) chilli powder (mild/med) (adjust more or less as you like)
1 large tomato finely diced (1 cup / 250ml)
1 tsp (5ml) salt
2½-3 cups (500ml-750ml) hot water
½ cup (125ml) pasta rice
1 small head broccoli, broken into florets
150g tofu, cut into small square pieces
additional salt
1 tbs (15ml) curry powder (or garam masala)
coriander to garnish
Method
After the mung dhal has soaked, rinse and boil until soft but still holds its shape. You may pressure cook the mung dhal as well.
Boil the pasta rice al dente, as per the instructions on the pack. When done, keep aside.
While the mung dhal is cooking, heat oil in a big pot. Add the star anise, asafoetida, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Once the seeds pop and the leaves splutter, add the onions. Cook for a few minutes until translucent.
Add the chillies and the garlic and ginger. Sauté for a few seconds.
Now add the coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and chilli powder. Stir and add the tomatoes. Stir again.
Add a ½ cup of water and the salt. Cook until the tomatoes are cooked through. Add this to the soft mung dhal.
Add three cups of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.
Now heat some oil in a separate non-stick pan. Add the broccoli, season with salt and add some curry powder. Sauté for a minute then remove and keep aside.
Add the tofu, sprinkle with salt and a good seasoning of curry powder. Fry until crispy. Keep aside.
To bring the dish together, add the cooked pasta rice to the cooked and braised mung dhal. Add the tofu and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Then add the cooked broccoli and coriander leaves and serve hot.
*Follow Sivurusan on www.videhi.co.za and on Veganise with Videhi on Youtube