The 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of the East: 150 Asian-Inspired Recipes--from Soba Noodles to Summer Rolls (29 page)

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Authors: Mark Reinfeld,Jennifer Murray

Tags: #Non-Fiction, #Reference

BOOK: The 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of the East: 150 Asian-Inspired Recipes--from Soba Noodles to Summer Rolls
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1. Place the sesame oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and turnip and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add the chickpeas and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently and adding water as necessary to prevent sticking.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and gently mix well before serving.
Variations
• Replace the garbanzo beans with black beans, fava beans, navy beans, or your favorite.
• Replace the dill with cilantro, parsley, or basil.
Note: For homemade vegan sour cream, add the juice of 1 lemon to 1 cup of vegan mayonnaise (such as Vegenaise) and mix well.
TAJIKISTANI PILAU RICE (PLOV)
Plov, the national dish of Tajikistan, traditionally includes rice, vegetables, and meat. All of the ingredients are cooked in the same pot, and it is served family style, eaten with your hands and washed down with a cup of green tea. For your culinary delight, we replaced the horse meat traditionally used in Tajikistani dishes with seitan. We think you will be quite pleased with the difference. This dish is a meal unto itself served with slices of tomato and cucumber. Note: If you cook all the ingredients together it may go over 30 minutes, counting cooking time. You can prepare it within 30 minutes if you cook the rice separately.
SERVES 6 TO 8
 
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 yellow onion, chopped small (1½ cups)
7 garlic cloves, quartered or halved
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
8 ounces seitan, chopped
1¼ cups white basmati rice
3 cups water or vegetable stock (see page 228)
2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
2 carrots, cut into thin matchsticks
1 turnip, peeled and chopped into small cubes
¼ cup minced Italian parsley
1. Place the sesame oil in a large pot or wok over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, fennel seeds, and seitan and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the rice, water, and salt, gently stir well, and cover. Add the carrots and turnip cubes to the pot and gently mix well.
2. Cook until all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is soft and cooked through, approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water if necessary to cook the rice completely. Garnish with parsley before serving.
Variations
• If you have more time, replace the basmati rice with 1 cup brown rice and use 3½ cups of water. Cook until the rice is done, approximately 40 minutes.
• Replace the seitan with roasted tofu or tempeh cubes (see page 227).
• Replace the carrots and turnip with vegetables of your choosing, such as broccoli, parsnips, or portobello mushrooms.
PERSIAN RICE
The long-guarded secret of the ayatollahs finally revealed, this dish makes use of some traditional ingredients in Persian cuisine. The vegan yogurt adds creaminess and helps us approximate the flavor of the original dish. Serve with Uzbekistani Chickpea Salad (page 208) or Iranian Lima Bean and Dill (page 212).
SERVES 6
 
2 cups white basmati rice
3¼ cups water or vegetable stock (see page 228)
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 to 3 tablespoons soy yogurt or vegan butter
1 tablespoon fresh minced dill or 1 teaspoon dry
2 to 3 tablespoons currants or raisins
¼ to ½ cup shelled pistachio nuts
⅛ teaspoon saffron threads soaked in 3 tablespoons hot water
1. Place the rice, water, sea salt, coriander seeds, and vegan yogurt in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low, cover, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, approximately 10 minutes.
2. Allow the pot to sit off the heat for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, including the saffron and soaking water, and gently fluff with a fork. To make sure you get all of the saffron, you can place some rice in the bowl with the saffron remnants and mix well before returning the rice to the pot.
The Asian Pantry
Although not common throughout Asia, yogurt and other dairy products are widely used in Central Asian cuisine. As we mentioned earlier, for the vegan pantry, there are several varieties of vegan yogurt on the market to choose from.
East Meets West: Persia
Persian literature’s influence on Western writing and thought has been profound, though subtly understood. Emerson, Nietzsche, Goethe, and others indicated that much of their depth and passion for expression arose from their study of Persian literature. It is said that the Persian and Arabic languages are capable of expressing a lyrical emotion hard to capture in other tongues. Rumi and Hafiz, two names popular in the West, are among the great Persian writers. Though Rumi adored his native tongue, he believed that “love will find its way through all languages on its own.” Apparently he was correct—he was acknowledged as the “most popular poet in America in 2007.”
IRANIAN LIMA BEAN AND DILL
As we drift toward the Mediterranean in our Asian adventures, we begin to notice its influence on the cuisine. Here we use olive oil instead of the sesame oil found in the other recipes in this book, as well as Central Asian ingredients like dill and lima beans. Serve along with Persian Rice (page 210) and Asian Slaw (page 185).
1 pound frozen lima beans (approximately 4 cups)
1½ cups water or vegetable stock (see page 228)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced (1½ cups)
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh dill, or 2 teaspoons dried dill
¾ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper,
or to taste
¾ cup vegan yogurt
1. Bring the lima beans and water to boil in a large pot. Cover and lower the heat to simmer. Cook until the beans are tender, for 12 to 15 minutes.
2. While the lima beans are cooking, add the olive oil to a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent, approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. When the lima beans are done cooking, drain well and add them to the bowl with the onions. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well before serving.
Variations
• Replace the lima beans with black beans, azuki beans, or garbanzo beans.
• Replace the dill with minced cilantro, basil, or Italian parsley.
KOREAN PINE NUT PORRIDGE
One of our favorite restaurants in New York, Hangawi, serves Korean vegan cuisine, including the heavenly porridge jat juk. It’s quite rich, so only a small portion is necessary. Though it is traditionally served with jujube dates (see Box below), any date will due in a pinch. We find it quite nourishing and soothing to the soul. Enjoy first thing in the morning or as a midnight snack.
SERVES 4
 
½ cup pine nuts
1½ cups water
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup brown rice flour
3 tablespoons agave nectar or sweetener of choice
4 dates, finely chopped
Pinch cinnamon
1. Place the pine nuts in a blender with 1 cup water and blend on high speed until smooth. Transfer to a pot over medium heat.
2. Place the flour in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Slowly add the remaining water and whisk constantly until a smooth paste is formed, with no lumps. Add the pine nut mixture and salt and stir well. Whisk until the porridge is creamy and begins to thicken, approximately 5 minutes.
3. Add the agave and mix well. Pour the porridge into serving bowls and top with the dates and a pinch of cinnamon.
The Asian Pantry: Jujube Dates
Cultivated for more than 4,000 years, jujube dates, also called Chinese dates, are used in traditional medicine in both China and Korea to alleviate stress.
Chefs’ Tips and Tricks
If you cannot find rice flour, make your own by adding rice to a strong blender and processing it until finely ground. Try it with different types of rice to experience the variety of flavors possible.
KIM CHI
Though it needs to ferment for a few days, homemade kimchi is well worth the wait. Considered by many to be the national dish of Korea, kim chi is a spicy and tangy, cultured vegetable dish, typically with cabbage as the base (consider it the sauerkraut of the East!). There are countless varieties, each making use of different vegetables, spices, and pickling ingredients. This is a simple version, which takes a short while to prepare. Serve as a side with Lemon Rice (page 187), with all your Asian meals, and as a filling in Nori Rolls (page 157).
MAKES APPROXIMATELY 4 TO 6 CUPS
 
1 large head green or napa cabbage
2 tablespoons sea salt, or to taste
¼ cup minced fresh garlic
2 inches peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 jalapeño or other hot pepper, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon ground cayenne or other hot chile powder, to taste
1 tablespoon unpasteurized miso paste, optional
1 tablespoon agave nectar, Sucanat, or organic sugar
1 cup diced mixed vegetables, optional
(try green onions, cucumbers, carrots, cauliflower,
broccoli, bok choy, or daikon)
1 cup water
1. Rinse the cabbage well and remove the outer leaves and the root. Save the outer leaves for later use. Chop the remaining cabbage into ½-inch strips and place in a 2-quart mason jar (or two 1-quart jars). Add 2 tablespoons of the salt and fill the jar with water. Allow it to sit for 1 to 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, combine the remaining salt and all of the other ingredients in a large bowl with just enough water to create a creamy paste.
3. Drain and rinse the cabbage well. Add to the bowl with the paste, and mixed vegetables, if using. Mix until everything is well coated.
4. Return this mixture to the mason jar, add water to cover, and top with the outer cabbage leaves. Loosely place the cover on the jar. Allow the jar to sit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for 3 to 5 days, depending on the climate. The final product should have a spicy and tangy flavor. After this time it is then ready for the fridge, where it can continue to ferment for at least a month and even longer.
Chefs’ Tips and Tricks
As is seen in cultures around the world, pickling foods is the most ancient method of food preservation. It assists in breaking down food, making it more easy to digest. The pickling process also provides beneficial bacteria that can assist in digestive health.
KOREAN MUNG BEAN PANCAKES
Ground split mung beans create the flour for these flavorful hotcakes. If you have more time, you can soak the mung beans for 4 or more hours before blending. If you make mini cakes, they make innovative hors d’oeuvres. Serve on their own with soy sauce or with any of the assorted chutneys (page 40), or with a dipping sauce like Mango Ginger Sauce (page 61), Teriyaki Sauce (page 159), or Dim Sum Dipping Sauce (page 101).
MAKES 8 PANCAKES
 
1 cup split mung beans
3 tablespoons spelt or brown rice flour
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon chile powder, optional
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons seeded and diced hot chile pepper
2 mushrooms, diced (about ½ cup—try shiitake, oyster, or cremini)
1 cup water
Oil for sautéing
1. Place the mung beans in a high-powered blender or food processor and blend until the beans are powdered. Place them in a mixing bowl. Add the flour, green onion, baking powder, salt, and chile powder, if using, and mix well.
2. Place the sesame oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, chile pepper, and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently and adding a small amount of water if necessary to prevent sticking. Transfer to the mixing bowl and mix well. Slowly add the water and mix well, until all of the liquid is absorbed.

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