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

3. Place the oil in a large sauté pan or on a griddle over medium-high heat. Scoop out pancake-size portions of the batter and place in the pan as space allows. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping periodically to ensure even cooking. Use a spatula to flatten the pancakes so that the insides are cooked as well. You are looking for a golden brown crust. Voila!

KOREAN POTATO IN SWEET SOY SAUCE (GAMJA JORIM)

Prepare to experience Korea’s answer to home fries. Be sure not to overcook the potatoes or you will experience Korea’s answer to the mashed potato! Serve as a side dish with Korean BBQ Tofu (page 218). Gamja Jorim . . . it’s not just for breakfast anymore.

1. Place a steamer basket in a pot filled with approximately 1 inch of water over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and steam until just soft, approximately 15 minutes. Be careful not to overcook.

2. Meanwhile, place the sesame oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, mushrooms, and chile powder, and cook until the mushrooms are browned and cooked through, approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the sauté pan from the heat until the potatoes are done cooking.

3. When the potatoes are done, add them to the sauté pan with the remaining ingredients except the sesame seeds, and gently stir well. Garnish with the sesame seeds before serving.

KOREAN BBQ TOFU

A meal at an authentic Korean BBQ restaurant includes the food being grilled right at the table, oftentimes with the grill being built into the table! For this recipe, the longer the tofu sits in the marinade the more flavor it will absorb. Serve with your choice of rice and Asian Slaw (page 185), Spicy Asparagus (page 65), or Kale and Snow Peas (page 184).

1. Preheat a grill. Place all of the sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy. Pour into a shallow dish.

2. Slice the tofu into four cutlets and add them to the sauce. Allow them to sit in the sauce for 20 minutes or longer. Transfer the cutlets to the grill and grill until char marks appear on both sides, flipping occasionally. After grilling return the tofu to the sauce. To serve, place the tofu on a plate and drizzle with the sauce.

• Bake the tofu and BBQ sauce in a 375°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

KOREAN TOASTED BARLEY TEA (BORI CHA)

This simple tea has an earthy flavor and a grounding effect.

1. Place the barley in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Toast, stirring occasionally, until the barley pops, emits a fragrance, and just begins to blacken. Carefully add the water.

2. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or longer. Delightful as is, or sweeten with agave nectar or your favorite sweetener to taste. You may strain the tea before serving if you wish, and you may reuse the barley again for another batch with a more mellow flavor
.

KOREAN BLISS MIX TEA

A highly refreshing fruity beverage that may be enjoyed hot or over ice with a sprig of fresh mint.

1. Bring the water to a boil in a small pot. Lower the heat to low, add the ginger, dates, and cinnamon stick, and simmer for 20 minutes or longer.

2. Pour into glasses and top with a few pine nuts and a persimmon slice, if using.

KOREAN PEAR WITH PEPPERCORNS (BAESOOK)

This is a wonderfully refreshing dessert. The peppercorns give a sharp bite that contrasts with the sweet and pungent flavors of the pears and sauce. Simply divine when served warm or cold.

1. Place the water, ginger, and cinnamon stick in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Press a few peppercorns into the sides of the pears. Place them on the bottom of the sauté pan and cook for 15 minutes, gently stirring and flipping the pears occasionally. Add the agave nectar and gently stir well.

2. Add the arrowroot and cook until the sauce thickens, approximately 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Garnish each serving with a pinch of cardamom and cinnamon and a sprinkle of pine nuts.

Acknowledgments

C
an you thank your parents enough? Not really. So, much love and gratitude to our parents Roberta and Martin Reinfeld and Deborah and Patrick Murray for all of the ways you have supported us throughout our lives. Thank you to all of our friends and family who helped make this book possible. Thanks to our agent, Marilyn Allen of Allen O’Shea Literary Agency. Thank you, Marilyn, for your support and vision.

Many thanks to our Da Capo editors—Renée Sedliar, Collin Tracy, Alex Camlin, and Michelle S. Asakawa.

Tremendous thanks to all of our thorough recipe testers, tasters, and developers: Jessyka Murray, Elizabeth Warfield-Murray, Lisa Parker, Roland Barker, Gabriel Zingaro, Aaron Warfield-Murray, Gia Baiocchi, Roberta Reinfeld, Roger Vossler, Dawn Reinfeld, Bill Townsend, Ryan Hughes, Neil and Erica Greene, Laura Bishop, Jerrod Perry, Kelika Ranke, Natalie and Scott Kuroiwa, Aaron Mauck, and Ali Karasic. We could not have done this without all of you!

Love and gratitude to Sarah Warfield for taking the initiative and persevering with the food photography. Thanks also to Sarah Joy Davis for her invaluable assistance with the food styling and photography.

Thank you to all of the many chefs and culinary creatives out there who have contributed to our knowledge, inspiration, skills, and careers.

Metric Conversions

Ounces to grams → ounces × 28.35 = grams

Grams to ounces → grams × 0.035 = ounces

Pounds to grams → pounds × 453.5 = grams

Pounds to kilograms → pounds × 0.45 = kilograms

Cups to liters → cups × 0.24 = liters

Fahrenheit to Celsius → (°F - 32) × 5 ÷ 9 = °C

Celsius to Fahrenheit → (°C × 9) ÷ 5 + 32 = °F

½ inch = 1½ cm

1 inch = 2½ cm

6 inches = 15 cm

8 inches = 20 cm

10 inches = 25 cm

12 inches = 30 cm

20 inches = 50 cm

¼ teaspoon = 1 milliliter

½ teaspoon = 2 milliliters

¾ teaspoon = 4 milliliters

1 teaspoon = 5 milliliters

1 tablespoon = 15 milliliters

¼ cup = 59 milliliters

⅓ cup = 79 milliliters

½ cup = 118 milliliters

⅔ cup = 158 milliliters

¾ cup = 177 milliliters

1 cup = 225 milliliters

4 cups or 1 quart = 1 liter

½ gallon = 2 liters

1 gallon = 4 liters

1 teaspoon = ⅙ fluid ounce = 5 milliliters

1 tablespoon = ½ fluid ounce = 15 milliliters

2 tablespoons = 1 fluid ounce = 30 milliliters

¼ cup = 2 fluid ounces = 60 milliliters

⅓ cup = 2⅔ fluid ounces = 79 milliliters

½ cup = 4 fluid ounces = 118 milliliters

1 cup or ½ pint = 8 fluid ounces = 250 milliliters

2 cups or 1 pint = 16 fluid ounces = 500 milliliters

4 cups or 1 quart = 32 fluid ounces = 1,000 milliliters

1 gallon = 4 liters

100°F = 38°C

200°F = 95°C

250°F = 120°C

300°F = 150°C

350°F = 180°C

400°F = 205°C

450°F = 230°C

1 ounce = 30 grams

2 ounces = 55 grams

3 ounces = 85 grams

4 ounces = ¼ pound = 125 grams

8 ounces = ½ pound = 240 grams

12 ounces = ¾ pound = 375 grams

16 ounces = 1 pound = 454 grams