The 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of the East: 150 Asian-Inspired Recipes--from Soba Noodles to Summer Rolls (6 page)

DOSA OR IDLI RICE BREAD

A spongy rice bread called
idli
is the everyday breakfast food of the Tamil Nadu region of India. This bread, made from a fermented batter of rice and lentils, is served with extremely flavorful curries such as sambar. The batter that is not used for idlis can later be used to make dosas. Dosas are commonly used as a wrapper for spiced potatoes but can be eaten plain, with vegan garlic butter, or with other vegetables as well. They range in thickness from a pancake to a crepe. Due to the soaking and fermenting process, this dish does go over the 30-minute time frame.

3 cups brown or white rice
1 cup urud dhal or other lentils
1 teaspoon sea salt

1. In separate bowls, cover the rice and lentils with water, leaving 2 to 3 inches of water above the surface of each. Leave on the counter to soak for 4 hours.

2. Heat the oven to 250°F and turn it off when it reaches that temperature (unless you have a very warm place to ferment the batter). Rinse the rice and lentils well by stirring each in clean water and straining about 5 times each. Use a blender to blend the lentils on high speed, adding about ½ cup of water, until a thick batter forms. Blend the rice on high speed, adding as little water as necessary, until a similar but coarser batter forms. Mix both batters together and add the salt.

3. Place the batter in the warmed oven for 12 to 24 hours or until it is doubled in size.

4. To make idli, pour the batter into an oiled or cheesecloth-lined idli pan (see Note) and steam for 12 to 15 minutes. You can also line a bamboo steamer or even a collapsible metal steamer with cheesecloth and pour the batter in using a ⅓ cup measuring cup.

5. To make dosas you may need to add water to the batter. Thicker batter will give you pancake-style dosas. Adding ½ cup or more of water will yield increasingly thinner dosas. The thinner the batter, the easier it is to spread the batter into a circle on the pan.

6. Either use a nonstick pan or brush a regular (heated) pan lightly with oil and place over medium heat. Use a ladle to pour the batter (about ⅓ cup) onto the hot pan and quickly spread the batter around into a large thin circle (or something like a circle) using the bottom of the ladle. Holes in the dosa are fine; these don’t need to be perfect and are very sturdy once they are done. Let the dosa cook on both sides for a couple of minutes, until slightly brown. Take care not to overcook these; traditionally dosas are still quite white and, therefore, flexible. Serve hot or keep in a warm oven covered with a damp towel until all the dosas are cooked and you are ready to partake.

Note: An idli pan is essentially a steamer pot with a multilayered insert made just for this purpose. The batter is poured into the rounded indentations, which allow the steam to pass through and cook the batter into perfectly shaped idli.

SAMBAR CURRY

Though this recipe contains a couple of ingredients that most Westerners would consider obscure, sambar curry is eaten daily, and commonly twice or thrice daily, throughout Southern India and Sri Lanka. As early as breakfast this curry is served alongside fresh idli (see page 21), and for lunch or dinner with rice and chutneys. Our friend Vi Herbert from the Tamil Nadu region of India taught us to make this curry, and we are quite grateful to her indeed for that! Sambar powder, a mix of roasted spices and dhals, can be purchased online if you can’t find it elsewhere. Any common lentil or dhal can be substituted for the toor dhal. We recommend the red lentils for their quick cooking time. If you simply cannot find sambar powder, use the garam masala substitution. In a pinch you could even use curry powder. It won’t be sambar curry anymore, but it will still be delish!

1. In a small pot, bring the dhal and water to a boil, lower the heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes (about 15 minutes if using red lentils) or until the dhal is soft.

2. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan or pot, heat the oil and mustard seeds together over medium heat until the seeds crackle. Add the turmeric, asafetida, onion, and curry leaves and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the vegetables and sauté for 3 more minutes.

3. Add the tamarind, sambar powder, salt, tomatoes, water, and the cooked dhal and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and continue to cook until all of the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes depending on your choice of vegetables. Add the cilantro, cook for 3 more minutes, and remove from the heat. Optionally, allow it to sit for 10 minutes before serving; the flavors will enhance over time.

TROPICAL COCONUT CURRY

Coconut milk and plantains—ahhh, the taste of the tropics for sure! Feel free to use bananas instead of plantain if necessary. Some people like the sweetness of ripe bananas in this dish. Serve as a side dish with Lemon Rice (page 187) and Cardamom-Scented Tofu (page 32).

1. If using the saffron, place in a small bowl with the hot water and set aside.

2. Place the sesame oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the mustard, coriander, and fennel seeds and stir well. Add the onion, ginger, and hot chile and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the plantain, zucchini, and carrot, and mix well.

3. Lower the heat to low, add the coconut milk, water, and curry powder and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the saffron and water, if using, cilantro, and salt, and mix well before serving.

MADRAS CURRY

Madras curry is meant to be a powerful combination of hot, red, toasty, sweet, and sour. Using coconut oil adds a smoothness and flavor that is nice, but sesame or any vegetable oil will also do the trick. You can also use any kind of chile powder in place of the cayenne as long as it is a pure chile powder rather than the Spanish-style blends. Other chiles will be less spicy and still impart the classic madras red color (substituting some paprika will also help add redness if the cayenne is too hot for your liking).

1. Toast the coriander, cumin, and brown mustard seeds in a large sauté pan or pot over medium heat for 2 minutes or until the mustard seeds are popping. Add the coconut oil, turmeric, cayenne, allspice, garam masala, black pepper, ginger, garlic, and salt and sauté for 1 minute.

2. Add the onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until the onions turn translucent, then add the coconut milk and lime juice and stir well.

3. Add the remaining vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, until all of the vegetables are soft and you are ready to serve.

TOFU IN TOMATO CREAM SAUCE (SHAHI PANEER)

Paneer is an non-aged farmer cheese that is extremely popular in Indian cuisine. Our veganized version contains firm tofu, which has a similar texture and consistency. For maximum flavor, allow the tofu to marinate for at least an hour. Our cream sauce gets its creaminess from cashews, though you can also use coconut or soy milk. Serve with Coconut Spinach Rice (page 10) and Cauliflower Chickpea Subji (page 19).

1. Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 375°F. Slice the tofu in half lengthwise, forming two cutlets. Slice each cutlet lengthwise three times and then widthwise three times to yield sixteen cubes each (thirty-two cubes total). Place the cubes in a mixing bowl with the remaining marinade ingredients and mix well. Transfer to a baking dish and cook for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place the sesame oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and chile pepper, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat to low.

3. Place the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, and cashews in a blender and blend until creamy. Transfer to the sauté pan and stir well.

4. Add the tofu and marinade ingredients to the sauté pan and gently stir well. Add the remaining ingredients except the cilantro and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cilantro and enjoy!

TEMPEH VINDALOO

The name
vindaloo
is actually of Portuguese origin. The dish is popular in Southern India, near the city of Goa, where the Portuguese settlers partied way back when—before the full-moon raves of today. The dish is known for its spiciness, so add as much cayenne as you can! Serve with Rice Pilau (page 9) and Potatoes and Spinach (page 12).