Gourmet Vegetable Biryani

Posted on March 13, 2013 by The Gourmet Vegan - No Comments

In India the Biryani is cooked for special occasions. One mouthful of this sumptuous dish with its complex flavours and spicy notes will have you heading back for more and more. This is a must try and one that everyone will love.

Chilli Con Spinach Pie

Posted on March 5, 2013 by The Gourmet Vegan - No Comments

Chilli Con Spinach Pie

One mouthful of this pie and you will see why this is such a wonderful dish. A wonderful chilli with the addition of spinach and all baked together under a crispy puff pastry topping. Great textures and the most mouthwatering flavours. Chilli will never be the same again.

60 Minutes

Serves 4

? kcal per serving

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 large carrot, chopped

1 400 g tin chopped tomatoes

400 ml vegetable stock

40 g dried soya mince

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder, optional. Or use more if you like it hot.

1 teaspoon cumin

150 g turtle beans (that have been soaked, cooked and prepared in advance OR 1 400 g tin of beans of your choice)

200 g fresh spinach, chopped

1 tablespoon milled linseed (optional)

1 sheet of ready rolled puff pastry ( I use Jus-Rol )

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius ( 400 F )

Over a medium heat, in a large pan, fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes until the onions have started to soften. Add the carrots and continue to fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock and cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Uncover and add the died soya mince, black pepper, chilli, cumin and linseed and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.

Finally add in the beans and spinach and combine well until the spinach has wilted.

Pour the mixture into an oven-proof dish and top with the pastry sheet. Brush with a little soya milk and decorate by scoring the top into diamond shapes. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

RECIPE NOTES

RECIPE TIPS

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Spicy Kofta Curry

Posted on January 26, 2013 by The Gourmet Vegan - No Comments

Spicy Kofta Curry

As long as you prepare the Kofta balls in advance this is quite a quick and simple recipe. This is a great dish when you want something warm and spicy on a cold winters night. And of course! it is scrumptious with incredible flavours that make this such a mouthwatering curry.

60 Minutes

Serves 3-4

? kcal per serving

INGREDIENTS FOR KOFTAS

100g of dry soya mince

400ml vegetable stock

1 tablespoon soya sauce

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons crushed almonds

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 small chilli (optional), finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground corriander

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon agave nectar

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 cup of besan (chickpea) flour

2 teaspoons egg replacement powder (or equivalent for 2 eggs)

INGREDIENTS FOR CURRY

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon panche poran (optional)

2 cloves garlic

1 inch peeled ginger

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground corriander

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon methi leaves

1 large tomato, finely chopped

1 small yellow pepper, finely chopped

1 level teaspoon salt

250ml water

METHOD FOR KOFTAS

Start by placing the soya mince in a bowl and adding 300ml of the vegetable stock along with 1 teaspoon of oil and the soya sauce.

Whilst the mince is rehydrating, put the oil in a frying pan and over a medium heat cook gently fry the onions and garlic until the onions have softened and browned slightly.

Next add the almonds, fennel seeds, ginger and chilli, and continue to cook for another minute.

Next add the spices, the remaining 100ml of stock, agave and lime juice and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring well.

If at any time during the cooking process the mixture looks to be too dry, add a splash of water.

Now add in the soya mince, the besan flour and the egg replacement powder.

Combine everything well and allow to cool. Shape into small balls and chill in the refrigerator whilst you are cooking the curry.

At this stage, heat the oven to 200 degrees.

METHOD FOR CURRY

Start by putting the garlic, ginger and water in a food processor and blend into a paste.

Heat the oil in a pan, and when hot, add the panche poran if using. As soon as the seeds start to pop, add the onions and fry over a low heat until they are slightly softened.

Add the garlic and ginger paste and the spices and continue to cook until the mix starts to become quite dry.

Next add the chopped tomato, pepper, salt and water and bring to the boil. When it comes to a boil, reduce the hear to simmer, cover with a lid and cook for about 15-20 minutes. If the curry becomes too dry, just continue to add water.

At this stage, place the koftas on a backing sheet and place in the oven to cook for about 15 minutes until cooked through.

Remove the koftas from the oven and add to the curry sauce. Gently mix together and serve with basmati rice and/or nann breads or roti.

RECIPE NOTES

Make the Koftas in advance to make this a quicker dish to prepare.

RECIPE TIPS

The koftas can be frozen before being cooked and so you can make batches for future use.

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