Tag Archive for 'Vegan'

Kinpira Miso Gobo (Burdock with Miso)

Published
by
marc
on August 19, 2008
in Japanese, Side, Vegan, Vegetable and Vegetarian
. 6 Comments

For those not familiar with gobo (or burdock), it’s one of those wonder-veggies that has loads of fiber, iron and calcium. When lightly sauteed it’s got a pleasantly fibrous crunchy texture without being stringy or tough. When cooked for longer periods of time it will get tender while retaining it’s structure. Flavor wise, gobo is earthy, minerally, and just tastes “healthy”, but not in an overpowering medicinal kind of way.

If you don’t have a Japanese market near you, you may have a hard time finding it, but it’s the taproot of a common “weed” that grows all over the world. Here in NY, you needn’t look further than a patch of dirt disturbed by humans and you’ll find it growing all over the place.

“Kinpira” is type of Japanese dish that involves sauteing then simmering root veggies cut into thin strips. Kinpira Gobo is a very common side dish served with rice that’s typically seasoned with mirin, soy sauce and sugar. For my version I used miso and ground sesame seeds to compliment the earthiness of the gobo. It’s not a traditional preparation, but the flavors are very Japanese.

This isn’t really intended to be served as a main dish, but rather as “okazu” or something that goes along with rice and your main dish. A typical Japanese dinner might include a small grilled fish, a few types of okazu, a bowl of rice and bowl of miso soup.

1 gobo (burdock root about 2-3 feet long)
1 Tbs oil
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbs mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
1 Tbs white miso
3 Tbs water
3 Tbs ground toasted sesame seeds*

To prepare the burdock you’ll need to scrub it thoroughly with a rough sponge or a food brush. If you don’t have either you could run the blade of a knife along the root at a 90 degree angle to scrape the brown skin off. You could use a vegetable peeler but these roots are relatively thin so if you use a peeler there won’t be much root left to eat.

Cut burdock will start turning brown on contact with air, so it’s best to work in small batches and put the cut burdock in a bowl of water. Cut off a 2″ length of burdock using a sharp knife and slice in to 1/16″ slices lengthwise. Then cut the slices in the other direction lengthwise to form thin matchsticks. Soak the matchsticks in water until you’re ready to use them.

Heat 1 Tbs of oil in a pot until hot. Drain the gobo and add to the pot (be careful as the hot oil will spatter). Stir fry for about a minute until the gobo is well coated with oil and starting to cook. Add the sugar and mirin and stir. Add the miso and water stiring until the miso is dissolved. Cover and turn down the heat and simmer for a few more minutes. I like my gobo on the crunchy side so I let it cook for another 2-3 minutes covered, but if you want it softer, cook it for 5-10 minutes.

When it’s cooked, add the ground toasted sesame seeds, stir, then plate. You can garnish with some whole toasted sesame seeds and chili flakes.

* To toast sesame seeds, just add sesame seeds to a pan and heat the pan using a swirling motion to keep the seeds moving at all times. It will turn a nice golden color and will smell like sesame when it’s done. To grind, you can use a spice grinder, a pepper mill, a food processor, or if you like to kick it old skool, use a mortar and pestle.

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Chickpeas with spring greens (vegan)

Published
by
marc
on April 23, 2008
in Soups & Stews, Spring, Vegan, Vegetable and Vegetarian
. 4 Comments

If I were ever to become a vegetarian, I’d have to move to the south of India. In an area that’s primarily vegetarian, the people have adapted the use of spices and aromatics to infuse even the most humble vegetables with loads of umami.

This is something I came up with last night based on a 5 year old memory of a dish I had at a Keralan restaurant once. If you’re looking for an authentic Chana Masala, you’ll have to look elsewhere. However if you want something light and fresh while savory and deeply satisfying, this is your dish. On one side, ingredients like the chickpeas, onions and spices add some savory heft to it, while the curry leaves, spring greens and lemon juice pull it back in the other direction.

Simple to cook and easy to clean up, the only problem you’ll have making this is that you’ll want to eat all of it!

2 tsp oil
10 curry leaves chopped
1 Tbs ginger minced
1 large clove of garlic minced
1 serrano or jalepeno pepper minced
1/4 onion diced
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp turmeric
14 oz can whole tomatoes in juice
15 oz can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
2 medium swiss chard leaves roughly chopped
5-6 ramps roughly chopped

Lemon wedges for serving

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat until very hot. Add the curry leaves and ginger, frying until fragrant. Add the garlic, peppers, onions and spices and saute until the onions are tender.

Add the tomatoes by crushing them through your fingers along with the juice. If this is too messy for you, you can chop them, but i like the chunky texture of hand crushed tomatoes. Add the chickpeas then turn down the heat to simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

When most of the liquid is gone and what remains creates a nice thick sauce, add the chopped swiss chard, cover and cook for a few minutes until the chard is bright green and wilted. Add the ramps and cook for another minute or two.

Serve immediately with lemon wedges for squishing and some quinoa or Chapatis.

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Kasha corn fritters (vegan)

Published
by
marc
on April 19, 2008
in Appetizer, Vegan and Vegetarian
. 10 Comments

Being a meat eater these days seems a bit like being a smoker 20 years ago (still socially accepted, but something that meat eaters are starting to feel guilty about). I know I’ve been posting a lot of meat dishes lately, so consider this recipe this week’s mia culpa (something I’m sure I’ll be doing with some frequency).

These shallow fried fritter’s are crispy on the outside and soft and spicy on the inside with little bursts of sweet crispy corn. Because there is no flour or egg to bind it all together it’s very delicate, but what it lacks in cohesiveness it makes up in a wonderful soft crumbly texture on the inside. I suppose this may also qualify as gluten-free, though I’m no expert.

If you can get your hands on fresh curry leaves, they add a wonderful fresh aroma that’s a bit hard to describe. I got a bag from a co-worker who picked them up at a spice market here in Manhattan. They shouldn’t be confused with “curry powder” as they are not related. Curry powder, as it turns out, is a British blend of spices created to approximate the taste of “Indian food”… who knew?

2 C cooked kasha (make it with a little extra water)
1/2 C fresh corn (or well drained canned/frozen corn)
6-8 small fresh curry leaves cut into a chiffonade (optional)
1 serrano or jalepeno pepper seeded and minced
1/4 C minced onion
2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

oil for frying

When cooking the kasha, make sure you add some extra water (how much will depend on the type of kasha you’re making). The idea is to get it to a soft state where it turns into a paste as you stir it. I know, this sound unappealing but it’s essential to get the ingredients to bind into patties and the frying will fix the texture. If it’s not pasty enough, try adding a bit more water and cooking for a little longer.

Mix all the ingredients together until it forms a rough paste.

Heat a pan over medium heat adding a thin layer of oil that’s thick enough to cover the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, form a ball of kasha mixture between your palms then squish it flat making sure all the edges are sticking together.

Gently place this in the hot oil. Be very careful as the corn will have a tendency to pop, splattering hot oil everywhere (if you have a spatter shield, it might be a good idea to use it). Repeat with the rest of the kasha until the pan is full. Wait until you see the sides of the fritters turn golden brown, then using 2 spatula’s (1 on top, 1 on the bottom), flip the fritters over cooking until the second side is well browned. You mean need to clean up the floaties in the oil between batches so they don’t burn.

Remove to a plate lined with several layers of paper towels and allow to drain. Serve immediately. I served them with some Thai sweet chili sauce and a mint yogurt sauce (1/4 C plain yogurt, 1 Tbs minced mint)

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