Tag Archives: curry

Feb 19 2013
48 Comments
Dips and Spreads, Lunch, Salads, Sandwiches, Vegetables

Coconut Curry Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce WrapsPlant-based lunch options are few and far between in Amarillo, Texas on Sundays.  Which is why during a recent road trip we opted to go to a Natural Grocers in search of munchies.  Along with some almond butter, sweet potato chips and a bag of vegan chocolate chip cookies, I grabbed a container of Thai Coconut Curry Hummus (vegan, kosher, gluten-free and organic!) by Hope Hummus.  Boy Howdy!  It was absolutely delicious.  I’ve never seen this brand before and since I won’t be finding it in my local Walmart any time soon, I knew I had to recreate it for myself.  It makes a great dip but it’s even better as a sandwich spread. (And it sure beats a meal at The Big Texan, home of the *free* 72 oz. steak.)

In a huge world of deliciously-creative and beautifully-photographed vegan food blogs,the site Vegan Richa is a stand-out.  I’ve been lucky enough to get a little bit acquainted with the force behind this blog and today I want to say thank you to Richa who turned out to be my Valentine this year as part of a vegan food swap.  Lucky me and oh the goodness!  Lovely spices, quinoa chivda, chocolate, Biscoff Spread (something I’d been eyeing for ages) and lots of other thoughtful goodies.  Here’s an Instagram shot:

Goodies from Richa

One year ago today: Pumpkin-Carrot Cake-Ginger Pancakes
One year and one day ago today: Stealing from Friends: Double Chocolate Chip Cookies w/ Blueberries

Sharing this recipe on Healthy Vegan Friday on Veggie Nook!

Coconut Curry Lettuce Wraps
Makes a boatload

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. coconut milk
1/4 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut soaked for a few hours in 1/2 cup water (do not drain)
1 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp. maple syrup
juice of 1 lime
1 heaping tbsp. tahini
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded
1 tsp. dried onion flakes
1/2″ nubbin ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. curry powder
big handful of fresh cilantro

big, fresh romaine lettuce leaves
shredded carrot
shredded zucchini
sliced English cucumber
pickled ginger
sesame seeds

In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients (except the lettuce, carrot, zucchini, cucumber, ginger and sesame seeds) and process until smooth.  The flavor of this spread develops over time so it’s best to make this ahead and store in the refrigerator for a few hours.  It has a bit of a kick to it, so lessen the amount of jalapeno if you like.

When ready to serve, generously coat the lettuce with the coconut curry spread and top with the carrot, zucchini, cucumber, ginger and sesame seeds.

Spread Ingredients

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Oct 06 2012
23 Comments
Main Dishes, Slow Food, Tempeh, VeganMoFo

Vegan MoFo: Curried Tempeh & Veggie Wraps with Cilantro-Mint-Cashew “Chutney”

Curried Tempeh WrapOne of my favorite “go-to” vegan-meets-non-vegan-for-dinner restaurants is Oasis Cafe in Salt Lake City.  Their menu offers both meat, vegetarian and vegan entrees (clearly marked on the menu) and many other dishes can be altered to exclude meat and dairy.  Kel and I went there the other day for lunch and instead of getting my usual tempeh gyro – which I normally cannot resist – I ordered the curried tofu wrap.  I was delicious, but I kept thinking it could’ve been better.  Not so much better, but more.  As in more flavor.  It was as if they got all of the parts right, but the complete package was lacking something. It became my challenge to try and make a better version at home.  Here, tempeh replaces the tofu and I went with potatoes and cauliflower instead of yellow squash.  I just like ‘em better.  (Kristy, garbonzo beans would be good, too…)

By the way, the list of VVP participants is looking mighty fine!  Check it out here.  To get your name added to the list, visit the home of the Virtual Vegan Potluck and sign up!

Curried Tempeh & Veggie Wraps
Makes 6-8

Marinade/sauce:
1 13 oz. can light coconut milk
1 tbsp. white miso
1 tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos
1/4 cup vegetable broth
juice of one lime
small nubbin fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
dash turmeric
1 1/2 tbsp. curry powder
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 stalk celery, chopped
pinch ground black pepper

Tempeh & Vegetables:
1 small head cauliflower, chopped into small chunks
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 8 oz. package tempeh, cut into cubes and marinated overnight in sauce
1 large onion, peeled and cut into thick slices

“Chutney”:
1/4 cup raisins, soaked in hot water for ~15 minutes
small nubbin ginger, peeled and grated
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed
1/2 bunch fresh mint, stems removed
1/2 cup cashews
4 oz. unsweetened applesauce

6-8 whole wheat pitas or tortillas

Chutney & Sauce

Make the “chutney”
Drain the raisins.  Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and mix until nearly smooth.  Put the chutney in a small bowl and set aside.

Make the curried tempeh/vegetables
In a blender, combine all of the marinade/sauce ingredients and process until smooth.  In a shallow dish, combine about one quarter of the sauce with the cubed tempeh, cover and refrigerate overnight.  The next day, remove the tempeh from the marinade, reserving the marinade still in the dish.  Place the tempeh on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes in a 425F oven, turning occasionally, until browned.

While the tempeh bakes, prepare the vegetables.  Combine the vegetables on a large baking sheet and toss with a few tablespoons of vegetable broth or water.  Bake in a 425F oven, turning occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften.  Remove the pan and stir in a 1/4 cup or so of the marinade/sauce.  Return to the oven and cook for another 10 minutes or so – until the vegetables are very soft.  Remove from the oven and stir in the tempeh.

While the vegetables cook, warm the remaining marinade/sauce in a small saucepan.  When the vegetables are finished cooking and you’ve combined them with the tempeh, pour the remaining warmed sauce over everything and stir to combine.

Assemble the wraps
Spread the “chutney” on the tortillas or inside of the pita breads; divide curry mixture among the wraps, roll up and serve.

The curried tempeh and vegetable mixture also tastes great over steamed brown rice.

Cauliflower

Vegan MoFo

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Nov 29 2011
5 Comments
Main Dishes, Slow Food, Soups and Stews

Slow-Cooker Curried Garbanzo Beans and Kale

Bowl of Curried ChickpeasThe blueprint for this simple, slow-cooker recipe comes from Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., MD, my current cookbook bible.  The original recipe has this prepared in a pressure cooker, an item I do not own (and truthfully, I’m a bit afraid of them).  I omitted the soy milk, used kale instead of spinach (because of a bumper crop in our garden),  and added the brown rice as well as garlic, cumin and coriander.  Other delicious additions might be chopped carrots and celery, diced potato and cauliflower florets.

Slow-Cooker Curried Garbanzo Beans and Kale
Serves 4-6

1 pound dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water to cover
3 cups vegetable broth
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with chilies
1 cup cooked brown rice
4 cups kale (or spinach or Swiss chard) roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Put everything except the rice and kale in the slow-cooker.  Stir to combine.  Turn on to low and cook for 6-8 hours, or until garbanzo beans are tender.  About a half an hour before serving, stir in the brown rice and the kale.  Serve topped with lots of fresh cilantro.

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Nov 04 2011
2 Comments
Dressings and Sauces, Slow Food

Sweet and Spicy Tomato Chutney

Tomato Chutney in BowlThis is one of those recipes that needs long, slow cooking – perfect for a chilly fall or winter day when being in a warm kitchen sounds like heaven and the thought of going outside is too harsh to contemplate.  The ingredients come together quickly so most of the work is done on the stove top, with only the occasional stir when you remember to lift your nose from your book and your mug of tea.  And when the chutney is done, it offers additional warmth – via curry powder, chili powder and garlic – to your stomach.  It’s just the right complement for a rich curry or alongside some other fragrant, complex dish.

Sweet and Spicy Tomato Chutney
Makes a lot!

4 pounds of ripe tomatoes
1″ piece of ginger, peeled and cut into pieces
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 cup maple sugar (or to taste)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 onions, diced
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 medium-sized apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 tsp. chile powder
1 tbsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. coriander
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the tomatoes.  Remove and drain when you see the skins start to split and peel.  When tomatoes are cool, remove skins, cut into chunks (removing any tough core parts).  Place in the bowl of a food processor.  You may have to do the tomatoes in batches depending on the size of your processor.  Add the garlic and ginger and process until smooth.

Place tomato mixture into a large saucepan and add the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.  Bring to a low boil, then turn down the heat to low and simmer for several hours, or until the desired (thick!) consistency is reached.

(The original recipe came from Allrecipes.com.  I reduced the amount of sugar by 1/2 – and instead of brown, I used maple sugar.  I also switched up the type of vinegar and increased the amount of raisins and added the apple.  I like a chunky chutney!)

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Oct 31 2011
3 Comments
Main Dishes, Stir Fry

Happy Halloween! Pumpkin Coconut Curry with Dry-Fried Tofu

Bowl of Pumpkin CurryI can’t resist the small pie pumpkins that appear in stores this time of year – always it seems, in huge piles in giant cardboard boxes.  So many cute pumpkins!  Usually I roast them and scrape out the flesh to make pies, or I freeze some and incorporate it into pancakes, biscuits or muffins.  A few weeks ago I came across a pumpkin green curry recipe (in an issue of Women’s Health) for which one small pie pumpkin is perfect.  The original recipe says to “steam the pumpkin” once it’s been cut into bite-sized cubes, which sounds like a great idea except that splitting open a pumpkin is not a simple affair.  My regular knife bounced off the gourd like a kid on a trampoline.  The cleaver was employed to cut mine into quarters and even then, peeling proved to be impossible.  So I placed the quarters on parchment paper on a baking sheet and roasted for about 25-30 minutes at 425F, then scooped out the flesh and cut into chunks.  It worked just fine.

Pumpkin Curry IngredientsPumpkin Coconut Curry with Dry-Fried Tofu
Serves 4

~1 lb. extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into 16 pieces
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
4 cups pumpkin, cut into small cubes (or roast, as I did)
8 oz. package of crimini mushrooms, quartered
3 cups broccoli, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
2 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced (or grated with microplane)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup vegetable broth + more for stir-frying
3 tbsp. green curry paste
4 tsp. soy sauce or tamari
1 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, for garnish
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
2 cups hot brown jasmine rice

Prepare jasmine rice (on stovetop or in rice cooker).  Season tofu with salt and pepper.  Arrange in a single layer in a non-stick pan – do not add any oil.  Heat tofu over medium-high heat, pressing to release any liquid and cook for about 5 minutes per side or until nicely browned.  Remove from pan and slice into strips.  Set aside.

If not roasting pumpkin: place pumpkin chunks in a large steamer basket and steam for about 5 minutes.  Add the broccoli florets and steam for another 5 minutes or until vegetables are soft – broccoli should still be bright green.

Heat 1/4 cup or so of vegetable broth in a saute pan over medium heat.  Add shallots, ginger, garlic, mushrooms and red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant – do not brown.  Add coconut milk, 1/2 cup vegetable broth, curry paste and soy sauce and bring to a boil.

Add tofu, pumpkin* and broccoli – stir very gently so as not to break apart the pumpkin.  (*I decided to add the pumpkin as a kind of garnish on the top of the curry so as not to break it down too much.)  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until liquid thickens, about 4-5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Divide jasmine rice between 4 bowls, top with pumpkin curry and garnish with lots of basil and cilantro.

Close up of Cut Pumpkin

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