This meat-free paella honours the spirit of the traditional paella Valenciana. Mushrooms provide the meaty component, alongside very traditional ingredients such as artichokes, beans, and sweet pepper.
Types of paella
When I make a version of a dish that is as deeply meaningful to a culture as paella is to the Spanish, I really try to understand the essence of the dish. While I realise that producing a vegan or vegetarian version does change the character of a dish, I do believe that, for many dishes, you can still retain the spirit of the dish. At its heart, paella is a rice dish, so I really believe that the veggie version can still be called paella.
As the lore goes, paella was traditionally a dish that was prepared in the fields by workers near the city of Valencia. They would bring rice with them and cook the paella over open fires, often made with the prunings of the orange groves. If the picture of cooking over the open fire in a Spanish orange grove is not enough to make you crave something that evokes that spirit, I don’t know what to tell you.
There are two traditional types of paella: paella valenciana contains meat and vegetables such as artichokes, beans, and peppers; and paella de marisco, which is seafood paella. There are other non-traditional types such as paella mixta, which contains both meat and seafood. This is not traditional and is mainly aimed at tourists. There are also there is paella negra, a seafood paella coloured with squid ink. We will be making vegetable paella inspired by the flavours of the paella Valenciana
What ingredients define paella?
There are three ingredients that every self-respecting paella recipe has in common: The right rice, saffron, and smoked paprika. Let’s start with the most fundamental ingredient of paella: The rice. You need a shortgrain rice to get the right consistency. The ideal would be a Spanish variety grown near Valencia. You are looking for a rice that can absorb a lot of liquid (and hence a lot of flavour) and still keep its structure. The prized variety of rice is arroz bomba. If you can’t get hold of a Spanish variety, Italian arborio rice is your next best bet. Just note that the texture you are aiming for is very different to risotto. Where a risotto is stirred to create a creamy consistency, the rice in paella is left undisturbed.
Next, saffron. Try to get your hands on saffron. Interesting fact – Spain grows about 70% of the world’s saffron. It contributes colour and a delicate flavour to the dish. Yes, turmeric also gives rice a similar colour, but don’t underestimate how different the flavours are.
Then, the paprika. Smoked paprika comes in two types: sweet and hot. For this, you want sweet smoked paprika. Again, try to get the right stuff, otherwise, you drift away from the intent of the dish. A rice dish with basmati rice, turmeric and plain paprika may well be tasty, but it won’t be paella. Also, don’t go overboard on the paprika – it is a strong flavour, and it can easily.
For the rest of the ingredients, I would say that there is a bit more flexibility. The herb of choice in many recipes seem to be rosemary, and I think it complements the other ingredients nicely. Traditional recipes would have some form of chicken. If you fry and season oyster mushrooms correctly, they have a meaty flavour and texture and make a great substitute in this application. I’ve rounded of the ingredients with red bell peppers, green beans, and artichokes. I also added some canned fava beans – they are a bit hard to find, so substitute them with another bean. My choice would be borlotti beans.
The pan makes the paella
While I don’t think you need to rush out to buy a specific paella pan to make a good version of the dish, you do need to give some thought to the utensil. You need to aim to have a fairly thin layer of rice in the finished product – maybe 2-3 centimetres (about an inch). The purists prefer a fairly thin carbon steel pan. I have cooked mine in a traditional pan, as well as a carbon steel pan, and I was happy with the results of both. You want to avoid a deep, high sided pot.
I think now is also the time to talk about another component of the paella – the layer of toasted rice at the bottom of the paella. This is called the socarrat. Seasoned carbon steel seems to work well to encourage the crust to form, while also not sticking too badly that you can release the crust to eat it.
Vegetarian paella with artichokes
Equipment
- paella pan, or another large, flat pan
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 400 g oyster mushrooms
- 2 large red sweet peppers
- 2 large plum tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 pinch saffron
- ½ cup boiling water to soak saffron in
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 jar artichokes
- 1 bag green beans
- 1 can fava beans
- sprig rosemary
- 2 cups paella rice
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1 whole Lemon cut into wedges to serve
Instructions
Do your mise en place
- There are times when I just prep things on the go, but this recipe really responds well to having everything ready to go when the pan goes on to the heat. Things move quickly, and it pays to have things ready.
- Soak the saffron in boiling water. This is important, or the flavour and colour won't stpreadthrough the dish as it should.
- Remove any tough stems from the oyster mushrooms
- Cut the top of the red peppers, halve them, then slice into strips lenght wise.
- Chop the tomato into a very fine dice. It should pretty much be a pulp.
- Slice the green beans into pieces.
- Heat your stock.
- Drain the artichokes and canned beans
Start frying
- Heat olive oil in the pan. Add the mushrooms, frying them until they are well brown. Press down on them with a spatula to get even browning and to release moisture. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper.
- Remove the mushrooms to a plate, and add the red peppers. Fry the peppers until they have coloured a bit. Return the mushrooms to the pan, and add the tomato and garlic. Stir for a minute, then add the artichokes, green beans, canned beans and smoked paprika. Stir to mix. Add the paella rice, and stir to mix the rice with the other ingredients. Now, add the vegetable stock and saffron water.
Cook the rice
- Bring the liquid to a boil, and then reduce the heat a little (you want a vigorous simmer). Don't stir the rice. You may need to turn the heat down just a little as the liquid evaporates. All the liquid should be absorbed by the end, and the rice should be cooked but not too soft. You can add a little more water or stock if the rice is not cooked to your liking by the time the liquid has evaporated. This should take about 20 mins.
- When the liquid has evaporated, turn the heat low and let the rice toast for a minute or two. Here you have to rely on your senses -it should smell toasty not burnt. Remove from heat and serve!
Vegan Tikka Masala
This vegan tikka masala features a silky, creamy tomato sauce, roast onions and peppers, and tofu. Blended cashew nuts are used to create a luxurious creamy sauce. It is one of my favourite Friday night treats – this is exactly what I crave after a long week. Nothing says it is the weekend like a curry, naan and a beer.
What is Tikka Masala?
The first important thing to note is that Tikka Masala is, most likely, not a traditional Indian dish. It likely originated in the UK (although not all sources agree). It is somewhat similar to butter chicken, in that the meat-based versions feature chicken pieces in a creamy sauce.
Recipes vary significantly. The common elements in traditional versions include marinated, roast meat and vegetables (done in the tandoor if it is a restaurant version), and a creamy tomato sauce. The version that I used to get from my local curry place had lovely sweet roast onions and peppers alongside roast chicken. I definitely wanted to retain the roast vegetables in my plant-based version. Use smoked tofu, because I feel like it gives in a little of that roast, smoky flavour that comes from the high temperatures of the tandoor oven. Vegan Tikka Masala can really be just as flavourful as the original.
Spices
Most versions feature Garam Masala, Cumin and Turmeric, as well as some form of chilli powder. In addition to these, I also include black pepper and paprika, for added depth of flavour and bolder colour. My chilli powder of choice is Kashmiri chilli. It has a beautiful, deep red colour and great flavour. It is well worth getting – I use it in many curries.
Creaminess
Traditional versions use quite a lot of heavy cream, yoghurt or both to create the creamy sauce. I opted to use cashews, as I believe they give more of a buttery flavour than coconut milk. Also, I always have cashews on hand and you are never stuck with half a container going bad in the fridge. I buy cashews in bulk and keep them in the freezer. You want to buy the raw, unsalted kind. I also use a smooth tomato puree, because I like the final sauce to be silky rather than chunky.
Substitutions and variations
Tofu is a great fit in this recipe. It is reminiscent of paneer, and it works really well in this flavourful sauce. However, you easily substitute this with some other options. Cauliflower works well. If you use cauliflower, roast it with the onions and peppers. Chickpeas are another good option. Simply add a can to the sauce.
What to serve with the Tikka Masala?
I love serving it with some freshly made garlic naan. It is also great with some plain basmati rice, but it really doesn’t need much more than that.
Vegan Tikka Masala
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
For the roast vegetables
- 4 Small sweet peppers
- 1 Large red onion
Make the sauce
- 1 Large onions
- 2 Clove garlic
- 1 Thumb sized piece of ginger
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp Fenugreek
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder Substitute half the amount cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp Coarse ground black pepper
- ½ cup Raw cashew nuts
- 1 jar Tomato puree
- 1 Block Tofu Use smoked if you have it
- ⅓ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Sugar
- Coriander / cilantro for garnish
Instructions
Roast the vegetables
- Heat the oven to 200°C /392°F
- Halve the peppers length-wise, and deseed the peppers. Cut each half in quarters. Peel the onions, half them lengthwise as well and cut into quarters. Lay these out on a baking tray and pop them into the oven. Roast them until the edges of the onions are dark and the skins of the peppers start to blacken.
For the sauce
- Meanwhile, start the sauce. Chop the onion, garlic and ginger (keep separate, becasue you want add the onions first).
- Add a little oil to a pot, and add the cumin seeds and the fenugreek. When you hear them popping, add the onions. Saute until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, and saute a minute or two longer.
- Add about a cup of water, and the cashews. Now add all the spices (turmeric, cumin powder, garam masala, black pepper, paprika, and chilli powder)
- Simmer the cashews for about 10 minutes to soften them. Let them cool slightly, and blend until smooth. If you don't want to wait, mix in some of the cold tomato puree.
- Return the blended mixture to the pot, and add the tomatoes if you have not done so in the previous step. Bring to a simmer.
Combine the dish
- Dice the tofu and add to the sauce. When the peppers and onion are roasted, skin the peppers if you prefer (I tend to leave the skin on) and add to the sauce.
- Let the sauce simmer for about five minutes, and taste. Add salt and the sugar to taste.
- Garnish with coriander/cilantro/dhania
Nutrition
Argentinian lentil empanadas
I’m always looking for interesting flavour combinations that add a bit of variety. These empanadas combine paprika, cumin, green olives and raisins. The lentils used in this vegan version works perfectly and adds a great earthy flavour. The crust is light and crispy, without going overboard on fat. I just love little hand pies – everything tastes better in a crust.
Making the vegan empanada dough
The dough is fairly most, so make sure you have plenty of flour on your surface as you work to prevent sticking. Most traditional recipes use egg, hence I opted to include some mung bean egg. I will do a more detailed recipe for making mung bean egg in the future, but in short, you soak a cup of yellow split mung beans overnight in water, and blend this up with half a cup of plant milk until smooth. This will make a lot, but I’ve been using this in many recipes. You can also make a scramble with this mix.
I’ve use a 50/50 mix of wholewheat and white flour. You can go all white or all whole wheat, but you will have to adjust the liquid appropriately – whole wheat flour is thirstier.
The dough is reasonably forgiving of re-working, so roll out the offcuts to make more circles. Or, sometimes I just cut squares and avoid waste altogether.
Argentinian lentil empanadas
Equipment
- Large cookie press
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup white bread flour
- 180 g coconut milk
- 1/4 cup mung bean egg see notes, or use extra coconut milk
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the filling
- 150 g dry brown lentils about 3/4 cup
- 1 onion
- 1 stick celery
- 1 carrot grated
- 1 large red or yellow bell pepper
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tbs miso paste
- 1 tbs wine or sherry vinegar
- 1/4 cup stoned sliced olives
- 50 g raisins (about 1/4 cup
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180°C/356°F.
- Get the lentils cooking in salted water or stock. This should take about 20 minutes
- First, make the dough. Combine all the ingredients and stir until just combined. Give the dough a very quick knead. Don’t overwork the dough. The dough will be somewhat soft, but should not be sticky. Cover the dough with plastic (or put in in a sealed container, and let it rest in the fridge while you work on the filling
- Dice the onion, slice the celery, grate the carrot, and dice the sweet pepper. Mix all these veg and saute until soft. When the onions are sweet and translucent, add the garlic. Garlic gets too bitter if it browns too much IMO. Your lentils should be nearly done by now. If not, pause at this stage until they are done.
- When the garlic has been in for a minute or two, add the cumin, paprika, and oregano. Let the spices cook for 30 seconds or so, then add the drained lentils. Now add the miso, raisins, and olives, vinegar, and a splash water (about a quarter cup, depending on how moist your lentils were. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cook for 5-10 minutes. You want the mixture to be fairly dry.
- Take your filling of the heat. Ideally, let it cool for a while.
- Roll out the dough, until it is about 5mm thick. Punch out circles of about 10cm. This is bigger than most cookie cutters – I use my nutribullter cup. Put a heaped tablespoon filling in the center of the circle, fold over, and seal with a fork
- Brush the pies with a little soy milk. Bake for about 30 minutes until golden brown
Notes
Nutrition
Tempeh Bulgogi
There are some dishes that are super easy to veganize. This is one of them! Since the marinade is really flavourful, you (or your guests) won’t miss the meat in this dish. Another bonus is that the marinade ingredients really are pantry staples.
Traditionally, you would serve this with Asian pear. I have never had asian pear, but nectarines are a great substitute. If you happen to be stuck inside your house, there is a lot of room for improvisation here. Instead of lettuce cups, a Bulgogi bowl with rice, sesame, nectarine, spring onion, and perhaps some bok choy would also be great. You just need something a sweet and some crunch to complement the Bulgogi.
Tempeh Bulgogi
Ingredients
- 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbs water
- 2 Tbs sugar
- 2 Tbs rice vinegar
- 1-2 tsp chilli paste
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 220 g tempeh
- 1 head Romaine or cos lettuce
- 3 tbsp Sesame seeds
- bunch Spring onion
- 3 Nectarines
Instructions
- Mix the soy sace, water, sugar, chilli pate, sesame oil and garlic. Marinate sliced tempeh for 15 – 30mins
- Prepare the lettuce and garnishes: seperate the lettuce leaves, finely slice the spring onion and slice the necatrine. Lightly toast the sesame seeds
- Remove the tempeh slices from the marinade and fry in a hot pan. Baste occasionally with reserved marindae. You should aim to get a nice browing on the slices
- When the tempeh is done, serve with the garnishes. To eat, take a lettuce leave, some tempeh, spring onion, nectarine and sprinkle a bit of sesame seeds
Nutrition
The best chilli non carne
This is my go to recipe for a vegan chilli, a.k.a. chilli non carne. It has an amazing depth of flavour and just the perfect texture by combining beans and grains. Cocoa and molasses and that special something to the recipe
Chilli is one of my go-to meals. A quick version can be a good week night meal, but this version really benefits from a slower cook. This recipe is the results of years of experimentation and is rich and complex. The bulgur wheat may seem like an odd addition, but it is an excellent stand in for ground beef. It really soaks up the flavours and brings everything together. The other slightly odd ingredient is cacao. It gives this chilli a lot of depth and complexity, so please don’t skip it.
Chille non carne
Ingredients
- 2 large onions
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 tbs cumin
- 2 tsp fennels seeds ground up
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 0.5 – 1 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tbsp cacao
- 2 cans tomato
- 1 can black beans
- 1/2 cup uncooked bulghur wheat
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon molasses
Instructions
- Dice the onion and saute until soft and lightly browned. When the onion are nearly done, add the garlic. After a minute, add the cumin, fennel, coriander and smoked paprika. Stir and let the spices toast for a minute or two until they become fragrant. Add the tomatoes before the spices burn or stick
- After the tomatoes, add the beans, bulgur what, vegetable broth and molasses. Season with salt to taste. Simmer for 30 – 45 minutes.
Nutrition
Home smoked tofu without a smoker
This method allows you to make homemade smoked tofu without a smoker. It is quick, and easy and cleanup is effortless. You don’t even need wood chips – tea and rice will be the smoking medium
What equipment do I need?
A suitable pot or wok. I use a carbon steel wok I’ve had for years. Any cast iron pot will also work. I’d avoid stainless steel pots, as the dry heat you will be applying may damage the pot. You will need a lid that fits on the pan or wok.
- A cooling rack, metal grill, or metal trivet that you can place inside the wok. The food will rest on this grill, and you will need some space between the smoking medium at the bottom of the wok and this rack.
- Enough foil to line the wok
- Rice and tea leaves to act as a smoking medium
- How to smoke tofu
Begin by lining your pan or wok with foil. Use enough so that there is at least two to three cm (about 1 inch) excess over the edges. Add a handful of rice to the bottom of the wok, and about 3-4 teabags of tea. You can also use a few heaped teaspoons of loose leaf tea. The rice helps to regulate the burn of the tea leaves.
Position your rack above the smoking medium. I have a round steel trivet that works really well with my wok – the curvature of the wok means that there is an inch or so gap between the rice/tea mixture and the trivet. If you are using a flat bottomed pan, you will need something to lift the rack from the bottom of the pan. One option is to use an inverted foil tray with holes pocked into it.
Place the food on top of the rack. Do not let the food touch the sides of the pan, as the bits that touch the sides will burn. This is what my setup looks like at this stage. The tofu shown here is marinated, but you can smoke it plain.
Put a lid on the wok. Fold the excess foil over the lid to improve the seal. Place on high heat. After about 5-10 minutes, you will see a little smoke escaping. Reduce the heat medium. I use about a 20 minute smoking time. If you prefer a milder smoked taste, check the tofu after 10 minutes and taste a piece. If, at this stage, you feel you would like a stronger smoky taste, just check if there is still some unburnt tea before returning the wok to heat.
Tea smoked tofu
Equipment
- Wok
- wire rack
Ingredients
- 2 blocks tofu
- 1 handful rice
- 4 tsp tea
Instructions
- Press the tofu for about 30 minutes. I do this by placing the blocks between two cutting boards, and putting my nice heavy cast iron mortar and pestle on top of this.
- Slice the tofu into 1 cm / half inch slices. Baste with a marinade if using.
- Line a suitable (see notes above) wok/pot with foil, and use enough to wrap back over the lid to seal. Put the rice and tea in the bottom. Put your rack on top of this, ensuring that there is some space betweem the rice and tea mixture and the rack. Read the notes above the recipe for more details
- Place the tofu slices on the rack. Make sure the tofu is not touching the sides of the wok. Cover with the wok lid and seal with foil. You can also place a wet tea towel around edges
- Put the wok on high heat. Reduce the heat after about five minutes. Smoke for 10-20 minutes, depending on how smoky you want it. On your first attempt, you may want to start with about 10 minutes. You can always reseal the pot and smoke it again if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Vegan Bobotie
This vegan bobotie recipe has all the flavor of the original South African bobotie. It is spicy, fragrant and delicious. It is a special dish, so if you are in the mood to try something unique, this is the dish for you.
What is Bobotie?
Bobotie is a traditional South African casserole. A few key elements define this dish: A sweet, savory, spicy filling that is bound with bread soaked in milk. Traditionally, this filling is made with ground beef or lamb. It is spiced with a generous amount of cinnamon, turmeric, and cloves. The spiciness is balanced with sweetness, The sweetness from jam or chutney, raisins, and even apples.
This filling is bound together with bread soaked in milk, giving it a slightly creamy texture and prevents the topping from soaking into the filling. Lastly, the dish traditionally topped with a savory custard and is decorated with bay leaves
How to make a healthy, plant based bobotie?
I found this dish pretty easy to adapt since there are so many components that add flavor to the dish that replacing the meat doesn’t affect the flavor that much. I’ve replaced the ground beef with a lentil and walnut combination. The topping was a bit trickier. I considered a blended tofu-based topping, but for this version I decided on a fluffy chickpea flour batter, flavored with turmeric. It is visually spot on, and it brings the dish together in terms of flavor and texture.
In my family, Bobotie is served with yellow rice, simple tomato and onion sambal, toasted desiccated coconut, fresh sliced banana, and chutney. I can really recommend going for the full spread. If you live outside South Africa, you may not be able to find the exact equivalent of the chutneys we enjoy here, but look for one that is sweet and fruity and you should be on the right track.
Yellow rice is simply rice cooked with turmeric, sticks of cinnamon, and raisins. While traditional recipes would add some butter and sugar. I add just a little brown sugar and rely on the raisins for sweetness.
Vegan Bobotie
Ingredients
- 1½ cup dry lentils
- 2 onions
- 3 carrots
- ¾ cup walnuts
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼-½ tsp ground cloves The upper range will give you a strong clove flavour, which I enjoy
- 1½ tsp allspice
- 2 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp cayenne
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 2 apples grated
- 3 tablespoons apricot jam
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 slices wholewheat bread soaked in almond milk
- 1 lemon juice and zest
For the topping
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup almond milk
- 2-3 Bay leaves optional, for decoration
Instructions
- Boil the lentils for 20-25 minutes until cooked
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 360°F
- Finely chop the onion in a food processor.
- Saute the chopped onion until soft and translucent
- While the onions are cooking, process the walnuts and carrots to a breadcrumb texture
- Add the carrot mix to the pan with the onions. Saute for a few minutes.
- Add the spices and garlic.
- Process the cooked lentils. Don’t let them get too fine.
- Add the lentils to the pot.
- Add the grated apple, apricot jam, raisins and soy sauce. Cook the mixture over low heat for a few minutes. Add lemon juice and adjust seasoning.
- Meanwhile, soak the bread in a little almond milk. Mash the bread with a fork and add to the mixture. Yes, this seems weird but it is important to the texture of the dish.
- Put your lentil mixture in a casserole dish. You want to create a fairly smooth surface and pack things fairly tightly, or the topping will sink into the gaps.
- Now, make the topping. Mix all the dry ingredients, and then slowly mix in the almond milk to form a smooth batter.
- Pour on top of the lentil mix in the casserole
- Decorate with bay leaves or cloves
- Bake for 20-30 minutes until the topping is puffed and golden.