samosa-inspired potatoes with green peas

This potato dish was inspired by the samosa stuffed baked potato recipe in Veganomicon. I made it to skip the fuss of twice-baked potatoes, but it probably takes just as much time as the original.

5-6 medium to small red potatoes (boiled and cubed)

3 tablespoons oil (coconut or peanut)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 medium onion, diced
1 medium-to-large carrot, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
1 teaspoon coriander seed powder
2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
2 tablespoons of water, more if necessary

3/4 cup frozen green peas, rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes (or 4-6 roma tomatoes, chopped)
black pepper to taste
1 red bell pepper, in chunks

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1. Cook the potatoes. Place them in a medium-sized pot and fill to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil at medium high heat. Lower the heat and let it bubble away partly covered. 15 minutes seems to be a good time so the potatoes are soft but not too crumbly. Check them by stabbing with a fork. I chose red potatoes because cursory internet research indicated that they were most likely to stay firm.
2. Heat up the oil in a large skillet. Medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds, wait for them to start popping. Once they are popping nicely, add the onions and carrots. Lower the heat to medium. Cook the carrots and onions for approx. 7 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
3. Add the garlic, ginger, spices (coriander, cumin, turmeric) and salt. Add a splash of water and stir thoroughly. Cook for a couple minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, green peas, and potatoes. Stir, but don’t be too vigorous or else the potato chunks will disintegrate. Add water if it is sticking to the pan. Cook covered for a few minutes to heat the potatoes. Add the red pepper and black pepper. Cook covered for a couple more minutes.
5. Stir in the cilantro. Serve.

Mushrooms would be a good addition to this dish. Add them between steps 3 and 4.

My Indian recipes all tend to look time consuming with multiple steps, but it really doesn’t take too long once the potatoes are boiled and onion chopped. And they are so delicious, it is worth it.

Red & Green Congee and Rice Noodles

You’ll have to take my word that the recipes were colorful because I have no photos.

Red & Green Congee

1/2 cup small red beans (soaked overnight and rinsed)
1/4 cup mung beans
1/4 cup brown rice
1/4 cup red lentils
1 small strip of kombu
a little bit of salt

The small red beans are the only ones that need to be pre-soaked. Add all the ingredients to a pot and add sufficient water to cover everything, plus an extra inch or two. You can always add more later, but I usually start with least 4 cups of water for one cup of beans. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat so it is a little stronger than simmering but not boiling fiercely. After about half an hour, reduce to a simmer. Stir occasionally. 90 minutes should cook the small red beans thoroughly. They take longer to cook than the others so if you wanted you could start them first and then add the rest after 45 minutes or so.

I am confused about small red beans. I was looking for “chi xiao dou” 赤小豆 which literally means “red small bean”. But the small red beans I got (Bob’s Red Mill because the co-op didn’t have them bulk) are larger than what I was expecting. Maybe aduki beans are the true chi xiao dou. In any case, they were are delicious variation to my usual congee. All the beans are high in iron and protein. The absence of any seasoning allows their individual flavors to stand out.

Red & Green Rice Noodles

1/4 to 1/3 package thin rice noodles, cooked
1-2 tablespoons (toasted) sesame oil
1 bunch spring onions (mince the whites and chop the greens separately)
1-2 tablespoons minced ginger
mushrooms (about half a pound), chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped into chunks
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Asian chili paste, or to taste

1. Cook the noodles by placing them in a large bowl or pot and covering with boiling water. With the super thin rice noodles, it really only takes a few minutes for them to cook. Leave covered for 4-8 min. and then drain. You don’t need to cook them over heat; just pour the hot water over them. Set aside.
2. Heat up the sesame oil. Add the onion whites and cook over medium-low heat until they are translucentish. Add the ginger. Cook for a minute or so and add the mushrooms. Cook until they have cooked down significantly. Maybe 5 minutes. Add the red pepper and onion greens. Stir and cook etc. Add the lemon juice, tamari, and chili paste to taste. This can be as mild or spicy as you’d like. 😀
3. Add the noodles, stir and cook until everything is coated.
4. Eat!

I am so proud of myself for making this recipe. It is nothing brilliant, but a year ago I would have struggled to put together something by myself, and two years ago I would have banged my head into the frying pan in frustration and given up before I even started. But it was so easy and quick and Papa Miao loves it!

Kombucha Experiment, Vegan Planet, and New Culinary Experiences

I’ve had a few firsts in the last few weeks.

My first pizza crust.

Followed shortly by my first homemade vegan pizza.

The crust was lumpy. I need more practice.

This wasn’t the first time I toasted pecans, but it was the first time I toasted them so thoroughly. I swear I was following the directions to the letter, but something went wrong. Obviously.

And my first vegan French toast. Messy to cook but not bad to eat. Papa Miao enjoyed it.

I’ve been making a lot of recipes from Vegan Planet. It was the first cookbook I ever bought. I got it when I first started grad school and lived in an apartment with my own kitchen. I had grand plans for cooking delicious vegan feasts but really all I ate was oatmeal, bread from the Italian grocery on the corner, and fruit. And Clif bars. And chocolate. And… My cookbook sat sadly neglected for years, until I finally dusted it off a couple months ago and discovered that it is full of easy and delicious recipes. I have been working through the breakfast recipes for Papa Miao on the weekends, but the soups are proving delightful too.

I also started my Kombucha Experiment today. I really can’t imagine it failing, but I suppose I ought to prepare for the worst. I am growing my own mushroom from store-bought kombucha. I started it like any regular batch of kombucha (black tea sugar water), and then I added four cups of my favorite brand of original, unflavored kombucha. There were nice strands of culture in both bottles and I am hoping that they gorge themselves on the sugar and tea and grow very plump. Since the jar I used is rather large (a gallon) I am expecting it may take a while for a full mushroom to grow. Once the water level is significantly lower, I will add more sugar/tea brew to feed it. Then I will compare my two strains of kombucha. It will require quite a bit more kitchen space to maintain two separate kombucha families. If my kombucha experiment is successful, I will call it Kombucha Ex Machina and it will save the world.

So that’s my plan. My other plan is to set up my light box and take food photos.