The 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of the East: 150 Asian-Inspired Recipes--from Soba Noodles to Summer Rolls Read Online Free PDF

salt
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ head cauliflower, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas or 1¾ cups cooked (see page 230)
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
    1. Using a blender, combine the onion, ginger, garlic, cilantro, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, and ¼ cup of the water. Blend together for 30 to 40 seconds or until it’s a saucy consistency.
    2. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and then add the oil, mustard seeds, and turmeric. Stir frequently until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Add the onion mixture and stir well for 1 to 2 minutes.
    3. Add the cauliflower, chickpeas, carrots, and the remaining ½ cup of water. Cover and let cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Uncover and stir, allowing to cook for 2 to 3 more minutes to let some of the liquid evaporate. Serve hot.

Variations
    • Replace the cauliflower and carrots with veggies of your choosing, such as broccoli, zucchini, eggplant, or squash.
    • Replace the chickpeas with kidney beans or cubed tofu or tempeh.

POTATO PEA CURRY (ALOO GOBI)
    Rich, bursting with flavor, and satisfying, this dish rocks the house. Though aloo gobi is traditionally served with dishes equally as flavorful, you may be content with a simple Rice Pilau (page 9) and a side salad (page 6). Flavor like this goes a long way. You can take it a step further and add a refreshing chutney (pages 40-42).
    SERVES 4 TO 6 AS MAIN DISH OR 6 TO 8 AS SIDE DISH
     
    4 medium-size red potatoes, chopped (about 4 cups)
1 tablespoon safflower or sesame oil
½ yellow onion, finely minced
2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
1 teaspoon maple syrup or agave nectar
2 cups water
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen peas (about 1¾ cups)
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ lime, juiced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
    1. Place the chopped potatoes in a colander. Rinse under cold water for 30 seconds and let drain.
    2. In a large sauté pan or pot, heat the safflower oil over medium heat and add the onion, ginger, and salt. Stir frequently until the onion turns golden, about 6 minutes.
    3. Add the potatoes, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, and maple syrup and stir well. Add 1 cup of the water (or enough water to almost cover the potatoes), cover, and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook for 15 minutes or until a fork can easily pierce the potatoes.
    4. Add the peas, garam masala, and the remaining 1 cup of water. Stir well, allowing some of the potato to crumble. Use a fork to mash up some of the potato, making a thicker sauce for the dish (remembering that it will get thicker as it cools). Stir in the lime juice and cilantro and remove from the heat.

DOSA OR IDLI RICE BREAD
    A spongy rice bread called idli is the everyday breakfast food of the Tamil Nadu region of India. This bread, made from a fermented batter of rice and lentils, is served with extremely flavorful curries such as sambar. The batter that is not used for idlis can later be used to make dosas. Dosas are commonly used as a wrapper for spiced potatoes but can be eaten plain, with vegan garlic butter, or with other vegetables as well. They range in thickness from a pancake to a crepe. Due to the soaking and fermenting process, this dish does go over the 30-minute time frame.
    3 cups brown or white rice
1 cup urud dhal or other lentils
1 teaspoon sea salt
    1. In separate bowls, cover the rice and lentils with water, leaving 2 to 3 inches of water above the surface of each. Leave on the counter to soak for 4 hours.
    2. Heat the oven to 250°F and turn it off when it reaches that temperature (unless you have a very warm place to ferment the batter). Rinse the rice and lentils well by stirring each in clean water and straining about 5 times each. Use a blender to blend the lentils on high speed, adding about ½ cup of water, until a thick batter