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Day 17: Vegan “Sausage” and Fenugreek Biryani
July 26, 2010 | 7 Comments
Last night I made a big batch of biryani and korma for our weekday lunches.
Growing up in India, I ate a lot of biryanis (rice with lots of goodies -the Indian version of Paella or Jambalaya). One of the most memorable ones was by an old Goan lady who raised her own pigs. She made Chouricos (Goan sausages) – a spicier version of Portuguese sausages that are both sun-dried and smoked and laced with coconut feni (toddy).
Those sausages featured in a lot of dishes, including a biryani with greens – made with pork fat, of course. Her biryani was made in the layered manner, but flavour-wise it was quite light and nuanced like a pulao.
To those unfamiliar with these terms, when rice is cooked in meat or vegetable stock (yakhni) and spices, it is called pulao but when it is first cooked separately in water and layered with meat and other ingredients, it is known as biryani.
In Delhi the most popular food was biryani but the taste in Lucknow was more for pulao. To the uninitiated palate both are much the same but because of the amount of spices in biryani there is always a strong taste of curried rice whereas pulao can be prepared with such care that this can never happen.
It is true that a good biryani is better than an indifferent pulao for the pulao may be tasteless and this is never so in the case of a biryani. But in the view of gourmets a biryani is a clumsy and ill-conceived meal in comparison with a really good pulao and for that reason the latter is more popular in Lucknow. ~ Abdul Halim Sharar in “Lucknow: the Last Phase of an Oriental Culture”
These vegan sausages in the grocery store evoked those wonderful memories of Goa. J likes biryanis, but doesn’t eat meat. I don’t care for limp veggies asphyxiated by greasy, curried rice. This is a good compromise. While I generally stay away from processed soy, these “sausages” make one heckuva biryani. The addition of fenugreek (methi) adds a bitter complexity that really enhances the flavour. Any greens will work, though.
TOFURKY ITALIAN “SAUSAGE”
Ingredients: Organic tofu (water, organic soybeans, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride), vital wheat gluten, expeller pressed non-genetically engineered canola oil or hi oleic safflower oil, water, soy sauce (water, non-genetically engineered soybeans, wheat, salt, culture), sun dried tomatoes, textured wheat protein, basil, spices, granulated garlic, salt, chili pepper.
Pros: Per Sausage – 29 g protein, 15% recommended daily value of iron.
Cons: Per Sausage- Sodium 620mg (25% recommended daily value)
Because they are so high in sodium (though they don’t taste overly salty), I used less salt in the rice.
Just out of the oven…
VEGAN “SAUSAGE” and FENUGREEK BIRYANI
Serves 8 to 10.
SUBSTITUTIONS
**Non-vegans can substitute the coconut milk and lime juice in the recipe with 1 cup organic plain yogurt.
**any greens – spinach, chard, kale etc. will work.
**or replace the fresh fenugreek with 1/4 cup dried fenugreek.
The coconut milk
We need 1 cup for the sauce and another 2 tbsp for the saffron. You can use low-fat canned coconut milk or make it at home.
Take about 2 cups frozen or fresh coconut, add 1 cup hot water. When it cools down a bit, blend to a paste and squeeze out the coconut milk.
You can repeat the process and get another batch of thinner coconut milk. Or you can grind up the leftover coconut with spices and use in another dish.
The saffron
Take 2 tbsp of coconut milk and add
a big pinch of saffron strands.
Microwave for 10 seconds. Longer, and it may split. If it does, use it anyway.
The rice
Wash
1.5 cups of basmati rice (white or brown)
until the water runs clear. Soak in 3 cups of water for 30 mins.
Then bring 8 cups water to boil in a kettle.
Transfer the water to a big pot on the stove top.
Add
1 tsp extra virgin coconut oil/ghee/butter
a dash of salt
half tsp shahjeera (black cumin, which is NOT the same as caraway)
**or use caraway or regular cumin
When it comes to a boil, add the rice. I didn’t bother to drain it. Cook the rice until 80% done (al dente).
Drain the water and set aside. the rice should be ready the same time the sauce is. So make the sauce when the rice is cooking.
The greens
About 3/4 pound fresh or 3/4 cup frozen
Blanche the fresh greens, squeeze dry and chop finely. You should get about 3/4 cup.
If using frozen, thaw on the countertop or for 20 seconds in the microwave.
The tomatoes
Cut 2 medium tomatoes in half, gently squeeze out the seeds and blend to a puree. You need 1 cup tomato puree.
The “Sausage”-Fenugreek Sauce
Heat 1 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil/ghee/butter on medium in a pan.
Add
1 tsp black cumin (shahjeera) or regular cumin
half tsp aniseed
a 3-inch cinnamon stick
4 cloves
2 green cardamoms
1 black cardamom
a dash of nutmeg or a blade of mace
2 bay leaves
When the spices are aromatic (just a few seconds), add
1 cup chopped red onion
1.5 tsp minced ginger
1.5 tsp minced garlic or 2 tsps roasted garlic
a dash of salt
When the onions start turning golden, add
4 vegan sausages chopped into half-inch chunks
a tbsp each fresh coriander and mint
half tsp paprika (or Kashmiri chilli powder/deghi mirch)
1 tsp Kashmiri garam masala
1.5 tsp coriander powder
half tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/3 tsp crushed black pepper
3 minced green chillies
Cook until the spices blend well with the “sausages” (3 to 4 minutes) and just when things start sticking at the bottom of the pan, add
the pureed tomatoes (1 cup)
the coconut milk (1 cup)
salt to taste.
Cook it down on medium until you have a spoonable consistency.
Add
the fenugreek (or other greens) – 3/4 cup
1 tbsp lime juice
Stir, check for salt and spiciness and set aside.
Assembly
Preheat oven to 300F. In a oven-safe dish, layer in this order
half of the “sausage”-fenugreek sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro/coriander leaves
half the rice
drizzle half the saffron-coconut mixture over the rice
half of the “sausage”-fenugreek sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro/coriander leaves
half the rice
drizzle half the saffron-coconut mixture over the rice
Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let it rest for five minutes.
In 2 tsps extra virgin coconut oil or ghee fry
2 tbsp broken cashews
until golden. Garnish the biryani with the fried cashews.
Mix gently. Pull out the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and whole cardamoms and serve.
Today’s lunchbox: Biryani with Minty Peas-Pineapple Korma.
Day 17 of 20 of the Eat to Live vegan detox plan.
MENU
July 26 (Day 17)
Breakfast:
16 oz. smoothie with pea and rice protein powder, flax powder, beet greens, watermelon, banana, orange, kiwi, strawberries.
Mid-morning:
Black tea with Soymilk
Lunch:
half cup Vegan “Sausage” and Fenugreek Biryani
half cup Minty Peas-Pineapple Korma
half cup salad with beets, apples, carrots, zucchini
Mid-afternoon:
Mocha Protein Shake
A few baked masala peanuts
Dinner:
2 thumb-sized pieces of baked tempeh
1 Achaari Protein Vada with Edamole
1 cup mango
4 oz Crimson Cocktail
EXERCISE
Morning: 30 mins kettlebell
Evening: 2 hrs. taekwondo
- b.
Filed Under: basmati, biryani, black cumin, Coconut, coconut milk powder, coconut-milk, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Eat to Live Plan, Fenugreek (Methi), fitness, India, NUTRITION, Rice, Saffron, shahjeera, Soy/Tofu/Tempeh, Tomato, vegan recipes, Vegetarian Athlete, vegetarian recipes
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7 Comments
Do you freeze the rest and carry it for lunch?
yes, we do.
In the absence of any good books to read – I have been browsing through every single article in your blog – to keep my sanity during my exams (reading for relaxation –
). So thanks for being unique!
- Frequent visitor!
“unique” is a great compliment. thank you and all the best. have you tried the mind-numbing stuff on youtube? great relaxation. lol.
That is one amazing lunch!
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