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Miso Soymilk Paitan Rawmen (Raw Vegan Fusion)

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Of the many styles of ramen, paitan refers to a creamy, milky soup. This is normally achieved by simmering animal bones, such as pork or chicken, over long hours to break down cartilage and fat, eventually yielding a collagen-rich emulsion. In creating a vegan paitan stock without animal products, there are two parts to dissecting the conundrum: a power umami base and the creamy, milky factor.

Building the Vegan Paitan Stock

From my experiences in vegan ramen and ramen class in Japan, which included the original famous Towzen ramen in Kyoto and Washo’s cooking class in Osaka, I picked up that the creamy factor could be easily solved by adding soy milk. Quite a no-brainer isn’t it? The problem is that soy milk tends to mute the umami flavours of a stock, hence we need to build an ultra-umami stock that can stand up to the addition of milk.

The power umami base employs layers of high glutamate ingredients. It starts with a dashi concentrate of with a high proportion of kombu and dried shiitake to water. As the optimal temperature for glutamate extraction is 65°C, it is best if you leave the kombu and shiitake to steep in hot water overnight. The second layer of umami is mushrooms roasted in tamari. The trinity of onions, garlic, and ginger are first charred to caramelise their sugars, then when added to the stock, they lend a sweet, smoky undertone and spread their inherent umami. After simmering to reduce and concentrate the flavours, the stock is strained. We are not done yet! Now, the fourth layer of umami is added, namely fermented foods – miso paste and sake lees, the byproduct of sake production. Sweet, savoury and funky at the same time, both build up complexity in the stock. Finally, freshly roasted sesame seeds (or tahini) is added, which thickens the stock and contribute a deep smoky nuttiness. These are blended with soy milk and strained, and the result should be a thick, creamy, milky, aromatic, deep, puzzlingly undecipherable complex stock of sweet and savoury. No one should be able to tell that not a single animal product went into it. I have provided soy-free options in the recipe card in case you wish to avoid soy.

When heating up the soup before serving, heat to just below boiling; do not boil as this will cause the soy milk and soup to split.

Noodles or Zoodles

As I am unable to tolerate much grains and a general preference for raw foods, I chose to use spiralised zucchini as the choice of noodles. The trick to get slurpable zucchini noodles is to soften them by placing them in the dehydrator for 45 minutes. When mixed in the soup, they soak back the flavour-packed broth, and will not water and dilute the taste. You could use regular wheat ramen noodles if preferred.

Other Toppings

Once the soup stock and noodles are settled, ramen toppings are generally to one’s preference. This time I went with tempeh dengaku (miso-glazed tempeh), kale, red peppers, reserved charred onions, vegan egg made with tempeh milk whites and pumpkin yolk, and a smattering of sesame seeds and shichimi togarashi.
I was gifted the tempeh from Angie’s Vegan Pantry and was glad to put it to creative use. Dengaku is a miso-glazed dish that can be applied different vegetables like eggplant, daikon, tofu and tempeh. This marinade enhances but not overpowers the creamy bean taste of tempeh. For the vegan egg, I would typically use almond/soy milk but I switched it up with tempeh milk. I was apprehensive that it would taste funky and off-putting initially, but nope, it turned out quite unique with a hint of bitter tempeh taste. Just remember to boil your tempeh before marinating or making the milk to remove the funky flavours.

Looking for more Japanese-inspired recipes? Check out my:

Adzuki Bean Brownies (Vegan, Grain-Free) + How to Make Red Bean Paste Japanese and Chinese Style
Tofu Zuke: Cured Tofu Two Ways
Soy-free Tofu Alternatives: Gomadofu and Jimamidofu

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Miso Soymilk Paitan Rawmen (Raw Vegan Fusion)

Creamy milky vegan paitan rawmen. No bones about it, literally and figuratively. The soup employs layers of high glutamate ingredients for ultimate umami - kombu, dried shiitake, tamari-roasted mushrooms, charred onions, garlic, ginger, miso, sake lees and tahini. It is then creamed up with soy milk. Soy-free options provided.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 4 servings
Author Sabrina Chu

Ingredients

Miso Soymilk Broth

  • 10 g kombu
  • 10 g dried shiitake mushroom
  • 720 g (3 cups) filtered water
  • 100 g (1 cup) cremini mushrooms, stems on
  • 1 tbsp tamari
  • 1 medium brown onion, skin on, halved
  • 1 head garlic
  • 5 cm (2 inch) ginger, sliced thick
  • 400 g (1 2/3 cup) soy milk
  • 75 g (5 tbsp) miso paste, preferably a mix of white (shiro) and red (aka)
  • 40 g (1/6 cup) sake lees (sake kasu)
  • 48 g (5 tbsp) white sesame, freshly roasted (may use tahini in a pinch)
  • 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt, to taste

Zucchini Udon + Vegetables

  • 680 g (1 1/2 lb) zucchini, peeled and spiralised on large noodle setting
  • 1 no red bell pepper, julienned
  • 200 g kale, stemmed and roughly torn
  • 1/2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • Pinch Himalayan salt

Tempeh Dengaku

  • 200 g (1 block) soybean tempeh (I used Angie's Vegan Pantry)
  • 45 g (3 tbsp) white (shiro) miso
  • 23 ml (1 1/2 tbsp) sake
  • 5 ml (1 tsp) mirin
  • 5 ml (1 tsp) tamari

Tempeh Milk Onsen Egg (makes 6)

  • 45 g soybean tempeh (I used Angie's Vegan Pantry)
  • 180 g (3/4 cup) filtered water
  • 30 g (2 tbsp) unsweetened plant milk
  • 1/4 tsp Indian black salt (kala namak)
  • 1.5 g (3/4 tsp) agar powder (0.75% for a semi-firm gel)
  • 60 g (1/4 cup) pumpkin puree
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast powder

Garnishes

  • 1 stalk scallion, minced, or reserved charred onions
  • 1/2 sheet nori, cut into large rectangles
  • 1 tbsp freshly roasted white sesame
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • Dash chili powder (ichimi) or seven pepper powder (shichimi togarashi), to garnish

Instructions

Miso Soymilk Broth

  1. The day before, prepare a dashi concentrate. Soak the kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms in water overnight at room temperature.

  2. Roast the cremini mushrooms, onion, garlic, and ginger. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). In a bowl, toss the mushrooms with tamari. On a lined baking tray, spread the mushrooms on one side, and onion (cut side up), garlic head, and ginger slices on another side. Remove the vegetables at intervals, or when they start to turn brown: ginger at 15 minutes, onion at 20 minutes, mushrooms at 30 minutes, and garlic at 35-40 minutes. (If you have a grill pan, you may char the onion, garlic and ginger on the grill instead). After cooking, transfer the roasted vegetables, mushrooms and cooking juices into the overnight dashi.

  3. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the kombu halfway through to prevent the broth from becoming slimy.

  4. After 30 minutes, strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer. You should have about 400 ml of stock. In a blender, add the stock, 400 ml soy milk (1:1 ratio), miso, sake lees, roasted sesame or tahini and blend on high speed for 1 minute. Strain the mixture through a nut milk bag. Set the broth aside until ready to assemble.

Zucchini Udon + Vegetables

  1. In a bowl, massage the kale with olive oil, lime juice and salt.

  2. Spread the kale, spiralised zucchini and julienned peppers on separate dehydrator trays. Dehydrate at 46°C (115°F) for 1 hour, or until the vegetables are wilted and take on a cooked appearance. The kale can be dehydrated for a longer time to become crisps.

Tempeh Dengaku

  1. The day before, marinade the tempeh. Bring a pot of water to boil. Slice the tempeh to 6-7 mm (1/4 inch) thick and boil for 3 minutes. This helps to open up the bean pores to better absorb the marinade, as well as remove any funky smell. (Set aside 45 g tempeh for the egg)

  2. In a small bowl, mix together the miso, sake, mirin and tamari. Using a spoon or brush, spread the marinade over the tempeh slices. Ensure all sides are well-coated. Transfer the tempeh into a container and place in the refrigerator overnight.

  3. The next day, bake the tempeh at 175°C (350°F) for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. You may also pan-fry the tempeh.

Tempeh Milk Onsen Egg

  1. Make tempeh milk. In a blender, place boiled tempeh, water and plant milk and blend on high speed until smooth. Strain the mixture through a nut milk bag. In a small bowl, mix a little of the mixture with the agar powder to create a slurry. Place the tempeh milk and the agar slurry into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes to dissolve the agar. Pour the mixture into egg molds. Place in the refrigerator or freezer to set. It will take about 15 minutes. Once set, use a melon baller to scoop out a hole for the yolks.

  2. In a bowl, mix pumpkin puree and nutritional yeast. Fill the hollowed egg whites with the pumpkin mixture. Use an offset spatula to smoothen the surface.

Bowl Assembly

  1. Heat the miso soymilk broth to just below a simmer. Do not boil or it will cause the broth to split.

  2. Divide the zucchini among four serving bowls. Pour the broth over. Top each bowl with kale, red peppers, tempeh dengaku, tempeh milk egg and the garnishes. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Soy-Free Option
Use walnut milk instead of soy milk. Walnuts are one of the highest glutamate nuts, and can mimic the glutamate content of soy. Blend 1 cup walnuts with 3 cups water and strain. Use 400 ml for the recipe.
Use coconut aminos instead of tamari. Coconut aminos is generally less salty than tamari so you may have to use more.
Use chickpea miso instead of soybean miso.
Use chickpea tempeh instead of soybean tempeh.

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Thai Tea Pumpkin Pies (No-Bake, Vegan, Paleo)

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Away with boring cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; give pumpkin pie a bubbly makeover with bubble milk tea! Unabashedly infused with malty Ceylon black tea, the astringent tannins rein in the sweetness of pumpkin puree and give balance. But what really makes this pumpkin pie special is a new method for pumpkin pie filling and pumpkin seed crust with a minimalist, zero-waste approach.

The Reduction Method for Pumpkin Pie Filling

This pumpkin pie filling is made with an unconventional reduction method that is minimalist (less ingredients) and less processed. Traditional pumpkin pie filling is a custard stabilised by heat-coagulated egg whites, and sometimes starches such as cornstarch, arrowroot or tapioca. The vegan recipes I have come across increase the amount of starch or employ other gelling agents such as agar. Raw vegan versions call for cashews and coconut oil. But why add when you can reduce? Pumpkin is a semi-starchy vegetable. By simmering it long enough with high fat coconut milk, excess water is removed and the starch molecules swell and gelatinise, eventually and effectively rendering it down to a powerfully potent pumpkin paste. The fat in coconut milk encourages setting of the pumpkin mixture when chilled; I do not think it will work with other non-dairy milks. You will want to reduce the pumpkin mixture until it nicely coats the back of a spatula, or about 45% by weight of the original mixture. I find the concentrated natural sweetness of pumpkin sufficient, but you can add maple syrup or sweetener of choice if desired.

This recipe for Thai Tea Pumpkin Pie is just one example of how you can flavour your pumpkin reduction. Another way is using pandan leaves instead of tea leaves, which will give you Pumpkin Pandan Kaya! The only limit is your imagination.

The reduction method to pumpkin pie filling. Less ingredients and more flavour.

A Zero-Waste Approach to Pumpkin Pie

The seeds from the pumpkin can be used to make the pie crust. To do this, you halve and bake the pumpkin cut-side down without removing the seeds first – effectively “steaming” the seeds in its shell. I find that if you remove the seeds and roast them separately exposed directly to heat, they burn and dry out easily, which makes the inner endosperm more difficult to extract from the seed coat. I went for a cacao brownie crust this time, but on hindsight I think a more neutral crust would let the Thai tea flavour stand out better.

For this particular recipe, the spent black tea leaves can be re-used into condiments, such as lei cha soup or fermented as Burmese laphet thoke (although both are traditionally made with green tea leaves).

Zero-waste approach. Use pumpkin seeds from your pumpkin in the pie crust; re-use spent tea leaves as a condiment.

Dietary notes on this recipe

Vegan (dairy-free and egg-free).
Paleo (grain-free, gluten-free).
Processed starch-free (no arrowroot, corn or tapioca starch).
Nut-free and low seeds (a small amount in the crust).
Refined sugar free. Sweetened with dates and coconut sugar in the crust and pumpkin in the filling.
Oil-free (contains cacao butter from cacao paste).
Contains caffeine. Use a herbal tea such as roasted dandelion chicory or pandan leaves for a caffeine-free version, but note that the taste will change accordingly.

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Thai Tea Pumpkin Pies (No-Bake, Vegan, Paleo)

Give pumpkin pie a bubbly makeover with bubble milk tea! Astringent tannins of bold, malty Ceylon black tea rein in the sweetness of pumpkin puree. But what really makes this pumpkin pie special is the reductionist, zero-waste approach for pumpkin pie filling and crust.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Thai
Keyword Pumpkin
Servings 6 mini
Author Sabrina Chu

Ingredients

Pumpkin Seed Brownie Crust

  • 50 g (1/3 cup) activated pumpkin seeds
  • 13 g (4 tsp) chia seeds
  • 60 g (4 no) pitted Medjool dates
  • 25 g (2 1/2 tbsp) cacao paste, melted
  • 12 g (1 1/2 tbsp) coconut sugar
  • 8 g (1/2 tbsp) coconut butter
  • 1 tsp cacao powder

Thai Tea Pumpkin Filling

  • 10 g (3 heaping tbsp) black tea leaves (Ceylon or Assam) (see Notes for flavour variations)
  • 250 g (1 cup) full-fat coconut milk (see Notes for homemade)
  • 454 g (1 lb) roasted pumpkin puree (see Notes)
  • 2 whole star anise

Garnish

  • 40 g (1/4 cup) fresh blueberries, halved

Instructions

For the Pumpkin Seed Brownie Crust

  1. In a food processor or blender, blend the pumpkin and chia seeds to a fine
    powder. Add in the remaining ingredients and pulse to combine. The
    mixture should stick together well.

  2. Press the mixture into 6 mini muffin moulds, then place them in the freezer to set.

For the Thai Tea Pumpkin Filling

  1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the coconut milk to just below a simmer. Add the black tea leaves, cover, and allow to steep for at least 20 minutes as you want a strong brew.

  2. Drain the tea over a strainer, and use the back of a spoon to press out as much liquid as possible. You can save the spent tea leaves as use as condiments such as lei cha soup or laphet thoke.

  3. Return the tea to the saucepan and add the pumpkin puree and star anise. Simmer and reduce the mixture until it reaches a thick butter-like consistency that nicely coats the back of a spatula, or about 40%-50% of the original weight. Cool the mixture to room temperature, then transfer into an airtight container and place in the refrigerator to set and firm up.

Assembly

  1. Place Thai Tea Pumpkin Filling in a piping bag and pipe into prepared pie crusts. Garnish with blueberries just before serving.

  2. Store the pies in the freezer for up to 2 weeks, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Recipe Notes

Roasted Pumpkin Puree
1 pumpkin, halved (buttercup, kabocha, red kuri or blue; avoid sugar pumpkins which tend to be watery, stringy and bland.)

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Place the pumpkin halves cut-side down, seeds included, on a lined baking tray. Roast for 45-60 minutes, or until collapsed and extremely tender when pierced with a knife. Cool until you can handle it comfortably. Separate the pumpkin seeds from the flesh. Place pumpkin flesh into a blender or food processor and blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Remove endosperm from pumpkin seed coat. Spread the shelled pumpkin seeds on a dehydrator screen and dehydrate at 46°C (115°F) for 24 hours, or until fully dry and crispy.

Homemade Full-Fat Coconut Milk
Use 1:1 ratio of desiccated coconut and water.
96 g (1 cup) desiccated coconut
250 g (1 cup) filtered hot water

In a blender, combine the desiccated coconut and hot water. Let steep for 20 minutes; this helps to fully extract the coconut flavour. Blend on high speed for 2 minutes. Strain the mixture through a nut milk bag. You can return the coconut pulp to the blender and blend with another 1 cup water to yield a thinner second extract for drinking directly or use in smoothies, teas etc.

Flavour Variations

Pumpkin Pandan Kaya. Replace tea leaves with 6 pandan leaves, knotted; omit star anise.

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Adzuki Bean Brownies (Vegan, Grain-Free) + Red Bean Paste Japanese and Chinese style

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About Adzuki Beans

The adzuki bean, also known as the small red bean, originated in China and is a common feature in the cuisine of East Asian countries such as China, Japan and Korea. Although they are sometimes simply referred to as red beans, they should not be confused with kidney beans, which are twice the size and shaped like kidneys.

From a nutritional standpoint, the adzuki bean is credited as “the red pearl in grain” because it is a legume with a very high starch content. To put it in perspective, the adzuki bean is 58% carbohydrates and 20% protein; in comparison, the soybean is 30% carbohydrates and 36% protein. Since adzuki beans have a sweeter taste than most beans, they are often used in desserts as opposed to savoury dishes.

Macrobiotic cuisine considers adzuki beans to be the most warming (yang) of all beans – good for imparting strength and helping people to keep warm in cool weather. In Traditional Chinese Medicine philosophy, adzuki beans are said to support kidney, bladder and reproductive functions. In Ayurvedic philosophy, legumes including adzuki beans tend to have a sweet and astringent taste (rasa). Legumes, with the exception of mung beans, are not traditionally part of a yogic diet as they are considered rajasic; they stimulate the body, mind and senses. Nevertheless, legumes like adzuki beans can have a use in the diet, for example, to break up stagnant energy. Most legumes have a pungent post-digestive effect (vipaka).

How to Cook Adzuki Beans and Make Red Bean Paste

From a culinary standpoint, the adzuki bean is considered among the easiest to digest and they cook faster than most beans (approximately 1-1 1/2 hours). They do not require pre-soaking, although there is no harm in doing so. For creamy, evenly cooked beans, the trick is to cook them under a steady, gentle heat, and never a full boil. It is also important to throw off the first batch of cooking water to remove any mustiness and give a clean flavour at the end. You could also add a small piece of kombu to tenderise the beans and impart minerals. I have not tried this and so cannot conclude whether it affects the flavour of the cooked beans. So far I cooked the adzuki beans with the intention of using them in desserts, so I left out the kombu.

Red bean paste can be left chunky and textured, or pressed through a screen to get a smooth paste. Once the beans are cooked until tender, you add a sweetener (and optionally, oil), and reduce the mixture to a thick, glossy consistency.

Difference between Japanese and Chinese Red Bean Paste

Japanese red bean paste (anko) is made with adzuki beans and sugar only. It can be textured (tsubuan) or smooth (koshian). Chinese red bean paste is almost always smooth and contains additional oil.

How to use red bean paste

As mentioned earlier, adzuki beans are traditionally used in China, Japan and Korean cuisine, which I will elucidate below.

In Japanese cuisine, anko finds its way into pancakes (taiyaki, obanyaki, dorayaki), buns (anpan), soup with mochi (oshiruko / zenzai), all sorts of dumplings (dango, ohagi, daifuku, manju), icy desserts (kakigori, anmitsu), and glutinous jelly (mizu yokan). Apart from sweets, whole adzuki beans are often cooked together with kabocha pumpkin in a stew (nimono) flavoured with a tinge of soy sauce and sake.

Almost equivalent in nature, Chinese red bean paste finds its way into mooncakes, yeasted pancakes (min jiang kueh / apam balik), steamed buns (豆沙包; dou sha bao), red bean soup (红豆沙; hong dou sha), various dumplings (glutinous rice tang yuan, fried sesame donuts jian dui), icy desserts (chendol, ice kachang), and glutinous jelly (nian gao).

Tips on making adzuki bean brownies

I borrowed the idea of adzuki bean brownies from black bean brownies. I wanted to keep the recipe minimal and have a clean chocolate taste, so the only binder in this brownie is adzuki beans, and a bit of almond butter. The other ingredients you will need are straightforward – cacao powder, cacao butter (for the chocolate flavour), vanilla, salt and baking powder. Once you have prepared the red bean paste (you can make a large batch and store in the freezer), getting your brownie batter together is a one-bowl breeze.

A trick I learnt from making medu vada (urad dal donuts), and which be applied to making all baked bean-based products, is to whip the bean batter very vigorously to make it light and fluffy. Bean-based products can be very dense especially when made as a paste, so it definitely helps to incorporate as much air as you can into the batter, in addition to the help of baking powder.

I tested this recipe three times. The first is a non-baked brownie which turned out like frozen fudge or chocolate potong ice cream. The second time I baked a batter that was sweetened with coconut sugar. It came out almost like a classic brownie with a crackly top and caramelised sugar mixed with cacao. However it veered on being too crumbly. The third time I baked a batter that was sweetened with dates. It came out chewy and fudgey, almost way too fudgey, and I missed the crisp exterior of the former. Perhaps a balance would be achieved if using half each of the two types of sweeteners, but I have yet to try this out.

For more delicious brownie recipes, check out my:

Best Raw Vegan Brownies
Sweet Potato Fudge Brownies (Baked, Vegan)

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Red Bean Paste (Japanese & Chinese Style) + Adzuki Bean Brownies (Vegan, Grain-Free)

How to make adzuki "red bean" paste with the Japanese and Chinese methods. Japanese red bean paste (anko) is made with adzuki beans and sugar only, and can be textured (tsubuan) or smooth (koshian). Chinese red bean paste is almost always smooth and contains additional oil. The recipe below provides healthier options for the sweetener and oil.

How to make easy one-bowl adzuki bean brownies (vegan, grain-free, date-sweetened) with prepared red bean paste.

Course Dessert
Author Sabrina Chu

Ingredients

Japanese Style Red Bean Paste (Anko)

  • 200 g (1 cup) dried adzuki beans
  • 3.5 L filtered water (divided into 1.2 L + 1.5 L + 0.25x3)
  • 100-133 g (+/- 1 cup) coconut sugar OR
  • 266 g (+/- 25 no) pitted Medjool dates, blended to a paste

Chinese Style Red Bean Paste

  • 1 batch Japanese Style Red Bean Paste (Anko) (recipe above)
  • 70 g (7 tbsp) coconut oil

Adzuki Bean Brownies

  • 1/2 batch Chinese Style Red Bean Paste, smooth (recipe above; preferably date-sweetened - see Notes)
  • 48 g (3 tbsp) activated almond butter
  • 16 g (3 tbsp) cacao powder
  • 15 g (1 1/2 tbsp) cacao butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp Himalayan salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder

Instructions

Japanese Style Red Bean Paste (Anko)

  1. Wash the beans and remove any stones and debris. Place the drained beans in a large pot with 1.2 L water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a steady and gentle simmer. Cook the beans for 8 minutes, or until the water turns wine red. Drain the beans and discard the first batch of cooking liquid. This action is said to "remove astringency" (shibumi kiri).

  2. Rinse the pot and remove any scum that might be clinging onto the sides.

  3. Return the beans to the clean pot, add 1.5 L water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a steady and gentle simmer. Cook the beans for 30 minutes, or until the water barely covers the beans. Skim away any scum and loose skins occasionally.

  4. Add 0.25 L cold "surprise water" (bikkuri mizu) and continue to cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Repeat this "surprise water" treatment about 3 times, or until the beans are tender and collapse when pinched between your fingers.

  5. For Tsubuan (textured anko). Add the sweetener of your choice (coconut sugar or date paste) and simmer for another 10-20 minutes. The final bean paste should be slightly chunky, look glossy, smell nutty and aromatic, and be thick enough to coat the back of a spatula. Towards the end of cooking, stir constantly to prevent scorching.

  6. For Koshian (smooth anko). After the last addition of "surprise water," press the beans through a fine-mesh sieve or nut milk bag into a bowl. It is easier to do it when it the beans are at the more watery stage. Discard the fibrous solids and return the bean paste to the pot. Add the sweetener of your choice (coconut sugar or date paste) and simmer for another 10-20 minutes. The final bean paste should be smooth and creamy, look glossy, smell nutty and aromatic, and be thick enough to coat the back of a spatula. Towards the end of cooking, stir constantly to prevent scorching.

  7. Remove the pot from the heat and set aside to cool.

  8. Transfer the cooled paste to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to one month.

Chinese Style Red Bean Paste

  1. Follow the same steps above, but add the coconut oil along with the sweetener and proceed with reducing to a paste.

Adzuki Bean Brownies

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) .

  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the baking powder.

  3. Using a hand whisk, whip the bean batter vigorously for 5 minutes like beating an egg. This helps to make the batter light and fluffy, a trick I learnt from making medu vada (urad dal donuts) and can be applied to making all baked bean-based products.

  4. Add the baking powder into the whipped batter and gently fold-in to combine. The final batter should be of a thick consistency; you should be able to hold it between your fingers, and it should maintain the shape you give it.

  5. Transfer the batter into a greased baking pan or mold. Use an angled spatula to spread the batter in an even layer, being sure to work it into the corners of the pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out mostly clean. Let the brownies cool completely before cutting into 9 squares for serving. Store the brownies in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 weeks.

Recipe Notes

How the choice of sweetener affects the brownie's texture
Dates give chewy, fudgy brownies, while coconut sugar (dry sugar) gives crispy, crackly brownies. Depending on what type of brownie person you are, use dates or sugar accordingly.

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Berbere Dovi (Pan-African Spicy Vegetable Peanut Stew)

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Pity the peanut. It is neither a pea nor is it a nut, and in this age of nutrition scaremongering, often brushed aside supposedly more “healthy” nuts and seeds, or maligned for harbouring aflatoxins. If we just put aside our ingrained, learnt beliefs, there are few who will deny the delicious taste of roasted peanuts. This oil-rich underground-growing bean exudes its highest potential when ground to butter. Our affinity for peanut butter has made it a indispensable pantry staple in most households where it finds its way into cookies and cakes, porridge and toast. In Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Southeast Asia, ground peanuts show up in sauces and stews.

Today’s dish bears reference to Africa, where the the peanut (locally called groundnut) is a backbone of their agriculture and cuisine, and it is used in a different ways throughout the continent. The most common use is to thicken and flavour soups, such as in the ubiquitous groundnut stew. Groundnut stew changes its name across Africa. From West Africa there is Maafe (Senegal / Mali), Nkatenkwan (Ghana), Omisagwe (Nigeria), from Central Africa there is Mtedza Malawi (Chad), and from East Africa there is Dovi (Zimbabwe). The consistency can be thin and soupy, or thick like a stew. Regional nomenclature and nuances aside, the groundnut stew is a tempting flavour combination of peanuts, tomatoes, spices, and any manner of vegetables, greens, beans and protein. Piquant, hearty, nutty, earthy, and intense, this dish does a good job to provoke the appetite and digestion. For the sake of capturing the essence of my version which is thick and stew-like, I call it Dovi (the Zimbabwean version). 

How to prepare Pan-african Vegetable Peanut Stew

Peanuts. Ground peanuts are far more traditional than peanut butter. But for the sake of time and convenience, peanut butter is a great alternative. Be sure to use natural peanut butter made from ground roasted peanuts and nothing else. 

Tomatoes. Tomatoes lend acidity, sweetness and harmonises the dish. Passata, which is cooked down tomato puree is good because it has a more intense flavour. You can also use fresh tomatoes, but be sure to bump up the flavour with tomato paste.

Spices. Groundnut stew is meant to be very spicy and slightly sweet. It should contain a mixture of African curry spices like cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, and chilli. You could use curry powder + chilli powder. Or to elevate the ethnic element, go for an African spice blend such as North African harissa or East African berbere, the latter which I used in this dish.

Vegetables. This is a very forgiving dish that is open to many variations based on your preferences and availability of ingredients. Root vegetables like sweet potatoes seem to be a classic, but for a lighter touch you can mix okra, zucchini or eggplant. Bitter greens such as kale, fenugreek leaves, moringa are a great addition to balance out the sweetness of this dish.

Protein. Animal protein such as chicken and beef are usually used in groundnut stew. Vegetarians can opt for beans (adzuki, chickpeas, black beans work well) to make this dish more substantial.

How to serve Pan-african Vegetable Peanut Stew

I like to eat groundnut stew with cauliflower rice, since the stew is rather high-carb from the beans and sweet potatoes. Otherwise you can also enjoy groundnut stew with plain long-grain rice. For an authentic experience, pair groundnut stew with fufu, a thick starchy dough made from boiling and mashing cassava root and plantain.

For more delicious Peanut recipes, Check out my:

Jimami Tofu (Tofu of peanuts)
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (No-Bake, Vegan) (replace walnuts with peanut butter)

For more delicious Sweet Potato recipes, Check out my:

Sweet Potato Fudge Brownies (Baked, Vegan)
Sous Vide Tzimmes

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Berbere Dovi (Pan-African Spicy Vegetable Peanut Stew)

Peanuts, tomatoes, spices, and vegetables come together in this Pan-African peanut stew pepped with a Blast of Berbere. Piquant, hearty, nutty, and intense, this dish does a good job to provoke the appetite and digestion.

Cuisine African
Keyword Peanut, Soups, Sweet Potato
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Author Sabrina Chu

Ingredients

For the Stew

  • 10 g (1 tbsp) coconut oil
  • 70 g (1 medium) red onion, sliced
  • 20 g (4 cloves) garlic, minced
  • 110 g (2 stalks) celery, medium dice
  • 150 g (1 large) bell pepper, medium dice (any colour)
  • 180 g (1 large) sweet potato, medium dice
  • 2 tsp Blast of Berbere powder (recipe follows)
  • 960 g (4 cups) filtered water
  • 250 g (1 cup) cooked adzuki beans (from 100 g (1/2 cup) dried beans)
  • 160 g (2/3 cup) chopped tomatoes or passata
  • 150 g (3 cups) leafy greens, roughly chopped (kale, collards, moringa, fenugreek, or spinach)
  • 60 g (1/4 cup) natural peanut butter
  • 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt

Blast of Berbere powder

  • 5 no dried red chillies
  • 2 tbsp sweet paprika powder
  • 1/2 tbsp cayenne powder
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
  • 1/2 tsp ginger powder
  • 1/4 tsp allspice powder
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/8 tsp cloves powder
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg powder

Instructions

For the Stew

  1. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and saute for 3-5 minutes until it starts to sweat. Add the garlic and saute until both ingredients start to caramelise. Add celery, bell pepper, sweet potatoes and Blast of Berbere powder. Saute until vegetables start to sweat.

  2. Next add water, adzuki beans, and passata. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 20 minutes until the beans are tender, or beyond, if you wish to give the soup a creamier consistency. Be sure to check the sweet potatoes to make sure they are tender.

  3. Add in leafy greens and simmer for another 5 minutes until wilted.

  4. In a small bowl, make a peanut butter slurry by removing some liquid from the stew and mixing with the peanut butter until a loose, liquid consistency. Pour the peanut butter slurry into the stew and simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes until all the flavours come together.

  5. Season the stew with salt, to taste.

  6. Serve stew with cauliflower rice, plain rice, or fufu.

For the Blast of Berbere powder

  1. Over medium-low heat, toast the dried red chilies until they warm up and become fragrant. Transfer to a plate to cool. Toast the black peppercorns, coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds until fragrant. Cool then grind all the spices to a uniform powder. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months at room temperature, and longer in the refrigerator.

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Beetroot Pachadi / Raita (Raw, Vegan)

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This year’s summer is a scorching, sweltering, steaming summergeddon. We all want to take respite in cooling foods. Ayurveda instructs a pitta-pacifying diet for summer. This means that we should emphasise sweet, bitter and astringent tastes, and light foods with high water content. Sweet taste has a cooling post-digestive effect (vipaka) and balances strong digestive fire (agni); bitter taste cools the body, and astringent taste tones the tissues. Melons, curcubits, coconut, curd (yogurt), light proteins such as mung beans and light grains such as barley and quinoa, and cooling spices are recommended.

This vegan beetroot pachadi or South-Indian raita is an example of an easy pitta-pacifying summer dish. Beetroot and coconut gives the sweet taste, spices such as mustard seeds and green chilli the bitter taste, and yogurt the astringent taste. I swapped the classic cumin seeds with fennel seeds, which has a more cooling potency (virya). This pachadi is excellent as a sauce for zucchini or cucumber noodles, biryani, and can even make an instant “curd rice” when paired with leftover rice or barley.

You ask, what is the difference between pachadi and raita? Both are yogurt-based dressings and can contain varying ingredients from cucumber, root vegetables, fruits to onions. Pachadi is the South Indian term for raita and includes a coconut masala paste to thicken the yogurt. In contrast, the North Indian raita uses plain yogurt only, without coconut. The word raita in Hindi and Urdu is a derivative of the Sanskrit word rajika, meaning black mustard, and tiktaka, meaning sharp or pungent.

For more delicious beetroot recipes, Check out my:

Beetroot & Schisandra Bandung
Raw Velvet Borscht
Beetroot Hummus (under pitta variation)

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Beetroot Pachadi / Raita (Raw, Vegan)

Vegan beetroot pachadi or South-Indian raita is an easy pitta-pacifying dish. Beetroot and coconut give the sweet taste, spices such as mustard seeds and green chilli the bitter taste, and yogurt the astringent taste. Fennel seeds has a cooling potency (virya), which is used in place of cumin.

Servings 4
Author Sabrina Chu

Ingredients

For Grinding

  • 40 g (1/2 cup) desiccated coconut or coconut butter
  • 2 no green chilli
  • 1 inch ginger

Other Ingredients

  • 200 g (2 small) beetroot, peeled and grated (lightly steamed to soften, if desired)
  • 120 g (1/2 cup) plain coconut yogurt (not too sour, preferably homemade)
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seed powder
  • 1/4 tsp chaat masala (optional)
  • Pinch Himalayan or black salt (to taste)

For Tempering

  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds
  • Handful curry leaves

Instructions

  1. In a small grinder, blend the desiccated coconut, green chilli and ginger to a smooth paste.

  2. In a mixing bowl, beat the coconut yogurt with spices until smooth. Add in the coconut paste and mix well. Then fold-in the grated beetroot. Adjust the consistency of the pachadi to your liking by adding water, if necessary.

  3. Next make the tadka. Heat coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to crackle and pop, add the curry leaves. Remove from heat and pour tadka over the beetroot pachadi.

  4. Serve beetroot pachadi with zoodles, biryani, or fold-into cooked rice or barley to make instant "curd rice."

Recipe Notes

Lazy Beetroot Dip
For a quick version without the hassle of grating beetroot, you can use whole steamed beetroots or beetroot juice and blend with all the other ingredients except those for the tempering. Then, proceed to season the beetroot dip with the tadka. The texture is a dip, and not like traditional pachadi, but just as delicious.

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Yasai no Shiraae (Vegetables in White Dressing)

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Shiraae is one of Japan’s most popular tofu side dishes. Shira means “white” and ae means “dressed” or “mixed”. Taken together, shiraae is vegetables dressed with a white dressing made with of tofu and white sesame. It is not unlike a Japanese hummus (beans + tahini). Shiraae is a classic aemono, or “dressed salads.” Since there is no oil used in this dressing, it is a great option if you are looking for a low-fat, high-protein salad.

Types of tofu for shiraae

Both firm momen and silken kinugoshi tofu can be used to make shiraae, but with distinct results. Firm tofu will produce a dressing that is crumbly, while silken tofu will produce a dressing that is more saucy. Depending on the vegetables you are using, you can choose accordingly. Soft vegetables like spinach go better with a firm shiraae, while hard vegetables like carrots and konnyaku go better with a saucy silken shiraae.

If you prefer to go soy-free, replace the tofu with equal amount of soaked cashews. The dressing will still be white, hence still respecting its name shiraae.

Seasoning the tofu dressing

The most basic shiraae is crumbled tofu and a pinch of salt. Popular additions are crushed white sesame seeds or tahini, usukuchi soy sauce (to preserve the colour), miso and sugar. Since I prefer to eat sugar-free, I use more shiro miso, which has a natural sweetness, and skip the sugar. For a more complex, avant garde version with the benefits of fermented foods, you can add shio koji or used koji or miso cured tofu instead of plain tofu as the base.

Type of vegetables for shiraae

Use seasonal vegetables for shiraae. Most common are asparagus, carrots, spinach, konnyaku, mushrooms and broccoli. The vegetables are braised shortly in a soy-tinged dashi for extra flavour before mixing into the tofu dressing.

How to best enjoy shiraae

The assembled salad is best chilled for 4-6 hours before serving to allow the flavours to meld. You can enjoy as a side dish for go further by using the salad to fill pouches, sandwiches or wraps. 

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Yasai no Shiraae (Vegetables in White Dressing)

Shiraae, or “white dressing,” is one of Japan’s most popular tofu side dishes, and a classic aemono, or “dressed salads.” It comprises of two components - seasoned mashed tofu and soy-braised vegetables. It is best chilled for 4-6 hours before serving. You can go further by using the salad to fill pouches, sandwiches or wraps. 

Course Side Dish
Cuisine Japanese
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 10 minutes
Author Sabrina Chu

Ingredients

Tofu Dressing

  • 150 g (1/2 block) tofu (firm momen or silken kinugoshi)
  • 15 g (1 1/2 tbsp) freshly roasted sesame seeds or tahini
  • 12 g (2 tsp) saiyako or shiro miso
  • 4 g (1 tsp) tamari or usukuchi soy sauce
  • 10 g 2 tsp shio koji (optional, if using halve the amount of tamari)
  • vegan dashi (optional, as needed)

Vegetables

  • 90 g (3 oz) green beans
  • 70 g (2 1/2 oz) carrot, peeled and julienned
  • 2 no dried shiitake, rehydrated and thinly sliced
  • 120 g (1/2 cup) vegan dashi
  • 1/2 tbsp tamari or usukuchi soy sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp sake or mirin

Instructions

Tofu Dressing

  1. Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add the tofu and blanch for 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the tofu to a colander lined with a cheesecloth or nut milk bag. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess moisture from the tofu. It is fine to mash the tofu while doing this.

  2. Put the drained tofu in a bowl, along with the remaining ingredients. Use your fingers and crumble the tofu, mixing it with the other ingredients at the same time. Set aside until assembly of the salad.

Vegetables

  1. In a saucepan, add dashi, and bring to a bare simmer. Add green beans, carrot, shiitake and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half. Season with tamari and sake or mirin and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the liquid is almost gone and the vegetables have a glazed appearance.

  2. Remove the saucepan from heat and let the vegetables cool to room temperature. When cool, fold the vegetables into the Shiraae dressing.

  3. Like curries, Shiraae salad tastes better when the flavours are allowed to meld for 4 hours or overnight.

Recipe Notes

Types of tofu. Firm momen tofu will make a crumbly dressing, while silken kinugoshi tofu will make a saucy dressing. To improve digestibility or a more complex flavour, you can also use cured tofu such as tofu kojizuke or misozuke.
Seasoning the tofu dressing. Crushed sesame seeds, soy sauce, miso and sugar are common seasonings. Usukuchi soy sauce will help preserve the white colour of the dressing. For gluten-free version, use tamari instead of soy sauce, but tamari will stain the dressing light brown.
Types of vegetables. Spinach (blanched) and konnyaku (dry-roasted) are other common vegetables used in shiraae salad.
Types of aemono. Shiraae (tofu), gomaae (sesame), misoae (miso), karashiae (mustard).
Soy-free option. Replace tofu with equal amounts of soaked cashews (about 105 g dry cashews).

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Gomadofu (Tofu of Sesame Seeds)

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Gomadofu is one of the classic dishes served at the beginning of the meal in shojin ryori and kaiseki ryori. Made from sesame seeds thickened with kudzu starch, gomadofu has a delicate, custard texture and melts in the mouth to release a subtle savoury sesame flavour. Compared to regular soy tofu in which soy proteins are coagulated with gypsum or nigari, gomadofu is less brittle and more gelatinous.

Three main factors that affect the outcome of gomadofu are kudzu starch, sesame seeds and the liquid. Kudzu starch will determine the density of the gomadofu. It can vary from 7.5% to 12.5% of the amount of liquid. The amount and quality of sesame seeds will determine the flavour of the gomadofu. The strength can vary from 10% to 25% of the amount of liquid. Freshly roasted sesame seeds grounded in a suribachi will give the best nutty flavour, but nerigoma or tahini and be used at a pinch. I used black sesame this time which gave a stunning colour. The liquid medium for gomadofu can be water, but for a richer, more flavourful result, dashi and sake is recommended. You can decide the characteristics of your gomadofu by adjusting the percentages of these ingredients.

When making gomadofu, keep stirring continuously to ensure even thickening and prevent scorching of the pan. Wet your mold with water for easy removal of the tofu after setting, and pour a thin layer of water over the fresh tofu to prevent drying out. Gomadofu is enjoyed with soy sauce (or tamari) and a dab of wasabi to complement the nutty sesame flavours. Simple and delicious.

Below is a video of the gomadofu I had at Shigetsu, Kyoto. You can see the custard consistency of gomadofu. Itadakimasu!

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Gomadofu (Tofu of Sesame Seeds)

Tofu of sesame seeds, thickened with kudzu starch. Decide on the characteristics of your gomadofu by adjusting the quantity and quality of the three main ingredients - kudzu starch, sesame seeds and liquid medium.

Servings 10 servings
Author Sabrina Chu

Ingredients

Gomadofu

  • 50 g (5 tbsp) kudzu starch
  • 500 g (2 cups) vegan dashi (see Notes)
  • 80 g (1/2 cup) freshly roasted white or black sesame seeds, or tahini
  • 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt
  • 1 1/2 tbsp sake (optional)

Sauce and Garnish

  • 60 g (1/4 cup) vegan dashi (see Notes)
  • 1 tbsp tamari
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • 1 bunch green onion, finely sliced
  • 2 tsp wasabi powder
  • 1 tsp warm water

Instructions

Gomadofu

  1. In a mixing bowl, dissolve the kudzu starch with a little dashi to form a slurry. Use the back of a spoon to break up any lumps.

  2. In a blender, blend sesame seeds or tahini and kudzu slurry with the remaining dashi. Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth or nut milk bag into a heavy-bottom saucepan.

  3. To the mixture in the saucepan, add salt and sake, if using. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring all the time. After 2 to 3 minutes you will feel the mixture beginning to thicken. At the point reduce the heat to low and cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring all the time. By the end of the cooking, the mixture should develop a strong elasticity.

  4. Wet a square or rectangular mold with water (this is to keep it from sticking). Pour the mixture into the mold and working quickly as it sets fast, smooth the surface with a spatula. Put 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold water over the surface of the mixture to prevent it from drying out.

  5. Place the mold in the refrigerator to set for at least 3 hours or for as long as over night.

  6. When solidified, unmold and slice gomadofu into squares. Keep in water until ready to serve.

Sauce and Garnish

  1. In a small saucepan, combine the dashi, tamari, and mirin, and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from heat, and let the sauce cool to room temperature. Store sauce in the refrigerator until serving.

  2. Just before serving, prepare wasabi paste by mixing wasabi powder with warm water to form a paste. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the full flavour to develop.

  3. To serve, place a square of gomadofu in a small bowl. Spoon a little sauce over the gomadofu and garnish with a dab of wasabi paste.

Recipe Notes

Vegan Dashi 
To prepare vegan dashi, soak 1 piece (16 square-inches) kombu and 1 dried shiitake mushroom in 4 cups water in a saucepan for 2 hours or longer. Bring to a low simmer, below boiling, then turn off the heat and steep until the dashi cools to room temperature. Remove the kombu and shiitake mushroom. This is the first (ichiban) dashi. They can be reused one or time to make second (niban) dashi, but the dashi strength will be weaker.
Raw Version
Blend 80 g (1/2 cup) sesame seeds or tahini with 120 g (1/2 cup) dashi and 1/3 cup prepared Irish moss paste. Pour into a shallow pan and allow to set overnight before slicing.

1

Ultra Unctuous Urad Dal Hummus + Dosha Variations

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Before I discovered this cheat method for hummus, I would labour away in the kitchen peeling the skins off regular chickpeas just to get silky smooth hummus. Using split lentils, which have their outer layer removed, is a gamechanger. Firstly it saves a whole lot of time as split lentils cook much faster and is already skinless. Secondly split lentils is much gentler on the digestive system as most of the notorious anti-nutrients such as mineral-binding phytic acids are concentrated in the outer layer of the bean, which is removed during the hulling process. Thirdly, hummus made with split lentils is super smooth without compromising on the taste. I have made hummus with different types of split lentils – moong dal, masoor dal and urad dal – and all come out with great texture. Below I have given a basic hummus recipe, and in the Notes section you can find some ideas to suit your dosha (constitution).

Do you have any game-changing kitchen tricks to share?

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Ultra Unctuous Urad Dal Hummus

Game-changing silky smooth hummus made with dal (split lentils). Saves time, effort and easy on the digestion. See Recipe Notes for additional ideas to tweak your hummus to your dosha (constitution).

Course Side Dish
Cuisine Indian, Middle Eastern
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 6
Author Sabrina Chu

Ingredients

  • 75 g (6 tbsp) split urad dal, soaked for 1 h or longer (or other split dals e.g. moong dal, masoor dal)
  • Pinch turmeric powder
  • 240 g (1 cup) filtered water (to cook the dal)
  • 48 g (3 tbsp) tahini
  • 48 g (3 tbsp) lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane (allow the grated garlic to sit for 10 mins for health benefits and if you like a strong garlic flavour)
  • 1/4 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt
  • 80-120 g (1/3-1/2 cup) filtered water (adjust amount as needed to desired consistency)
  • 22 g (2 tbsp + 1 tsp) extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Soak the dal in enough water to cover by 5 cm (2 inches) for at least 1 hour.

  2. Drain and rinse the soaked dal. Transfer the dal to a saucepan. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and water. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes and remove any foam that appears on top. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook the dal for 20-25 minutes or until tender and all the water is absorbed.

  3. Allow the cooked dal to cool slightly. You should have about 200 grams of cooked dal; transfer this to a blender, along with the tahini, lemon juice, grated garlic, cumin, salt and water. Start with less water first; you can add more water later if it is too thick. Blend the mixture on high speed until smooth and creamy. With the motor running on low speed, drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is emulsified. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

  4. Once you are satisfied with the hummus taste and consistency, transfer out to an airtight container. Store refrigerated for 4-5 days.

  5. Serving suggestions for hummus: in salad bowls, as a dip or as a sauce for zoodles.

Recipe Notes

Dosha-Specific Ingredient and Flavour Variations:

  • For Vata: Curried Sweet Potato Urad Dal Hummus
    - Use urad dal
    - Use 1/2 tsp curry powder instead of cumin powder
    - Add in one small (120 g / 4 oz) cooked sweet potato
  • For Pitta: Cooling Beetroot & Fennel Moong Dal Hummus
    - Use split moong dal instead of urad dal
    - Use fennel seed powder instead of cumin powder
    - Use beetroot juice instead of water and add 2-3 small cooked beetroot
  • For Kapha: Bitter Fenugreek & Masoor Dal Hummus
    - Use split masoor dal instead of urad dal
    - Use 1/8 tsp fenugreek powder instead of cumin powder
    - Add in a handful of fenugreek leaves (or any bitter greens if unavailable)
0

Eight Treasures Laba Porridge

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Eight Treasures Porridge (Ba bao Porridge; 八宝粥), also known as Laba Congee (腊八粥), is a traditional food for the Chinese Laba Festival, which falls upon the eighth day of the 12th lunar month, usually at the beginning of January. This year, it occurs on 13th January 2019. In the past, people in China ate this porridge to keep warm, welcome wealth in the new year and gain enlightenment. 

Perhaps the porridge might have been originally made with eight kinds of ingredients, hence its name. Nowadays, the ingredients used in this porridge are varied and can be classified into three categories of grains (regular rice, glutinous rice, black rice, job’s tears, millet), beans (aduki beans, mung beans, peanuts, lotus seeds) and dried fruits (longnan, goji berries, jujube). Because of all the nourishing high-protein beans and easy cooking method, many Chinese love this porridge. It is subtly sweet and has a soft glutinous texture. 

Some tips for making delicious eight treasures porridge:

  • Soak the grains and beans overnight.
  • Simmer the porridge for at least 1 1/2 hours.
  • If needed, add additional sweetener such as raw honey or lakanto.

Eight Treasures Laba Porridge
Serves 6
Nourishing multi-grain, bean and dried fruit porridge traditionally eaten on Laba Festival, the eighth day of the twelve month of the Chinese calandar.
Prep Time
8 hr
Cook Time
2 hr
Prep Time
8 hr
Cook Time
2 hr
Ingredients
  1. 25 g (1/4 cup) sweet glutinous rice
  2. 25 g (1/4 cup) black glutinous rice
  3. 25 g (1/4 cup) job's tears (coix seeds)
  4. 25 g (1/4 cup) millet
  5. 25 g (1/4 cup) aduki beans
  6. 25 g (1/4 cup) mung beans
  7. 25 (1/4 cup) peanuts or apricot kernels
  8. 15 g dried longans
  9. 10 g red dates, pitted
  10. 2.5 L (10 cups) filtered water
  11. To taste, raw honey or lakanto
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Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, place the ingredients except the red dates and soak overnight. The next day, drain and rinse well. Transfer into a large soup pot or electric cooker and add in filtered water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, adding more water during the process if needed. The final texture of the congee should be pasty. Taste and adjust the sweetness level if desired. Ladle into bowls and serve warm.
Notes
  1. You may substitute similar ingredients of the same category, according to what you have on hand - grains (regular rice, glutinous rice, black rice, job’s tears, millet), beans (aduki beans, mung beans, peanuts, lotus seeds) and dried fruits (longnan, goji berries, jujube).
  2. As all ingredients are slow-cooked to a paste, this porridge is easy to digest and good choice for people with a weak digestive system. It is also a diuretic and helpful for people with the constipation.
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Straits Road Kitchen http://straitsroadkitchen.com/
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Monk Wensi’s Tofu Thread-fin Soup

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This tofu thread fin soup is my take on shark fin soup, considered a Chinese delicacy that is served during festive banquets and Chinese New Year. For the uninitiated, shark fin consists mainly of soft collagen and has a chewy, gelatinous texture without much discernible taste of its own. The soup’s flavour comes from the stock and seasonings like vinegar. I wanted to develop a vegan shark fin soup with shark fin melon, but there was a drought of such melons in all markets. Serendipitously, I stumbled across an intriguing recipe called “Monk Wensi’s Tofu Thread Soup” in the cookbook Land of Fish and Rice: Recipes from the Culinary Heart of China (2016) by Fuchsia Dunlop. It involves cutting silken tofu into 1 mm filaments and swirling them in starch-thickened broth, along with lily flower, wood ear fungus and spring onions. The historical origins of this soup traces back to 18th century Yangzhou, China, where a Buddhist monk called Wensi served this dish in the Manchu Han Imperial Feast laid for the Qianlong emperor. Modern versions of Wensi tofu can be found in some upscale Chinese restaurants, and even more elaborate cuts to create tofu flowers have create a storm in the culinary world.

In my version, I used kombu shiitake stock as the base and kudzu starch to thicken. Kudzu is less processed than corn starch that is usually used to thicken Chinese soups. You can read more of the properties and benefits of kudzu in this post. Instead of wood ear fungus, I decided to repurpose the rehydrated kombu along with the shiitake mushroom by creating a ceviche – cutting them finely and marinating them in tamari, toasted sesame oil and brown rice vinegar and use them as a garnish with a salty-sour punch. Moreover, the kombu provides enough mineral salts so that added salt is not needed. If you like, season with tamari for more “salty” flavour. When properly prepared, this soup nourishes you with sustained energy, leaving one calm yet alert.

The video below shows the method of cutting the silken tofu into threads. It’s definitely harder than it looks! When I first attempted it slowly, the tofu kept sticking to the sides of the cleaver and broke when I tried to slide it off. As I practiced, I realised the trick is to just keep going with the motion and everything will fall into place. Always have your fingers in the claw grip position for safety reasons! Do not be disappointed if your tofu threads fail to match up to Yangzhou standards; the soup will be a pleasure to eat anyway and half the fun of making this dish is the cutting of the tofu.

If you are up for a challenge, you can even cut the tofu into a flower, like in the video below. The tofu hydrangea was made famous by a restaurant called Chili Party in Fountain Valley, CA. Apparently the chef makes 60 cuts horizontally and vertically on the block of tofu, turning it into a flower with 3,600 filaments.

Monk Wensi's Tofu Thread-fin Soup
Serves 4
A soup to showcase your knife skills and impress your guests. Delicate threads of silken tofu and colourful poached and marinated vegetables floating in seasoned dashi ankake, it's appearance not unlike shark fin soup. A great cruelty-free alternative for Chinese New Year.
Prep Time
8 hr
Cook Time
10 min
Prep Time
8 hr
Cook Time
10 min
Kombu Shiitake Dashi
  1. 16-20 square inches kombu
  2. 1 dried shiitake mushroom
  3. 1 L filtered water
Shiitake & Kombu Ceviche
  1. 1 rehydrated shiitake, reserved from dashi preparation, finely sliced
  2. 1 rehydrated kombu, reserved from dashi preparation, finely sliced
  3. 1 tsp tamari
  4. 1 tsp brown rice or Chinkiang vinegar
  5. 1/8 tsp toasted sesame oil
For the Soup
  1. 1 L kombu shiitake dashi (recipe above)
  2. 80 g (1 small) carrot, finely sliced
  3. 300 g (1 block) silken tofu, finely sliced
  4. 40 g (4 tbsp) kudzu starch mixed with 120 g (1/2 cup) filtered water
  5. White pepper and tamari, to taste
Shichimi Togarashi
  1. 1 tbsp gochugaru or Korean chili flakes
  2. 2 tsp ground tangerine peel
  3. 2 tsp white sesame seeds, lightly toasted
  4. 2 tsp black sesame seeds, lightly toasted
  5. 1 tsp hemp seeds
  6. 1 tsp whole Sichuan peppercorns, freshly ground
  7. 1 tsp aonori or flaked nori
  8. 1/2 tsp ground ginger
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Kombu Shiitake Dashi
  1. Place the kombu and mushroom in a pot with the water. Soak for at least 2 hours, or refrigerate for up to 1 day, to allow the flavour-enhancing glutamates in the kombu and mushroom to infuse the stock gradually with their essence. Bring almost to a boil, and then just as bubbles appear, remove and reserve the kombu. Simmer with mushrooms inside for 5 minutes. Strain and reserve the mushroom.
Shiitake & Kombu Ceviche
  1. Combine the tamari, brown rice vinegar and sesame oil in a small bowl and whisk together to create a dressing. Add in the finely sliced shiitake and kombu and gently fold together to coat the mushrooms with the dressing. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
For the Soup
  1. Finely julienne the carrot and set aside.
  2. Turn the tofu out onto a chopping board. Hold a Chinese cleaver or broad cutting knife perpendicular to the board and trim off and discard the sloping end of the block, so you have a clean perpendicular edge. Working slowly and steadily with an up-and-down chopping motion, cut the tofu into the thinnest slices you can - ideally about 1 mm thick. When you have sliced about a third of the block, nudge the slices so they fall on their sides in overlapping layers. Cut them into the thinnest possible strips. Use the side of your cleaver to gently scoop up the tofu silvers and place them into a bowl of cold water. Repeat with the rest of the block.
  3. Bring the dashi to boil in a seasoned wok or large saucepan. Once boiling, add in the julienned carrots and reduce the heat to simmer for 3 minutes until the carrots are tender. Drain the tofu in a sieve and gently transfer them to the stock. Stir gently and taste and adjust the seasoning with white pepper and tamari as necessary.
  4. Give the kudzu starch slurry a good stir and slowly pour into the soup, stirring gently as the liquid thickens: it's best to do this by nudging the soup with the back of a ladle so you don't break up the tofu. When the liquid has a heavy, lazy consistency that holds the tofu threads easily, transfer to serving bowls. Garnish with the shiitake and kombu ceviche and sprinkle shichimi togarashi. Serve with brown rice or Chinkiang vinegar on the side.
Notes
  1. For a fuss-free or safe option, you can use tofu shirataki noodles or rehydrated yuba.
  2. For a challenge, you can cut the tofu as a hydrangea. This is popularised by restaurant Chili Party in Fountain Valley, CA. See link for video.
  3. For soy-free alternatives, substitute the tofu with mung bean noodles, sweet potato noodles, shredded sharkfin melon, shredded mountain yam, finely sliced konnyaku (Japanese yam cake) and/or bamboo shoots.
  4. The kombu provides enough mineral salts so that added salt is not needed. Season with tamari for more "salty" flavour. This when properly prepared, can have an extraordinary effect on one's energy, leaving one calm yet alert.
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Adapted from Land of Fish and Rice: Recipes from the Culinary Heart of China (2016), Fuchsia Dunlop
Adapted from Land of Fish and Rice: Recipes from the Culinary Heart of China (2016), Fuchsia Dunlop
Straits Road Kitchen http://straitsroadkitchen.com/
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