Sarah's Chinese Curry Sauce
Vegan, Approx. 1 serving.
I shall begin my new recipe section with one of my favourites. I wanted to recreate that take-away taste without the allergens. Try it and I think you'll agree that I succeeded.
Ingredients
- ½ onion (or 2 shallots)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1" root ginger
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp chinese five spice powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 125ml strong vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- oil for frying
Method
- Chop the onion and garlic finely, and fry them in the oil until soft.
- Add the cumin, coriander, five spice, and turmeric and keep on the heat for a short while to release their aroma.
- Make up the stock a little stronger than usual. Add to the mixture.
- Grate the ginger into the pan. It's the juice you are after, without too much of the fibrous material.
- Allow the mixture to reduce somewhat.
- Slake the cornflour in a little water. Add it to the pan gradually until you reach the desired consistency. You may not need to use it all.
I like to use this for dipping chips into. Alternatively, add some vegetables (include some bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, or beansprouts for that chinese feeling) and serve with boiled rice.
Vegetarian Lentil "Meatballs" (or Burgers!)
Approx. 3 servings.
What do you do if you can't eat commercial veggie burger mixes due to their wheat content? Invent your own, of course! With a few storecupboard ingredients, a bit of imagination, and a free evening, I came up with this:
Ingredients
- 150g dried green lentils
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 onion
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 75g gluten-free breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- salt and pepper
- 2 eggs
Method
- Cook the lentils as directed on the packet, with the bay leaves for flavouring. Make sure they are soft, before draining to remove as much of the water as possible. Remove the bay leaves and allow to cool.
- Chop the onion finely and mix in a bowl with the cooled lentils, herbs & spices, breadcrumbs, and tomato purée. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
- Beat the eggs and add to the mixture.
- Take large spoonfuls of the mixture and form into balls approximately 4cm across. (I made 18 from this amount of mixture)
- Bake in a preheated oven at 220°C until golden (about 10-15 min). If you prefer you could fry them.
Serve with just a tomato sauce for a light meal, or with some gluten-free pasta as well if you're after something more substantial. This mix can also be made up into burger shapes, and served with a salad and some relish.
Egg Fried Rice
Approx. 2 servings.
This recipe can be made entirely in a rice cooker, making it ideal for students, travelling, or in the office.
Ingredients
- 200g long grain white rice
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp chinese five spice powder
- 1 onion
- 2 eggs
- 100g tinned beansprouts
- 75g peas, fresh or frozen
Method
- Cook the rice and allow it to cool fully. It is important that it is cold before you attempt to fry it.
- Chop the onion. Put both oils and the five spice into a frying pan, and fry the onion until it is soft.
- Add the rice to the pan and fry until throughly heated through.
- Add the beansprouts and peas to the rice mixture.
- Then beat the eggs. Make a well in the middle of the rice and pour the egg into it. As the egg begins to cook stir it into the rice so that it forms small pieces. Make sure the egg is fully cooked before serving.
If making in a rice cooker, it's easier to cook the egg before adding the rice as there is less room to stir it than in a frying pan. Depending on the capacity of your rice cooker, you may need to make a smaller quantity.
My recipes are gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, lactose free, chilli free, and vegetarian (provided you check processed ingredients such as stock). Any recipes which are also vegan are clearly marked.