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Tofu Katsu Curry

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A warming, spicy, flavoursome dish, this is surprisingly easy to put together. Serve with sushi rice and shredded carrots and cabbage for a filling and nourishing meal. The tofu is cooked in an air fryer, but you can bake or pan fry if you prefer.

Ingredients:

For the tofu:
400g extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
Liquid from 1 can chickpeas
1/4 cup flour
2 cups suitable-for-vegans panko crumbs

For the sauce:
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 inch piece ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic
500ml vegetable broth
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp rice vinegar
1-2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce, to taste
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp white or yellow miso
1 heaped tbsp cornflour

Directions:


1. Slice the tofu into 1/4 inch slices. Dip in flour and shake off excess. Add to the chickpea liquid and then coat in breadcrumbs. Fry in a preheated air fryer at 200C for 15 minutes, turning once.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Lightly sauté the onions over a medium-low heat, add the garlic and ginger and stir briefly. Mix in the broth, curry powder, turmeric, tomato purée, vinegar, tamari, maple syrup and miso. Bring to a simmer. Mix the cornflour with a little water to a smooth paste. Add to the sauce and cook until thickened.
3. Serve the tofu and sauce with cooked sushi rice, shredded carrots, and cabbage.

Tofu Crumble with Curried Rice: Budget Recipe

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This recipe costs €1.16 per portion and takes only as long to prepare as it takes the rice to cook. Every brand and type of rice is different, so cook according to package directions. There are three parts to this recipe: boiling the greens, cooking the rice, and making the scramble. Serves 2.

Ingredients:

For the greens:
100g frozen kale
125g (1/4 head) cabbage, chopped small

For the curried rice:
100g brown rice
Water as according to package directions
1 tsp curry powder

For the tofu:
250g tofu
½ onion, chopped
½ yellow pepper, diced
100g mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp soy sauce

Directions:

For the greens:
1. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil.
2. Add the cabbage and kale and cook for 5 minutes.

For the rice:
1. Cook the rice according to package directions, adding the curry powder to the water.
2. When the rice is cooked, stir all but a handful of the greens through and keep warm.

For the tofu:
1. Drain the tofu, wrap in a kitchen towel, and place under a plate with some cans or other weights on top to press for about 20 minutes. Alternatively, squeeze as much water from the tofu as possible.
2. Crumble the tofu into small pieces between your finger and thumb, and add to a bowl with the turmeric, paprika, soy sauce, and garlic.
3. Heat a nonstick pan over a medium low heat. Add the onions, peppers, and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms start to release their juices. Add the tofu mixture and the reserved handful of greens, and cook until warmed through. Season to taste.

Serve the tofu with the green rice.

Sri Lankan-style Romano Bean Curry

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This curry is moderately spicy (but can be easily adjusted) and very bright in flavour. It takes under 15 minutes to make and serves 2.

Romano beans are long, flat green beans, but you can substitute them for French green beans, sugar snap peas, mangetout, etc.

Ingredients

1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp black onion seeds
6 curry leaves
400ml can coconut milk
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp garlic-ginger paste
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch red chilli flakes
2 tsp hot or medium curry powder
Pinch ground cardamom
1 tsp lemon juice
Pinch suitable-for-vegans sugar
400g Romano beans, topped, tailed, and sliced on the diagonal into 2cm lengths

Directions

  1. In a large, stainless steel pan over a medium-low heat, sauté the onions until starting to soften. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  2. Add the mustard seeds, black onion seeds, and curry powder. Cook until the seeds start to turn fragrant.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, covered for 8 minutes.
  4. Season with salt to taste. Serve with rice, if desired.

Creamy Red Curry Soup

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This soup couldn’t possibly be any silkier. The beautiful texture is down to the quantity of coconut milk in the recipe, and the flavours are lively and bright. This serves six.

Ingredients

1 onion, roughly diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cauliflower, in florets
2 x 400ml cans coconut milk
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
2 tbsp soy sauce

Directions

1. In a large soup pot over a medium-low heat, sauté the onion until aromatic and starting to turn golden. Add the garlic cloves, and stir for 30 seconds.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes.
3. Blend.
3. Season, taste, and serve.

Brinjal Bhaji (Aubergine Curry)

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Pleasantly spicy, incredibly fragrant, and full of textural contrasts, this aubergine curry serves 4 with rice.

Ingredients

3 medium aubergines, cubed
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black onion seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 red onions, chopped
1 inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp soy sauce
3/4 cup vegetable broth
100g frozen peas
1 tsp garam masala

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with a silicone sheet or baking parchment, and spread the aubergine out in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes, turning once.
2. Meanwhile, preheat a large pot, and add the seeds. When they start to move about, remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Dry-sauté the onion until softened, adding a splash of water if they start to stick. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, and turmeric for 30 seconds more. Stir the seeds back in.
4. Add the tomatoes, soy sauce, vegetable broth, peas, garam masala, and aubergine to the pot. Simmer until the liquid is mostly thick and evaporated and the aubergines are soft.

Raw Curried Sunflower Pâté Lettuce Wraps with Purple Cauliflower Rice

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A light lunch for 2 people, this makes 8 lettuce wraps.

Ingredients

For the Sunflower Pâté

1/2 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for 2 hours (or overnight) and then drained
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
Pinch chili powder
1 x 1 cm slice pineapple, juiced
1 x 2 cm piece ginger, juiced
Pinch sea salt

For the Purple Rice

1/2 cup cauliflower florets
1/2 cup red cabbage
1 garlic clove, minced
1 x 2 cm piece ginger, juiced
Pinch sea salt

To serve
2 tbsp finely diced red bell pepper
2 tbsp finely diced yellow bell pepper
2 tbsp finely diced green bell pepper
1 tbsp finely diced red onion
2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
1 small carrot, peeled and shredded
8 lettuce leaves, washed and dried well
Coconut flakes, to garnish

Directions

1. To make the pâté, place the seeds in a food processor or blender with the spices. Start to blend and add the pineapple and ginger juices little by little, scraping down the sides as necessary, until a firm pâté is formed. Season to taste.
2. To make the rice, place the cauliflower in a food processor with the red cabbage and pulse until the vegetables are very fine, like grains of sugar. Mix in the minced garlic and ginger juice, and season to taste.
3. To assemble, divide the rice and pâté between the lettuce leaves, top with the other ingredients, and enjoy. A squeeze of lime juice is optional.

Speedy Chana Saag

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Perfect for novice cooks, this meal is warming, nutritious, and ready in just a matter of minutes. If you wish, you can cook the tomato sauce for longer to reduce it, but it’s delicious as it is.

Ingredients
1 cup vegetable broth
3 cups baby spinach
400g can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 cup suitable-for-vegans tomato sauce
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp onion granules
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp curry powder (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp turmeric
Pinch ground ginger

Directions
1. Place all ingredients into a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
2. Heat over a low heat, stirring frequently, until spinach is wilted and curry is heated through.
3. Season to taste with salt, lime juice, and extra spices if desired.

Can’t Cook Baked Beans Two Ways

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Baked beans are a British and Irish lunchtime and breakfast favourite, and this recipe will show you two ways to change the flavour profile to create more variety.

Many brands of canned Irish and British baked beans are suitable for vegans; always check with the manufacturer, and repeat regularly to ensure there have been no recipe changes. Other readers may have more difficulty obtaining suitable-for-vegan baked beans, but the import section in the local supermarket may stock some of the suitable-for-vegan European brands.

Pizza Baked Beans

Ingredients

400g can suitable-for-vegan baked beans
1/2 tsp garlic granules
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp yellow miso
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Place the baked beans into a small saucepan over a the lowest heat.
2. Add all ingredients to the beans, and stir through to warm.

Curried Baked Beans

Ingredients

400g can suitable-for-vegan baked beans
1.5 tsp curry powder OR all of the spice mix below

Spice Mix

1/2 tsp onion granules
1/4 tsp ginger
Pinch cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp turmeric
Pinch chilli powder (or to taste)
1/2 tsp garam masala
Salt, to taste

Directions
1. Place the baked beans into a small saucepan over a the lowest heat.
2. Add all ingredients to the beans, and stir through to warm.

Serving suggestion: baked potato and steamed greens, or wholemeal toast.

Baked Samosas with a Chip Shop Curry Sauce

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Not only is the chip shop curry sauce extremely simple to make and very tasty, but these baked samosas have an air-fryer option. Once you master the art of folding the first one (there are lots of online videos to demonstrate it, and it’s far less complicated than you’d think), these are also very easy to make.

The samosa filling

Ingredients

1/2 tsp each mustard, cumin, nigella seeds
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 inch ginger, minced
1 garlic clove, minced.
60g frozen peas
1/4 cup coconut milk, water, or broth
Four large handfuls of spinach
600g cooked and lightly mashed potato
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1-2 tsp lime juice
Salt, to taste

Method

1. Heat the seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat until they start to pop.
2. Lower the heat, and add the onion and ginger. Cook for a few minutes, until onion starts to soften. Add garlic for 30 seconds.
3. Add frozen peas and coconut milk, water, or broth.
4. Stir in spinach until wilted.
5. Add potato, garam masala, turmeric. Stir until combined, using some water, broth, or coconut milk to loosen anything that has stuck to the pan. Stir in lime juice, and salt to taste.

Pastry

Suitable-for-vegan samosa wrappers or wonton wrappers. Depending on what shape you want, folding methods will differ. There are lots of step-by-step photos online for both rectangular and square versions. Use a glue made of flour and water to seal; don’t worry about gaps: these will be baked, so you don’t have to worry about oil soaking in.

Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 inch piece ginger
1/2 tsp ground cumin
pinch cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp mild or medium curry powder
1 tbsp tomato purée

Method

Blend and heat. It’s that simple!

To cook

1. Preheat oven to 220C. Cook for 15 minutes. Turn. Lower the heat to 180, and cook 10 minutes more.

OR

2. Preheat air fryer to 200C. Cook samosas for 5 minutes, rearrange, and cook for another 4.

Sweet Potato Coconut Curry

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This fragrant and warming meal takes under 20 minutes. It serves two people on its own, or four served with rice.

Ingredients

1 tsp suitable-for-vegan red chilli paste
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, grated
400g sweet potato, peeled and in medium dice
1 small cauliflower, in florets
150g mushrooms, quartered
1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, medium dice
4 green onions, chopped
100g spinach
Handful basil, torn

Method

1. In a lidded frying pan, or a wide-rimmed pot, mix the red chilli paste, coconut milk, vegetable broth, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Simmer for a minute or two until the sauce becomes fragrant.
2. Add the sweet potatoes and cauliflower, cover, bring to the boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms, peppers, and green onions, re-cover, and simmer for 2-3 minutes more until cauliflower and sweet potato are cooked for your liking.
4. Turn off the heat, add the spinach and basil, recover, and allow to steam for about 2 minutes, until the spinach is wilted.
5. Serve and enjoy.