Hello, I’m interested in hearing some fun vegan recipes that aren’t too complicated/take less than 30 minutes to cook. A lot of what I make is pretty intensive so I wanted to hear some good ideas for stuff that isn’t if you guys wouldn’t mind sharing.
The word दाल(daal) is a Hindi word used for both the raw lentils/pulses and the cooked dish. It’s a good source of protein and very easy to cook if you have an instant pot or a pressure cooker. Pair it with rice & some salad and voila! You’ve got a hearty and healthy meal which is light on the pocket.
My go-to template is rice with fried or steamed veggies and coconut curry. I usually also add chicken but if you want it vegan there is nothing wrong with just substituting mushrooms or an additional vegetable.
The great thing about it is that it’s super versatile and you can customize the veggies to be pretty much anything, but i usually just pick two or three from either peppers, onions, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, or even green beans. Potatoes and chickpeas work too in a pinch but i find that gets a bit heavy.
For the curry sauce you just use coconut milk (dilute a bit with water if it’s too thick) as a base and a blend of spices of your choosing (i use things like cumin, turmeric, cardamom, coriander seeds, chili powder, lemongrass, cloves, black pepper, etc.) plus optionally some tomato paste. Also i like adding plenty of garlic and a bit of ginger.
You can also add some coconut milk when cooking the rice to give it some aroma. And you can garnish with things like thai basil, coriander, sesame, lime/lime zest, etc.
If i’m feeling particularly fancy i may make a crispy, spiced batter for the chicken (or if you’re going vegan you could batter one or more of the veggies) to fry in, but that is a huge time investment that i can’t usually justify.
But if you keep it super basic and reduce the number of ingredients (especially those that need prep) to a minimum you can cook it in under 30 minutes. The rice itself only takes around ten, the sauce barely has to cook at all apart from lightly roasting the garlic and ginger a little, and the veggies should be prepped in ten and fried/steamed in another ten.
I should be clear that the recipe i’ve outlined here is not a “curry” as such, afaik traditional curry actually needs to simmer for quite a while.
Veg pasta.
Boil some pasta. Add some finely sliced green cabbage when there’s five minutes left (and/or other veg that cooks quickly—you could add beans or peas for protein). Little shells are good for this one. When it’s cooked, drain and save the water! Turn the heat down and fry off some onions. Season with salt and pepper. When the onions are soft, add in some garlic puree or finely chopped garlic. You can use some oil. Add oregano and parsley or other favoured herbs. Pour some of the pasta water back in. Don’t pour too much in, just yet. The starch helps it thicken slightly into a source. Add the pasta and cabbage/veg back in. If you like it with more sauce, add some more of the pasta water in, a little at a time. Keep stirring and turn up the heat to get everything hot. Don’t let it dry out. Serve. You could finish with some vegan cheese.
Purple rice.
Cook some rice. I like a mixture of wholegrain rice and white basmati. You can start off with the wholegrain rice for time minus ~11 minutes for the white basmati. So if the wholegrain takes 30 mins, cook the wholegrain for ~19 (bring water to a boil, them let it simmer) before adding the white grains (bring water to a boil again, then stir gently and simmer for the rest of the time). When cooked, immediately cool under cold water. Drain and store in the fridge. This will last for a few days, so cook enough to eat over several days with different dishes. When hungry, mix with a squeeze of lemon juice, vegan yoghurt, and mint sauce. Dice some beetroot and mix this in. Top with mixed nuts, crushed or whole.
You’re welcome. It’s very easy. Also, I tidied up my post. Riddled with typos! Hopefully it made sense.
If you’re eating with someone who doesn’t like beetroot, give them a small taste with horseradish mixed in. Surprising how many people who don’t like beetroot like beetroot and horseradish.
Chilis/Currys are a very versatile option (often under 30 mins to prepare, has to cook longer). Also tons of salads, especially in summer (with pasta or rice if it’s the main course). Also there is always Pizza, if the dough is ready, its done really fast.
