Sticky Vegan Pilaf
Healthy, tasty & sustainable! Another recipe whereby I use up all my leftovers in one big pot. And again, it also makes a yummy, comforting bowl of goodness. Because I don't fry the veggies in oil beforehand, the texture is soft & fluffy with sticky wholegrain rice & mushy lentils. Perfect scooped up with a roti.
I've made this recipe a few times now & I always find ~ even though most of the veg is not-so-fresh leftovers ~ fresh & crisp chillies work best. They add a wonderful warmth along with the Middle Eastern spices & fresh coriander. If you're not too keen on super hot rice, why not top your bowl with a dollop of Alpro yogurt?
As for the veggies, anything goes! The more the better really & I find not overly tender veg works best as the softness compliments the rice. Favourites of mine are peppers ~ aubergine ~ white onion ~ carrot ~ mushroom ~ squash. The aubergine usually reduces right down so you can only recognise the deep purple skin but I quite like that mush. I also make this pilaf when I've mixed up a batch of my homemade scraps stock ~ all the sweet, spicy & healthy tastes of the veggie stock adds tonnes & tonnes of flavour to the pot. I love how every batch of stock is different so one pilaf can be super spicy whereas the next one is slightly sweet! And with the mushroom, red lentils & wholegrain rice, the texture reminds me very much of a risotto!
Spicy spices & lots of colour. Levantine & Indian flavours are my favourite ~ coriander, turmeric, garlic, sumac, cumin, garam masala. Along with a few pinches of dried basil & parsley, the veggies soak up all the powdery nutrition & become bloated with Middle Eastern goodness. I really love spices & learning about their benefits. I've rambled about turmeric multiple times before but cumin is also wonderful in terms of iron & digestion. The magnesium in cumin helps ease indigestion & I sometimes drink jeera water to calm my IBS bloating ~ simply boil 1tsp cumin seeds in 1 glass water (often drank with honey but not if you're vegan!).
I find because the pot is filled with chunky veg, bulky legumes as well as sticky rice AND more legumes with the red lentils, it's best to serve is smaller portions. I use my little bowl & dollop in around 2 heaped wooden spoonfuls then use a chapatti to scoop up all the sticky rice & juices. It also makes a lovely picnic lunch with salad, sumac pita & fat-free chippies ~ like below!
Sticky Vegan Pilaf
Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 10-15 mins
Cook time: 40-45 mins
Total time: 1hr
Ingredients:
1 cup wholegrain rice, rinsed, drained
1/2 red lentils, rinsed, drained
homemade veggies scraps stock to fill around 3/4ths pot
200g chickpeas, drained
200g red kidney beans, drained
1/2 lemon
1 aubergine
1 white onion
1 red bell pepper
2 carrots
2 large handfuls mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 red or green chillies
thumb-size knob ginger, grated
handful fresh parsley
handful fresh coriander
1tsp sumac
1tsp ground corainder
1tbsp cumin
1tbsp turmeric
1tsp ground coriander
1tbsp garam masala
Method:
In a large pot, tip in the rinsed & drained rice & lentils.
Chop all the veggies into bite size chunks, press the garlic, grate the ginger & finely slice the chillies & fresh herbs. Toss into the pot along then squeeze the 1/2 lemon over the veggies.
Now, spoon on all the spices & combine.
Once mixed, fill the pot about 3/4 full with stock ~ the veggies should just be poking out but not entirely covered. I always leave a bit of stock leftover just in case the pot needs topping up.
Heat the pot on a high heat until the stock begins to boil then reduce to a low simmer. Stir & cover, leave to slowly bubble for 40-45 mins ~ mixing occasionally & adding more stock is necessary.
About 15mins before the pilaf is ready, mix in the drained chickpeas & kidney beans then cover again. The final consistency should be sticky & not watery.
Serve scooped up with a chapatti or alongside a few crunchy salad leaves!
