Tom Yummy Asian Aubergine Stack

• Ingredients
  • 2 medium (about 450g) aubergines
  • 1 tbsp groundnut oil, plus extra for brushing/spraying
  • (60 ml) 1/4 cup hot water
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sherry
  • 2 tsp fresh lime juice, plus lime slices for garnishing
  • 2 tsp vegetarian tom yum paste
  • 1 tsp sri racha
  • 1 tsp agave nectar or sugar
  • 40 g (1/2 cup) fine TVP (textured vegetable protein)
  • 20-25 g (scant 1/4 cup) chopped coriander leaf/root/stem
  • 1 small onion, about 65 g, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp thick coconut milk or coconut cream
  • 1 tsp lime juice plus 1 tsp agave
  • 1-2 tbsp thinly sliced spring onion
  • 2-3 tbsp mint chiffonade
  • a handful or two of shredded lettuce (optional)
  • salt and pepper, to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat your oven to at least 200 degrees celcius (400 F). Cut the aubergines lengthways into 1/4 inch slices, then spray or brush them with oil on both sides. Arrange on two baking trays (use parchment if you’d like to save some tidying time). Bake for 15-20 minutes, keeping an eye out for burning, flipping the eggplant halfway through. They should be lightly browned but not blackened.
  2. Combine the 1 tbsp oil, water, soy sauce, sherry, 2 tsp lime juice, tom yum paste, sri racha, and agave/sugar in a small bowl. Tip the TVP (textured vegetable protein) into a wok or large frying pan and pour the liquid over top. Mix to ensure all of the TVP is covered. Leave for 5-10 minutes to soak up the liquid.
  3. Turn the heat to medium and add the onion, garlic, and coriander. Stir fry for 8-10 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat off and stir in the coconut milk.
  4. To serve divide the aubergine into two portions, stacking them on each plate in a lattice-ish formation (or just chuck ‘em in a pile). Combine the 1 tsp lime juice with 1 tsp agave nectar and splash over the eggplant. A pinch or two of flaked salt won’t hurt either. Sprinkle the lettuce around the dish and top the aubergine stacks with the TVP. Scatter mint around and over the whole dish, finally topping the plate with some spring onion and a wedge of lime.

Steamed Tempeh Balls in Sticky Tamarind Sauce

Makes 18-20 balls, enough to serve two

• Tempeh ball ingredients
  • 170g (6 oz) tempeh
  • 30g (1/4 cup) finely diced onion
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons tapioca flour/starch
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free)
  • 1 teaspoon palm sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • fresh diced chilies, to taste (optional- start small, kids)
  • 40g (1/4 cup) brown rice flour

• Stir-fry ingredients
  • 1 shallot, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate + 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon sweet freedom or agave nectar
  • 1 heaping teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornflour
  • 1 teaspoon groundnut (peanut) oil, for frying
  • 1 small onion, halved and cut into wedges
  • About 85g (approx 1 cup) broccoli pieces
  • A handful of sliced spring onion

• Directions/Method
  1. First thing’s first: get the tempeh balls steaming. Cut the tempeh into thin slices and steam it for 10 or 15 minutes in a basket or bamboo steamer. This will help remove some bitterness and also prep the tempeh to receive and soak up the rest of the ingredients. Top up the water and keep the steamer steaming.
  2. Add the tempeh and the rest of the tempeh ball ingredients, except the rice flour, into a food processor and pulse until you have a smooth paste (a few unblended beans won’t put a spanner in the works).
  3. Knead the rice flour into the dough until smooth, and roll lumps in between your palms to form approximate one inch balls. Like in other areas of life size isn’t of the utmost importance, but here the recipe should yield 18-20 tempeh spheres.
  4. If you have tiered bamboo steamers (the cheap ones that stack as many as your ceiling is high), grab three. Line them either with greased plates or greaseproof paper and arrange the tempeh balls at 1-2 inch intervals. Stack and steam for 30 minutes. A metal steamer basket works as well, of course.
  5. Now’s the time to make the sauce! Pound the shallot, garlic, soy sauce, tamarind and water, sweetener, ginger, and lime juice together in a pestle and mortar until you achieve a nice smooth paste. Add the cornflour and stir it all up. If you don’t have a pestle and mortar, a coffee mill is good substitute. Otherwise just mince the garlic and shallot as finely as possible and stir together with the soy sauce, tamarind mixture, sweetener, and ginger in a small bowl.
  6. Once the tempeh balls finish steaming, leave them to cool for at least ten minutes (they’ll be a little sticky at first, but will harden as their temperature decreases).
  7. Heat the groundnut oil in your wok to medium high and stir fry the tempeh balls until the outsides are lightly browned, for around 2 minutes. A little bit of burn is okay, so don’t fret. Add the broccoli and onion wedges, continuing to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add half of the spring onion along with the sauce, tossing quickly for 1-2 minutes in the wok to combine and finish cooking everything.
  8. Dish up with the rest of the spring onion clumped on top as a garnish.

Absolutely Pho-bulous Vegetarian Pho (Phở Chay)

• Pho Broth Ingredients
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 3 star anise pods
  • 1 tbsp + 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 40g (1.5 oz) unpeeled ginger, sliced thinly
  • 8 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed (unpeeled)
  • 1.5 tbsp peanut oil
  • 6 good sized shallots, unpeeled and roughly diced
  • 2 celery stalks, roughly diced
  • 1 large carrot, roughly diced
  • handful of fresh coriander (including stems), chopped
  • 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1400 ml (6 cups) water
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp palm sugar

• Noodles and accompaniments
  • 280g (10oz) firm tofu (vague weight after pressing), in 1 inch dice or some store bought deep fried tofu puffs
  • peanut oil to deep fry
  • Tin of straw mushrooms or a handful of sliced mushrooms
  • 150-200g flat rice noodles
  • 2-3 tbsp sliced spring onions
  • Fresh mint
  • Fresh coriander
  • Fresh basil (try to get Thai if you can)
  • Bean sprouts
  • Chili slices
  • Mushrooms (optional)
  • Slices of lime

• Directions/Method
  1. Pound the cinnamon, anise, coriander and cumin seeds in a pestle and mortar for a minute until the seeds are crushed. Add the ginger and garlic and pound into a vague paste. Don’t worry about perfection- a few chunks aren’t going to be an issue (and don’t worry about peeling the garlic either, unless you particularly want to do so). Heat the oil in a large stock pot and fry the spice mix for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant.
  2. Add the celery, carrot, shallots, and fresh coriander to the pot and continue to fry for another 4-5 minutes. When the vegetables are soft and beginning to char a little, tip in the water.
  3. Throw all of the remaining broth ingredients in the pot: salt, soy sauce, palm sugar, and dried shiitake mushrooms. Cover and leave to simmer over a low heat for about an hour.
  4. Meanwhile, get the condiments and other phở ingredients ready. Heat an inch or two of oil in a wok or other vessel worthy of deep frying and fry the tofu pieces to a light brown outer appearance. Remove with a slotted spoon and leave to drain on kitchen roll.
  5. Close to serving time, prepare the rice noodles per the packet’s instructions (around 50g per person is a good starting point) and divide between bowls. Sprinkle some chopped spring onion over the noodles and add the tofu pieces.
  6. When the broth is ready, strain to remove the spices and vegetables. If you’re using mushrooms, place the stock back on the hob and add the mushrooms, leaving to cook just until the mushrooms are ready. Ladle some broth (including the mushrooms) into the bowls and serve hot.
  7. Pile fresh leaves of basil, mint, and coriander (cilantro) on a plate, alongside a couple handfuls of bean sprouts and some sliced chilies to serve. Oh, and don’t forget some lime wedges! Some of my other favourite condiments for noodle soup include sri racha, extra soy sauce, toasted sesame seeds.

Phở Chay

Griddled Tempeh and Khmer Curry Paste in Banana Leaves

• Ingredients
  • 200g pack of tempeh, cut in half and then sliced through the centre of each piece (to make two thinner cakes of the same length and width)
  • 3 tbsp kroeung paste
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce + 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • Fresh banana leaves
  • A little oil (more for the benefit of your pan than this dish)

• Directions/Method
  1. Mix the sugar, lime, soy sauce, and water in a pain. Add the tempeh pieces and turn the heat to medium. Cook until about half of the liquid is gone before flipping the tempeh pieces and cooking until the pan is nearly dry. Remove from the heat.
  2. Cut 4 pieces of banana leaf to a size a little larger than what you’d need to wrap the tempeh slices as if they were a gift. Lay a piece of tempeh in the centre of each sheet and spoon about two teaspoons of the curry paste on top of each slice, spreading it to cover the whole piece.
  3. Fold the banana leaf first over the longest edges of the tempeh, and then the shortest. Place the parcels on a grill pan with the wrapped side down (once it cooks a bit, they won’t quite bind closed but they’ll remain sealed).
  4. Fry for around 10 minutes on each side. My suggestion is to open a parcel and have a taste halfway through- if the curry paste flavour is still too strong for you then cook a little while longer.
  5. Serve hot with rice or a simple stir fry and a selection of condiments (soy sauce, lime, sugar, chili sauce, etc…).

Vegan Khmer (Cambodian) Kroeung

• Ingredients
  • 2 stalks lemongrass
  • 6-8 cloves garlic
  • 2 chopped shallots
  • 25g (3/4 oz) galangal, ginger, or a mix of both
  • 1/2 tsp dried turmeric
  • 3-4 kaffir lime leaves (if dried, refresh for 20 minutes in hot water)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • chilies, to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Remove any tough outer layers from the lemongrass stalks and chop into thin rounds (it’s very stringy, so don’t try to pound it as is).
  2. Add all of the ingredients to a pestle and mortar, a spice mill, or whatever you’ve got that makes things paste like, and go to town. A little bit of chunky is okay in my book, but smooth as possible is best.
  3. Refrigerate and use in curries, stir fries, and soups.

Lime Soup with Noodles

• Ingredients
  • 480ml (2 cups) water
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, cut into a several pieces and heavily bruised
  • 2-3 kaffir lime leaves
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/2-1 tsp palm sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • Coriander and spring onion, to garnish
  • Noodles, cooked per packet instructions

• Directions/Method
  1. Prepare your noodles and place them in your soup bowl.
  2. Bring the water to the boil with the lemongrass and kaffir lime. Meanwhile make a paste out of the lime juice, soy sauce, and garlic (use a pestle and mortar, but if you don’t have one just super finely mince the garlic). After about five minutes’ boiling time, add the paste. Turn the heat down to medium low. Add the palm sugar and a pinch of salt.
  3. Leave to cook for another few minutes before straining the broth through mesh onto the noodles. Garnish with spring onion and coriander leaves.

Vegetarian Soy-Mushroom Larb

• Ingredients
  • 260g (about 3 cups) diced mushrooms (mix of varieties)
  • oil
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce (omit if you don’t have)
  • 1 tsp palm sugar
  • 20g (1/4 cup) fine textured vegetable protein (TVP)
  • 1 small green chili, diced (optional)
  • 1.5 tbsp toasted jasmine rice powder (see method below)
  • Handful each of chopped mint and coriander (cilantro)
  • 15g (3 tbsp) finely diced spring onion
  • 25g (scant 1/4 cup) thinly sliced shallot
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, minced
  • 2 large kaffir lime leaves, thinly slices
  • a handful or two of deep fried cashews

• Directions/Method
  1. Heat the soy sauces, lime juice, water, and palm sugar in a small saucepan just until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the TVP and green chili. Most of the liquid will be soaked up.
  2. Toast your rice by simply dry frying it until it browns, followed by a quick session with a pestle and mortar (5 minutes-ish total time). In a large bowl, add the rice powder, mint, spring onion, shallot, lemongrass, lime leaves, and cashews (just deep fry cashews until they’re a couple shades darker).
  3. Heat another pan or wok and stir fry the mushrooms with a little oil, just until they begin to release their juices. Tip the TVP and any remaining sauce in and stir well, stir frying for another minute.
  4. Add the mushrooms and TVP to the bowl with the other ingredients and mix well.
  5. Serve with rice or fresh thinly cut vegetables and salad (or all of the above).

Thai Creamy Lemongrass Nibbles

• Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp vegan cream cheese
  • approx 80-100g puff pastry block or approx 12 square inches rolled pastry
  • 2 stalks fresh lemongrass (dry outer layers remove), finely chopped
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves, (soaked in warm water for 20 minutes if they came dried)
  • 1 tsp palm or brown sugar
  • 2 tsp toasted shredded coconut
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • at least 1 tsp fresh coriander (cilantro to Americans), chopped
  • at least 1 tsp fresh mint, chopped
  • ½ tsp soy sauce
  • ¼ tsp lime juice
  • finely diced red chili, to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (400F) and lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with baking paper.
  2. Slice the kaffir lime leaves into thin slivers, stack, and dice as fine as possible. To toast coconut, heat a pan to medium and dry fry the shredded meat until it’s lightly browned. The same process goes for the sesame seeds. Thoroughly mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl, simple as that, and set aside.
  3. If your puff pastry isn’t already pre-rolled, roll out into a ¼ inch sheet. For a fancier look, use cutters or a pastry knife to cut the dough into 2.75 inch squares, and then trim about ¼ inch of dough to line the outside of each square (or use pre made vol au vent cases). Otherwise, just plonk a tablespoon and a bit of filling in the centre of each square.
  4. Brush the still exposed pastry with some soy milk for crisp browning (optional), and bake for between 12-15 minutes until lightly browned.
  5. Serve hot or cold.

Sweet Potato and Aubergine Curry

• Ingredients
  • 200g sweet potato, peeled and in 1 inch dice (1 small-ish potato)
  • 300g aubergine (eggplant) in 1/2 inch dice (1 medium eggplant)
  • 230g onion, halved and quartered (1 medium-large onion)
  • oil
  • 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 3-4 cloves garlic (1 tbsp)
  • 1/2 tbsp grated ginger
  • 2 inches lemon grass
  • 1-2 packed tbsps fresh coriander leaves and stems
  • 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (240 ml) full fat coconut milk
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves
  • 1.5 tsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/4-1/2 (60-120ml) stock or water

• Directions/Method
  1. Mix the sweet potato, onion, and aubergine with a tablespoon of oil and roast at 200 C (400 F) for 20-25 minutes, until the onions are brown and a knife can be inserted fully through the sweet potato.
  2. Dry fry/roast the the coriander and cumin seeds in a large wok for a minute or so, until fragrant and beginning to pop. Use a pestle and mortar to grind down with the garlic, ginger, lime juice, lemon grass, fresh coriander, and salt.
  3. Heat a teaspoon of oil in the wok and fry the paste for a minute. Add the coconut milk and simmer 2-3 minutes before addingt eh sugar, soy sauce, and lime leaves. Turn the heat to medium low and simmer for ten more minutes. Blend to a smooth paste, if desired, and return to the wok. Add salt to taste.
  4. Add the additional water or vegetable stock and the roasted vegetables. Stir to coat and keep warm until ready to serve. Alternatively, blend to a soup with another cup or two of water/broth.

Son in Law Tofu (Tao Hoo Luk Kheuy)

• Ingredients
  • About 100g (3.5 oz) firm tofu, cut into four (or 8 smaller) squares
  • 1-2 tbsp corn flour
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp tamarind concentrate paste + 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • Peanut/Groundnut oil for frying

• Directions/Method
  1. Before you begin, heat an inch or two of oil in a wok to about 175-190 C (350-375 F), or use a deep fryer if you have one. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, tamarind paste, water, soy sauce and salt. Bring to a medium high heat and cook for about 5 minutes, or until just thickening a little.
  2. When the oil is heated, add the shallots and fry for a minute or two until they just start to brown. Remove them quickly with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels or a mesh screen at this point so to avoid them burning. Repeat this process with the garlic, but keep an even keener eye as it’ll burn much more quickly (you’ll likely only need to fry it for somewhere up to a minute). Again, remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels.
  3. Spread the cornflour (corn starch) on a plate and coat each side of each piece of tofu thoroughly. The cornflour will blend in with the bean curd so it’ll look at if there’s nothing on there, so don’t panic about the magical disappearing foodstuffs. It’s there, I promise. Place the coated tofu in the oil and fry for a minute or two, or until the tofu is crispy and starting to brown lightly.
  4. While the tofu is cooking, pour the sauce onto a serving plate. As soon as the tofu is finished frying, remove with your slotted spoon and allow to drain before placing it immediately in the sauce. Top with the fried shallots and garlic and serve!

Vegan Vietnamese Tomato Tofu (Dau Sot Ca Chua)

• Ingredients
  • 225g firm tofu
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 200g chopped tomato, preferably fresh (but tinned is ok)
  • 25 ml water
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • White pepper, to taste
  • Spring onion
  • Groundnut / peanut oil, to deep fry

• Directions/Method
  1. Press the tofu so you can get as much water out as possible. Cut the tofu into triangles, slices, or cubes no more than about two inches long.
  2. To make the sauce, which you should probably do first, simply fry up the garlic in some oil, add the tomato, water, half of the lime juice, the soy sauce, the pepper, and the sugar. Leave to simmer over a medium-low heat while you prepare the tofu.
  3. Heat a wok with a a few inches of oil to a medium temperature and deep fry the tofu pieces until lightly browned. An alternative is of course to lightly fry in oil on a skillet or even to bake, but deep-fried tofu is a treat!
  4. Serve the deep-fried tofu with the tomato sauce on top. Drizzle the remaining lime juice and some sliced spring onion over the dish, and go pig out. Serve with rice and/or grilled veg to bulk up into a fuller meal.

Vegan Thai Penang Curry

• Ingredients
  • 4 shallots
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • red chilies (your preference here as to how much)
  • 1/2 lime and zest
  • 1/8 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 inch ginger, grated
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • salt, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • Groundnut / peanut oil
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 2/3 cup coconut milk
  • About 200g fake chicken product or tofu
  • large bunch of leafy greens (kale, spinach, etc…)

• Directions/Method
  1. First, prepare your eyes for the death they will experience from coming within 200 metres of cut shallots. Once you have got past this first hurdle, feel free to make a paste out of the first ingredients in the list. My preference is in hiring a slave to do this part of the job, but a blending utensil of some sort is also acceptable. Pestle and mortar is for brave souls only. I warned you.
  2. Heat a wok with a relatively liberal amount of oil (at least a couple of tablespoons) and fry up the fake chicken pieces or tofu until nice and brown. Shove over to one side of the wok and in the other half of the wok fry the paste, in some more oil if necessary.
  3. After a couple of minutes mix the fake chicken and paste together. Add the vegetable stock (a homemade stock is recommended). Stir until all ingredients are mixed and then add the coconut milk. Add salt, to taste.
  4. Chop your greens up and chuck ‘em in with the rest of the lot to simmer for about ten minutes. Serve warm, over rice.