Vietnamese Vegetarian Curry with Tofu and Vegetables

During summer we went to Vermont and we had a dinner at absolutely amazing Vietnamese restaurant where we had this curry and since then my son was saying all the time that he loved that curry so I made that curry and loved it.  I have put more vegetables than restaurant and made it more healthy. So the curry powder used in this one is not a single spice, its a mix of spices makes curry powder. Make your own curry powder , don't just by ready made one. 

Ingredient for the curry powder

1 Star anise

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp. turmeric powder

3 cloves

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp red chili powder 

In a coffee grinder or mortar pestal , grind all the dry spices in to a powder and set aside.

Curry Sauce 

1/2 block of firm tofu, pressed  and cut it in cubes

1 Sweet potatoes cut in cubes

4-5 Baby Portobello Mushrooms

2 carrots cut in cubes

1 green capsicum cut in cubes

1 white onion cut in big cubes

Few leaves of Thai basil

5 cloves of Garlic finely chopped

1 tbsp. of chopped ginger

1/2 can coconut milk

1 cup vegetable stock

1 tbsp. light soy sauce

salt and pepper as per taste

2 tbsp. cooking oil

Few soy sprouts for garnishing

Method : 

Take the pressed and cut tofu pieces and put in a bowl, coat it with 2 tbsp of curry powder. Mix well with tofu and let it marinade for 30 minutes. More is better.

Heat the oil in large pan, add garlic and ginger  , cook for a minute or two till you get the nice aroma. then add sweet potatoes and carrots and cook for a minute or two. 

Add the rest of the vegetables except tofu and cook for a minute. 

Add the 2 to 3 tbsp. of curry powder , depend upon your spice level.  Mix it. 

Add coconut milk, and  stock. Turn the heat down and let it simmer. 

check if the sweet potatoes are cook then add tofu in it and mix it. 

Add the soy sauce and for the salt, if needed add regular salt and pepper. 

Shut off the gas and sprinkle Thai basil and sprouts on it and serve it with white , brown or Jasmin rice or French bread or vermicelli rice noodles.

I had it with brown rice and on a side , I made eggplant in garlic sauce.

It supposed to be thin curry. If you don't like thin then add cornstarch mixed with water and make it thin but traditionally it s eaten as thin, 

Vegan Vietnamese Dipping Sauce ( Nước chấm)

I prefer South Asian cuisine than Italian or Mexican  since I don't like too much of cheese in my food. For kids, I just overload it but for me and hubby its a big nono. So I was making my usual Summer rolls  and wanted to try different dipping sauce and since summer rolls are Vietnamese dish I wanted to make same cuisine  sauce. I know that part of the world heavy on Fish sauce and Since now I have vegan , gluten free Fish sauce I can make anything so tried this and I just loved it. If you don't mind real fish sauce then you can make it with that too.

This is a dipping sauce they use in everything, They just keep this sauce ready in the fridge for regular meals for the week but when they make a special dish , they make fresh batch and as always fresh taste much better. 

Ingredients : 

6 tbsp water

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

2 tbsp fish sauce

2 cloves of fresh finely chopped garlic

2 thinly chopped Thai chilies

small finely chopped carrot

Method :

Combine warm water and sugar in a bowl, so it is easy to dissolve sugar.

Add lime juice in increments until its as per your liking. 

Add fish sauce in increments too. 

Top it with garlic, chilies and carrot and mix it.

Leave it for 30 minutes to mix the flavors. 

Use it for summer rolls or top it on pho

Vegetarian Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

When its too hot you don't want to stand in front of the gas and cook but at the same time everyone needs to eat, so that time something quick but healthy and tasty comes in mind. I made this rolls so many times and realized that it never made it on blog, So here sharing it vegetarian Vietnamese summer rolls. Its very easy to make, this is my way of making it with vegetarian version, but you can add boiled glass noodles, boiled shrimp, rotisserie chicken, radish , red peppers, cucumbers. I have used Jicama , its root vegetable and  very crunchy , carrots, mint leaves, Thai basil leaves and sprouts. I love jicama just like to snack on it. This goes perfectly with peanut sauce , I have added more sriracha to make it spicy.



Ingredients :

One packet of rice papers
3 big carrots cut it in matchsticks
1 Jicama, cut it in matchsticks
Lots of mint leaves, Thai basil Leaves
3 cups of Soy bean sprouts or mung bean sprouts

For Peanut sauce 

2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3-4 tbsp hot water to thin out peanut butter
1 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp hot sesame oil
1 tbsp Sriracha or more if you like spicy or less if you dont like too spicy

Mix everything and keep it aside, make this sauce before so the flavors can develop while you are making rolls.

Method :

Take one rice paper and just for 5 seconds keep it in warm water , making sure it don't break.

Put it on flat surface, put first mint and basil leaves and layer other vegetables as you do on one corner of the sheet.

fold it from the side and top and then fold in the edges towards the center and continue rolling the filled wrapper until its closed.

Continue this with each wrappers.

Since its a rice wrapper, it stick, so I made 4 at a time and feed it to the family, didn't wanted to make all and then eat everyone together.

You have to change the hot water while in the process.

If you dont want to eat in the middle of making, you can cover the rolls with damp cloth so it wont be sticky.

To serve, cut it in half and put some sauce in the middle and dip it and enjoy it.

Banh Mi Vegetable Burger Sandwich

So made a burger for him, kids had a regular burger, for me, I made banh mi sandwich. Everything was ready just have to make pickled vegetables and done. I used both burgers for me, readymade as well as chickpeas burgers too. For non vegetarian, you can use pork, chicken and vegetarian you can use tofu too. You can grill the whole thing and make grilled banh mi too.

Ingredients for pickle Vegetables 

1 cup warm water
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
chopped vegetables like carrot, radish, onions, Jalapenos

Method :

Mix the water, vinegar, sugar and salt until its dissolve.
Put the vegetables in it and cover with the pickling liquid.
Leave it in liquid for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

For sandwich :

1/2 French baguette , I like soft bread so I used french whole baguette
2 burgers - homemade or readymade
Butter as needed
1/2 cucumber thinly sliced
1/2 cup pickled vegetables without liquid
few strings of fresh coriander leaves
Sriracha sauce

Method :

Take your bread, apply butter on it.
Put on one slice of bread, burger, top it with pickled vegetables, cucumber, coriander leaves, sriracha and close it with another slice. If you are making grilled cheese, add cheese and grilled it.
Otherwise, enjoy it as it is.

Hearth and Soul Blog hop: April 3rd Week - Zesty South Indian Kitchen
http://www.amummytoo.co.uk/tag/recipeoftheweek/
#ExtraVeg Food Blog Challenge - May 2015 | VEGGIE DESSERTS,Helen at Fuss Free Flavours (http://fussfreeflavours.com/extra-veg/) and to Michelle at Utterly Scrummy (http://utterlyscrummy.blogspot.co.uk/p/extra-veg.html)