Cuisine Focus – Vegetarian – A Matter of Personal Choice

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This cuisine naturally refers to food that excludes use of meat and other animal tissue products. For those who are not familiar with vegetarianism, this cuisine is plainly a type of cooking associated to fruits and vegetables of any kind. However, it is still best to familiarize yourself with the kinds of diet vegetarians tend to have, since vegetarianism falls into various categories and kinds.

To start with, Lacto-ovo vegetarianism is the most common type of vegetarianism in the Western part of the world, where dairy products such as milk, cheese and eggs are consumed along with vegetables and fruits. Veganism and Fruitarianism, on the other hand, are considered the most strict and restrictive, since dairy products along with meat, honey and refined sugars are omitted in a person’s diet.

Vegetarian foods, meanwhile, are also grouped into several types. We have the traditional foods, soy products, textured vegetable protein (TVP) and meat analogues. Traditional foods include vegetables, fruits, cereals, grains and nuts. Soy products normally comprise of tofu and soy milk; TVP or textured vegetable protein is made of soy flour, which is often used as a substitute for meat while meat analogues have traits very similar to meat such as taste, texture and appearance.

Ingredients Utilized in Vegetarian Cuisine

(Food Items Suitable for all Types of Vegetarian Cuisine)

Cereals/Grains:

Corn, Rice, Wheat, Barley, Millet, Oats, Rye, Buckwheat, Maize, Sorghum, Triticale, Fonio, Quinoa

Derived Products such as flour also comprises this group, with it being used in breads and pastas

Vegetables:

All kinds are used be it fresh or pickled vegetables.

Derived products such as vegetable fats and oils

Fruits:

Fresh and Dried Fruits

Legumes:

Soybeans, Peas, Chickpeas, Peanuts, Lentils

Soy Products such as soy milk, tempeh and tofu

Nuts and Seeds

Spices and Herbs

(Food Items Suitable for Several Types of Vegetarian Cuisine)

Dairy products:

Butter, Eggs, Milk, Cheese, Yogurt

As for this group, there are certain cheeses not consumed by Vegans like yogurt and cheese, specifically those that are processed in relation to animals as origin. Eggs are also not consumed by pure lacto-vegetarians, the same way honey is not a popular item amongst some vegans.

True enough, vegetarian cuisine is something that not all individuals can acquire. While certain people have the taste and preference for vegetarianism, many are still opted to utilize fresh produce along with meat and dairy products. In addition, while some individuals think of vegetarian cuisine as isolated or regional, it is best to note that there are parts in the Western world where such is being practiced and considered traditional. Great examples would be the Gujarati cuisine of Western India and the Buddhist cuisine in Asia. Moreover, the popularity of dishes such as cereals, salads and corn on the cob are living testaments to the acquisition if not enhancement of certain cuisines in particular areas. Macaroni and cheese, for one, can also be considered vegetarian along with mashed potatoes and seasoned rice.

Mexican foods such as guacamole, salsa and bean burritos are additional examples of foods employing this cuisine style. Spanish, Indian, Italian and Russian are also nothing but a small list of national cuisines that incorporate the same ingredients typically consumed by non-restrictive vegetarians. Even famous deserts such as cobblers, cakes and pies are considered applicable to ovo-lacto vegetarians, thus making this cuisine a matter of choice less every known bias.

Authentic Vegetarian Recipes

Buddha’s Delight

Recipe Source: ivu.org

This is a good recipe if you’ve ever been curious about cooking with new and somewhat unusual ingredients

15g. (1/2 oz.) dried bean curd skin sticks
1/3 cup (15g./1/2 oz.) dried tiger lily bulbs
3-4 tbs. (15 g.) dried wood ears (black fingers)
10 g. (1/4 oz.) dried black moss
50 g. (2 oz.) bamboo shoots
50 g. lotus root
50 g. straw mushrooms
4 tbs. oil
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbs. light soy sauce
1 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 tbs. cold water
2 tsp. sesame oil for garnish

Method:

Soak dried veggies separately in cold water overnight, or in warm water for at least an hour
Cut bean curd sticks into short lengths.
Cut bamboo and lotus root into small slices.
Heat wok.
When hot put in half the oil and wait until it smokes.
Stir fry all dry veggies with a little salt for one minute.
Remove vegetables from wok and set aside.
Add and heat remaining oil and stirfry rest of the veggies with salt.
Add partly cooked dry veggies, sugar, soy sauce, stirring constantly.
If it dries out add a little water.
When cooked add cornstarch mix.
Garnish with sesame oil and serve immediately.

Bi Chay (Vietnamese Vegetarian Recipe)

Recipe Source: phamfatale.com

Ingredients:

Yields: 14 servings

3 (12-ounce) packages firm tofu
2 jicamas
2-½ pounds taro root
14 Yukon Gold potatoes
1-¼ cups canola oil (or any neutral oil), as needed
1-¼ cups jasmine rice or thinh (check tip section)
3-¼ teaspoons mushroom seasoning salt (or regular salt)
1 teaspoon salt
1-½ tablespoons superfine sugar (or granulated sugar)

Preparation:

For the dry roasted rice powder: Dry roast the jasmine rice in a pan over the stove. Stir the rice using chopsticks until the grains turn a rich brown color (for about 5-7 minutes over high heat). Let cool. Grind the grains into a fine powder using a food processor or spice grinder. I use the VitaMix Dry Blade Container. The result should be a fine mill.

For the tofu: Drain any liquid from the tofu. Pat dry with a paper towel. Slice the tofu into 1/2-inch thick pieces. In a large pan, heat about 2 tablespoons of oil; fry the tofu slices and transfer to a plate. Once the tofu is cool enough to handle, cut the pieces into very thin strips. Set aside.

For the jicama: Peel and slice horizontally into 1/2-inch thick pieces. In the same large pan, add about 1 tablespoon of oil and fry all the jicama slices until golden brown. Once they are cool enough to handle, cut the pieces into very thin strips. Set aside.

For the taro and potatoes: Peel and shred the taro. Place in a large bowl. Fill the bowl with water (it should barely cover the taro root) and add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Let sit for about 15 minutes, then drain all the liquid. Pat dry.

Repeat the same procedure with the potatoes.

In the same large pan, add about 2 more tablespoons of oil. Sprinkle about 4-5 tablespoons of taro evenly into the pan. Do not stir. Wait for at least 2 minutes until one side is nicely fried, crisp and golden. Flip the taro using chopsticks. Continue until all the taro is fried and repeat the same procedure with the potatoes. Add more oil if necessary.

When the taro and potatoes are nicely fried and golden, transfer to a platter lined with paper towels. As soon as all the oil is drained, transfer to a large bowl.

Assembly time: Every ingredient should be the same size and fried to perfection. In the same large bowl with the fried taro and potatoes, add the jicama and tofu. Season with mushroom powder. Sprinkle with sugar. Adjust seasoning with salt. Toss well, then sprinkle with dry roasted rice powder.

Place on a serving platter. On one plate, place thin rice vermicelli noodles (called bún). On another plate, add fresh vegetables like lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts, fresh coriander and Vietnamese mint, and pickled vegetables like carrots, baby shallots and daikon. Fill a bowl with nước tương (vegetarian dipping sauce) and another with crushed, salted peanuts. It’s family style – everyone helps themselves to their own bowl, starting with the veggies, the noodles, and then finally the bì chay. Pour on the nước tương sauce, add the coriander and mint and sprinkle some peanuts to garnish.

Bon appétit!

Image Credit: tastesoflife.wordpress.com

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