The 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of the East: 150 Asian-Inspired Recipes--from Soba Noodles to Summer Rolls (13 page)

1. In either a sauté pan over low heat or a toaster oven set to 200°F, roast the chile peppers, cardamom seeds, coriander, cumin, anise, garlic, lemongrass, and galangal for 10 minutes or until the garlic is starting to brown and the spices smell toasty.

2. Transfer to a blender and add the cinnamon and salt. Blend until a thick paste forms. You may need to add a bit of the coconut milk to get the mixture thoroughly blended. Start with ¼ cup and work your way up as needed. Once blended, transfer to a large sauté pan or pot and add the coconut milk. Bring to a low boil over medium heat.

3. Add the potatoes and allow them to cook until the potatoes are soft, approximately 10 minutes. Add the pineapple, peanuts, agave nectar, soy sauce, and water and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve immediately, or allow it to cool completely before refrigerating.

CREAMY TAPIOCA PUDDING

Tapioca is the starch from the cassava plant, a sweet root originally from South America and highly cultivated in tropical climates. This thick, custardy dessert will change your perspective on tapioca. Though you need to soak the tapioca for an hour, the rest of the process takes less than 30 minutes.

1. Fill the bottom of a double boiler with 2 to 3 inches of water. In the top, soak the coconut milk with the tapioca pearls for one hour at room temperature.

2. Turn the heat to medium and stir occasionally for about 15 minutes, until the pearls begin to turn translucent in the center. Add the vegan butter, salt, and agave nectar, and continue to stir frequently for 10 to 15 minutes more or until the pearls are completely translucent and soft. Add the vanilla, stir, and serve warm.

STICKY RICE AND MANGO SLICE

Sticky rice, or glutinous rice, is a mainstay in Thailand and other Asian countries. Generally it is steamed rather than boiled in water. The resulting sticky, clumpy rice is easy to scoop up with your hands. Coconut milk raises the decadence bar, and you’re on your way to a satiating end of the day. This recipe does go over the 30-minute time frame if you include the soaking time.

1. Soak the rice in water for at least 1 hour. Strain well.

2. Fill the bottom of a steamer pot with approximately 1 inch of water (do not let the water come above the steamer holes). Lay cheesecloth over the bottom of the steamer basket and place the rice evenly over the top. Bring the water to a boil, turn the heat to medium, cover the pot, and steam for 20 minutes or until the rice is soft.

3. Meanwhile, whisk the coconut milk, agave nectar, maple syrup, if using, and sea salt together in a small pot over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly.

4. When the rice is finished, transfer it to a bowl and add half to three-fourths of the coconut milk mixture. Allow it to sit for 5 to 10 minutes as the rice absorbs the coconut milk. Serve hot with cold mango slices and top with the remaining coconut milk mixture. Simply divine!

BLACK RICE PUDDING

With a unique color and flavor, black rice is also high in nutrients. This delicacy is frequently served in Thai restaurants, where the sweet and slightly salty flavor of the dish is sure to wow. With rice cooking time, this recipe does go slightly over the 30-minute time frame.

1. Place the rice, water, and sea salt in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, approximately 30 minutes.

2. After the rice has been cooking for 20 minutes, prepare the Coconut Dessert Sauce by placing the coconut milk, agave nectar, maple syrup, and mirin, if using, in a small pot over low heat. Gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked but do not let the coconut milk come to a boil.

3. Scoop the rice into individual serving bowls and top with the sauce. Garnish with a pinch of cinnamon and a sprinkle of toasted coconut.

COCONUT ICE CREAM

Creamy and decadent, and whipped up in just minutes, this quick and easy dessert actually takes quite a bit of time to freeze, but it’s so worth it. Plan ahead and prepare it the night before you wish to enjoy it. If your kitchen is not equipped with an ice-cream maker, check out Appendix C for a Web site where you can order one. Enjoy this ice cream on its own, with some fresh berries, topped with Mango Custard Pudding (page 130), or served alongside Halva (page 35) or Black Rice Pudding (page 81).

1. Place all of the ingredients except the berries in a blender and blend on high speed for 30 seconds or until the mixture is completely smooth.

2. Either prepare according to the ice-cream maker’s instructions or if you are without an ice-cream maker, pour the mixture into a glass container and freeze until solid, approximately 6 hours or overnight. Remove from the freezer, transfer to a food processor, and process on high speed until creamy. You can enjoy it now as a soft-serve consistency or return it to the freezer for 2 hours for more of an ice-cream consistency. Serve topped with fresh berries, if desired.

THAI ICED TEA

Though tea and coconut milk may be plentiful in Thailand, a constant supply of wasteful to-go packaging is not. Therefore, do not be surprised if the street vendor hands you your iced tea in a plastic bag. Yep, a small clear plastic bag filled with ice, sweetened condensed milk, and red Thai tea. You can find Thai tea online and in some supermarkets, but we have found that plain black tea also works well and still gives that classic orange color when combined with the coconut milk.

1. Boil the water in a pot or tea kettle. Remove from the heat and add the tea. Steep for 10 minutes and remove the tea bags. Whisk in the agave nectar and place in the freezer until chilled thoroughly, approximately 20 minutes.

2. To serve, fill the glasses with ice and add 1 cup of the tea. Slowly pour the coconut milk over the ice to achieve a layered effect. Stir with a spoon or straw before drinking.

FISH-FREE SAUCE

Fish sauce is used in just about everything in Thailand, and just like kaffir lime and galangal ginger, it adds a flavor that distinguishes itself as Thai. This fish-free sauce is less complicated to prepare than traditional fermented fish sauce (
nam pla
), which involves placing fish in a jar for nine months to a year! Here we use the sea vegetable arame to create the flavor of the sea. Adding a couple of tablespoons of this sauce to any of the curries or soups in this chapter will enhance the authenticity of the dish. You may also want to decrease the other salty ingredients called for in the recipe.