A bit of work, but this recipe for Chickpeas and vegetables steamed in peanut sauce was loaded with flavor.
Mark Guydish | for Times Leader
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Here are most of the ingredients called for in this recipe. I skipped the poblano chili and didn’t find any shallots on a quick trip to the store, but there’s still a tremendous about of flavors in the finished dish. I also skipped the cilantro.
Mark Guydish | for Times Leader
Yes, it’s another vegetarian dinner in Lent, but when MT tried it she recalled a story about a recipe called “Buddha’s Delight” served in a monastery that was so delicious one of the monks opined “Who misses the meat?”
“I certainly don’t,” she continued, “not when we have a dish like this!”
This is a bit of work, much more than last week’s “stewed beans with potatoes and olives” from the same source, “The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook.” But MT and I loved the complex, full flavors of the final dish, even if I did skip the poblano chili (MT’s not a fan of too much heat).
The good news is most of the work is done by a food processor, and you can prep the veggie blend and peanut sauce a little ahead of time, then put it all together in a matter of minutes. That’s pretty much what I did to meet MT’s frequently odd night schedule at work. (It’s good to be the retired partner!)
Emphasize whatever flavors you want — as usual, I put in an extra clove of garlic,and I’m sure I came close to doubling the ginger and basil, though I didn’t measure. I also skipped the cilantro and poblano chili, couldn’t find a shallot at the store, and saw no reason to hunt for unsweetened coconut with a bag of the sweet stuff in our cupboard. There’s certainly enough flavor to go around.
Who knows, you may find you don’t miss the meat, either.
Dobru chut!
Chickpeas and vegetables steamed in peanut sauce (The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook, Diana Shaw)
1 shallot
2 scallions, including greens
1 onion or leek
½ green poblano chili
1 red bell pepper
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
¼ cup minced fresh basil
¼ cup minced fresh mint
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
½ tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons peanut butter (better if it has no added sugar or other ingredients)
2 tablespoons grated, unsweetened coconut
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil
3 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed.
2 cups steamed vegetables (such as broccoli florets, cabbage, carrots, snow peas, asparagus)
Remove seeds, stems and ribs from bell pepper. Roughly chop the shallot, scallions, onions, chili, bell pepper and garlic.
In a food processor, combine the shallot, scallions, onion or leek, chili, red pepper, garlic, ginger, basil, mint and cilantro. Pulse (and if necessary, scrape a few times) to get a chunky consistency. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Add the soy sauce, sugar, tomato paste, peanut butter and coconut to the food processor. Process/pulse to make a thick paste. Add the broth and cornstarch and process to blend.
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom and sides. Add the shallot and herb mixture and toss quickly to season the oil, about three minutes. Add the chickpeas and steamed vegetables and toss again to season and heat through, about 3 minutes. Add the broth mixture and stir until thickened and thoroughly mixed, about 2 minutes.
