Veganistan: A vegan tour of the Middle East

Product Information

The Middle East is a region lush in its vegetation, a gift to the non-meat-eater. Much of the cuisine is naturally plant-based, with a lot of the flavor of recipes coming from the herbs, spices, cooking methods, and sheer joie de cuisine traditional to Middle Eastern dining. It’s made from a combination of onions, lentils and rice. It exists in various forms, and it’s a popular comforting dish that can be served hot or cold. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pan with a lid and lower the heat to low-medium. Cook for 30 minutes or until the rice and lentils are cooked to your likening. Spices— Different mujadara recipes use different spices. I personally like to make it with a mix of warming spices like ground cumin and ground cinnamon. I also add two bay leaves. You can also make it with just cumin or with a spice blend such as baharat. Garlic— Add as much garlic as you like — I like to make mujadara lentils with at least 4 garlic cloves.

The newest release from prolific food writer Sally Butcher, Veganistan is full of healthy, accessible, and delicious vegan recipes for everyone, inspired by a Middle Eastern kitchen. Start by caramelising the onions. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the sliced onions. Stir to cover the onions in oil, season with salt and lower the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent and softened. The Interdependent Commonwealth of Veganistan is a post-geographical nation of compassionate animals joyfully protecting the well-being and sovereignty of all beings on earth. (Human animal lovers are welcome too!)Even though mujadara is a budget-friendly recipe made with very humble ingredients, it’s still super flavourful and satisfying. Rice— Basmati rice is perfect for mujadara. You can soak it in cold water for half an hour before cooking this recipe. If you want to use brown basmati rice, you may need to add 15 to 20 minutes to the cooking time. Olive oil— Use the best quality extra virgin olive oil to make mujadara, as it really makes a difference. Veganistan is a brand new volume from Sally Butcher following the silk trail started by Veggiestan and Persepolis. Add a handful of raisins at the end for a bit of juicy sweetness that pairs great with the caramelised onions.

Written in Sally's witty and reassuring voice, Veganistan will bring something new to your kitchen and equip you with the skills to make stunning vegan food for any occasion. The original mission of The New Middle Eastern Vegetarian was to celebrate vegetables in all their glory, rather than recreating meat dishes, and in Veganistan Sally Butcher starts to play more with seitan, tofu, and tempeh using them as vehicles to showcase the wonderful range of flavor this cuisine offers. All beings who respect all other beings are welcome to emigrate as citizens of Veganistan. To claim your birthright to citizenship in a more harmonious world, just drop by the Embassy. Latest Stories from the Veganistan Blog Add the sugar and continue to cook the onions, stirring frequently, until brown and reduced in size. This should take about 30-40 minutes. Onions— Yellow onions are perfect for mujadara, but you can also use red onions, white onions or shallots. You can slice all the onions or slice the ones you caramelise and dice the ones that go into the pan with the lentils and rice.Overall this was not a good cookbook for me though it is gorgeous and for those cookbook readers who want to see more vegan recipes for the Middle East region and who are accomplished cooks this might be a good book for them. I was disappointed though. I expected to really like this book and expected to find many more recipes that were appealing to me and doable for me.