One can all this delicious vegan appetizer an an open-faced samosa.  Essentially, it has all the goodness of the samosa without the deep fry and work.  Crunchy eggless wonton skins, brushed with mustard oil and baked till golden brown filled with spicy potato curry and topped with a savory granola reminiscent of the South Indian snack, muruku.

The North Indian-style aloo masala curry recipe itself is originally from my friend, Sabah Akhtar, who taught me how to make the curry using the pressure cooker — apparently a lot of Indian folks do that these days!  Totally cuts down on the time one needs to whip out a good curry.  Her potato curry is full of fresh flavors as she folds in a bunch of fresh herbs at the end.  I adjusted the recipe a little to give it more spice and kick, but it’s pretty much her recipe!  You can skip the cups and granola and just make this hearty curry as an entree.

Chef’s tip:  Panch phoran is a Bengali five whole seed blend of fennel, cumin, nigella (onion seeds), fenugreek and yellow mustard in equal proportions.  You can mix them yourself or buy them pre-blended at most indian grocery stores.  Sabah also adds an eggplant to the curry (at the same time you add the tomatoes) and it gives it a richer, more complex flavor.

Wonton Cups:
24 wonton skin, eggless if vegan
1/2 cup mustard oil

1. Brush skins with mustard oil and press into mini muffin cups.
2. Bake in 360F oven till golden, about 7 minutes. Let cool.

Aloo Masala:
2 Tablespoons mustard oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons panch phoran mix
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 small yellow onion, finely minced
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 serrano, seeded, minced
3 large russett potatoes, half inch diced
2 tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup water

1 cup peas
3/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 cup dill, chopped

1. Heat a pressure cooker under medium heat.  When hot, add mustard oil, follwoed by panch phoran mix and red pepper flakes.  Fry till spices pop.
2. Add  onion and saute under low heat for 10 mins, add ginger, garlic and serrano.  Saute for another 5 min.
3. Add potatoes and stir to coat.  Add salt, tomatoes and water.  Bring to boil.
4. When boiling, close lid and bring pressure  to the first red ring  over medium heat.  Adjust heat to stabilize at first ring and cook for 4 minutes.  Release pressure using cold water release method.
5. Remove lid, add peas and  cook till desired doneness.
6. Remove from heat and gently fold in chopped cilantro and dill.

Savory Granola:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup wheat flakes
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup cashews
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 cup canola oil
1/8 cup water

1. Mix all the ingredients together and bake in 325F oven till golden brown.

Assemble:
Spoon a heaping tablespoon of aloo masala into the prepared cups, and top with savory granola.

Tags: curry, finger foods, Indian, street foods, vegan, Vegetarian.

The “Sam Poh Tong” temple between Ipoh and KL is a popular spot for KL folks that  stop by to buy the monks’ vegetarian specialty – the Chat Thye – a tightly rolled log of fresh yuba skin.  Some people call it mock chicken, mock goose, whatever.  It’s delicious and high in protein.  Makes a great snack.  It’s always a trick to try to slice it as thinly as you can.

Chef’s tip:  There’s only one place in the Bay Area that you can get fresh yuba skin – Hodo Soy in the Ferry Building, or at farmers’ markets in Berkeley and Palo Alto farmers.  The owner, Minh Tsai, is a true visionary in bringing Asian-style tofu products made from are non GMO, organic soy beans which just taste much better than the ones you find in your Chinese grocery stores.   Well, if you can’t get fresh ones,  reconstitute dried yuba by soaking in warm water for 10 minutes, and then pat dry.

4 large sheets fresh yuba (bean curd skin) about 15 inch diameter, cut into half
½ cup vegetarian broth
2 Tablespoons light soy sauce
1 Tablespoon roasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon cayenne / chilli powder
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 small piece of star anise

Cheesecloth

Kitchen twine

1. Mix the broth, soy sauce, sugar, sriracha and star anise in a small saucepan and gently simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove star anise and add sesame oil.   Let cool.  Set aside.
2. Spread a 12 x 8 inch piece of fine cheesecloth over a baking tray. Place a half-sheet of the fresh yuba on the sheet
3. Brush the yuba with soy sauce mixture. Cover with another piece of yuba and brush. Repeat until half the yuba and half the sauce is used.
4. Roll the stacks of yuba tightly, taking care to snug in the edges to make a uniform compact cylinder and wrap it in the cloth.  The finished yuba log should be about 6 inch X 2 ½ inch diameter.  Quickly tie the log with kitchen twine.
5. Repeat with remaining yuba and sauce.
6. Brush logs with remaining sauce, and place on a metal/glass plate.
7. Bring a wok of water to boil with a steamer.  Steam the roll, covered, over boiling water for 10 minutes.
8. Let yuba logs cool to room or cool temperature, let it sit at least 30 minutes. Unwrap and sliced into 1/3 inch thickness.

Serves: 6

Tags: Malaysian, temple foods, tofu, vegan, Vegetarian.

Not your mom’s little brother but the chewy wheat gluten aka seitan.  I think all the modern seitans you get at health food stores these days that are braised in a soy-based sauce has its roots in this classic Shanghainese appetizer.

Chef’s tip:  To simplify the recipe, you may skip the deep fry (steps 3 and 4).  The deep frying lends a more complex flavor to the dish.  It also balances the sauce that is soaked in the gluten.  The gluten, as the most absorbent item, is intensely flavored.

2 pieces star anise
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup peanuts, peeled, raw
2 cups water

4 oz fresh wheat gluten, torn into bite size pieces
2 cups canola oil

1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced thickly
2 cups wood ear mushrooms, reconstituted from 1/2 cup dry, trimmed of hard stems
1 cup lily buds, reconstituted from 1/2 cup dry, trimmed of hard stems, knotted
1 cup bamboo shoots, rinsed, sliced

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

1. Place star anise, soy sauce, sugar, water, peanuts and water in a pot and bring to boil.  Turn low to simmer 20 minutes.
2. In the meantime, soak what gluten in hot water, rinse.  Repeat.  Squeeze very dry between tea towels.
3. Bring oil to 350F.  Deep fry gluten pieces till golden brown.  Drain on a cookie rack on a sheet pan.
4. Plunge cooled gluten into a big bowl of room temperature water.  Give it a few good squeeze.  Squeeze dry.
5.  Add mushrooms, lily buds, bamboo shoots and gluten to the sauce mixture and bring to boil.  If the sauce does not cover the ingredients, add a little more water.  Turn heat to low and simmer till almost dry, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
6. Drizzle with sesame oil.  Toss to mix.  Chill and serve cold.

Serves: 4

Tags: Chinese, Shanghainese, vegan, Vegetarian.