One of the wonderful things of working on World Music Projects is the Fusion of cultural ideas. During the Project “Message in the Sand” (Syrian civil War and Migration) my interactions with Syrian and Iranian collaborators led , as all things do, to great food..
The Album “Message in the Sand” can be free streamed on the below link:
https://soundcloud.com/fishinabox/message-in-the-sand-album-sampler
As the Studio sessions ran, the musicians writers and photographers worked at full tilt, the oven went on and undoubtedly we began to fuse our culinary ideas.. out of that came the Kofteeh Pasty, a great vegan alternative to snack food on the move, capturing unmistakably, all the flavour and spice of the kofteeh Kebab, but this time Cruelty Free Vegan, just the way we like it…
So if you are thinking of a day around town , picnic, festival or just something easy and super quick for lunch then ditch the Kebab and grab a Kofteeh Pasty.
Drawing on the mysterious middle east’s long history of culinary excellence, Here’s the “how to..”
To start off, we drew on the classic Vegan Vegetable Pasty for the base of the recipe (NOTE – see our vegetable pasty recipe as an alternative if eastern spicy wonders are a bit too much for you)…
Mix the Middle eastern kofteeh spices ( tomato puree, garlic puree, coriander leaf, mint, lime juice, chilli powder, garam masala, {made from coriander/cumin/black pepper/clove/ginger} lemon juice, ginger) Then add spice mix to the vegetables and the mock “meat” alternative.
To create the texture of the “mock” we used Holland and Barretts Vegan “chorizo” chunks , still palm oil free thankfully ! (www.hollandandbarrett.com ) mixed with shallots ,red onion, butternut squash (gourds), cauliflower heads, yellow split peas (soaked and pre-cooked, parsnips, swede and a cheeky cheat of a few spoons of pickle sauce (Branston’s style) . Get it in the pan and cook it up, then leave to cool on the side.
You can also add these options if you have them: leeks, mint, parsley .
Don’t forget the butter !!! … oh I almost forgot.. how to make the Vegan cruelty free Butter…….
Next Prepare the pastry , roll out, add the filling, fold, add design (air holes to let the pastry breathe) and pop in the oven for 15-20 mins on 220 degrees and its done.
NOTE : Just the Chick Pea Water, not the Chick Peas,. Chick Peas in Water create Aquafaba., Make sure your Chick Peas are in Water though NOT salted Water as salted chick Pea water will not work.
(Aquafaba can be used to replace egg whites in many sweet and savory recipes. Its unique mix of starches, proteins, and other soluble plant solids which have migrated from the seeds to the water during the cooking process gives aquafaba a wide spectrum of emulsifying, foaming, binding, gelatinizing and thickening properties.)
Check the tin before you buy ! “in water” NOT “in salted water”
These vegan Pasties were immensely popular and also opened up the cost effective, ethical modern alternative to a traditional eastern meat dish.
The Middle East , including Iran and the Arab Gulf States, and also the Indian sub continent is becoming increasingly engaged in debating Vegan and Vegetarian lifestyles and their place in modern forward thinking food practice. So get with it and GO VEGAN
The debate is still under discussion though some the links below are of interest for those caught up on the finer detail arounds Islam and Veganism:
If you are interested in finding out more on the debate and the impact on Muslim lifestyles, please feel free to click on the below links that have a wealth of information on the debate.
http://www.islamicconcern.com/fatwas.asp
http://magazine.godsdirectcontact.net/english/178/vg_53.htm
https://www.facebook.com/BeMuslimBeVeganBeProud/
Discussion board and group here:
“Muslims Can’t be Vegan” – Where Veganism and Religion Collide
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