Cooked grain dishes
White pilaf
400g each seitan and brown rice, 8-10dl
broth (or plane water + sea salt and ginger), natural
oil, 1 onion, 1/2 bunch parsley leaves
Cut onion into crescents and fry on oil. Add rice, mix and pour in the
broth. Cut seitan into cubes, chop parsley and add to the rice. Cook until
rice is tender.
Pilaf is word of Persian origin meaning "cooked rice".
Yellow pilaf
Prepare the same way as the White pilau, only add a little saffron to obtain
the yellow color.
Red pilaf
(5-6 servings)
500g brown rice, 1 beet root, 2-3 carrots, 1-2 parsley roots, broth, seitan,
natural oil
Peel and cut beet root into cubes, cut carrots diagonally. Cook in a
little water until the vegetable is soft enough to make a pure (20-45 minutes).
Cut seitan into cubes and fry on oil. Cook the rice with the beet root
paste in broth until tender. Mix in seitan.
This pilaf is mentioned by Mula Mustafa Basheskiya, chronicler from
Sarajevo, in his description of the "great pilaf" (meal after guild exams)
of the Sarajevo boot-makers in 1770. (also mentioned where yellow and white
pilaf). The original recipe of the red pilaf has not been preserved. Today
most people prepare it with tomato. But it is certainly not the original
ingredient as tomatoes where not used for food in Bosnia at that time.
On the other hand beet root was and is a popular vegetable, so I think
it was probably prepared with beet root.
Pilaf from Istanbul
(5-6 servings)
500g brown rice, 1-1,2 l broth, 200g seitan,
2 tablespoons peeled and crushed almonds, 100g peas, 1/2 teaspoon saffron
Add saffron into the broth, bring to boil. Mix in cubed seitan, peas,
almonds and rice. Cook until rice is tender.
Risotto with mushrooms
1-2 onions, olive oil, 1dl white vine, 150-200g
fresh mushrooms, 300g brown rice, 3/4-1l broth, 100-150g smoked tofu
(optional), 1/2 bunch parsley leaves
Peel and finely chop onions. Fry in some oil. Pour in vine and bring
to boil. Add sliced mushrooms. Sauté for a while, add rice and pour
in the broth (or warm water with salt and grounded ginger). Stir slowly.
Cook until rice is tender. When done mix in grated tofu and chopped parsley
leaves.
"Kachamak" or "pura" (maize porridge)
Pour in a pot 11/2 l of water and 1 teaspoon of sea salt.
Bring it to boil, remove from heat and add 400g maize flour, constantly
stirring. Put it back on the stove and cook, stirring, until the ladle
starts leaving a trace on the bottom of the pot.
Barley and wheat flour can be prepared in the same way.
Serve with any of the following: gomashio, tofu sauce,
tofu omelet, sheep yogurt, fried onion, soy-yogurt, sauerkraut, radish
salad, etc.
Bread
"proja" - cornbread
Mix 1 kg of maize flour with water and a pinch of sea salt to get a thick,
creamy dough. Grease a baking tin with natural
oil and pour in the dough. Bake for about 45 minutes, at 200*C. Towards
the end of baking spread a spoonful of oil over the proja and bake for
a few more minutes. When it cools a bit, cut into squares.
Pumpkin proja
Cut 500 g of pumpkin into small cubes, sprinkle with sea salt and leave
it for 2-3 hours. Drain. Mix 500g maize flour with 1 cup soy-milk and some
homemade yeast. Salt and add pumpkin. Mix
well and place in a baking tin, greased with natural
oil and dusted with flour. Bake at 200*C until done.
Cornbread with soy flour
Mix 250 g each maize and soy flour with water and a little sea salt, until
you have a creamy dough. Pour into greased tin, leave it to stand over
night, then bake.
Pogacha (wheel-shaped bread)
750g-1kg whole-meal pastry flour, sea salt, warm water, 6-8
tablespoons homemade yeast, 1/2 dl natural
oil, 50-100g tofu
Mix flour, a pinch of salt, a little water and yeast.
Mix until the dough is smooth and leave in a warm place until it rises
(covered with a wet cloth). This can be from several hours up to several
days. Then add oil and crumbled tofu, and more water or flour, if needed.
Kneed into a smooth dough until bubbles start to appear. Sprinkle with
flour and leave in a warm place for 45 minutes. Kneed once more, place
in a greased baking tin and shape into a disk. Cover and leave for another
10-15 minutes. Before baking make several holes with the fork. Bake at
200*C for 30-35 minutes. When done, sprinkle with a little water and wrap
the pogacha into a clean cloth. It can stay soft and fresh for several
days.
|