{Recipe} Alu Kofta with Green Pea Dhal and Cashew Sauce

This month, I celebrate 17 years as a vegan. Yay! It truly is one of the best life decisions I have EVER made (along with marrying Mat, and having our precious children :)).

Today’s Recipe

I am featuring recipes from a cookbook that I acquired in 1996 (the year I embraced veganism). The cookbook is called Wolf and Lamb. It was written by the owner of one of my favourite vegan eateries, 20 000 Cows. A friend of mine visited Byron Bay for a holiday in ’96, and brought the book back as a gift for me. It has had a special place amongst my recipe books ever since.

A friend, Laura, and her son, Toby, visited our place on the weekend. Mat decided to cook Alu (potato) Kofta with Green Pea Dhal and Cashew Sauce. I wasn’t going to disagree with that tasty proposition! He has made this dish on a couple of ‘special’ occasions over the years.

Following, are 3 separate recipes.  Combined, they make an impressive, decadent meal.

Green Pea Dhal is delicious with rice as a complete meal in itself. It is a quick and simple dhal recipe, for those occasions when you don’t have time to soak split peas or lentils!

Mat made the Green Pea Dhal ahead of time, and we had some for dinner. He served it with leftover vegetable and chickpea curry, basmati rice, and pappadams. This recipe makes a large quantity, so there was plenty left over to accompany the Alu Kofta the next day.

The Cashew Sauce is truly delicious. Don’t scrimp on it for this recipe. It really transforms the Alu Kofta into something special :)

Cashew sauce is also delicious as a dip with crackers (it thickens with refrigeration), or with steamed broccoli.

Cashew Sauce

from: Wolf and Lamb by Marijonas Vilkelis

Quantity – approximately 2 cups

Ingredients –

100g/3.5 oz cashews (soaked for 4 hours)

100g/3.5 oz cashews, chopped into pieces (do not soak)

1/2 knob of garlic, crushed or chopped (ie. 4-5 cloves)

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional, or to taste. Mat used 1/2)

1  Tbsp poppy seeds

2 tsp fennel seeds

1 can coconut cream

1 Tbsp olive oil (or a few splashes of water) for pan frying

1 tsp salt (or to taste)

Method

1. Process the soaked cashews in a food processor, with 1 Tbsp of the soak water.  Process until a creamy sauce forms. Add more soak water, a tsp at a time, if required.

2. Heat oil (or water) in a fry pan or wok, add the garlic, ginger, and chilli. Stir. Once browned, add the poppy seeds and fennel seeds. Fry for about 30 seconds.

3. Add the chopped cashew pieces and stir well. Cook  for one minute.

4. Add the processed cashew mixture, coconut cream, and salt. Bring to the boil slowly, stirring continuously.

5. Once boiling, turn the heat down and simmer for a couple of minutes.

6. If you prefer a thinner sauce, add water or additional coconut cream.

Store leftover Cashew Sauce in the fridge.

***

Green Pea Dhal

from: Wolf and Lamb by Marijonas Vilkelis

Quantity- Serves 4-6 as a main dish, or 8-10 as a side dish (makes 2 litres).

Ingredients – 

1kg/2.2 pounds of fresh or frozen peas (we use frozen)

1 knob of garlic, chopped (ie. 8-10 cloves)

1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional, or to taste. Mat used 1/2)

2 tsp hing (also known as asafoetida)

1 tsp garam masala

1/4 cup coconut cream

2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Pour the frozen peas into a large mixing bowl. Cover with hot water to a level of 2cm above the peas. Set the bowl aside while the peas defrost.

2. Fry the garlic and chilli in the oil on a medium heat, in a large fry pan or wok. Once browned, add the garam masala and hing. Mix well. Cook for at least  one minute, stirring continuously. Remove from heat.

3. Once thawed, place the peas and half of the soak water into a food processor. Pulse until water and peas are beginning to combine. Do not over-process. Some of the peas should still be intact.  A ‘mushy’ pea consistency is preferable.

4. Return the fry pan to a medium heat. Add the coconut cream and bring to a gentle simmer for about 1 minute.

5. Add the pea mixture and salt, and bring to a gentle simmer while stirring regularly. Simmer for about 5 minutes.

6. Serve.

***

Alu Kofta

from: Wolf and Lamb by Marijonas Vilkelis

Quantity – 30 balls. Serves 4-6 (as a side dish, with green pea dhal)

Ingredients – 

4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled

2 tsp olive oil or vegan margarine

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 cup chopped shallots (spring onions), dill, or coriander (Mat used shallots)

100g/3.5 oz cornflour

Olive oil for deep frying

Method

1. Cut the potatoes into quarters, and place in a saucepan. Cover the potatoes with just enough water to cook them. Add the salt. Bring the water to the boil, then simmer gently until the potatoes are cooked (they are ready when can be pierced with a fork).

 2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and drain off most of the water.

3. Add the oil (or vegan margarine), turmeric, and fennel seeds to the saucepan. Mash the mixture, with a fork or potato masher, until smooth. Allow the saucepan to stand (and cool) for about 15 minutes. Once the mixture has cooled, add the cornflour and shallots. Mix well.

4. Heat oil in a saucepan until hot (Mat used a small saucepan to reduce the amount of oil required, and fried one or two balls at a time).

5. Form the potato mixture into small balls (about the size of a whole walnut). Place gently into the saucepan and fry until a golden crust has formed.* Place fried kofta balls on paper towels, to soak up some of the excess oil.

6. Optional step – Brown the Alu Kofta balls in a moderate oven, prior to serving. Thanks for the suggestion, Laura :)

7. Serve with Green Pea Dhal, Basmati rice, and Cashew Sauce. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.

* If the first ball disintegrates when placed into the oil, you will need to add more cornflour to the mixture. (Mat has never had this problem).

To Assemble

Serve on a large dinner plate. Place Basmati rice next to Green Pea Dhal. Set the Alu Kofta balls on top of the Green Pea Dhal, evenly spaced. Drizzle Cashew Sauce over the Alu Kofta balls. Place mint leaves on top of the rice.

The next day, Mat and I ate a few leftover Kofta balls. I baked them for 1o minutes in a moderate oven. They were scrumptious smothered in Cashew Sauce.

Each Monday, I feature a couple of delicious vegan recipes that are enjoyed by my own family. I hope your family enjoys them too!

Ally