Which cuisine

[Mama Soltera]

If you had to pick one, which cuisine would you say (when prepared yourself) is the most vegan friendly and easy to prepare at home?

If you have a different one that's not on the poll, please add it to the thread. I know I left a lot out.

[catnip]

I couldn't possibly choose between Indian, Italian and Mexican.

Sure there are dishes in all 3 categories that are long and time consuming, but my go to quick and easy meals are red lentil and spinach coconut milk curry over quinoa, whole wheat penne pomodoro in the summer, and with broccoli and cashew alfredo in the winter, burritos made with crockpot pinto beans or tacos with red lentil-nut filling, cabbage avocado and lime. Or white bean and kale soup with garlic, lemon and sage and broiled polenta croutons, which is easier than it sounds and sort of Northern Italian.

My Japanese cuisine is limited to veggie sushi, miso soup and edamame, and I seldom make those.

I can't think of any Russian or Vietnamese recipes that I make regularly.

I suppose you could call my hummus/quinoa tabbouleh-esque salad/melon/pita and crudite supper sort of quasi-Greek or maybe more middle eastern. The only other thing that I ever make that's Greek is spanakopita, and that is DEFINITELY neither quick nor easy.

I don't consider my Chinese dishes quick and easy. Too much chopping, and I like to pre-fry my tofu. Plus brown rice takes a long time to cook. I do a stir fry once a week or more, but it is not on my "need a fast meal day."

Thai's not bad if you use store-bought curry paste. Never tried it scratch cooked. Still. Lotta chopping, and see my above note about cooking time on rice.

Ah, American. Shake and bake tofu strips are pretty quick and easy. Lentil loaves, barbecued seitan ribz and burgers too. But the thing about American food is that it needs side dishes, and those are a pain.

[texmati]

indian. Mexican and italian (in how I know to make it) seems to start tasting the same. Growing up culturally south asian (at least when it comes to food) it seems like there are a lot more vegan options in indian food. (again, IME).

I do think the most labor intensive part of it is that roti's have to be cooked for each individual; but I think it can be done.

We are gujarati-- a traditional meal would be rice + lentils + roti + a veggy. I've seen my working mom do her own 30 minute meals:

put rice and lentils in the pressure cooker; while that's going,
cut your veggie, and then sautee with spices; while that's cooking,
make dough for roti's; when that's done
get rice, and lentils out of the pressure cooker
put spice and blend lentils; double check the spices on the veggy.
scream at kids to sit down at the table.
make roti while everyone is eating passing them out straight from the pan;
let lentils boil until everyone is ready for rice.
leave dishes to husband.

[katroshka]

It's funny, because if I had these same options for a poll on what's easiest to get vegan at restaurants I would have made totally different choices.

I chose Mexican, though I would have liked to choose Italian also. The thing is, I think this is just because I find Mexican and Italian to be the easiest to prepare, period, because it's what I am most used to cooking. I haven't really ever learned to make good Indian or Asian food, though I make a lot of Asian-inspired food. Plus Mexican and Italian food has easy ingredients to buy (at least here in southern Cali).

That being said, most of the food I make isn't really ethnic, it's just whatever veggies/ fruit I get in my CSA box, and then whatever I think would go well with it.

[Sayward]

I chose Indian because it has the most dishes that are *naturally* vegan. I wanted to choose Mexican because it's what I cook most, but there are a few quintessential Mexican dishes that are pretty impossible to veganize. Thai is another runner up!

[PoetryLover]

I chose Indian, as so many Indian dishes are naturally vegan. Thai is a close second (and my favorite cuisine). Of course, Mexican, Chinese and Italian are easily made vegan, as well. Robin Robertson's Fire and Spice features worldly vegan cuisine. I've only made a couple recipes from the book so far. African recipes are interesting, too. I think American food can be easy to make vegan versions of, but I think the problem is that people compare the American vegan version to the meat/cheese version.

[catnip]

Yeah, I'm having trouble thinking of a traditionally vegan American dish other than peanut butter and jelly ...

Tomato soup, maybe? (which is another nearly-instant meal that we make from scratch in less than 15 minutes)

[germin8]

Oh my! This is tough. We eat from so many cuisines, because not all are easy to make vegan... and each ones has some good dishes that are vegan or could be made vegan.

I voted... but, when you ask which is easiest to prepare vegan, I see at least 2 ways to answer this 1) using substitutes - vegan cheese, vegan meats, vegan butter, etc... or 2) only using whole ingredients, no mock substitutes. I vote w/ #2 in mind.

Update: (At the time I voted) I am surprised Indian is at the top of the list w/ Mexican #2... unless you use vegan substitutes for the paneer and all that butter and cheese these dishes use... I guess I can see how. But, I prefer whole food. Maybe I need some new Indian recipes...

[texmati]

Originally Posted by germin8

Update: (At the time I voted) I am surprised Indian is at the top of the list w/ Mexican #2... unless you use vegan substitutes for the paneer and all that butter and cheese these dishes use... I guess I can see how. But, I prefer whole food. Maybe I need some new Indian recipes...

most traditional indian food is not made with paneer or butter. Those items are expensive, and are considered party or 'special' food.

Well, now come to think of it, quite a few sweets and desert dishes contain dairy, but again-- those are not for every day.

[boogiemonster]

Originally Posted by texmati

indian. Mexican and italian (in how I know to make it) seems to start tasting the same.

So funny, I could say the opposite for me.

I have a pretty good Mexican and Italian repertoire, but my Indian dishes are no where near as good or diverse as the stuff we can get at local restaurants. Mind you, I'm pretty sure those have ungodly amounts of dairy, because I always react after we eat them.

A PP also mentioned Mediterranean food, which is super easy to prepare: hummus, tabouleh, felafel. I must stop or I will start nibbling the small child next to me...so yummy.

[wookie]

Originally Posted by texmati

most traditional indian food is not made with paneer or butter. Those items are expensive, and are considered party or 'special' food.

also paneer is quite easily substituted with firm tofu. i even substitute paneer with potato in dishes like matar paneer (i make potato with peas) or saag paneer (potato saag is just as delish).

[PoetryLover]

Originally Posted by boogiemonster

So funny, I could say the opposite for me.

I have a pretty good Mexican and Italian repertoire, but my Indian dishes are no where near as good or diverse as the stuff we can get at local restaurants. Mind you, I'm pretty sure those have ungodly amounts of dairy, because I always react after we eat them.

A PP also mentioned Mediterranean food, which is super easy to prepare: hummus, tabouleh, felafel. I must stop or I will start nibbling the small child next to me...so yummy.

I have a great cookbook that my husband picked up at a yard sale: Step-by-Step Indian Cooking by Sharda Gopal . It has meat/dairy recipes, but it also has whole menus of vegan recipes. It's a wonderful book. I'm also interested in this book: http://www.amazon.com/Indian-Vegan-K...=2WA1HA2A0BPJP

[boogiemonster]

Originally Posted by PoetryLover

I have a great cookbook that my husband picked up at a yard sale: Step-by-Step Indian Cooking by Sharda Gopal . It has meat/dairy recipes, but it also has whole menus of vegan recipes. It's a wonderful book. I'm also interested in this book: http://www.amazon.com/Indian-Vegan-K...=2WA1HA2A0BPJP

Awesome. Thanks!

[Mama Soltera]

"red lentil and spinach coconut milk curry over quinoa"

This sounds delicious! Recipe?

Originally Posted by katroshka

It's funny, because if I had these same options for a poll on what's easiest to get vegan at restaurants I would have made totally different choices.

That's exactly what I was thinking when I made it. Of course in restaurants there is always the X factor, where they are sneaking in meat broths or cooking things in animal fat.

[catnip]

Super easy. Saute a chopped onion in about a tbs of olive oil until translucent, add 2 heaping teaspoons of curry powder. (I use a milder one and less when I'm feeding my daughter, but this is more often the dinner we choose when she's at grandma's)

Stir about a minute, you want it to be really fragrant before adding 1 can coconut milk (I use light, because the full fat is too rich for my taste in this) and then another can-full of water. Add 1 cup dry red lentils.

Simmer 15 minutes. Stir in a half pound of fresh or frozen spinach, chopped up, and a cup of frozen peas. Add a handful of raisins, a couple cloves of fresh garlic, and about 3/4 tsp of salt.

Serve over couscous, rice or quinoa, topped with chopped almonds.

[Mama Soltera]

Wow, thank you so much! That sounds great.

Now, with the garlic, do you crush or slice it or anything? Also, would green lentils work for this or no? Also, I have curry powder but it's indian curry. Or I have thai curry paste. Which is better? Thank you again!

[catnip]

I use an Indian curry powder for this. Red lentils are super-quick cooking and sort of dissolve into this making it saucy. I'm sure green would work, but you'd have to increase the cooking time quite a bit (probably simmer 30 minutes?), and they'd hold together more. I crush the garlic in a press.

[Mama Soltera]

I can't wait to make this.

[catnip]

If you use green lentils, watch the liquid level, too. It might need more than that because you are cooking longer.

[germin8]