Dr Rupy’s Express Vegan Dinner Party
With a baked cauliflower centrepiece and plenty of plant based side dishes, this easy vegan dinner party spread is perfect for pulling out for special occasions.
From the book
Dr Rupy Cooks: Healthy. Easy. Flavour
Over 100 easy and accessible flavour packed recipes
From healthy weekday dinners to nutritious one-pot dishes
Developed for maximum health benefit, accessibility and taste
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Introduction
I love one of the recipe tester’s comments on this meal: “It was amazing food that looked like you’d been in the kitchen all day when in reality the prep took no time at all!” That’s exactly how a feast should be. A great selection of food that’s nourishing and authentic, as well as minimal stress so you can enjoy one of the best lifestyle hacks for health: connection. This masala-baked cauliflower centrepiece with aubergines, ginger and turmeric dal with saag, coconut yoghurt is a beautiful collection of complex flavours and, trust me, nobody realises it’s fully plant-based.
Ingredients
| For the Masala-baked cauliflower: | |
|---|---|
| 3 tsp | garam masala |
| 2 tsp | paprika |
| 1 tsp | ground turmeric |
| 1 large (750g) | cauliflower, quartered, leaves removed, roughly chopped |
| For the baked aubergines in spiced oil: | |
| 500g | baby aubergines, halved lengthways |
| 2 tsp | coriander seeds |
| 2 tsp | cumin seeds |
| 2 tsp | mustard seeds |
| 1 tsp | fennel seeds |
| 1 tsp | chilli flakes |
| ½ tsp | black pepper |
| 4 tbsp | olive oil |
| For the ginger and turmeric dal: | |
| 2 tbsp | coconut oil |
| 40g | fresh ginger, grated |
| 2 tsp | mustard seeds |
| 1 | star anise |
| 1 tsp | Kashmiri chilli powder (or paprika) |
| 1 tsp | ground turmeric |
| 2 tsp | cumin seeds |
| 400g | red lentils, soaked for 10 minutes then drained |
| 1 | vegetable stock cube |
| 1 x 400ml can | coconut milk |
| 300ml | hot water |
| 200g | spinach, roughly chopped |
| For the speedy saag: | |
| 200g | spinach, roughly chopped |
| 300g | kale, stems removed and roughly chopped |
| 300g | spring greens, stems removed and roughly chopped |
| 500ml | hot water |
| For the tarka: | |
| 4 tbsp | avocado oil or coconut oil |
| 12 | curry leaves |
| 2 tsp | mustard seeds |
| 2 tsp | cumin seeds |
| 2 tsp | fennel seeds |
| 1 tsp | chilli flakes |
| To serve: | |
| 250g | coconut yoghurt |
| Juice of ½ | lemon |
| Pinch of | garam masala |
| cooked brown basmati rice | |
| flatbreads | |
| mango pickle |
Method
MASALA-BAKED CAULIFLOWER
Serves 5 to 6, Prep time: 5 minutes, Cook time: 40 minutes
Preheat the oven to 200ºC fan.
Mix the spices and oil in a bowl with plenty of seasoning. Brush onto the cauliflower quarters and leaves, adding a little more oil if needed. Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes until golden, turning the cauliflower and ruffling the leaves halfway through.
BAKED AUBERGINES IN SPICED OIL
Serves 5 to 6, Prep time: 5 minutes, Cook time: 35 minutes
Preheat the oven to 200ºC fan.
Mix the aubergines, spices and oil in a roasting tin, coating the aubergine pieces well. Sprinkle with plenty of salt and bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until golden.
GINGER & TURMERIC DAL
Serves 5 to 6, Prep time: 10 minutes, plus soaking, Cook time: 20 minutes
Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the ginger, spices and plenty of seasoning and fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the lentils and cook for a further 1 minute. Crumble in the stock cube, pour in the coconut milk and hot water, bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until the lentils are soft, adding more water if necessary to stop it drying out. Add the spinach for the last 2 minutes of cooking to gently wilt.
SPEEDY SAAG
Serves 5 to 6, Prep time: 5 minutes, Cook time: 25 minutes
Place the chopped spinach, kale and spring greens in a large pan. Add the hot water and plenty of salt and pepper, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until broken down. Blend with a stick blender; the mixture should be fairly thick (you can add a tablespoon of coconut yoghurt to thicken, if needed). Meanwhile, in a small pan over a medium heat, make the tarka (a spiced oil mix). Add the oil, curry leaves, spices and some salt to the pan and cook for a few minutes until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Then throw over the saag in the pan to serve.
TO SERVE
Whip the coconut yoghurt with the lemon juice and salt to taste and dust with a pinch of garam masala to serve. Serve with brown basmati rice, flatbreads and mango pickle.
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