Super herbal and heartwarming peasant dish. You can’t really tell there’s no meat, honestly, you could fool someone. But the taste... soooo much better than that of course ! All plant based and full of flavour !
The sweet potato mash is used instead of the usual potato mash, it gives a sweetness and something mellow to the dish. Use a wide shallow dish if you like it more crunchy on the top. Use a more deep dish if you prefer it saucy and thick. What ever your heart desires. Optionally you could choose to broil the top in the end for extra crunch !
Serves 5-6
Ingredients
Meat substitute and marinade
- 360g unmarinated soy granules (12-13 oz)
- 1.2 dl water (½ cup)
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 1 tablespoon ume su / umeboshi / Japanese plum vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon dried vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon salt
Sauce
- 4 tomatoes
- 4 red onions
- 4 carrots
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2.5 dl sweet corn, glass or canned (1 cup)
- 2.5 dl frozen peas (1 cup)
- 1.2 dl water (½ cup)
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon freshly grind nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon dried vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Sweet potato mash
- 1.4 kg sweet potato (3 lbs)
- 4-5 tablespoons vegan butter / margarine
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Breadcrumbs for sprinkle (optional)
What you will need
- Vegetable peeler
- Cutting board and knife
- 2 big pots
- 1 spoon to stir
- Measuring spoons
- 1 measuring cup
- 1 pan
- 1 strainer
- 1 big bowl
- 1 potato masher
- 1 wide ovenproof dish
Instructions
- Wash and peel the sweet potatoes. Roughly them and put in a big pot with boiling water. Boil for about 30 minutes or until tender (depends on your size of potato). Meanwhile prepare the sauce.
- Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic. Add to a big pot along with the oil, paprika, nutmeg, vegetable stock, salt and pepper. Turn the heat on high and soften the onions. Stir on occasion. When soft turn the heat to medium.
- Peel and finely chop the carrots and add to the onions. Stir occasionally.
- Wash and finely chop the tomatoes. Add to the pot along with the water, basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary. Bring to a simmer with a lid on and turn heat on low, while sometimes stirring. Meanwhile prepare the meat substitute.
- In a pan put in the soy granules, water, ketchup, tamari, ume su, sweet soy sauce, vegetable stock, salt and pepper. Turn the heat on high and bring to a simmer.
- Preheat the oven to 200 c (390 F).
- When the water has evaporated and the soy is sticky, turn the heat off and add to the sauce with the strained sweet corn and the frozen peas. Turn the heat on low, and let simmer with the lid on. Stir occasionally.
- When the sweet potatoes are tender, strain them over the sink. Add to the big bowl with the butter and mash them. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the sauce evenly to the ovenproof dish. Top it with the sweet potato mash in an even layer. Create stripes or shapes in the mash with a fork, this will give a crispy shell on top. Sprinkle a light layer of breadcrumbs, optional, but great for more crunch.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 200c (390 F), in the middle of the oven on normal setting for about 30 minutes, then turn the broiler on. Keep a really close eye on it, it goes really fast, just a few minutes or less. The broiler is only needed if you want a super crisp top.
- Take out and let cool down for a few minutes.
Enjoy !
