Vegetable Steaks

Simplicity Coimbatore, Vegetable Steaks- easy and delicious </a

RECIPE FOR PURPLE CABBAGE STEAKS </a

A ‘steak’ is a thick slice of meat which is cooked by grilling or searing in a pan or on the barbecue to seal in the juices. So, if there are beef steaks, fish steaks, lamb, pork etc then why not veggie steaks ?

I may be committing an unpardonable offense by using the same word to describe a vegetable dish but hard core steak eaters please bear with me !

The world is after all embracing not just vegetarianism but going one step further by turning completely vegan.When I say the world, I mean people from all spheres of life. What really made people sit up and take notice was when professional sports persons took to veganism and began talking about the incredible health benefits since.

Veganism, for those who need more clarity , is a complete plant based diet. Every ingredient in a vegan diet is sourced from plants. This means no kind of cow’s milk or dairy products, no honey, no goat’s milk cheese is allowed. Because of this shift ,which is not just for health but also for the environment ,it has led to a whole lot of different cooking techniques and plant based products.

Recently an Instagram story shared by a foodie showed a beautiful cross section slice of a whole cauliflower, grilled to perfection. It was such a delicious image that it made me want to try to replicate it right away. We enjoy eating our native Indian vegetables cooked the traditional way but for vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage etc ,I really do think they taste best without being overpowered by too many Indian spices.

The so called ‘English ‘ vegetables which grow best in the hills are perfect for making these vegetable steaks. The dish in question was a,’ Cauliflower steak on a bed of cauliflower mash’ and it was topped with some delicious crispy bits of fried onions, capers ,lemon rind and fresh coriander. It was a dish inspired by the incredibly talented Chef Yottam Ottolenghi who is known for the magic flavours he creates using fresh seasonal produce.

It is easy to cook and assemble. Since that first time, we have made it several times over and it has become well liked by all. Another reason a dish like this excites me is because it gives me the option to cook different kinds of vegetarian food when having company over. There are a lot of people who feel stuck for ideas when cooking fancy food for vegetarians and that’s also why I thought this was a great idea to share.

I am happy to add that we didn’t stop with the cauliflower, we experimented further; with broccoli, cabbage and the purple cabbage. I can now say this way of cooking really does bring out the best in these cruciferous vegetables. I am not saying that I don’t enjoy a cabbage poriyal but once in awhile eating a dish like this makes fantastic use of the everyday ingredients at hand.

After getting used to slicing these large vegetables in this manner, it has been a pleasure to plan a meal using these ingredients as the main dish. It is so wholesome to eat one large chunk of grilled vegetable that all we need on the side is some steamed rice tossed with some butter or any fragrant oil ; lightly seasoned pasta or even some good crusty whole grain bread. A delicious meal, easy to cook and so immensely satisfying.

The best way to slice the cauliflower and broccoli steaks is by turning it upside down and cutting it with a sharp knife from the base down to the top in a straight manner. This gives a clear picture of the lines and allows for even thickness. The bits and pieces which fall off can be steamed or boiled and made into a purée by adding a little milk or tahini (sesame seed paste), some garlic and chilli for flavouring…really the sky’s the limit on flavour possibilities.

The ingredient that I enjoyed grilling the most was the purple cabbage. For starters the colour stays intact, so it looks really pretty on the plate .When it grills, the loose strands of cabbage turn golden and crispy and add a great crunch element to the dish. The seasoning was kept basic ; salt , pepper, dried herbs and some extra virgin olive oil for grilling. If you want to make it using Indian oils then coconut oil is a great choice. It lends a wonderful fragrance and this can even be paired with a coconut rice.

To add a little more finesse to the dish, it makes sense to include a sauce of some kind. This can be a simple lemon and honey dressing ; a herb pesto using coriander, parsley or mint ; a classic tomato sauce ; a cashew nut or peanut sauce…so many options.

We also like to add a lot of toppings to optimise on the health quotient. Again the choices are many; micro greens, sprouts, chopped chillies and onions…whatever suits your taste buds.

What makes it easy to cook these vegetable steaks is that it can be done either in a cast iron pan on the stove, in a baking tray in the oven or on an open grill. The time may differ and also one has to be careful to not let it burn but it really is so versatile, to cook these.

Every time I experiment with this dish , I think of the many vegetarians in my life and how much I would love to serve them a plated meal of these grilled vegetarian steaks. Since we have no clue when that time will come, for now, I must be content with my kitchen trials and sharing the same with you all.

RECIPE FOR PURPLE CABBAGE STEAKS </a