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Susan Jung

Good vegetarian food should satisfy omnivores as much as it does non-meat-eaters. While I occasionally enjoy Chinese 'mock meat' and austere Buddhist temple cuisine, I prefer the complexity and variety of the vegetarian fare of other cultures, especially Mediterranean, Indian, Middle Eastern and African. These two dishes are hearty and flavourful enough that meat-eaters won't be left feeling short-changed.
Three-cheese vegetable lasagne (pictured)
20ml cooking oil
1/2 a large onion, diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried pepper flakes, or more to taste (optional)
800 grams canned Italian tomatoes, chopped
250 grams ricotta cheese
400 grams zucchini
300 grams Chinese or Japanese eggplant
2 red bell peppers
2 yellow bell peppers
About 9 lasagne noodles
About 150 grams mozzarella, roughly grated
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the bechamel:
30 grams unsalted butter
30 grams plain flour
250ml milk
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
A little ground white pepper
25 grams freshly grated parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
Pour 20ml of cooking oil into a pan and heat over a low-medium flame. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft. Add the oregano and pepper flakes and stir over a medium flame for about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato. Season to taste with salt, bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, or until slightly reduced. Pur?e the mixture in a food processor then set aside.
Cut the zucchini and eggplant on the diagonal into 5mm-thick slices. Trim the tops and bottoms from the bell peppers and remove and discard the core and seeds. Cut the peppers into strips about 3cm wide. Lightly coat a pan (preferably a cast-iron grill pan) with oil and heat over a medium flame. Grill the vegetables until slightly softened but not overcooked.
Make the bechamel. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over a low flame. Add the flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until pale golden. Add the milk about 50ml at a time, mixing constantly with a wire whisk so the mixture doesn't form lumps. When all the milk has been added and the mixture is smooth, season lightly with salt, a little ground white pepper and the nutmeg. Turn the flame to very low and cook for about 20 minutes, whisking frequently. Whisk in 25 grams of parmesan cheese.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Spread a small amount of tomato sauce over the bottom of a baking pan that is about 23cm by 28cm and 4cm deep. Use just enough sauce to coat the pan lightly but evenly. Put one layer of the uncooked lasagne noodles over the sauce. Spread half the ricotta over the noodles then add a layer of the grilled vegetables, overlapping them slightly. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Spread about a third of the remaining sauce over the vegetables then repeat the layering with the noodles, the remaining ricotta and vegetables, and half the tomato sauce. Add a final layer of noodles, the last of the tomato sauce, then sprinkle with the grated mozzarella. Spread the b?chamel evenly over the top and sprinkle lightly with parmesan. Place the pan in the oven, reduce the heat to 180 degrees and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Cool for about 15 minutes before serving.
Trinidadian spiced chickpeas
I first tasted this dish at the home of a Trinidadian friend when I was living in New York. In that version - and all the others I ate in New York - the chickpeas were sandwiched between two pieces of lightly spiced fried bread, which gave the dish its name: 'doubles'. I haven't seen the bread at a commercial bakery and have never attempted to make it on my own. Instead, I wrap the chickpeas in warm whole wheat pita or Indian naan - it's not authentic but it still tastes good. The chickpeas are usually served with kuchela, a very spicy condiment made of dried green mangoes. Indian mango chutney makes an acceptable substitute.
30ml cooking oil, as needed
1 large onion, diced
5 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp finely minced fresh ginger
10-15 grams curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 cans (about 400 grams each) chickpeas
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A little sugar, if needed
To serve:
Small (about 12cm in diameter) whole wheat pita or Indian naan
Fresh coriander sprigs, fresh lime or lemon juice, hot pepper or chilli sauce, mango chutney
Drain the chickpeas in a colander, rinse thoroughly and drain again. Heat the oil in a skillet and add the onion and garlic. Cook over a low flame until soft. Add the ginger, curry powder, cumin and chilli powder and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Stir in the chickpeas, season with salt and pepper and add 250ml of water. Bring to the simmer, lower the heat and stir frequently until the chickpeas are very tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. If the mixture is dry before the chickpeas are tender, stir in more water. Use a potato masher to roughly mash about one-third of the chickpeas to a paste, then stir the ingredients together again. Taste for seasonings - if it seems too spicy, add a little sugar to balance the flavour.
Heat the pita or naan in a lightly oiled skillet. Spoon the chickpeas over the bread. Add the condiments before folding the bread over the filling and eat immediately.
Styling: Corner Kitchen Cooking School
 


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Susan Jung's recipes

Vegetarian recipes for all: three-cheese vegetable lasagna, and Trinidadian spiced chickpeas

Three-cheese vegetable lasagna. Photo: Jason Joseph Bonello

Lifestyle

Food & Drink

These two hearty and flavourful vegetarian dishes ensure meat-eaters are not left feeling as if there's something missing


Vegetarian recipes for all: three-cheese vegetable lasagna, and Trinidadian spiced chickpeas

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}These two hearty and flavourful vegetarian dishes ensure meat-eaters are not left feeling as if there's something missing

These two hearty and flavourful vegetarian dishes ensure meat-eaters are not left feeling as if there's something missing