Wrap up this Veganuary with an Estonian treat
This vegan dish takes its inspiration from a traditional Estonian recipe given to me by one of my chefs. It has the unassuming name of ‘plov’ and is a pilaff-type dish with rice, onions, carrots and seasoning. It’s one of those recipes that you can easily make your own by changing the spices around.
Served hot on its own, topped with vegan cheese, it makes a delicious midweek supper. Make a batch to keep in the fridge for up to two days and it becomes a go-to filling for a hearty lunchtime wrap. I’ve added buckwheat and quinoa to provide extra protein and texture.
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Estonian Style Plov Wraps
Serves 2
1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
1 onion, peeled, finely diced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 clove of garlic crushed
One carrot, peeled and grated
150g long grain rice
Pinch of smoked paprika
300ml veg stock
50g quinoa
50g buckwheat
1 dessert spoon rapeseed oil
Red, orange and green peppers – use a quarter of each, diced
Handful of baby spinach
75g grated vegan cheese
Vegan wraps
Method
Heat oil in a large saucepan and gently sweat the onion with cumin seeds and garlic.
Rinse rice in a sieve under cold water. In a saucepan sweat the onions in rapeseed oil, add paprika and cumin seeds, add rice and stock and bring to boil. Cover with a lid, Reduce to a simmer for 12 mins. Turn off heat and keep the lid on for 20 minutes to finish cooking the rice.
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Hide AdMeanwhile, simmer the buckwheat and quinoa together in a saucepan of salted water for 10-12 mins.
In a separate small frying pan, heat the dessert spoon of oil and sweat off the diced peppers for just a minute so they hold their crunch.
Combine the rice mixture with the quinoa and buckwheat and peppers. Stir in the vegan cheese.
Warm wraps either in the microwave for a few seconds or under a grill. Place a layer of spinach on top, then add generous helping of the plov before rolling up and serving.
Chef’s tip
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Hide AdSwap the cumin for a spice like ground coriander or fenugreek seeds – or try a mixture of all of them. The plov is also delicious as a filling for jacket potatoes.
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