u/Jimmy202500

Vegan Lentil Burrito Filling 

This is a simple, westernized lentil burrito/taco filling. Very nice deep savory flavor, mostly pantry staples and comes together quickly in about 20-30 minutes depending on how quick of a vegetable slicer your are.

Two methods, saute and stew. See below :)

 
Ingredients

¾ cup cooked canned French style lentils (Most whole lentils will work)

1 large red pepper/capsicum cut into long thin strips 

1 onion long thin strips 

1 carrot long julienned (recommend using a julienner mandoline if you have one) 

4 cloves garlic sliced 

¼ cup of store-bought salsa 

1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds 

1 teaspoon sweet paprika 

1 teaspoon smoked paprika 

1 teaspoon coriander seed powder 

2 teaspoon hot or mild chili powder 

½ teaspoon white pepper 

1 teaspoon chili flakes 

1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 vegetable stock cube or equivalent powder 

2 tablespoons of olive or neutral oil 

¼ can of any decent malt forward lager/beer (don’t use IPAs or very bitter/hoppy beers) 

½ teaspoon salt or to taste 

Touch of brown sugar to taste (most store salsas have sugar, so don’t need this most likely) 

½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar or to taste (Salsa usually is acidic enough) 

1 teaspoon vegemite/marmite/soy sauce (optional) 

¼ teaspoon whole fenugreek seeds (optional) 

 

 

 
Two methods 

 

High Heat Sauté method – Fresher veg flavor, about 20 minutes to cook 

Heat cast iron pan to high, heat to remain on high the entire time 

Drop in oil, when hot and smoking, add in this order stirring quickly between each item cumin seeds, carrots, onion, red pepper/capsicum and fenugreek seeds. 

Sauté until very slightly browned at edges and slightly soft about 5 minutes, stirring regularly 

Mix all other dry ground spices, crushed stock cube, salt, and cocoa in a bowl (so you can drop it in quickly), open your beer ready next to pan 

Drop in al dente cooked lentils and stir 

Add garlic while regularly stirring (recommend you slice, not crush garlic as high heat will burn it) and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Recommend you don’t brown it as it’s bitter when browned. 

While stirring continuously sprinkle all remaining dry spices at once from the bowl, fry on the vegetable and lentil mix for literally 20-30 seconds. Over cooking ground spices on high heat will make the dish very bitter, and it only takes a few moments for this to happen when not stirring. 

Pour in beer to cool pan and mix well scraping the bottom of pan, add in marmite/vegemite/soy sauce if you wish 

Cook off beer until no extra liquid remains, about 3-4 minutes 

Add in salsa and cook for another 2-3 minutes to combine and meld together. If there is any watery liquid cook further or add in some crushed corn chips

Taste and adjust with salt, sugar and vinegar to taste 

Resulting mix should have distinct vegetable colors, tender but not broken down lentils and no little liquid somewhat like a risotto

 

 
Stew method – Deep melded flavor with soft vegetables, about 30ish minutes to cook (Image is of stewed version)

Heat heavy pot to high, heat to remain on high the entire time 

Drop in oil, when hot and smoking, add in this order stirring quickly between each item cumin seeds, carrots, onion, red pepper/capsicum and fenugreek seeds. 

Sauté until very slightly browned at edges and slightly soft about 5 minutes, stirring regularly 

Mix all other dry ground spices, crushed stock cube, salt, and cocoa in a bowl (so you can drop it in quickly), open your beer ready next to pan 

Add garlic while regularly stirring (recommend you slice, not crush garlic as high heat will burn it) and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Recommend you don’t brown it as it’s bitter when browned. 

While stirring continuously sprinkle all remaining dry spices at once from the bowl, fry on the vegetable and lentil mix for literally 20-30 seconds. Over cooking ground spices on high heat will make the dish very bitter, and it only takes a few moments for this to happen when not stirring. 

Pour in beer to cool pan and mix well scraping the bottom of pan, add in marmite/vegemite/soy sauce if you wish 

Cook off beer until no extra liquid remains, about 3-4 minutes 

Drop in canned lentils and 1 ½ cups of boiling water (alternatively just drop in lentils and their cooking liquid from the can, plus a splash of boiling water) 

Bring to simmer, stew lentils for about 5 minutes until just starting to break down stir occasionally. 

Once liquid is most of way reduced begin stirring regularly, every 60-90 seconds this should take about 6-8 minutes to finish reducing 

If liquid reduces before lentils are slightly broken down, top up with some boiling water 

Once lentils are mostly burst, but not mushy, and only a slick of liquid remains 

Add in jarred salsa and cook for another 2-3 minutes to combine and meld together 

Taste and adjust with salt, sugar and vinegar to taste 

Resulting mix should have lentils that are about 50% broken down and no little liquid somewhat like a thick dhal

 

Hi All,

Bit confused and ran into this multiple times now. I was a cook and was always taught that adding fat to the flour first in a recipe makes the dough/pastry short (eg crumbly and tender). For example cookies and shortbread usually have a step to make a shaggy dough with butter/shortening and flour for this exact reason.

However I notice a lot of flatbread that go for a chewy consistency direct you to add the fat or fat containing items first.
for example
Tortillas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlmlRJh8yHw

2 ingredient Naan
https://thebigmansworld.com/2-ingredient-naan/#wprm-recipe-container-30394

I have made both of these recipes and while they tasted good, they were tender. They didn't have the glutenous pull I love with my bread. The dough was also didn't stretch like well made pizza dough, it cracked when pulled.

Note I did this by hand, not a mixer. So It may simply be a matter of me not kneading it enough. But I did knead both of these for 8-10 minutes with a timer.

So my question is what am I missing here? Other people seem to get good results so is it a technique question? Temperature?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you

edit: sorry for not reading the rules properly here is an example recipe

Yield Makes 8 tortillas

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed

½ cup pork lard or butter (or substitute vegetable shortening), chilled

1 tablespoon kosher salt

About ½ cup hot water, plus more if needed

Preparation Step 1 Mix the flour and pork lard with your fingers until the mixture is the texture of coarse sand. Then add the salt with the hot (but not scalding) water and knead well. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour; if it’s a little dry, add more hot water. The kneaded dough should be slightly tacky but not sticking to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Step 2

Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each one into a round ball. Roll each ball between sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap into as thin a round as possible (the rounds will contract a bit when you stop rolling). As you roll each one, place it on a hot nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat.

Step 3

Cook for about 30 seconds, or until the tortilla starts to puff. Then flip and cook another 30 seconds. It should be cooked through and just speckled with golden brown spots. As the tortillas cook, place them in your serving dish covered with a dish towel, which will help keep the tortillas soft and pliable

Vegan - Red Pepper and red lentil soup with warming herbs and spices 

 

Makes about 4-6 good portions of soup, depending on adjusting added water 
 
Soup base 

2 shallots or half a white onion, sliced thin 

1 carrot, sliced thin 

1 medium red pepper/capsicum raw, sliced thin 

1 medium roast red pepper (canned/jarred is fine)

1 stalk celery, sliced thin 

¾ cup dried split red lentils (Small number of lentils add body and nutrition but don’t glug down the soup) 

4 large cloves of garlic, pressed clove, almost whole 

3 sprigs of fresh thyme/dried thyme with no stems (Or pick the stems out later) 

¼ teaspoon fennel seeds 

½ teaspoon sweet paprika 

½ teaspoon white ground pepper 

½ teaspoon black ground pepper 

Grate of whole nutmeg (light touch) 

Grate of lemon zest  (Light touch)

1 teaspoon Vegeta vegetable stock powder or any stock cube 

1 teaspoon salt ground or to taste 

2 tablespoon olive oil 

1 teaspoon tomato paste 

6 cups of boiling water (adjust to desired consistency) 

 

Optional additions 
Fresh Basil, chive or parsley 

Wedge of lemon juice

Pecorino or vegan cheese to top 

 

Process 
Place a large pot on medium low heat 

Drop in oil and carrots 

Saute for 3-4 minutes 

Add in shallot, celery, raw red pepper, fennel seeds, thyme, garlic, salt, red lentils 

Saute for 3-4 minutes or until slightly soft with no colour. 

*note that the short saute is to maintain the freshness of the veg, while speeding up cooking time slightly 

Add in roast red pepper, white pepper, black pepper, sweet paprika, grate of nutmeg, lemon zest, tomato paste, stock cube  

Saute for 2-3 minutes 

Add in the 6 cups of boiling water, turn up heat to high to bring back to a boil 

Drop to simmer, cover and cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes towards the end 

Pick out thyme stalks if any 

Blend with stick blender until completely smooth adding more water to adjust (3-4 minutes, a bit longer than you think). For me the ideal soup consistency is when the soup just barely can vortex with the stick blender.

 
Serve with any or none of: fresh herbs, cheese, black pepper, finishing olive oil, lemon juice as desired