Ethnic veg*n foods

I'm opening this thread to talk about any ethnic foods for veg*n folk.

Does anyone know what kind of broth is used for miso soup?  I've never liked fish/seafood, and just assumed it was made with a fish broth.  Therefore, I've always passed on it.  But, it smells so good!

If it's even only sometimes made with a fish broth (or chicken), I'll continue to pass.  Just wondering if it might be (typically) veg.

From WIki

Miso soup (味噌汁, miso shiru?) is a traditional Japanese soup consisting of a stock called "dashi" into which is mixed softened miso paste. Although the suspension of miso paste into dashi is the only characteristic that actually defines miso soup, many other ingredients are added depending on regional and seasonal recipes, and personal preference.

Outside of Japan, American or European style miso soup is sometimes made by dissolving miso in a Western vegetable stock. The stock might include ingredients such as negi, carrot, potato and daikon radish. In some versions of the dish chicken stock, Western-style fish stock, and other non-dashi bases can even be used, but there is some debate over whether or not miso soups made using these non-traditional bases count as true misoshiru.

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I think your best bet if you want to get some miso in your diet would be to buy instant miso paste from a supermarket or asian market (but check there are no animal ingredients obviously). 

One of my fave vege ethnic foods (even though im not vege) is a gorgeous indian dahl served with rice. YUM!!!  Me and my bf practically fight over it!

Many sections of indian society are vegetarian/vegan so you've got quite a rich seam of recipes and foods to mine if you look there.  

The stock (dashi) that is used to make miso soup often contains bonito flakes which is made from dried fish.  If you order at a restatuant I would ask first.

But miso soup is so easy to make at home, it does not have to be 'instant', just get a jar or pouch of miso from an Asian or ethnic foods store.  Make a pot of hot but not boiling water (you should never boil miso).  In a small bowl dissolve a few tablespoons of miso with some of the hot water, then add this mixture back to the pot. It is easier to break up and dissolve the miso this way rather that putting globs of it in the pot.

Then add, tofu cubes, scallion and nori seaweed...you can add grated carrots.  I have made miso soup almost like a stew with onion, squash, azuki beans, kale etc.

I also agree w/ gi-jane on the indian food.  It seems intimidating to cook your own, but I have found it to be very easy.  I have made many of Vegan Dad's recipes :

http://vegandad.blogspot.com/

I believe Ethiopian food has a lot of vegetarian options.

I >>LOVE<< Indian food.  But, it's not all that healthy.  Many of the sauces contain Ghee (clarified butter).  One of my favorite meals is Dal with naan (flatbread).  I could live on that.  But, I'm pretty sure naan has ghee in it as well.  There's hardly anything on the India menu I don't like...  Salted lemons and pickled califlower I don't like.  I love Middle-Eastern food, too.

Good idea on making miso soup at home... I make a lot of soups, actually.  I'm not so concerned whether making this without bonito is traditional or not- the main objective is to make something I always wanted to eat, but didn't because I presumed contained fish broth.

I haven't tried Ethiopian food, but would like to.

gpat919: You don't NEED ghee to make naan, and Dal is one of hte healthiest choices you can make in Indian food. Actually if it's homemade, indian foods one of the healthiest, because it's low in fat, high protein, and uses a ton of vegetables and spices. It's when youb uy the processed, storebought/restaurant food that its bad for you :)

I'm sorry...  I meant the restaurant versions use Ghee.  Of course you could veganize these when made at home.

I wish more restaurants understood what vegan/vegetarian means.  Mexican restaurants often list Mexican Rice as a side on the "vegetarian" menu, but its most often made with chicken stock.  :(

Indian food, made at home is VERY healthy.  Check out

http://vegandad.blogspot.com/search/label/Ind ian   ;

He has a vegan naan recipe and his dal is awesome, I make a batch about once a week.

Does anyone know what kind of broth is used for miso soup?

If you go to an Asian or international supermarket ask for soybean paste. Traditionally, miso soup is made with dried anchovies as well (boil the dried anchovies in water and mix the soybean paste with the 'fish broth') but it can be done without.

There are a lot of vegan soups in Korean cuisine or can at least be made vegan by leaving things (like dried anchovies) out of the broths. I recommend doenjang jjigae and kimchi jjigae for soups (you can find recipes online-- if they call for beef or fish, just leave it out and it steal tastes great). Also, bibimbap (sans egg)-- it's just veggies and rice with gochujang (a spicy red pepper paste) on top.

As for Indian food, you can order at a restaurant and request things to be made without ghee. I have a vegan friend who does this all the time. I can't even taste the difference when ghee is left out.

Original Post by alibsam:

Also, bibimbap (sans egg)-- it's just veggies and rice with gochujang (a spicy red pepper paste) on top.

That reminds me of a restaurant I used to go to in Hawaii called Soon's BBQ. They had a cold noodle dish called Bi Bim Kook Su. It had pieces of BBQ beef in it, as well as kim chee and other pickled vegetables, and a lot of gochujang. You could easily leave out the bbq beef and it would still be so good!

I went to an India market. They had like 50 different types of masala. I was overwhelmed with the selection, I didn't know what to buy.

I picked up the ingredients for dinner tomorrow. I'm making Panang curry with tofu, and pra ram long song (sautéed spinach and other veg with "non-chicken strips" and a spicy Thai peanut sauce). Looking forward to that!

Original Post by gpat919:

That reminds me of a restaurant I used to go to in Hawaii called Soon's BBQ. They had a cold noodle dish called Bi Bim Kook Su. It had pieces of BBQ beef in it, as well as kim chee and other pickled vegetables, and a lot of gochujang. You could easily leave out the bbq beef and it would still be so good!

Hmm... I've never heard of it. There's a similar cold noodle dish I love called neing-myeon. You can get mul-neing-myeon (water ice noodles) which has some vinegar in it with radish, etc or bibim-neing-myeon (spicy ice noodles) which has the gochujang, radish, etc. I love the bibim neing-myeon best... the mix of the spicy gochujang with really cold noodles... yum.

I can eat anything Korean.  Shortly before I became vegan, a Korean restaurant opened near me.  It is THE BEST Korean food I've had since I visited Korea... meaning even better than any of the Korean restaurants in Hawaii, which are plentiful and very, very good.

The bul go gi and kal bi is to die for... especially from the cow's perspective   I know, I don't sound very vegan right now.  My apologies to all.

hahaha I've been to a few Korean restaurants since I've been home visiting.. all owned by Koreans from Korea. However, something about it is lacking. I'm stoked that I've got 4 days before I head back to Korea.

And yeah... galbi is fantastic. I think the experience makes it so great... it's such a social meal. Luckily, I'm not veg anymore so it'll work for the galbi/soju party my employer has planned for when I get back. haha