Jambalaya (Vegan)
In my back-packing youth, I was lucky enough to stay for a while in New Orleans. It’s a city that stole my heart. I have so many fond memories of staying in the India House hostel, canoeing the bayou, and trawling the blues bars and voodoo shops. And I remember two mind-blowing food experiences from my time there. Firstly, beignets and coffee at Cafe Du Monde, overlooking the paddle steamers on the Mississippi. And secondly, veggie Jambalaya from a tiny Cajun restaurant. Some tastes stay with you.
This is my Jambalaya recipe, my attempt at re-creating a memory. The vegetables can be substituted for any you have available. I’m not great at cooking fresh okra so I use a handful of frozen chopped okra, added towards the end of the cooking time. You can, of course, use fresh. Any vegan sausages work – I prefer Sainsburys’ Chorizo Shroomdogs for the smokiness. And lastly, take care with the Cajun spice – not all brands are equal when it comes to heat! I use either Bart’s or Neal’s Yard.
Jambalaya (vegan)
Serves 2
Ingredients:
4 Vegan sausages
1 medium Onion (chopped)
3 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1 red chili (finely chopped)
1/2 red pepper (chopped)
1/2 green pepper (chopped)
2 stalks of celery (chopped)
2 tbsp Coriander stalks (chopped)
1 vegan stock cube
2 tsp Cajun spice
1 tsp powdered Thyme
1 tbsp Tomato Puree
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 cup brown rice
1 tbsp Maple Syrup
Juice of a lime
Splash of Liquid Smoke
Handful of frozen sweetcorn
Handful of frozen chopped Okra
Salt and Pepper to taste
Method:
1/ Chop the sausages into bite sized pieces and fry them until browned. Set to one side.
2/ In the same pan, fry the onion until soft, then add the garlic and chili, tomato puree, Cajun spice, and powdered Thyme. Stir until mixed and the spices start to release their fragrance. Add the rice, celery, and liquid smoke. Stir until thoroughly mixed.
3/ Empty the can of chopped tomatoes into the pan, and then two can-fulls of water (add more water if needed during cooking time). Add the stock cube. Bring to the boil and then allow to simmer, uncovered for about 30 to 40 minutes depending on the cooking time of the rice used.
4/ At the mid-point (about 20 minutes), add the maple syrup, red and green pepper, and coriander stalks.
5/ In the last five minutes, add the frozen sweetcorn, and okra, Once the rice is cooked, and the Jambalaya has the right consistency for you (I like mine a little gloopy, ie, not completely dry), add the lime juice, cooked sausage pieces, and salt and pepper to taste.
6/ Once the sausages are warmed through, serve with a slaw and warmed corn bread.
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