Lentil Curry & Jerk Spiced King Mushrooms
A plant-based take on a Caribbean classic, with homemade jerk spice
This is the seventh recipe from Cooking Space.
For a long time, I’ve been known as a “meaty” chef - someone who loves to cook meat-forward dishes using pork, beef, and animal-based ingredients. But lately I’ve been changing things up and focusing on plant-based cuisine, as a way to drive my ever-growing passion for new foods forward, while keeping my environmental responsibilities as a chef in mind.
There’s no lack of amazing meat-forward dishes in Caribbean culture, but there’s also a phenomenal array of delicious vegan and vegetarian foods found throughout the islands, and if you want to make something that normally includes meat, it’s easy to swap that out for a plant-based option without losing the character or essence of the dish.
Caribbean food works well without meat or dairy products because it tends to involve a beautiful complexity of spices that stand up on their own, an array of delicious and hearty greens, legumes, and veggies that make you forget you’re not eating meat, and creamy ingredients like coconut milk that render the need for dairy products completely unnecessary.
Today’s star of the show will be one of the most common spice blends found throughout the Caribbean: jerk spice. While you can easily find it pre-made in the grocery store, I think we should take it to the next level and make our own. It’s easy, fast, and delicious, and I’ll bet that after you try it, you’ll never want to buy a store-bought jar again.
We’ll dry-rub our jerk seasoning on hearty king trumpet mushrooms, and pop them in the oven to roast. While those are cooking, we’ll make a super easy, yet wonderfully complex, lentil curry with Swiss chard, cauliflower, and dandelion greens. Then, once everything is all set, we’ll combine the ingredients in a bowl, creating a perfect and easy-to-make plant-based taste of the islands.
Ingredients
For the jerk spice
1/2 tbsp. onion powder
1/2 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. black pepper, ground
1 tbsp. dried thyme
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tbsp. allspice, ground
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1/2 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. red pepper flake
ground cinnamon, ground
1 tsp. nutmeg, ground
1 tsp. clove, ground
1 tsp. cumin, ground
For the lentil & mushroom dish
10 king trumpet mushrooms, split lengthwise
2 tbsp. jerk spice
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/3 cup garlic, minced
1/3 cup ginger, minced
1/2 cup leeks, diced
2 tbsp. turmeric, freshly grated
2 tbsp. curry seasoning
1/2 cup ghee
2 cups lentils (black or yellow), soaked overnight
White vegetable stock
2 cups cauliflower
1 cup Swiss chard
1/2 cup dandelion greens
1 cup coconut milk
A handful of toasted walnuts, crushed (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the jerk spice
Combine all the spices together in a bowl, and mix thoroughly.
Prepare the mushrooms
Split the mushrooms in half, and coat them in oil, so they’ll easily pick up the jerk seasoning. Rub in the jerk spice mix until the mushrooms are well-coated, then roast at 350 F for 8 minutes. Set aside.
Prepare the Lentil Curry
If using dried lentils (recommended), make sure to soak them in water overnight before preparing this dish.
Using a large saucepan or pot, sweat the onion, garlic, leeks and ginger in ghee for 2 or 3 minutes. Add turmeric and curry powder, and toast for about 1 minute, to bloom and wake the spices up.
Next, add lentils and stock to the pot, and stir to combine. Add coconut milk. Bring everything to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, or until the lentils are almost tender. Add greens and cauliflower, and allow to cook for 8 more minutes.
To serve, ladle your lentil mixture in a bowl, and top with sliced roasted jerk mushrooms. If you’d like, add crushed toasted walnuts over the dish for some added texture.
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