ramyaramesh3007This main table centrepiece is a savoury vegan twist on the classic beef wellington, featuring spiced ground vegetables wrapped in golden puff pastry.
If I had to choose a centerpiece every festive season, it would always be wellington. But without the animal juice, how good of a wellington can we actually make? This spiced keema wellington is entirely made with plant juices instead and is flavourful enough for you to keep wanting more.
Made with whole foods like textured vegetable soy protein, shitake mushrooms, carrots, peas, walnuts and oats, the texture is as a meaty as it can get. When encased in a golden puff pastry and drizzled with a curried coconut gravy, this centrepiece is as perfect as it gets – and well, also universally loved.
Ingredients You Need
- vegan mea-ty filling
- textured vegetable protein – or soy chunks that will need to be re-hydrated and ground
- shitake mushrooms – gives for the most umami. You can also use button mushrooms or portabello mushrooms
- vegetables – carrots, peas and potatoes (optional)
- binders – oat flour, ground walnuts, flax meal (2 flax eggs)
- vegan puff pastry
- aromatics – red onion, green chili, ginger, garlic
- whole spices – cumin seeds, fennel seeds
- dry spices – kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, turmeric
- condiments – tomato paste, light soy sauce, worchestershire sauce
- oil – olive oil and vegan butter
- curried coconut gravy – dry spices, vegetable stock, full fat coconut milk, corn starch slurry
Allium free substitutions: Substitute onions with 1/2 cup chopped cabbage. Omit garlic and substitute with a pinch of hing (asafoetida). For the curried coconut gravy, omit minced garlic and substitute with minced ginger and a pinch of hing (asafoetida).
Vegan Keema Wellington
Ingredients
- 2 medium puff pastry sheets
- 2 tbsp ground flax meal + 6 tbsp water
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1/2 oat flour
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 red onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- 1 green chilli
- 1 medium carrot 1/2 cup chopped
- 2 cups chopped shitake mushrooms
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup dry textured vegetable protein hot water to rehydrate
- 2 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp worchesterchire sauce
- salt
- black pepper
- 2 tbsp vegan butter melted, to brush
Curried Coconut Gravy
- 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 vegetable stock cube
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 200 ml coconut milk
- 1 tbsp corn starch mixed with 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Rehydrate TVP in hot water for 10 minutes. Add flax meal to water and let it thicken at room temperature.
- Chop vegetables and aromatics finely: onions, shitake mushrooms, carrots, TVP.
- Saute cumin and fennel seeds in oil for 1-2 minutes. Add onions and saute until translucent.
- Add chopped green chili, minced garlic and ginger paste. Saute for a few minutes.
- Add chopped shitake mushrooms, dry spices and saute until spices are cooked.
- Add in tomato paste, carrots, TVP, light soy sauce, worchesterchire sauce, salt and black pepper. Saute until vegetables are cooked and well combined.
- Finally add in frozen peas and give it a good mix. Let cool.
- To the mixture, add oat flour, ground walnuts and flaxmeal. Mix until well combined.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Lay it out flat, ensuring it’s big enough to wrap around your filling.
- Spoon the cooled keema filling into the center of the pastry, shaping it into a log shape (similar to a sausage roll). Leave about 2 inches of space on all sides for folding.
- Carefully fold the sides of the pastry over the filling, then roll it up tightly, pinching the edges to seal the seams. If you have extra pastry, you can create a decorative top or design. Place the Wellington seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Score in a criss cross fashion.
- Brush the entire surface of the wellington with the vegan butter.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and crispy. I like to grill it for 2 minutes to get the top golden brown. Be careful not to burn.
- While that's baking make your sauce: saute some minced garlic in oil. Add spices and saute them until cooked.
- Add water, veg stock cube, and whisk gently until there are no clumps while on stove. Add coconut milk, light soy sauce and corn starch slurry. Bring to a boil and let it thicken.
- Let the Keema Wellington rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. This helps the filling set and makes for cleaner cuts.
- Drizzle the gravy over the wellington before serving. Enjoy!