Vegan Food Pairing Recipe

Ingredients

For the mushrooms:

1 head of garlic

Extra virgin olive oil

14 oz assorted mushrooms (shitake, hen of the woods, or similar); if sliced make bigger than bite-sized

1/3 C vegan butter, softened

1 tbsp miso

2 tbsp high-grade maple syrup

1/4 tsp kosher flake salt

Dash of red pepper flakes, or to taste

For the makhani sauce:

3 tbsp vegan butter

1/2 medium onion, diced

Freshly grated ginger, 1tsp

Dash of cayenne pepper

Smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp

Garam masala, 1 tsp

Cinnamon, ¼ tsp

4 whole canned tomatoes, roughly chopped, with 1/4 C reserved tomato juice from can

1/3 C coconut cream

2 tbsp lime juice

Directions

1. Set the oven to 400°F. To roast the garlic, remove the outer protective layers from the head, but make sure to leave all the cloves intact. Cut about a ¼” off the top, exposing all the individual cloves. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and massage with a generous drizzle of olive oil. Wrap in foil, then roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes, until very soft and golden brown.

2. Meanwhile, make the makhani sauce. In a medium non-stick pot, cook the onions over medium heat with the vegan butter and a pinch of salt until softened and translucent, 5-6 minutes. Then add the ginger and all the spices. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in the tomatoes, reserved juice, and coconut cream. Simmer for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside and let cool while preparing the mushrooms.

3. Make the miso-mushrooms. Once the garlic is roasted and is cool enough to handle, squeeze out the cloves into a large bowl. Add in the butter, miso, syrup, salt, and red pepper flakes. Whisk to combine, then add in all the mushrooms and toss to coat evenly. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sear the mushrooms on both sides until golden brown and roasted, about 2 minutes each side. Don’t crowd the pan, working in 2 or 3 batches. Once cooked, add 1/3 C of the mushrooms to the makhani sauce, then cover the rest and set aside until ready to serve. Add the makhani sauce to a blender with 1 whole clove of garlic, and 2 tbsp of lime juice. Blend until smooth.

4. To serve, scoop cooked basmati rice into a bowl, top with the makhani sauce, followed by the reserved mushrooms, veggies of your choice, cilantro, and roasted cashews.