Ingredients for the pie filling
| 1 1/2 cups |
soft, silken tofu |
| 2 Tbs. |
arrowroot powder |
| 2 Tbs. |
tamari or shoyu or 1 tsp. mineral salt |
| 1/3 cup |
vegetable broth or water |
| 5 cups |
grated root vegetables* |
| 2 Tbs. |
ghee |
| 1 pinch |
hing |
| 1 tsp. |
whole cumin seeds |
| 1 tsp. |
whole caraway seeds |
| 1 tsp. |
cumin seeds ground |
| 1/2 tsp. |
paprika |
| 1 Tbs. |
grated fresh ginger root |
| 1/3 cup |
coarsely chopped oil-cured black olives |
| 1 handful |
finely, chopped flat leaf parsley |
Vata = Pitta = Kapha = |
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Preparation of the pie filling
 Preheat the oven to 350º F.
Prepare the sauce: Using a blender, food processor, or hand mixer, blend the tofu, arrowroot powder, tamari and vegetable broth or water. Blend until smooth. The consistency should be like a very thick pancake batter. Set aside.
Prepare the veggies: Using a large wok or pan, warm the ghee over medium-high heat. Add the hing and both whole seeds. Sauté for a minute before adding the grated root vegetables. Continue to stir and stir and stir until the raw edge is taken off the vegetables, about 5 minutes. Then add the paprika, cumin powder and ginger root. Stir well. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the chopped olives and parsley and set aside, uncovered. 4. Roll out the dough. You’ll need to roll the crust out large enough to cover a 9-inch pie pan. Set aside. |
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To Assemble the Pie
Pour the blended tofu mixture over the vegetables and mix well.
Liberally oil a 9” pie pan, then pour the veggie-tofu mixture into it.
Lay the crust over the top of the pie pan. Tuck the edges of the crust down the sides of the pan.
Bake at 350º F for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let the pie settle for five minutes.
Using a knife, working around the sides of the pan, free up any crust that may be stuck to the sides. Place a serving plate larger than the pie plate over the top of the pan. Using oven mitts, firmly hold the serving plate on top of the pie pan. Working swiftly, flip the bottom pie plate onto to the serving plate. Set the serving plate down and tap around the top of the pie plate. When the pie has completely fallen, lift the pie dish away. The veggies will be sunny side up and the crust on the bottom.
*I used a mixture of equal parts of celeriac, Jerusalem artichoke, carrot, turnip, and parsnip. As there are many possibilities in the realm of roots, you could also experiment with rutabaga, sweet potato, daikon radish, beet or others.
Note: One of the wonderful aspects of Ayurveda is the practicality of applying its principles wherever we find ourselves. For example, its basic nutrition guidelines that include wise food combining, using spices to antidote problematic foods, and eating local and seasonal foods have no borders to their application. Currently residing and cooking in France, I am inspired by local and traditional recipes and how I can adapt them to fall within those guidelines. The tartetatin, a quintessentially French upside down apple tart, was the inspiration for this vegetable pie. The result is a complete shift from sweet to savory by using seasonal, vata-grounding root vegetables, tofu for protein, and a nutritious whole grain flour and herb crust for a hearty, winter, all-in-one dish. Bon appétit! |
