clockwise, from top left: onion bhaji, socca pancake, chole, mee goreng, pakora, pad thai
My culinary experiments and adventures have been restricted of late, following a freak accident which has left me with multiple rib fractures. Believe me, fractured ribs cause a lot of pain!
I am hoping to be fully back in action very soon, but in the meantime here are six vegan recipes from the Circus Gardener’s Kitchen archives, each of them inspired by street food classics from around the world. As well as being vegan, each of the six recipes is also gluten free. I hope I can tempt you to give one or more of them a try!
onion bhaji
The origin of the onion bhaji is a little obscure, with both India and Nepal laying claim to its invention.In both of those countries it is eaten as a simple street food. My version produces a light, crispy and very moreish treat.
socca pancake
Socca pancakes are a delightful light, crisp street food from Nice, although they probably came originally from Sicily, where a version of chick pea pancakes called panelle dates back even further. You can eat them plain, but why not try them with seasonal chargrilled asparagus, as in this recipe.
chole
Chole is a wonderful chickpea dish originating from nothern India. Often eaten for breakfast, chole is usually accompanied by bhature, a yoghurt-fermented bread, but in this recipe I’ve paired it with a tasty green pea pilau.
mee goreng
A hot and spicy noodle dish from Indonesia, bursting with flavour.
pakora
A close relative of the bhaji, these spicy pakora are quick and easy to make, and utterly delicious. In this recipe I used calabrese (broccoli), but other vegetables like potato or cauliflower would work equally well.
pad thai
Pad thai is rightly one of Thailand’s best known and most popular dishes. This is my vegan interpretation of this wonderful street food classic.
For more vegan street food inspiration, check out the following links for some great vegan street food interpretations created by other bloggers:
nasi goreng, another great classic from Indonesia. This great recipe comes from Wholesome Patisserie.
spring rolls. These beautiful “rainbow vegetable spring rolls” from The Kitchn are inspired by one of the classic Vietnamese and Thai street foods.
tacos. Originating from Mexico, in this lovely recipe by The Vegan Road the tacos are filled with butternut squash, black beans, tomatoes and, of course, jalapeno peppers.
Mumbai sandwich. A favourite snack from the busy streets of Mumbai,there are many different versions of this classic. Usually It will include potato, onion, cucumber, chutney and spices. This particularly colourful version by the brilliant Jackie Kearney of Hungry Gecko also includes beetroot and tomato.
masala dosa. One of my personal favourite street foods, the batter for the dosa pancake is traditionally made over a couple of days to allow it to ferment. This clever recipe by Holy Cow provides a short cut for making this wonderful dish.
And finally, how about a sweet street food dish? Churros are thought to have originated in Spain or Portugal. Often served with a chocolate dipping sauce they are extremely moreish. This vegan version comes from Smells Like Brownies.