Keen on Food: Jamaican Ital food is pretty much vegan

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Just when you thought there was nothing left to veganise, no more tricks up the vegan hair-shirt (read 'sleeve', joke) along comes pretty much the whole of Jamaican Ital cooking. ? ? ? I had heard of this cooking before in an old soup recipe book I was randomly perusing one time at a friends. They were talking a bout a soup called ?'ital rundown'. Which brings me to my second point; Jamaican food has fantastic names attached to it. This makes it worth getting into it for the sake of the names alone like "stamp and go", "bammies", "bust up shut". Then the best thing happened when walking along the platform at Victoria Station talking excitedly to Theresa about "Stamp and go" (yes, I do get quite excited about my food), a Jamaican walked up along beside me and said that that was their favourite dish.?

Ital actually is a rasta term for 'vital' and refers to a healthy and natural diet favoured by Rastafarians; no preservatives, dairy, eggs and for the stricter follows, no meat or fish either. I think the Rasta's are the only religious group I can think of (apart from yogis of course) who take the physical body seriously as a vehicle through which to perceive God. ?Watching the Bob Marley film recently I realised to what degree the early Rasta's were a movement for living a simple, contemplative life akin to the laws of nature.
Above is our vegan Jamaican plate. Rice and peas are staple so they had to be there. Like many simple dishes I hadn't realised just how nice rice combined with kidney beans is when simmered in a little stock with thyme and a dash of coconut milk. Then the fried plantain is something I'd always have as an accompaniment, it just lends that tropical feel with a balance of sweetness to the rice and peas. The Jerk Tofu was good, but I'd have to say wasn't so different from most other marinated tofus' we've done, though with the home made hot-sauce it was brought up a few notches. Ackhee is a vegetable distant to Caribbean cooking. Sadly, you can only get it here in a tin and it's extortionately expensive - like 4 pounds a tin. Still, it's worth it now and again if you miss a scrambled egg kind of thing as it's almost identical. Really surprising.

Which brings me around to the patty. I think you need the hot-sauce on the side, but you certainly can have the part without the rest of the stuff for a fully satisfying and filling meal in itself. ?It was the best part of our meal (hence the recipe) so different and reminiscent of the Jamaica of my imagination. I have to go one day, but generally when I ask, even Jamaican's tell me it's dangerous and best to stay in a 'complex'. At which point I don't feel it necessary to plan a trip to stay isolated in a hotel grounds for a week, however good the weather. I guess in time things will change, but then I'm sure it won't feel like the real Jamaica anymore either. Better keep eating my rice and peas here and keep some things in the purity of my daydreams.

(makes 4)

For the filling

1 cup boiling stock

1 cup tvp or soya mince

2 tbs vegetable oil

1 stick celery

1/2 a scotch bonnet chile

1 tbs tomato puree

1 tbs dried thyme

2 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp allspice

1/3 cup peas

1/2 cup coconut milk

salt and pepper

1. pour the boiling stock over the tcp and leave for an hour. Drain, reserving the stock. If it's not already ground into mince, do so in the blender with a couple of pulses.
2. ?Add the oil to a frying pan (one you can cover wit a lid or tin-foil), saut? the celery. Now add the chile and tomato paste and a tablespoon of the stock. Cook for another minute or so, stirring a couple of times.
3. Now add all the rest of the ingredients and the reserved stock, semi-cover and simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring regulary. ?Season well.

for the pastry

1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp salt
3-5 tbs cold water

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. sift the flour in a large mixing bowl with the turmeric and salt. Rub in the coconut oil until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. slowly add the cold water, tablespoon by tablespoon until you can just gather the mixture up into a smooth dough.
4. Dust a counter top with flour and roll out the pastry about 3mm thick. Use a large cutter, or cut around a side plate to make rounds about 15cm in diameter.
5. Place 2 tablespoons of the mixture in the middle of the round. Dip your fingertips in cold water and gently trace the outline of your pastry. Fold the side furthers away from you towards you to form a half-circle and press down firmly. Now crimp the edges with a fork.
6. Place in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the pastry has turned a golden colour.

Hot Sauce

2 tbs vegetable oil
1 stick celery
1 tbs tomato paste
1 scotch bonnet chile
1" piece root ginger
1 cup tinned tomatoes
dash of orange juice or few chunks of pineapple (optional)
2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp allspice
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tbs vinegar
salt and pepper

1. 1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and saut? the celery for a few minutes.?
2. Add the tomato paste and stir for another minute to cook. Now add the ginger and chile and stir for another minute.?
3. Add all the rest of the ingredients, semi-cover and simmer for 30 minutes over a medium heat until the sauce has thickened. If at this point you want it thicker, however, whisk a teaspoon of cornflour with a few tablespoons cold water, then whisk into your sauce, stirring over low heat until it thickens.

Source: http://www.keenonfood.com/2012/09/jamaican-ital-food-is-pretty-much-vegan.html

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