Bazella (vegan)

This is my vegan version of a delicious Lebanese dish and I am happy to say it was a big success with my family! I hope you like it too! It consists of peas, carrots and tofu (to replace the meat) in a flavorful tomato sauce. Serve it with vegan Arabic rice (recipe here), pita bread and olives and enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 6)

- 1 large onion, minced

- 4 garlic cloves, minced

- 3 cups diced carrots

- 3 cups frozen peas

- 1 block 500g (organic) extra firm tofu, rinsed and patted dry

- 150 ml tomato paste

- 1 teaspoon garlic powder

- 1 teaspoon onion powder

- 1 teaspoon arabic pepper

- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

- 5 teaspoons Tamari

- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Heat the olive oil and sauté the onions with the garlic for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Crumble the tofu (as finely as you can) over the onions and cook, stirring often and braking the tofu into smaller bits with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes longer or until onions are soft and lightly golden. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, arabic pepper, cinnamon and Tamari then add to the tofu mixture, stirring well until evenly coated. Add in the carrots and enough water to cover the veggies. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 7 minutes or until the carrots reach preferred  tenderness, then add in the peas and cook for 5 minutes longer. Add in the tomato paste, and season with sea salt and pepper. Allow to boil for another minute or two for the sauce to come together. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Serve with Arabic rice and enjoy!