Kugel de papa vegano
Este kugel de papa vegano, aunque sin huevo, es tan delicioso como el original, con una capa superior crujiente de papa rallada y un centro cremoso y mantecoso de tofu sedoso, y el romero y el tomillo le aportan muchísimo sabor.
- 16 onzas de tofu sedoso
- 2 cucharaditas de maicena
- 4 cucharadas de mantequilla vegana (derretida)
- 3 libras de patatas russet
- 1 cebolla grande (rallada)
- ½ cucharadita de bicarbonato de sodio
- 2 cucharaditas de ajo en polvo
- 1 cucharadita de romero seco
- 1 cucharadita de tomillo seco
- ¼ taza de harina de almendras blanqueadas (o harina sin gluten o harina de trigo común)
- Sal y pimienta negra molida al gusto (puede sustituir la sal por kala namak o sal negra).
- 2 cucharadas de perejil fresco (finamente picado, opcional)
- Precaliente el horno a 180 grados Celsius (350 grados Fahrenheit) con la fuente para hornear o la sartén de hierro fundido colocada en su interior.
- Coloca el tofu sedoso en el vaso de la procesadora de alimentos junto con la maicena. Licúa hasta obtener una mezcla suave y cremosa. Vierte la mezcla en un tazón grande.
- En un bol con el tofu, añade mantequilla vegana derretida, bicarbonato de sodio, patatas ralladas y cebolla. Mezcla las patatas y la cebolla con la crema de tofu hasta que estén bien integradas.
- Mezcla las patatas y las cebollas con la crema de tofu hasta que estén bien integradas. Remueve con una espátula hasta que todo esté bien mezclado.
- Añade el ajo en polvo, el romero, el tomillo, la sal, la pimienta negra molida y la harina de almendras. Mezcla bien.
- Una vez que el horno esté precalentado, retire con cuidado la fuente para hornear caliente, usando guantes de cocina, y rocíe el fondo y los lados con aceite o spray antiadherente.
- Vierte toda la masa de kugel en el molde para hornear, alisando la superficie. Hornea durante dos horas o hasta que las patatas estén doradas y crujientes por encima. Deja enfriar durante 10 minutos antes de cortar. Si lo deseas, puedes espolvorear el kugel con perejil picado para darle un toque de frescura.
This vegan potato kugel, albeit eggless, is as delicious as the real deal, with a crispy grated-potato top and a creamy, buttery center of silken tofu. Rosemary and thyme add scads of flavor.
Crispy, creamy vegan potato kugel
Potato kugel, a Jewish dish with origins in central and eastern Europe, is often enjoyed on holidays like Hanukkah, Passover and Rosh Hashanah, and on the sabbath. It now gets an eggless makeover with this vegan potato kugel.
I've heard potato kugel likened to a giant latke. It's made with the same primary ingredients, potatoes and eggs. Just like a latke, the potatoes get brown and crispy and oh so delicious. But unlike a latke, a potato kugel is not formed into separate fritters. Instead, it's baked in the oven like a casserole. And while the top and bottom get crispy, like a latke, the center remains creamy, like mashed potatoes. How yummy does that sound?
This is a simple recipe and it's gluten-free. Although I do introduce some ingredients that are not in a typical kugel, the ingredient list is small and pantry-friendly. You do need to plan for the long baking time -- two hours. But prep time is low and if you have a food processor you can get the onion and potatoes grated in no time at all.
Potato kugel is typically quite minimally flavored, usually with salt and pepper, because the potatoes, especially when crispy, and the eggs add lots of flavor all their own.
When creating a vegan potato kugel, one is taking out both the flavor of eggs and the binding power it brings. To ensure there's no loss of flavor or texture in our vegan iteration, here are the changes I make.
Flavor: To flavor the potatoes and tofu, I add garlic powder, sage and rosemary. Tofu, although it's often described as bland, does have a specific flavor to discerning taste buds and the garlic and herbs help override it while adding so much deliciousness. I also add some melted butter to the kugel for more flavor, and almond flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour). The almond flour adds a lovely undertone of nuttiness.
Texture: A potato kugel needs to be sliceable, and for that I add a tiny amount of cornstarch to the recipe. The almond flour will also help absorb liquids expressed by the potatoes during baking. The butter keeps the grated potatoes on top crispy without getting too hard, as can sometimes happen when you make potato kugel. Also preheating the oven with the baking dish in it will help the potatoes form a crispy layer on the bottom.