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As people become more concerned about their health, there is a rising awareness of plant products that taste similar to meat but have a lower negative health impact due to the lower cholesterol and unhealthy fat in them. Many vegan products available on the market that mimic the flavour of meat tend to be highly processed, which can cause gut inflammation—not something one would want in their everyday diet. Who wouldn’t want to exchange all that for something natural with all the unmissed flavours of meat plus real additional fibres, vitamins, and minerals?
Also Read: Why mock meat at all?
Many local Indian cuisines have already been using some of these great ingredients in their day-to-day diets. But many modern vegan converts find it difficult to switch because they either aren’t aware of the alternatives, cannot believe they can be recreated to taste like meat or fear protein deficiencies in them. The recipes mentioned here will convince the reader that there is no limit to experimenting with mock meat dishes. All the mentioned items are locally available or can be made at home. Welcome to the first great step towards using environmentally sustainable alternatives !
1. Raw Jackfruit:
If, in the food world, there was one naturally produced food that was not living up to its potential, it would be the great tropical Jackfruit. People in southern states like Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu have long known how this superfood can be used to replace the taste of meat. But it still remains undiscovered by the majority of vegan converts who are not well versed in traditional recipes. Shred the raw fruit fibres and cook them in spices to make it taste like chicken or cook the raw, deseeded chunks whole to make jackfruit curry, which comes pretty close to tasting like its pork version.
2. Dehydrated Mushrooms:
Mushrooms such as the King Oyster or the Shiitake variety have just the right chewiness when dehydrated to give one of the most interesting meaty textures, similar to pork. Turn it into your favourite meat burger and add it to your Asian delicacies like fried rice, ramen, or stir-fries. These mushrooms are packed with the umami flavour of meat that you might not have to miss because you may be a vegetarian.
3. Tofu:
Tofu, when prepared the right way with the right marinade, can resemble the flavour of fish. Make deep vertical gnashes with a knife on a thin tofu block to make it look like fish fillets. Wrap it in nori seaweed sheets and fry it in oil. Add soy sauce and vinegar and sprinkle some sesame seeds. Tofu is also popularly used in place of paneer to make bhurji, tofu 65, tofu ghee roast, and more in India, which can be eaten as a snack or paired with rice, roti, and other fried or grilled flatbreads.
4. Plantain/Raw Banana:
Very popular in western coasts of India like Maharashtra, where they are shallow fried and consumed as ‘Kelyachi Kaap’. Cut the raw banana into thin slices and marinate them in garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric powder, and a pinch of lemon juice. Use semolina and a little rice flour mixed with water to make a batter that will be used to coat the marinated pieces. Fry in oil and serve to satisfy fish finger cravings.
5. Soya Chunks/ Nutrela Chunks:
Oil-fry soaked and rinsed soya chunks along with chillies, garlic, pepper, and onion. Grind the fried soya mixture into a paste in a grinder and it comes pretty close to your standard fish paste. ‘Mashed-soya’ then becomes a worthy rival to the former. It makes a great momo-filling too.
6. Chickpeas:
The use of legumes as mock meat is relatively new. It is gaining attention because of its proven nutritional content and gut friendly protein. Soak and rinse chickpeas and grind them in a mixer along with soy sauce. Knead it so it looks like dough, stretch the dough into a cylindrical form and knot it. Allow the knotted dough to boil in water to let it get stretchy. This can be shredded into pieces and cooked with spices for vegan ‘chicken’ taste and texture.
7. Brinjal:
Slice them thin and marinate with paprika, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder. Coat this in chickpea flour and bread crumbs and fry in deep oil to get your crispy fish fries. Brinjal chunks are also used in biryani preparation for the smoky and meaty flavours and textures that they exude. Whole brinjal gravies, called enne-gai in Kannada, are popularly paired with jowar, rice, or wheat flatbreads called bhakri.
8. Green Peas:
Mashed green peas make an excellent meat substitute because of their ability to mimic the consistency of minced meat, with the added benefit that peas are one of the most high protein vegetarian foods. It is perfect for making burger patties and mock-sausages. Just add some beetroot juice to the mix for a convincing red look and umami spice for the taste.
9. Taro Root/Arbi :
This root vegetable makes a hearty and satisfying meal and is often used as a meat substitute in curries in North-East India, where it is cooked in mustard oil and very hot spices and also as dry sabzi in Kerala with coconut oil. Its slime must be thoroughly rinsed before cooking though.
10. Elephant Foot Yam/Jimikand:
It is commonly used in North India to make cutlets and kababs. Cut yam into chunks, boil them and then grind the softened yam in a mixer with spices. Shape them in the form of meatballs and fry in oil of choice to get a snack as good as your regular galouti kabab. Yam is also popular in Kerala as chips. Cut Yams into slices and marinate in your favourite spices, bake or fry them and enjoy.
