Herb and Caper Dumplings with Carrot Puree and Wine Sauce
This recipe for herb and caper dumplings with carrot puree and white wine sauce is somewhat labor-intensive, but the results are well worth the effort.
For the herb and caper dumplings
Bring the water and salt to a boil, add the green spelt, and return to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 20 minutes.
Using a fork, break the tofu up into small pieces. Add the tofu and cornstarch to the spelt. Chop the parsley and cut the chives into thin rings.
Peel and finely chop the onion and then brown in a skillet with a little oil. Add the onion, herbs, spices, soy sauce, and chopped capers to the green spelt and mix well.
The original recipe calls for store-bought fried onions. You can use these instead of fresh onions if you like. We have reduced the amount of soy sauce by half.
We use a low-salt variety soy sauce called genen shoyu whereas the original recipe calls for the gluten-free soy sauce tamari.
Season the mixture well. With damp hands, form into small balls.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and then add the salt and dumplings. Reduce the heat and let the dumplings simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the dumplings from the water and keep warm. Save the cooking water for the sauce.
For the carrot puree
Peel and slice the carrots. Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the carrots for 2–3 minutes. Add the sugar and cook until it is lightly caramelized. Add the mineral water and simmer over low heat until the carrots are soft.
The original recipe calls for double the amount of oil. We have also replaced the white sugar listed in the original recipe with brown sugar.
Add the cream, cook for one minute, puree the mixture, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
The author lists “cream” in the ingredients. We have used oat cream, but you can use any other type of vegan cream you like (e.g., rice or soy).
For the white wine sauce
Measure out 200 ml of the reserved cooking liquid into a saucepan. Add all of the sauce ingredients except the cress and bring to a boil. Simmer for two minutes, season to taste, and remove the bay leaf. Cut the cress with scissors and then use an immersion blender to mix it into the sauce.
In the original recipe, Josita Hartanto used “2 small bowls of cress” for four servings. Since a small bowl holds about 100 g of cress, we have adjusted the amount accordingly.
Serve
Add the dumplings to the sauce and heat briefly. Serve immediately with the carrot puree.
Detailed Nutritional Information per Person for this Recipe
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
This recipe for herb and caper dumplings with carrot puree and white wine sauce is somewhat labor-intensive, but the results are well worth the effort.
Coarsely ground green spelt: Coarsely ground green spelt is made from unripened spelt and is related to wheat. It is harvested while still green, dried over a beechwood fire, and coarsely ground. Its nutritional profile is comparable to that of wheat except that it has a notably higher content of silicic acid. As with wheat, spelt contains gluten, which can cause people who suffer from celiac disease (gluten intolerance) to have health problems
Oat cream: Oat cream is made from rolled oats, water, and oil. This plant-based alternative to regular cream can be used to flavor soups and sauces, but it does not whip well. Oats contain high amounts of protein and essential amino acids, and are a good source of vitamins and minerals. Go here for a recipe to make your own oat cream.
Capers: Capers are the pickled flower buds of the caper bush. The process of pickling capers in brine and vinegar gives them their typical savory and spicy flavor.
Coriander seeds: A total of 60 % of the oil contained in the coriander plant is found in the seeds. This includes linalool and geraniol, which are responsible for the pleasant aroma of the seeds. The aromatic oils are released after the seeds are dried.
Garden cress: Garden cress contains substantial amounts of vitamin C, iron, calcium, and folic acid. When eaten raw, it has a slightly spicy flavor that is reminiscent of radishes and mustard. This is because of the mustard oil glycosides contained in the plant. The sprouts are usually used about one week after planting.
Making tofu: Also known as soybean curd, this Asian food is especially popular with vegans and vegetarians because it contains high amounts of protein. It is also lactose -, cholesterol -, and gluten-free. The first step in making tofu is to prepare the soy milk. You do this by soaking soybeans and water, puréeing them, and finishing with a cooking process. The cooking step serves to remove toxins and improve the digestibility of the finished product. The next step is to coagulate the soy milk using coagulants such as calcium sulfate or nigari (in Okinawa, sea water is used here, and the final product is called Shima-dofu, or island tofu). The resulting soybean curds separate from the rest of the mixture and are then pressed into tofu blocks that are cooled and then cut into the desired shape. The process of pressing tofu blocks differs depending upon the type of tofu being produced.
Tips
Freshly ground mustard powder: If you have mustard seeds, you can grind them in a coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle. You can vary the level of spiciness by selecting a specific type of mustard seed. Yellow mustard seed is mild while black and brown are spicier. Unlike homemade mustard powder, many ready-made products also contain herbs and grain flour.
Preparing coriander seeds: Coriander seeds may be briefly roasted and should always be ground fresh if possible. This prevents bitterness and allows the aromatic flavor to fully develop.
Tofu, uses: The process for making tofu described in the notes makes clear that tofu consists of tofu protein particles. Since these have a neutral flavor, unseasoned tofu has no distinctive flavor of its own. However, this makes it ideal as a carrier of seasoning and flavors, which explains why it can be used in so many different types of dishes. Tofu can be used in savory main dishes as well as in sweet recipes. In East Asian cooking, tofu is often used plain or just lightly seasoned.
Alternate preparation
Salt and oil: We have deliberately cut the amount of oil in half and reduced the amount of salt as much as possible. You can adjust the amounts as desired. The salt in the dish is increased by the addition of capers (approximately 6 % salt content) and soy sauce (approximately 14 % salt content). For more information about salt and oil in relation to health, see our book review of Salt, Sugar, Fat.
