Is Vegan Food Boring?

“What do vegans even eat? Just like a piece of lettuce or something?”

I do miss some of my old favourites like mum’s keema and peas and Pepe’s chicken, so how will I survive without them? Will vegan food stack up in any way, shape or form?

Take the meat out of the picture

As I talk about in That’s my culture, the flavour of a dish almost never comes from the meat itself. It’s the spices, the sauce and the cooking that make it special, and the meat is mostly just there to carry them.

“Accidentally” vegan

Loads of cuisines have been cooking amazing plant-based food for centuries, mostly without making a big deal of it:

• South Asian: Dal, Chana Masala, Samosas, Aloo Gobi, Soya Chunk Curry, Bhindi Masala, Dosa and Idli. Too many to list here, and as long as y’all don’t use ghee!
• Middle Eastern: Falafel, Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Mutabal
• Ethiopian: Injera, Misir Wat, Shiro Wat
• East Asian: Biang Biang Noodles, Mapo Tofu, Spring Rolls
• Mexican: Frijoles de la Olla, Tacos de Hongos Guisados, Churros, Guacamole
• Italian: Pasta e Ceci, Cavallucci, Castagnaccio – Tuscan Chestnut Cake
• UK: CHIPS (my favourite and available almost everywhere!)

Above are just some of the “accidental” vegan dishes from around the world. These don’t even involve the modern vegan meat substitutes like seitan, and the crazily similar fake processed meats they’re coming out with these days!

Meat me halfway

Are there bad vegan dishes? Of course. Maybe a restaurant will just serve a sad-looking plate of overcooked veggies. But I’ve definitely had terrible meat dishes in the past too.

I also think meat was such a crutch for me. I don’t think I’ve ever been a good chef. Cooking vegan meals makes me actually work out how to make a sauce/curry/broth that’s flavourful without relying on meat to carry the dish.

Also, even if I have to have slightly less exciting meals (they’re not!), every meal that doesn’t involve harming an animal makes the world a better place, and that’s a price I’m more than happy to pay.

If you’re still in doubt, I’ve had some great vegan meals documented on my Instagram and mapped on mange.taz. And if you think you can easily tell what’s vegan and what’s not, try it for yourself with the 5-a-day game.