Vegetarian Paella-Ole!!
Paella or pronounced pie-AY-ya Paella often describe a rice dish from Spain. However, the word Paella really describe the dish itself, the pan, where you cook the meal composed mainly of rice and other ingredients. For this recipe, I chose to cater purely for vegan and vegetarian lifestyle. It follows my recipe of the vegetable stock. I also added some twist of spices to make it more relevant a little spicy. However, later on I will make another recipe with meat and/or seafood The origin takes from years of travel. the Moorish kings' servants created rice dishes by mixing the left-overs from royal banquets in large pots to take home. It is said by some that that word paella originates from the Arab word “baqiyah” meaning left-overs. The most famous Paella takes it origins from Valencia, a region on the East coast of Spain. By the mid-1800s, paella included short-grain white rice and a mix of proteins: chicken, duck, rabbit and optional snails (less affluent people often made do with snails alone). The dish was actually a “rice and beans” dish, with butter beans, great northern beans and runner beans (artichoke replaced runner beans in the winter), plus tomatoes. The spices included garlic, pimentòn (sweet paprika), rosemary, saffron and salt; the dish was cooked in olive oil. The recipe continued to evolve as chorizo, green beans, green peas, olives and roasted red pepper found their way into the dish.
Servings: 4 yield(s)
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins
Total Time: 55 mins
Ingredients
  • 300 g Medium grain white round rice rice (The best is Spanish rice, Bomba rice, Senia and Bahia rice can do too. If all fails use white rice. )
  • 150 g Red onion (1 large onion chopped in small dice)
  • 40 g Garlic (Argentinean garlic is the best)
  • 60 ml Spanish olive oil (Any olive oil can do)
  • 1 l Vegetable stock (Homemade or prepack)
  • 200 g Green beans
  • 4 stick Asparagus (4 pieces cut in 4)
  • 100 g Capsicum (Red or yellow or both. Cut into 2 cm cube)
  • 100 g Broccoli
  • 100 g Tomatoes (Cherry)
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin powder
  • 1 tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Hot Paprika
  • 1 g Saffron
  • 5 g Sea salt
Instructions
  1. Hello and welcome back. this represent my last recipe. the vegetable stock... you can make it yourself if you want. it will really enhance the flavour of your paella. here is the link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j5PakJ8mIs&t=84s However you can use any pre-made vegetable stock or broth. It is all up to you and your timing. Peel and clean all your vegetables.
  2. This is the Paella, the pan. This one is about 35cm. I had it for years and still cracking on like the first day. Up to 40cm pan you do not nead a paella stand and gaz ring. Heat up the pan on high heat (large burner) on your stove.
  3. Add the olive oil and let it get hot for about 3 to 4 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, chopped your red onion or Spanish onion.
  5. Add the onion to the Paella and stir it to sweat them or until they get a little transparent. Meanwhile, peel and crushed the garlic. Once the onions are soft and getting a little coloured, add the garlic and stir for another minute.
  6. Add your clean beans and stir for another minute. The heat remain strong but do not burn the garlic.
  7. Add your chopped asparagus and stir the vegetables for another 2 minutes.
  8. Add your capsicum and keep stirring for another 2 minutes.
  9. So here i added 1/2 tea spoon of cumin powder.
  10. Add a good teaspoon of turmeric powder.
  11. Add a teaspoon of hot paprika.
  12. Add 1 g of saffron. Saffron is so important to give that flavour to the dish.
  13. Give it a stir and smell that dish coming up.
  14. Add the rice to the Paella and mix it in the vegetables.
  15. Add the stock all at once and a tea spoon of salt.
  16. Add the broccoli and cherry tomatoes.
  17. Bring the Paella to a boiling point.
  18. Cover with aluminium foil. be careful to not burn yourself. Cook at low heat for 20 minutes without touching the dish.
  19. Open up the Aluminium foil and taste. Check to see if all the liquid is absorb. If not close it and cook it for another 5 minutes. If it is absorb, check if the rice is cook through. If not add more stock or water and cook longer. If it is cook through check for seasoning and adjust it. Then smell it. If the Paella smell a little burnt at the bottom do not panic and leave it that way. A good Paella, should have a sticky rice to the bottom of the pan.
  20. You have just made a meal to excite everyone at your Spanish dinner party. OOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!
  21. I will recommend a Marques de Riscal with a Paella dish. Bon Appetit or Disfruta de tu comida
Recipe Notes

Types of Paella: it’s easy to vary the ingredients to create any type of paella. From mixed poultry, root or spring vegetable variations to vegetarian/vegan paella—there are three main classic styles: Paella Valenciana: Valencian paella with white rice, green vegetables, meat (rabbit, chicken, duck), snails, beans and seasoning Paella Valenciana is actually paella mixta, with seafood and meat combined Paella de marisco: seafood paella, which replaces meat and snails with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables. Paella mixta: mixed paella, which is a free-style combination of meat, seafood, vegetables and sometimes beans