Patatas Bravas for Vegans
I first discovered this Spanish dish in Valencia when on holiday in the 90s.
They had a Bravas take-away shop just like we have fish ’n’ chip shops in the UK.
I was smitten with this dishes.
It’s a great fall-back for non-meat eaters.
Here’s how – Serves 4-6 as a generous tapa
Scrub and chop 1 kg of potatoes into wedges or cubes, whatever you prefer.
Bake at 200C for 35-40 minutes until slightly browned
The Bravas Sauce
Blend 500g of sweet tomatoes (I like on the vine plum varieties)
or 2 x 227g can of chopped tomatoes if you’re in a hurry.
Leave them in the blender
In a medium saucepan, fry I medium onion in a generous splash of olive oil for 5 minutes.
Add 2 cloves of chopped garlic and fry for another 2 minutes, then
4 tbsp of sweet or smoked or hot paprika or a mix (use hot one if you want an ever bigger kick or don’t have any cayenne below!)
1 tsp of turmeric
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper or more for the even braver!
Pink salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup of rice milk
Add the onion mix to the blender, whizz again
Return to the saucepan and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring regularly.
Check for salt and pepper before serving.
Put the cooked spuds in a terracotta dish or similar and pour over the hot sauce
Garnish with flat leaf parsley or sliced back olives.
Enjoy.
Bravas Variation – I’ve also added roasted red peppers the sauce. Gives a sweeter and slightly smoky taste.
TIP – The sauce can be made in advance and seems even nicer after the paprika has had a chance to infuse. It can even be frozen.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below and share what you thought to the finished product. We’d love to know what you think! 🙂
