Paella vegana

Here is my vegan take on my aunt's paella recipe, enjoy!

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Paella is not the name of the dish but actually the name of the pan where it's cooked. Not all of us can cook in a big paella, but try to fin the second closest with a big, shallow pan. Start by frying 12 crashed garlic cloves (you can crash them with the flat part of the knife). When golden, remove from the oil and reserve.

Step 2

Using the same oil in the same pan, we want to stir fry the vegetables. The vegetables you use are optional, but I recommend you add onion and some greens. Courgette releases a lot of water, so be careful not to add too much. Any frozen/canned vegetables should be added later, with the water, to prevent the temperature from dropping. Feel free to add canned chickpeas or carrot.

Step 3

Add the rice and the reserved fried garlic. Stir-fry the rice for about 5 minutes. I like to add the hot paprika, the salt and the pepper at this point, but feel free to adjust salt content later on.

Step 4

Add the chopped tomatoes (canned) and any frozen vegetables (peas, corn, green beans...).

Step 5

Pre-mix the saffron with part of the stock. Mix everything in the pan together and add the stock. The rule is that this rice requires 1:2 rice:water ratio to cook, however the amount is adjusted because the chopped tomatoes from the can contain a lot of liquid.

Step 6

Set the hob to medium heat. It usually takes 18 min, check it at 15 and feel free to cook it for longer. While there is water, the sound is very characteristic, and it quiets down when the water runs out. If you want to cook it for longer, add a bit of hot water to make sure it doesn't boil dry (and burn).

Step 7

The rice is best after resting, so leave it to rest for 30 minutes before eating. In Alicante, I always eat it with alioli sauce (vegan).