Gravy - Two Ways

Chickpea Gravy

From Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (www.theppk.com)

¼ cup all-purpose flour

approx. 2 ½ cups water

1 T olive oil

1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced

2 tsp mustard seeds

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 C cooked chickpeas, drained, or one 16 oz can, drained and rinsed

2 pinches ground cumin

2 pinches paprika

pinch of rosemary

pinch of thyme

pinch of oregano

pinch of coriander

3 T soy sauce

juice of 1 lemon

¼ C nutritional yeast

Mix the flour with 2 cups of water until it’s mostly dissolved.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and let heat for 20 seconds or so. Add onions and mustard seeds; cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are browned and the mustard seeds are toasted. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more. Add the chickpeas; use a potato masher (or pulse in a food processor beforehand—that’s what I do) to mash them, not into a paste, just to break them up, though a few whole ones are okay. Add the herbs/spices, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits of onion.

Lower the heat and pour the flour mixture into the pan. Stir constantly until a thick gravy forms (won’t take long). Stir in the nut yeast. If it looks too thick, add more water and mix well.

Bryanna’s Rich Brown (Fat-Free) Yeast Gravy
Makes about 2 and 1/2 c.

This fat-free and delicious brown gravy is one of our favorite staples.

NOTE: To make this wheat-free, omit the wheat flour, toast the nutritional yeast flakes on their own. After that step is done, add 5 T. of rice flour and continue with the recipe. (1/3 of a cup is about 5 and 1/2 T.; you want a little bit less rice flour than wheat flour.)

2 and 1/2 c. water
1/3 c. unbleached white flour
1/3 c. nutritional yeast flakes
2 T. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
Optional: a few shakes of gravy browner, such as Kitchen Bouquet (or use mushroom soy sauce, which is darker), for a darker color

In a heavy saucepan over high heat, whisk the yeast and flour together until it smells toasty. Off the heat, whisk in the water, soy sauce, salt and gravy browner, if using. Stir constantly over high heat until it thickens and comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-5 minutes. This can be made ahead and reheated.