Parsnip Vindaloo

I need a better system of taking pictures of food. It tasted delicious. Trust me.

Hey all. I decided to post another recipe, because it's peak season for one of my favorite veggies. It's long been an obsession of mine to make Indian-esque food with vegetables that aren't usually used therein (bulb fennel and collard greens being typical victims of this). Aloo Vindaloo is kind of the chop suey of American Indian cuisine apparently, not really existing. Replacing potatoes with parsnips, which have a great combination of a carrot's sweetness and (in the older ones) a radish-like spiciness, makes things interesting.


Parsnip Vindaloo
-5 tsp canola oil
-2 tsp cumin seed
-1 tsp black mustard seed
-1/4 tsp Asafoetida (optional)
-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
-2 small onions, chopped
-1/4 tsp turmeric
-4 cups parsnips, chopped
-12-16 oz extra firm tofu, pressed, drained, and cut into chunks (you could use any firm-fleshed fish that you would typically use for stews and chowders here. Halibut is good for this, as would be walleye or mahi mahi. Cod is going extinct, so I probably wouldn’t use that.
-1 tbsp minced ginger
-1 tbsp chopped garlic
-3 cups chopped tomato
-2 tsp garam masala
-2 tsp curry powder
-1 bunch cilantro, chopped
-2 tbsp butter (optional)
-Hot sauce (optional)

Add the canola oil to a wide-bottomed pot and turn the heat to medium. When the heat is high enough to sizzle a cumin seed, add all of the cumin and black mustard seeds (and the Asafoetida if you are using that. It’s hard to find and kind of smells like the black soil in a forest, but I like it), and stir for about 40 seconds to toast. Add the chopped onion, red pepper flakes, turmeric (making sure to only add ¼ tsp of turmeric…it can ruin food fast), and a pinch of salt, and cook until the onion starts to brown, about 5 minutes or so. Add the parsnips and tofu, and stir to coat. Cook for another 5 minutes. In the meantime, blend the tomatoes, garlic, and ginger into a sauce. Add this to the pot, stir once, and cover. Cook on medium-low for about 15-20 minutes, or until the parsnips are soft. Remove from heat, add another pinch of salt, curry powder, garam masala, and chopped cilantro. You can add the 2 tbsp of vegan butter (or strait up ghee if you want) at the end and stir if you want it to taste more like it would at Indian restaurant, but it’s really not necessary.  Stir, and there you have it. Serve over basmati rice with some mango chutney on the side. Usually vindaloo has a vinegar componant, and I added mine at the very end by way of some Tobasco sauce.