If you’re a vegetarian you don’t have to miss out on a classic Kiev, well not with this vegetarian kievs recipe with Moroccan red cabbage. These creamy vegetarian kievs can be adapted really easily to be suitable for vegans too. If you’re catering for a vegan or vegetarian then this is a great choice for a main dish, the meaties might even be jealous! This recipe serves 4-5 people and should take approximately 1hr to make. Serve your vegetarian Kievs with potatoes, freshly prepared vegetables and of course your side bowl of Moroccan red cabbage.

Vegetarian Kievs with Moroccan Red Cabbage

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Ingredients

For the Kievs

50 g butter *or vegan margarine at room temperature1
2 tbsp parsley chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
250 g baking potatoes peeled
75 g green lentils
35 g puy lentils
15 g sesame seeds
20 g sunflower seeds
35 g brazil nuts
50 g fresh wholemeal bread
2 sprigs rosemary chopped
3 sprigs thyme chopped
2 tbsp parsley chopped
2 tbsp onion finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 free-range egg *for vegan use 1 tbsp soya flour, 1 tbsp gram flour, 4 tbsp water, 1 tbsp oil, pinch salt, pinch sugar
200 g fine fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs

For the cabbage

2 tsp butter *or vegan margarine
1 small red onion
1/2 tsp allspice
400 ml red cabbage shredded
1 tsp pomegranate molasses from Asian and Middle eastern supermarkets
1 orange juice only
3 tsp light muscovado sugar
3 tbsp dried cranberries
2 strips fresh orange peel
1/2 pomegranate seeds only
1 tbsp flaked almonds

Instructions

To make the garlic butter: put the butter or margarine in a small bowl together with the parsley and crushed garlic. Work together with a wooden spoon until well combined.
Put all the garlic butter onto some baking parchment and use the parchment to work into a log about 5cm long. Wrap in the parchment and chill in the fridge or freezer until firm.
To make the kievs: steam the potato, then mash. You should have about 150g of mashed potato. leave to cool.
Cook the green and puy lentils together until cooked, but not mushy, about 15 mins. Drain well and leave to cool.
Put the sesame and sunflower seeds, brazil nuts and wholemeal bread in a food processor and blend into fine crumbs.
Mix together the mashed potato, lentils, crumb mixture and onion, and season well.
To form the kievs: divide the mixture into five (or if you like big portions, four!). Take the log of garlic butter from the fridge and cut into five (or four) slices.
Take one portion of the lentil mixture and form into a round. Make a dint in the centre and place a piece of the garlic butter in. Form the lentil mixture round the garlic butter to enclose it, finishing up with a flattened cake shape. Do the same with the rest of the mixture and garlic butter.
To coat: whisk the egg, (*or beat together the soya and gram flours, with the water, oil, salt and sugar until smooth). Dip the kievs into the egg (*or soya flour mixture) then into the breadcrumbs. Press the crumbs in well. Chill for 30 mins.
Heat some oil in a large frying pan and fry the kievs until golden and crisp all over. Take care not to split them, otherwise the garlic butter will spill out. Serve hot.
Melt the butter or margarine in a saucepan and saute the onion until golden. Add the allspice and cook for a further minute before adding the cabbage.
Mix the pomegranate molasses and orange juice together and pour into the pan together with the sugar, dried cranberries and orange peel. Cook gently for 30-40 minutes until cabbage is soft (not soggy) adding extra water if necessary.

Notes

Just before serving, add the pomegranate seeds and garnish with toasted almonds.

Vegetarian Kievs with Moroccan Red Cabbage