meat replacer-less foods

[xjohnx]

I've always thought it's rather silly that some vegans decide to make dishes that are essentially replacements for meat dishes. Are there any cuisines or general dish styles that are more purely vegan and don't use things like tofu or seitan but rather vegetables and nuts and stuff while still getting sufficient nutrients?

[Glossgirl]

Hello

You could take a look at the Asian/Indian section in the recipe thread:
Indian (Beans and lentil dishes)

The middle eastern cusine also use a lot of beans, like for example the dish falalfel

Raw food consist of nuts, sprouted grains ect so there might be some recipes in that section you like

Hope you got the answer you needed

[harpy]

How about Chinese stir-fry type things that are just made of nuts and veg and served with rice? I don't know about the Chinese but I often make these

Also if it makes you feel any better about it I don't think tofu is any real sense an imitation of meat - it's a traditional element in oriental cuisine (and unfortunately is sometimes used together with meat in Chinese dishes)

http://www.soya.be/history-of-tofu.php

[Mr Flibble]

I've always thought it's rather silly that some vegans decide to make dishes that are essentially replacements for meat dishes. Are there any cuisines or general dish styles that are more purely vegan and don't use things like tofu or seitan but rather vegetables and nuts and stuff while still getting sufficient nutrients?

Tofu is not a meat substitute. It's a highly versitile and nutricious ingredient that as a result many vegans choose to use. There's probably more non vegans in the world that eat it than vegans and there are plenty of traditional recipes using both it and meat in the same dish.

[absentmindedfan]

Are there any cuisines or general dish styles that are more purely vegan and don't use things like tofu or seitan but rather vegetables and nuts and stuff while still getting sufficient nutrients?

Yes. Loads. The human race coped without seitan and processed foods for millions of years before veggie burgers came out.

[flutterby]

xjohnx, the 'Fake meat', http://veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1643 , and 'Fake meats/meat substitutes' http://veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10363 threads may also be of interest.

[thecatspajamas1]

You should try Indian food, which is based on a lot of lentils, chickpeas, and vegetables. There are a bunch of Indian recipes on this forum, but you could also find some on www.vegweb.com

[xjohnx]

Tofu is not a meat substitute. It's a highly versitile and nutricious ingredient that as a result many vegans choose to use. There's probably more non vegans in the world that eat it than vegans and there are plenty of traditional recipes using both it and meat in the same dish.

You are right. But there are products like tofurky and tofu cream cheese and stuff that is obviously a substitute. I can see tofu itself being fine in its traditional form but why do we need to make imitation meat out of it?

[Roxy]

Why not?

[insubordination]

I think that if we want a whole lotta people to become vegan, then we have to make it as convenient/appealing as possible. I'm not into mock meats (don't like to eat much soy and have never enjoyed the taste) but I'm all for them if they make people happy and satisfied vegans.

To answer your questions
Bean Nachos
Hommous
Any curry/stew/soup with legumes rather than mock meats.

[Korn]

I've always thought it's rather silly that some vegans decide to make dishes that are essentially replacements for meat dishes.

Is it really silly - if these people happen to like the taste of what they have been brought up with eating - and want to make their vegan lives (or transition to become a vegan) as easy as possible? Some vegans eat 'fake meat', while other's don't, and most vegan recipes I've seen don't contain fake meat. If you find a recipe containing fake meat, you could probably just leave it out or replace it with something else, like cashew nuts or black beans.

Tofu has been around for circa 1000 years.

I've never eaten duck or chicken, but we still occasionally eat seitan sold in Asian supermarkets as 'mock duck' or 'muck chicken' - only for variation, a little protein boost or out of sheer laziness. I don't think it's tasty, really - but adding some garlic, chili, spices or tamari helps. Have a look in the recipe section, John... you'll find a lot of meals not containing any meat replacements there: Thai, Indian/Asian, Mexican, Lebanese, Italian, so called 'crossover' and food that's 'just food'.