The inspiration for this recipe came from the Fricassee, the famous Tunisian sandwich which consists of, among other things, pumpkin, tuna, pickled lemon, and harissa – all packed in some fried bread.
I chose to make the vegan version with some variations:
The hard-boiled eggs are replaced with stir-fried tofu sticks seasoned with turmeric and other spices;
The pumpkin is replaced by a spicy sweet-potato spread; The tuna is replaced with a salad/spread consisting of jackfruit, chickpeas, and kelp powder. Both spreads get a “boost” with the addition of pickled lemon.
For a healthier dish – we gave up frying the bread.
Please welcome the Ultimate Lunch, packed in half a baguette, ciabatta, or any bread. A delicious meal, nutritious, filling, and yet not heavy at all!
The perfect summer dish!
Enjoy ❤️
RECIPE
Tunisian Style Sandwich – VeganEQUIPMENT
Tofu
- 1 package firm tofu, drained and dried with a paper towel 300g
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- pinch salt
- pinch ground black pepper
- pinch black salt Kala Namak
Sweet Potato Spread
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 2 tbsp vegan mayo
- 1 tbsp preserved lemon
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch salt
- pinch ground black pepper
- pinch black salt Kala Namak
- pinch chili powder, harissa or tabasco or to taste
"Tuna Salad"
- 1 can jackfruit
- ⅓ cup cooked chickpeas
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 tbsp vegan mayo
- 2-3 tbsp preserved lemon
- 1 tbsp kelp granules or half a nori sheet, crumbled
- pinch salt, pepper, black salt
- chili powder, harissa or tabasco optional, to taste
For Serving
- ciabatta, baguette, bread
- vegan mayo
- lettuce, roquette, Curly Cress (Garden Cress)
- green/black olives, pickled cucumber, spring onion optional
Tofu
- Cut the tofu in half and then cut into 3×1 cm sticks and half a cm thick. Transfer to a medium bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix oil, turmeric, garlic powder, plain salt and black pepper. Add to the bowl with the tofu and mix by hand until all the tofu sticks are coated in the sauce.
- Heat a wide pan or wok, add the tofu and sauce; Fry the tofu until golden. Remove from heat. Cool and add a pinch of black salt – to taste.
Sweet Potato Spread
- Scrub and rinse the sweet potato (do not peel); cook in the microwave with the peel for 4-6 minutes until soft; about halfway – turn the sweet potato – so that it softens evenly. Cool for a few minutes, cut in half, and empty the contents into a bowl with a spoon. Mash the sweet potatoes with a fork.
- Add the other ingredients to the sweet potato: mayonnaise, pickled lemon, hot paprika or harissa, salt, black salt, black pepper, and garlic powder; Mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Set aside.
Tuna" Salad"
- Drain the jackfruit, rinse with cold water and strain. Separate the fibrous parts from the hard parts. Crumble the fibrous parts with your hands and mash the hard parts with a fork. The seeds can be saved for other recipes like salads. Transfer to a medium bowl.
- Mash the chickpeas with a fork and add to the bowl with the jackfruit. Add all the other ingredients (mayonnaise, pickled lemon, kelp powder, salt, black pepper, black salt, onion, and harissa/tabasco) mix well, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Set aside.
For Serving
- Spread the sweet potato paste on one side of a baguette, ciabatta or a slice of bread (be (generous please 🙂
- Place the tofu sticks densely over the sweet potato spread. You can add some chopped olives, thin slices of pickle and / or chopped green onions.
- Top the tofu with a tuna salad.
- Place your favorite greens (crispy lettuce, rocket etc.) on top of the tuna salad.
- Spread the other part of the bread with mayonnaise and place it on top of the 'construction' we created. Wrap with sandwich paper. Cut in half (if desired) and give a big bite. Enjoy ❤️
- You can prepare the spreads and tofu in advance and assemble the sandwich before serving.
- Each spread is great on its own: for sandwiches, crackers, bagels, etc. 🙂
- Don’t spill the chickpea water – you can make vegan mayo 🙂
Demonstration on how to wrap a sandwich
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