Baked Vegan Whole Wheat Protein Ravioli

There was spinach in the house. And there were beans I'd cooked without any plan. They just had to be used up.

I cannot explain where 'can that be turned into ravioli?' came from as the next question, but it did, and my inner mad scientist just had to find out.

Since this post exists, clearly, it can, but wait, there's secondary findings I must report!

• Baked ravioli is possible

• I can be trusted to accumulate ingredients and not let them go to waste.

• It takes quite some time to make if you're manually rolling out the dough

• But on the other hand, your roti-making skills will receive a huge boost.

Those were the main ones. I don't want to keep you from the recipe too long.

But here's a photo first just to make this page a little more colorful and varied.

Ingredients

Filling

I'm listing the amounts I used, but really, it depends on how much you're making. This made me 11 big raviolis (and one baby one because I tried to use a shot glass for a mould - #truestory)

• Cooked spinach - 1.5 cups (instructions on how to cook will follow - but you can just saute it)

• Cooked beans (any kind would do) - 1.5 cups

• 1 clove garlic

• 1/4 cup chopped onion

• Salt, pepper, red chili to taste

• Turmeric powder - a pinch (as an Indian I can't not add it)

• Cumin powder - 1 tsp

• Optional - cheese (I didn't use it but it would have been good too)

Dough

• Whole wheat flour - I used about 2 cups

• Water - you'll figure it out. Add a bit by bit and make the dough soft.

• Salt

• Baking powder (about 3/4 tsp)

• Oil - 1-2 tbsp

Sauce

• Oil, 2 tbsp

• Mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp (optional)

• Dried red chilli - 2 pieces (also optional I'd say)

• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped

• 1/2 pink onion, chopped

• 1 medium carrot, grated

• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

• 1.5 cups water

• Salt, to taste (at least 2 tsp)

• Turmeric powder

Instructions

To cook the spinach:

• Heat oil in a pan, add some rye seeds (it's just an Indian thing yo), and when they start making sounds add a piece or two of dried red chilli and then chopped spinach

• Wilt down

To make the filling: mix all the ingredients listed in a blender and make a paste

This is me making a photo-op out of putting things in a blender. Because I could.

To make the dough: mix all the ingredients together and knead. Set aside to rest for a while.

To make the sauce:

• Heat oil

• When it's hot, add in the chopped garlic

• When the garlic starts to brown, add onion, rye seeds and dried red chili

• Let the onion cook a bit, then add all the other ingredients

• Let the mixture heat on the stove for a while

Put it all together:

• Roll the dough out

• Cut out whatever shape you feel like using a mould. I turned a small steel bowl with sharp edges upside down on the dough and used that to cut out little circles.

• Put a little mixture on the dough circles

• Cover with an identical half and press down on the edges

• Grease a baking tray with oil and put the raviolis on the tray

So close to show-time!

• Put a little oil on the top side of each ravioli too.

• Bake for 15 minutes at 225 degrees centigrade (flip halfway, and after the first 10 minutes keep an eye on the oven anyway - ovens vary and things burn)

• Place raviolis in a bowl

• Add sauce on top

• Let it soak through!

• Garnish with coriander to make your inner Indian happy.

• You can add cheese as well, by the way. Good stuff.