Kacang Pool w Vegan Eggies

I first read about Kacang Pool in the early months of the pandemic, through Pamela Chia's Instagram account, Singapore Noodles (@sgpnoodles). This dish stopped my scrolling, looking like a big beautiful bowl of warm comfort. In the heavy times that were, it whispered, you can make this. The next day, I prioritised it on my allotted daily outing & made it for dinner. It had just the right number of steps for my fragile-brain, and at first bite - became a firm favourite.

Kacang Pool (or Kacang Phool) otherwise known as Malaysian Foul Medammas - because it's a twist on the Egyptian broad-bean based dish, is commonly eaten for breakfast in the Middle East, Singapore, and Malaysia. But it makes for a beautiful hearty meal, any time of day. Pamela Chia suggested using cans of mixed beans (which I have used too) in place of fava beans, as they aren't exactly widely available on Australian shelves. The result is a generously spiced bean puree, which (to me) gives dahl, refried bean, soup notes.

I've paired this with a recipe for Vegan Eggies based on Liz Miu's method she shared around the same time. Forking through folds of egg-like crepe, then scooping through spiced beans - catching a little coconut yoghurt, coriander and onion before eating, is bliss. By all beans, skip the eggies if you can't be bothered or even swap for a real egg. It's heaven, any which way.

• This recipe for Kacang Pool is adapted from Pamela Chia's recipe.
• This recipe for vegan eggs, is adapted from Liz Miu's recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Kacang Pool

• 1/2 bunch spring onions, chopped into rough chunks
• drizzle garlic olive oil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tsp ground cumin
• 3 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp curry powder
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• ¼ vegetable stock cube
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 2 x 400g tins mixed beans
• pinch sugar (any variety)

Vegan Eggies

• 300g silken tofu, drained
• 3 tbsp (45g) chickpea flour
• 2 tbsp (30g) rice flour
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp light flavoured vegetable oil, plus extra to cook with
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• pinch sugar (any variety)
• ¼ cup unsweetened plant milk
• 1 tsp black salt
• healthy grind pepper
• handful parsley or chives, chopped

To Serve: buttered toast, coconut yoghurt, chopped onion, green chili (optional), coriander leaves, & lime/lemon juice.

METHOD

1. First make the Vegan Eggies mixture, by combining all the Eggies ingredients in a blender, until smooth. Set aside until your Kacang Pool is ready.
2. To make the Kacang Pool, add the sping onion chunks & two types of olive oil to a food processor or high powered blender. Blend into a chunky paste. Scrape the mixture into a pot and set aside.
3. Open the cans of beans, pour a splash of bean water into the food processor/blender, then drain and rinse the beans. Tip the beans into the food processor/blender and blend into a chunky puree. Set aside.
4. Put the pot on medium heat, and sauté the paste until soft. Add the cumin, coriander, curry powder, fennel, stock cube, salt & pepper. Stir for a minute, until fragrant.
5. Add the beans and as much water as desired to bring it to your preferred consistency. I add half a cans worth, which looks like too much at first, but it thickens up pretty quickly. Stir to combine, turn the heat to low and let bubble away for 10 minutes, adding more water as needed.
6. Meanwhile, cook your Vegan Eggies by heating a small drizzle of light-flavoured vegetable oil in a non-stick pan & once hot, adding 1/3-1/2 cup of batter. Immediately swirl around the pan like you would a crepe. These are fragile so don't fuss over them. After a minute or two, the edges should appear golden and crisp. Gently loosen the edges and see how well it's holding together. If it's feels pretty sturdy go for a full flip, otherwise I play it safe and fold it in half like an omlette - up to you. Leave it for another minute (they will still be a little soft - they 'set' as they sit), then carefully transfer to a plate. Repeat, cooking the remaining batter (or as many as you wish).
7. Add a pinch of sugar to the Kacang Pool and stir to finish. Serve with the Vegan Eggies, some coconut yoghurt, chopped onion, green chilli and buttered toast to dip with. Add a squeeze of lime juice and enjoy curled up under a blanket.