Sri Lankan Inspired Stuffing – Gluten & Dairy Free (With Vegan Option)

21 Nov Sri Lankan Inspired Stuffing – Gluten & Dairy Free (With Vegan Option)

Spice up your Thanksgiving with this Sri Lankan inspired stuffing recipe, or enjoy it as a side dish any time of the year.

This healthy, tasty stuffing recipe is medicinal as well! Spiced with lots of anti-inflammatory turmeric, paprika, and digestive-supportive ginger. Read more about herbal therapy at San Jose Integrative Medicine.

This recipe has a back story.

Over the weekend, I asked a friend about his favorite Thanksgiving dishes.

His answers were fish curry and pecan pie. Fish curry!? His parents are from Sri Lanka, where fish curries are popular. He grew up on them. His story inspired me to create this healthy, Sri Lankan American fusion stuffing recipe.

I learned that Sri Lankan curries are spicier than Indian. I’m a spice wimp, so I made mine with minimal heat. If you love the spice, use the max amount of chili and cayenne.

Optional to add sardines and/or anchovies on top! I tried a few spoonfuls with sardines, and surprisingly, I liked it…for the first few bites. Tasted terrific with roast chicken. The flavor of the spices is strong, and they complimented the meat well.

I am hopeful that it will make a good Thanksgiving turkey stuffing.

There’s enough cumin in the garam masala for my tastes! Add ½ tsp of ground cumin and the garam masala if you like cumin.

A note on garlic – I omit it! Garlic gives me excruciating stomach pain. To get the taste of garlic, I add garlic-infused olive oil. All the flavor with none of the pain!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ingredients

Note: Buy pre-made sausage like Hawaiian sausage or Cajun style. Make it vegan with Impossible spicy sausage. Or make your own!

Sausage Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground lamb, chicken, turkey, pork, or make vegan with impossible sausage
• 1 tbsp olive or avocado oil
• 1-4 tbsp sriracha or any red chili paste
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger or The Ginger People organic grated ginger
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp cumin seed
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Stuffing Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp of oil. Oil from sausage, olive oil or garlic infused olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 3-5 cloves garlic, minced. May omit if using garlic infused oil
• 1 medium sized potato, cut into ¾ inch cubes
• 2 cups rice (brown, wild, or white)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp cayenne, optional
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ginger or The Ginger People organic grated ginger
• ¼ tsp black pepper, optional
• ½ tsp of garam masala. *Avoid if you have peanut allergies. Peanuts are used as a filler with cumin, an ingredient in garam masala.
• 1-4 tbsp sriracha or any red chili paste
• 3-1/2 cups water, or vegetable or chicken broth
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 1 cup raw cashews
•  1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, optional

Cooking Instructions

1. Mix the herbs into the ground meat.
2. Place the dry rice in a bowl and fill with water. Soak for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. In a Dutch oven or large oven safe pot, brown the sausage in 1 tbsp of oil over high heat. Reduce to medium high heat and remove the sausage or scoot to the side. Add oil if needed and saute onion until translucent. Mix the sausage with the onion. Add the celery, carrots and sweet potato and saute together over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add all the spices and stir, sauté 3 minutes.
5. Add the water or stock, wine, rice (drain off the water), and bring to a full boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, cook 40 to 50 minutes (20 minutes if using white rice), until most of the water has been absorbed.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Uncover the dutch oven, place on the center rack of the oven, and bake 10 to 20 minutes, until all of the water has been absorbed and top is crispy.
7. Remove from pot from the oven and stir in chopped cashews and cilantro. Taste the stuffing and add salt to taste.
8. Serve alongside your holiday entree or use as turkey stuffing…with or without sardines or anchovies!

ENJOY!

Credit where credit is due. I used the following two recipes to create this Sri Lankan inspired stuffing recipe.
https://www.theroastedroot.net/wild-rice-stuffing-with-butternut-squash-pears-and-pecans/
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/moroccan-merguez-stuffing-5301527

At San Jose Integrative Medicine, we help people lead healthier lives. Schedule your free phone consultation HERE.

Dr. Kimberly Brown, ND, LAc
Naturopathic Doctor
(408) 357-3422
San Jose Integrative Medicine
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