Replacement for Saffron

funkey_monkey

Hi,

I'm making a veg paella and need some help.

The recipe calls for:
Aubergine cut into chunks
salt & pepper
Olive Oil
Ornion sliced
3 cloves garlic cruched
1 yellow pepper sliced
200g Rice
1 pint veg stock
400g tinned tomatoes
100g mushrooms
100g cut green beans
1tsp saffron

1. Soak aubergine in slightly salted water for 30min. Rinse.
2. Heat oil and fry onion, garlic, peppers, aubergine and saffron for 5 minutes. Add rice, stock tomatoes and seasoning.
3. Bring to boil and the simmer for 15min uncovered.
4. Stir in mushrooms and green beans and cook for further 10 minutes.


I don't have any saffron - what could I get to replace it with?

Thanks.

Dial Hard

Turmeric. The saffron in paella is mostly just for colour.

I'd add about half a teaspoon of turmeric in with the onions and peppers. Any more than that and you're going to be able to taste it.

duploelabs

Tumeric - about half a teaspoon should suffice for the quantity dictated in the recipe

funkey_monkey

I've no green beans - what can I replace it with? Is there any need for them other than to bulk up the veggie count?

Thanks for those replies - I've got the saffron

Speedwell

Green bell pepper, or asparagus, or even kale. You need several veggies in there or it is not paella, just like regular paella has several different kinds of seafood and meat. For a veg paella, you really need a green-colored vegetable.

funkey_monkey

Speedwell wrote: »

Green bell pepper, or asparagus, or even kale. You need several veggies in there or it is not paella.

I've only got a green pepper, but I think that will be overload what with it already having a yellow one in the recipe.

Dizzyblonde

I'd throw in a handful of frozen peas for green-ness.

funkey_monkey

Hi, well it is all long finished now. Really liked it - with one exception - I now realise that I don't like aubergine.

What alternatives are there for vegetables in this?


Thanks - and I appreciate the helpful answers

Dial Hard

funkey_monkey wrote:

Hi, well it is all long finished now. Really liked it - with one exception - I now realise that I don't like aubergine.

What alternatives are there for vegetables in this?

Courgettes are a great substitute for aubergines. I'm not mad about them either, tbh.

funkey_monkey

Dial Hard wrote: »

Courgettes are a great substitute for aubergines. I'm not mad about them either, tbh.

Courgettes - me neither:(

funkey_monkey

Is there anything else I can replace aubergines with to be the main vegetable in this paella? It was really nice apart from the aubergines

The Hill Billy

Just leave it out. No need to replace it with anything.
Alternatively, put in some other vegetable that you like.

Marcusm

I would use decent chunks of butternut squash or similar.