Baked Chocolate Samosas

Samosas are my all time favourite tea time snack. There is nothing more comforting that piping hot samosas and chai...especially during the rains. And I think its so versatile. Traditionally indians use potatoes as stuffing, but I love meat fillings. And this got me thinking on sweet based fillings.

Being vegan really got me scratching my head for innovative desserts. I love sweets, and thats what I'm craving most. I had some left over spring rolls sheets from my previous recipe. And I recently discovered that dark chocolate (atleast the brand I used:Goldsmith) and Hersheys chocolate syrup are vegan!!! Hallelujah! I think I did a mini jig in the supermarket. So, I put the two together and omg it is divine! You have the crunchy exterior and beautifully gooey chocolate exterior. Its heaven in a bite. I made one and deep fried it. But it was too unhealthy and oily to eat beyond the first bite. Hence I tried baking it works just as well.

Ingredients:

Springroll sheets or samosa patti (both easily available ready made)
Dark chocolate bars chopped into cubes and frozen
Hershey's chocolate syrup

(No measurements here. You cannot put restrictions on chocolate :) Just ensure there is 1 cube of chocolate for 1 sheet)

It is essential that you freeze the chocolate before using. Room temperature chocolate will melt soon and ooze out leaving you with a big mess. Frozen chocolate with retain its shape and still give you a gooey centre.

Preheat your oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Place the spring roll sheet on a flat surface. Drizzle with Hersheys syrup. Use the back of a spoon to spread around evenly. This syrup not only gives an additional chocolatey taste but also acts as a glue to keep the rolls in shape.

Fold the sheet in half on the chocolate side. You should have a clean springroll surface again. Drizzle with chocolate syrup again. Place the cube of frozen chocolate in the middle and fold according to preference. I really experimented with shapes here. I did a traditional triangle, but also made springroll shapes.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place these rolls on top. Bake for 15mins or till slightly golden. If you aren't vegan like me, I'd suggest giving the rolls an egg wash before baking. You can drizzle with olive oil if you wish for a really golden crust, but I'm going for a 'healthy' version.

Pull out of oven, and let it cool. Enjoy the crispy and gooey treat!

Vegan Coconut & Pesto Risotto

Risotto is an italian rice dish that is cooked in broth to a creamy consistency. To put it simply for the unaware indian, its the italian version of pulao. Traditionally, Arborio (an Italian short grain rice) is used to make risotto. It is extremely starchy and hence makes a creamy risotto. That said, I'm not gonna spend 500 bucks on a 250gm pack of Arborio. You can use other rice varieties, though long grained rice doesn't have as thick a starch coating as short or medium grained rice. Brown rice would also work but you'll need to cook it quite a bit longer, which means more stock.

For those of you who would raise an eyebrow for this recipe, mind you that risotto is more of a technique than a dish. Making it involves the slow addition of liquid and frequent stirring to coax the starch out of the rice. The basic steps of a risotto are making the soffrito, toasting the rice, and ladling in the broth. Once you get that right, the possibilities of flavours and texture combinations are endless. You can even play around with grains other than rice, like barley, oats or quinoa.

Serves 4:

1 cup rice
6 cups of vegetable stock
1/4 cup white wine
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil (or butter for a non-vegan version)
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp pesto
1 cup assorted veggies (I used mushrooms and broccoli)
Salt & pepper to taste
Lime to garnish

Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat, until the onion turns translucent. Add the rice and stir the rice is evenly coated in oil. Once you can smell toasted rice, add the wine. Simmer till the wine is reduced and the pan is almost dry.

I made vegetable stock from scratch. If you are using a cube or powder, ensure you stir it in warm/hot water and dissolve. Add the stock one ladle at a time. Wait till the rice absorbs all the liquid before ladling another spoon of stock, and keep repeating the process. This step is essential in making a risotto, so dont rush this step. You want to use just enough broth to cook the rice and no more. About halfway through add in the coconut milk and pesto and stir.

Add in the veggies depending on how you like it. If you like it soft, add it when you are initially ladling the broth. If you like a bit of texture, add it one the rice is almost done. The risotto is ready once the rice is al dente and has the consistency of thick porridge. Season with salt, pepper and lime.

Serve immediately. The longer you let it stand, the more starches will set and you will end up losing its creaminess.



For a non vegan version, add a dollop of butter and a generous sprinkling of cheese

Homemade Chilli Oil

Infused olive oils are fantastic for salad dressings, finishing off a pasta dishes or simply as an appetizer with chunks of artisan bread. It is also a great shortcut while cooking. And I love gifting friends little pots of these, makes for a fancy yet cheap present to bring to a dinner party.

You can try infusing the oil with fresh herbs (basil and rosemary are my favourite!) or spices (try pepper!). I'm going to make chilli oil today. Before you dismiss it, the oil is not going to be hell on your palette. The flavours are mild and it truly brings out any dish you incorporate it in. And I really wanted depth of flavour, which is why I opted for 3 kinds of chillies to infuse in the oil. The paprika and kashmir chillies bring out a beautiful colour while the Guntur chillies deliver the punch.

Ingredients:

1 bottle olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
2 dried Kashmiri chillies
1 tsp paprika powder
5 dried Guntur chilly

Heat oil gently on a low heat. Gently smash the garlic using the back of your knife, the garlic should be bruised but whole. Add this to the oil and then add the chillies. Let it warm on low heat for about 5 mins, until the oil changes colour and the chillies infuse into the oil.

Remove from heat and let it cool. Using a funnel pour the oil in a bottle. I quite like bits and pieces which is why I didn't use a sieve. If you don't like chunks of garlic or chilli flakes in your oil, I'd recommend running the oil through a sieve first.



Top it off by adding a whole dried Kashmiri chilly to the bottle and store in a cool dry place.

Vegan Deep Fried Apple Pie

I decided to go overboard today. I have this need, to make up for my lack of activity these past few days.

Being Vegan makes me really put on my thinking cap to concoct recipes that I would enjoy. My challenge is to make recipes that I would eat even when I'm back to being a carnivore. I'm really aiming for traditional recipes that I can replicate in vegan form, and this apple pie recipe is the perfect example.

I'm taking something as basic as apple pie, and giving it my own twist, while all the time sticking to my vegan diet. The real challenge is to replicate the pie crust, which is why I have opted for this deconstructed version. It still gives you the crunchy pie effect with soft, luscious apple filling inside.

Serves 4

8 Spring roll sheets. You can use phyllo sheets or even samosa skins instead
4 large apples, cubed (peeled, optional)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
1 whole cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1 tsp grated nutmeg
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp bourbon or dark rum
A pinch of salt

In a sauce pan, on a low heat, add the sugar and water. Do not stir, rather twirl the pan to ensure the sugar is evenly spread out. The aim is to make wet caramel. Once the liquid turns an amber colour, add the apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Cook on a low heat till apples are soft and tender. Add the lemon juice and salt and give it a quick stir. Add the bourbon and let it simmer for a few mins. I actually flambed the sauce with bourbon, but if you have never done this before...then today is not the day you try. If you aren't confident, just let the bourbon simmer for a few mins. Remove from heat and cool.

For the spring rolls, follow this technique to roll in up. Since I'm vegan, I substituted the egg with a cornflour slurry (cornflour + water), and used a toothpick to fasten it in pace. Make sure you save some sauce from the apples to serve and garnish.

Deep fry these babies till golden and then let it cool for a few mins. Dust with icing sugar and serve with remaining apple sauce.

Tip: These rolls are best served warm. Since most of you aren't vegan, serve with vanilla ice cream drizzled with leftover apple sauce. You can also use the same recipe but substitute the apple for other fruits like bananas or pineapples.

Stir Fry Szechuan Eggplant

Someone described this dish as being the 'pork belly dish' for vegetarians. Such an apt description! Its crispy on the outside and lusciously soft on the inside. This dish is something you would imagine being served in a Chinese restaurant, and its completely Vegan. Ofcourse you can add any meat (try pork!) or veggies you like, but really the eggplant is star of this dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant cut into cubes

200g cornflour

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp ginger

1 onion finely sliced

2 tbsp Szechuan sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce (preferably light soy)

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp vinegar

1 tbsp black bean paste (optional)

1 tbsp sesame oil

Cut eggplant into cubes and wash. Pat dry and toss in cornflour till evenly coated. Heat oil in a pan and fry eggplant cubes until it starts to brown. Its alright is it isn't fully cooked, as it will cook with the heat of the sauce as well. Drain and set aside.

In a wok, heat sesame oil. Add the ginger, garlic and onions and stir fry till the onions are translucent. Add the Szechwan sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and black bean paste. Add some water if too thick. Turn the heat on high. Add the eggplant cubes and stir fry for a minute or two and you are done!

You can eat it as is or serve on a bed of rice or noodles.

Tip: I didn't have any at the time, but definitely add some cashews while stir frying. The crunch from the nuts goes superbly with the tender eggplants. Sprinkle some sesame seeds or spring onions to finish off the dish before serving. If you are making a non-veg version of this dish I would definitely recommend adding a tablespoon of fish sauce while stir frying. 

Burmese Khow Suey

Khow Suey (pronounced khao soo-ay) is a Burmese one dish soup meal. Its traditionally made with egg noodles and beef or chicken, served with a coconut curried broth. You may wonder what is so special about a simple soup. But the thing I love about this dish is the variety of  contrasting condiments that is served with soup and the flexibility with flavours. These are served on the side, which you can add according to your tastes, and truly make a customised dish to call your own.

Since I'm vegan for a few weeks, this was the perfect dish to make. Minus the meat, khow suey is naturally vegan and I didn't have to sacrifice any key ingredients or taste. You can obviously add meat while making the stew for the non vegetarian version. I have to mention, though this dish is easy to make, it does have a lot of components, so please account for some prep time.

Serves 6

For the Coconut Soup:

400ml or 1 can of Coconut milk
100ml Water or vegetable stock
2 tbsp ginger or galangal
4 cloves of grated garlic
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 whole lemon grass
10 curry leaves
Juice and zest of half a lemon
1 pack of noodles (Try using thick noodles like spaghetti or egg noodles. I've used rice noodles as its vegan)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 cup mushrooms (optional)
1 cup tofu (optional)

For the accompaniments:

You can really add any fresh herbs or veggies to accompany this dish. See my topping suggestions at the end of the recipe

1 cup fried onions
1 cup spring onions
1 cup fried garlic
1 cup bell peppers
1 cup mint leaves
1 cup lemon wedges

To begin with, boil noodles in salted water and add a dash of oil to prevent it from sticking. Once noodles are cooked, drain in a colander and run under cold water to stop them from cooking further. Drizzle a little oil incase they are too sticky. Set aside.

In a deep pot pan, on a low heat add some oil and let it heat up. Add in the ginger and garlic and sautee. Add in the curry leaves, cumin, turmeric and chilli powder. Cook for 2 mins and then add in the tofu and mushrooms. You can fry the tofu before hand if you like it firm. Cook for another minute or so. Now add in the coconut milk. Ensure the heat is on low throughout or the coconut milk may curdle. Add in the stock and the whole lemon grass. Simmer for around 10mins or until all flavours are incorporated. Fish out the lemon grass and discard. Add in salt and pepper to taste. Add in the lemon juice and zest and stir.

While the coconut broth is simmering, prep the accompaniments. Deep fry the onions and set aside. Deep fry garlic until crispy. Chop up the spring onions and peppers. Arrange all ingredients in different bowls.

To Serve:

Each guest must have a large soup bowl to call their own. You can choose to serve the noodles and sauce separately. However, I have mixed the two in one big bowl. Place all accompaniments around it in smaller bowls so that guests can add everything according to their liking. I personally would recommend that one adds all topping in their bowl...so delicious!

Accompaniment Suggestions:

If I weren't vegan I would definitely have boiled eggs and prawns as an accompaniment. Besides these I would definitely recommend having some fresh chillies or chilli flakes, coriander (cilantro), crispy fried noodles, hot chilli oil, peanut oil and sesame oil. This is ofcourse over and above the existing list of accompaniments.

Creamy Coconut Milk Rice Pudding

So its my first recipe since going Vegan and naturally it had to be something sweet. I must admit, the thing I miss the most being vegan is dessert. I can live without meat for a while, but its getting increasingly hard to live without things that contain butter and milk.



Necessity is the mother of invention, and this dessert was born out of my pure craving for dessert. I think coconut milk is a must have in a vegan kitchen. Its incredibly rich and luscious, and a natural way to replace cream and milk in dessert. Ofcourse it will lend a coconutty flavour to everything. And it is rich in fat, making it not too healthy, even though it is natural fat.

This pudding is sweet enough to satisfy any craving and yet mild enough to make a snack. This dish is popularly called Kheer in India and every state, every household, has their version of making it. I'm going to jazz up my kheer with some alcohol...as usual! And I'm substituting regular milk with coconut milk, which isn't milk at all, but more like coconut pulp extract.



Serves 4

200ml coconut milk
1 cup Basmati rice
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean or 1tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp of honey or maple syrup
2 pods of cardamom
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp powdered cinnamon
1 lemon's grated zest
A pinch of salt
A fist full of chopped nuts (I've used pistachios and almonds)
2 tbsp alcohol soaked raisins*

* For the raisins: Add a cup full of your favourite tipple in a saucepan and heat on a low flame. I used Limoncello as coconut and lime are a match made in heaven. Add the juice of 1 lemon. Add 2 tablespoon or a fistful of raisins. I used the black variant. Bring to the boil. Boil for 10 mins or until most of the alcohol has been absorbed by the raisins. The raisins will plump up with alcohol and is now ready to use.

In a medium sized pot, add in the water, coconut milk, vanilla extract, sugar, salt and rice. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and then reduce to simmer. The rice will cook in the coconut milk and plump up by absorbing these juices. Keep a check on the rice and add more water or coconut milk if required. Halfway through the cooking process, add in the honey, nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom. Simmer for 30mins or until the rice is fully cooked and absorbed all the liquid. Remove from heat and add in the raisins, nuts and lemon zest. Cool to room temperature before refrigerating.



Serve chilled with a dusting of cinnamon.

Going Vegan

The day has finally arrived! I'm turning vegan. Before you disown me forever, I just want to say that its a temporary shift. Let me rephrase: I'm turning vegan for lent i.e: from March 5th to April 20th.

For those of you who don't know Veganism is abstaining from the use of animal products especially in your diet. Veganism takes vegetarianism one step further by avoiding animal products and by-products. This means no eggs, no dairy, and in some very strict versions no honey.
Being a hard core carnivore and dessert-a-holic, this switch is going to be really hard for me. But I take on this challenge. In the spirit of experimentation and blogging, I'm going to try and feature interesting vegan food here. Veganism is a concept that is completely new and alien to me. Which is why I'm nervous and excited at the same time to be cooking and experimenting with dishes.

I must provide a disclaimer though. Its not easy to make the switch to veganism completely. I can't do the 100% pure vegan deal. I am allowing myself to use certain ingredients (like honey, beer and dark chocolate). I'm also restricted with choices. Unlike the west, we don't get meat replacements like tempeh and seitan, nor is it easy to find egg, cheese and butter replacements. So I'm going to do the best I can to whip up yummy and exciting vegan dishes. Wish me luck!