Vegan Pudding

Serves 4

1 cup non-dairy whipping cream*
2 tbsp Maple Syrup (use honey or sugar as substitute though it won't be vegan)
2 over ripe Bananas (preferably plantains)
100 gms Dark chocolate
200gms Oreos (optional)



*Almost all whipping cream available in the market is dairy free and soy based. And trust me it is lighter, lasts longer and tastes better than the dairy version. Popular brands include Rich's, Topolite, MerryWhip & GoldTop. They come in 1kg packs, and since it's not an everyday ingredient, I just divide the contents into individually portioned containers and freeze it. Ensure you write the serving size (1 cup, 1/2 etc) and the date on top of the container. When you need it, just thaw out one container in the refrigerator for a few hours.

In a small bowl, mash bananas so that no big chunks remain. You can use the blender to get a smooth puree if you prefer. In a blender or using a rolling pin, crush oreos till it crumbs and set aside (you can skip the oreo crust if you're not up for it...but seriously...should you?)

In a large bowl, pour in the whipping cream. Using a whisk or hand mixer, whip the cream till soft peaks form. Now drizzle the maple syrup and add the bananas. Fold in the bananas and maple syrup so as to not deflate the cream.

You can use individual glasses to portion or a large serving dish. To assemble, spread the oreo crumbs at the bottom, topped with the cream mixture. Alternately, you can build a trifle with layers of oreos, cream and mashed bananas. Refrigerate for 30min to an hour to cool the pudding. Grate dark chocolate on top and serve!

Spiced Rum Banana Fritters

If you are mallu you know what pazham pori is. Or maybe you call it Ethakka appam. Either way, it holds a special place in every malayalee's heart. It's Kerala's favourite tea time snack and you can buy it anywhere in the state; from restaurants to road side carts to trains. I particularly have fond memories of eating this in the train and really looked forward to Kerala journeys because of it.

The trick to making these Banana fritters is using over ripe Kerala plantains (ethakka or nendra pazham). On the occasion of Vishu, I really wanted to twist this traditional snack, so I decided to serve it with a very untraditional rum sauce. You can obviously eat it as is minus the sauce, and it's still delicious. Remember to serve piping hot!



For the Fritters:

2 Kerala plantains (the riper the better)
3 tbsps all purpose flour / maida
1 tbsp rice flour
1 tbsp sugar (castor sugar preferred)
Pinch of Salt
Coconut oil to fry

For the Sauce:
2 tbsp sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2-3 cloves
1 star anise
2 tbsp cream
1/4 cup rum


Heat oil in a pan. More often than not these fritters are deep fried. I don't see the need for it and uses a shallow frying pan instead. Peel the plantains and slit it lengthwise. In a bowl mix the flours, sugar and salt with water to form a thick paste. Dip the plantains and coat evenly. Fry till golden brown, turning occasionally to fry on all sides. Once golden brown, drain excess oil with a paper towel. Serve piping hot with tea or dust powdered sugar and drizzle with sauce below.



For the sauce:

In a pan, add the rum and the whole spices and let it simmer for 7-10mins. Remove the cinnamon, cloves and star anise from the rum. Now add sugar and stir continuously till sugar is fully incorporated. You'll get something that resembles caramel. Add the cream slowly, and step a little away while doing so as the mixture will start bubbling vigorously. Immediately remove from heat and keep stirring till cream is incorporated and the sauce thickens. Spoon over the banana fritters. You can store the leftover sauce in the fridge for upto a month. A spoon of this goes deliciously well with ice cream, cakes or even coffee.

Chocolate P&B Squares

I've been out of action for a while. Between moving houses, buying appliances and painting walls, life just caught up with me. I got a brand new KitchenAid, but now I also have a tiny kitchen with absolutely no shelves. Get the joke?

Cooking and baking in a makeshift kitchen is a real challenge. But these Peanut Butter & Chocolate bars are almost too easy to be true. With just 5 ingredients, it's no bake, no cook and absolutely no fuss. All you need is a bowl. Obviously it helps to use a grinder to get biscuit crumbs, but elbow grease and a rolling pin don't disappoint either. And obviously it helps having a microwave to melt chocolate or butter, but Indian summers are just as effective.



Adapted from Buzzfeed

100 gms melted butter

400 gms digestive biscuits crumbed

2 cups creamy peanut butter + 2tbsps

50 gms powdered sugar

300 gms dark chocolate 

Line a pan (preferably 9"x9") with aluminium foil and set aside.

In a bowl, combine melted butter, peanut butter, sugar and biscuit crumbs. Stir till well combined. Spread the mixture evenly in the lined pan and refrigerate. While the peanut butter mix is chilling, melt the chocolate. Once melted, stir in 2tbsps peanut butter and mix till smooth. Spread evenly over the refrigerated P&B mixture. Chill until firm (approx. 1hr). Cut and serve!

For a vegan version of these bars, just substitute the butter for 2 tbsps of a neutral oil.

Tip: When the chocolate is melted, sprinkle a pinch of salt. Salt brings out the inherent sweetness of chocolate :)

Note: I've used very little sugar because I didn't want these bars to be overly sweet. Obviously, if you have a huge sweet tooth, feel free to add between 100-150gms sugar.