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.

Guacamole

I'm back!!! I apologize for my sporadic blog posts this month, but my health wouldn't permit me to enter the kitchen. But I'm back...with a vengeance may I add. I have a full pantry and a hungry tummy to make up to.

Knife to my neck, I could tell you how to make guacamole in one sentence. Mash avocados, add some onions and lime. But great great guacamole calls for a little more. Like most dishes, the success or failure of it depends on the quality of your ingredients. The most important thing in a guacamole is the avocados. I spend more time choosing avocados that making guacamole.They have to be ripe...but not too ripe. You are looking for buttery yellow flesh and texture. Too firm and its bitter as hell. Too soft and it will be too mushy.

Makes a big bowlful

4 avocados
1 clove of garlic, chopped and smashed
1 medium onion
Juice of 1/2 a lime
A pinch of chili powder or paprika
1 tsp cannola or olive oil (optional)
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander, chives and/or jalapeños to serve (optional)

Scoop out the avocado flesh into a bowl. Use a fork and mash the avocado. The extent of the mashing really depends on your preferences. If you like your guacamole chunky, obviously keep the mashing to a minimum. Add in the onions, garlic, paprika, oil and lime juice. At this point taste and adjust, trust your taste buds to balance things out. Serve topped with coriander, jalapeños or chives.



The best part of a guacamole is that its a versatile dip! Traditionally served with tortillas, I serve them with anything crispy, right from potato chips to rusk. I've served mine with some fantastic tapioca chips that I got from Kerala.



If you like your guac extra creamy or smooth, add a spoonful of yoghurt to the mixture.

Note: Always use room-temperature avocados and serve guacamole at room temperature. Don't serve guacamole chilled or make it with cold avocados.

Many recipes/ restaurants add tomatoes to the guacamole. I'm not a big fan of this, and to me its like mixing oil and water. I also feel like many restaurants do this to give the dish 'volume' as avocados are expensive and they can't afford to be luxurious about it.



Tip: Any leftover guacamole will turn brown when continuously exposed to air. Use plastic wrap pressed to the surface while storing (in the fridge). Another great way to save the integrity of your guacamole is to sit a stone in it, cover with cling and then refrigerate.

Cold Asian Noodle Salad With Chilli & Pineapple

It was my turn to cook dinner today and I wanted to serve guacamole with nachos (that will most likely be my next post). I recently got back from a trip to Goa, armed with a car full of local produce. You can expect a lot of recipes involving pineapple, avocado and bananas now. I reach home only to find that the avocados are still raw.

So this dish is something I threw together based on what I had in my pantry at the time (see cooking notes for potential ingredients). I love cold noodle salads on hot summer days. As weird as it sounds, its actually quite refreshing in the heat. I did however jazz it up with some dried shitake mushrooms, which I also bought from Goa. I know its weird, but Goa has the most kickass international food store.

I can write a book on shitake mushrooms. Its my all time favourite mushroom variety. Both the fresh and dried versions are fairly expensive, but their taste is irreplaceable. I'd recommend buying dried instead of fresh mushrooms, firstly because its cheaper and more intense in flavour, but also because it can keep for years. So it is a good investment! And it is completely optional in this dish.



The best thing I love about this dish is the contrasting flavours. You get the heat of chilli balanced with the sweetness of pineapples. And the mint is just a breath of fresh air.

Serves 4:

1 pack or 200gms rice noodles. I used vermicelli
1 cup bell peppers, seeds removed and thinly sliced or cubed
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup pineapple, peeled, cored and cubed
1/4 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1/4 cup chopped shitake mushrooms (optional)*

For the dressing: 

2tbsp dark soy
1tbsp light soy
(use 3 tbsp soy sauce incase you have only one variety)
1tbsp sugar
1tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp chilli flakes or schezwan sauce
Salt to taste

In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles till al dente. In the same pot of while the noodles are cooking, add the bell peppers in a strainer spoon, and cook for 2 minutes. We want the veggies to cook but still have a bite to them. Drain noodles and veggies when done and immerse in another bowl filled with cold or ice water.

In a large bowl whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Add in the noodles, pineapples, bell peppers, mushroom and bean sprouts. Toss to coat all ingredients with the dressing. Serve in bowls, topped with chopped up peanuts.

Note: The salad can be made up to a day in advance and refrigerated. However, the pineapple must be added just before serving. If you are using vermicelli like me, the salad must be consumed within an hour or two of cooking



Tip: You can sub pineapples for mangoes or even use both.While I have made a veggie salad, you can easily create a non-veg variant. Chicken goes beautifully with pineapple. You can also add a tablespoon of fish sauce to the dressing, it makes such a difference!

You can also experiment with various noodles. My suggestion would be soba noodles as its best when served cold. You can also try angel hair pasta, pad thai noodles or even your regular egg noodles.

*I used dried shitake mushrooms. To use dried mushrooms, you need to soak them in hot water. Remove the stem and soak them in pipping hot water till soft. However soaking them overnight (if you have the time) does wonders. The soaking liquid works well as a stock for other recipes.

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Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush is a mashed eggplant dish that is spiced with various middle eastern spices. I know your first thought when I said 'mashed eggplant' was eeek. It is an acquired taste, I agree. But give it a chance, and the subtle flavours might surprise you. So keep the boring old hummus aside and turn your pita in the baba ganoush direction.

I usually serve baba ganoush as a dip though you can use it in other dishes. It makes a fabulous and fuss free starter served with something crunchy on the side (see below for serving suggestions). 

Serves 4:

1 large eggplant

1/4 cup tahini* paste

Juice of 1 lemon

3 cloves of garlic

1 tsp Paprika or chili powder

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt to taste

*Tahini is made from ground sesame seeds and olive oil. It is also a crucial ingredient for that other famous middle easter dip - Hummus. I bought my tahini paste from a store, but incase it isn't available, you can easily prepare it at home. Just follow this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius 

Char the outside of the eggplant by placing it directly on top of your stove or gas burner. Keep turning the eggplant till the skin uniformly chars on the outside. I like my baba ganoush to be super smoky and tend to leave my eggplant on the flame for a good ten minutes. You can roast the eggplant for five minutes for a fairly good char, but smokiness is what defines this dish. Now cut the eggplant lenghtwise, and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake for 20 mins or until they are completely soft. 

Remove from oven and cool. Peel off the skin (which should come off easily) and add the pulp in a blender. Add in all other ingredients except olive oil. Blend the ingredients. Drizzle in olive oil while the ingredients are being blended. The mix should be smooth and creamy. 

Garnish with some paprika, olive oil and some herbs like mint, parsley or cilantro. You can add ground cumin which really compliments the eggplant and tahini. My fiancée, the chef, suggests adding yoghurt to balance out the richness and make the baba ganoush more palatable for first timers.

I served my baba ganoush with some rusk whose dry, hard texture I feel is a perfect compliment to the soft and moist baba ganoush. Traditionally it is served with toasted pita, but I've used crackers, chips and even papad to surprisingly good results. As long as its crunchy, I think anything can  work.

Note: My recipe calls for a generous amount of tahini which is why my baba ganoush is silky smooth and tastes a lot like hummus. You can add as little as you like, or skip the ingredient completely.

No Bake Peanut Butter Pie

This is the last of my Vegan dessert recipes. Only two weeks to go (yay!). And peanut butter had to be it. After all, it is the world's most famous vegan ingredient. Also, a bite of this pie will make you believe that life outside chocolate truly does exist.



This pie is rich and creamy, and trust me its a real crowd pleaser. The filling has an almost ice cream like texture while the crust is crunchy like biscotti. And I'd like to think its one of the healthier desserts out there. Its vegetarian, vegan AND gluten free. I mean what more can you ask for?



Look how gooeyly delicious it looks!

Serves 8

Ingredients:

4 bananas (preferably the long green variety)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy milk (or regular milk if you aren't vegan)

For the base
1 large pack or approx. 20 oreos
1 cup cashew nuts
3 tbsp Hershey's chocolate syrup
A pinch of salt

In a food processor, add all ingredients for the base and blitz. Blending time depends on the kind of crust you want. If you like really fine oreo and cashew bits, obviously it will take longer to blend in the processor. The mixture will form a 'dough' like appearance. You should be able to make a rough ball out of this mixture  i.e: it will hold together very well. Press this evenly in your pie dish to form the crust, and set aside.



To make the filling, blend all the other ingredients in food processor or hand mixer. All ingredients should be mixed and there should be no lumps. Pour this mixture into the pie dish. Refrigerate till set. Freeze for 4-6 hours or until firm.

Allow it to sit for 3-5 mins before serving.

Drizzle with Hershey's chocolate syrup or chopped up nuts to serve

Oreo & Peanut Butter Banana Pops

I did a ton of reading around Vegan desserts and most of them revolve around the humble banana. Its surprising what you can make out of one fruit and how diverse it is.

I got the inspiration for this recipe from BuzzFeed where I stumbled upon a video of someone rolling bananas in granola and chocolate for a tasty breakfast treat. So I thought to myself, why not combine my favourite vegan ingredients?

Serves 1 (Who wants to share?)

1 ripe green banana, chilled (not frozen)
1/2 cup melted dark chocolate
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp soy milk or regular milk if not vegan (optional)
1 pack or 12 oreos crushed as fine or chunky as you prefer
a pinch of salt

You will also need wooden skewers. I trimmed mine down as I cut my bananas in thumb-sized chunks. If using whole or half portioned bananas cut skewers accordingly.

In a bowl mix melted chocolate with peanut butter. Add a dash of soy milk if too thick. You can also add in a neutral tasting oil instead to dilute the mixture. But lets make this dish 'healthy' with soy milk alright? Add a pinch of salt. Salt actually make chocolate taste sweeter!

Place crushed oreos in another bowl. Peel and cut bananas according to preference. I cut my bananas into smaller portions but you can cut it in half or use whole if you prefer. Dip bananas first in the chocolate mix and then roll it in the oreos. Now get ready to dirty your hands. Pick up the banana and insert skewer in the middle.

Eat as is or chill in fridge before devouring!

 

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

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.