“Chutney” was the middle name of the cat my family had when I was growing up. (His first name was Mango.) I can’t take credit for naming him, but I can tell you that my love for Indian chutneys started early. My favorites are the mint and tamarind chutneys – I ALWAYS load up on these whenever I eat at an Indian restaurant. I love how the coolness and freshness of the mint compliments the spicy richness of most Indian dishes. Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to justify buying a jar because every single one I’ve seen has artificial coloring in it – kinda gross. Luckily, homemade mint chutney is super easy and very customizable! I really like the ratio of cilantro to mint I’ve specified in the recipe, but if you like it more or less minty (or more or less limey), feel free to play around with it!
Archives for April 2015
Indian Chickpea Cakes
Do you have specific foods that always stick out to you on a restaurant menu? The ones that immediately catch your eye and say “pick me, pick me!”? For me, it’s fritters, cakes, patties…anything that comes in the form of a nice, elegant, flavor-packed crispy round of goodness. I can’t say no! Sadly, since most restaurants use flour to bind those lovely little rounds, I often have to. And even the ones marked gluten-free often contain rice or rice flour, which is a no-no for me. Luckily, flour really isn’t necessary. My secret for making flourless cakes and patties that still hold together perfectly? Millet!
Roasted Broccoli with Creamy Hemp Seed Dressing
Have you tried hemp seeds yet? They are a staple in my kitchen! Touted for their health benefits (just 3 tablespoons of these guys will give you a walloping 10 grams of protein and they also happen to contain nearly the perfect ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6), these little seeds are great in salads, soups, and sauces. They are also a wonderful vegan creamifier. (Yes, I think I made that word up because it’s not in the dictionary.) In case it’s not apparent, let me define it for you:
Creamifier, n. A substance that can be used to make something creamy. Example Sentence: Some non-vegan creamifiers are milk, yogurt, and sour cream, while some vegan creamifiers are hemp seeds, tofu, tahini, and nuts.
Now that we’ve all learned a new (fake) word, let me tell you about this dressing. [Read more…]
Yam-Coconut Breakfast Pudding
One of the many juice chains in the NYC area has this Korean Yam pudding that I really like. It’s smooth, creamy, sweet but not too sweet, has a subtle hint of ginger – I’m a fan. I’m not really a fan of the price tag though, since one small pudding cup will run you close to 7 bucks once tax is added. The solution? Make my own!
Creating something similar proved pretty easy. I got it right on the first try, and tested it again just to make sure. While the juice chain uses agave to add sweetness, I chose to use raw honey in my version. (To make this vegan, just sub agave or maple syrup.) I also just used a regular Garnet yam instead of a Korean yam. And I’m not sure how the juice place makes their pudding, but I chose to simmer my yams rather than bake them so that their sweetness isn’t overpowering.
What I love about this pudding (aside from the taste and texture) is its versatility. My recipe is fairly light on the ginger – it’s more of a subtle hint than a main component. But if you’re feeling gingery, feel free to take it up a notch. You could also add cinnamon and nutmeg for a pumpkin-pie style pudding, increase the sweetener for something a bit more decadent, or top these with cashew or coconut cream for a real treat.