Raw Mango Vegan Sour Cream Salad Dressing Dip

It's mango season right now and I'm a huge fan of sour, raw mangos. I relish them even more than the ripe, sweet fruits. So it was came as no surprise that when I decided to make vegan sour cream, the idea to add a green mango into the mix suddenly popped into my head.

Commonly, vegan sour creams are made of a cashew or tofu base and a tangy component like vinegar or lemon juice. They are extremely adaptable and taste rich and delicious whether they are flavoured with just plain salt or with a complex set of ingredients.



This is a very versatile sour cream. It can be used as a spread inside sandwiches and wraps, a dip for raw veggies and tortilla chips, as a creamy salad dressing... so many ways to enjoy it.



Yesterday, I made it as a thick sauce for my dish for the Vegan Bengaluru monthly potluck at Jaaga. I poured it over plain, raw veggies - broccoli florets, sliced baby corn, grated carrot, chopped capsicum and diced naati tomatoes. The broccoli florets did an especially good job of sopping up the cream. It was quite a hit. My friend Arun said that the dish didn't taste like what someone new to it would imagine raw food to be like.



1 Sour Raw Mango
1/4 C Cashew
1/4 C Almonds
1 T Sesame Seeds
2 Dry Dates
2 Dry Figs
1/4 C Fresh Mint
2 Thin Slices Fresh Ginger
6 Cloves of Garlic
3 Spicy Green Chillies
1 T White Wine Vinegar (even regular white vinegar is fine)
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 T Nutritional Yeast (optional)
Black Salt (you could use common salt but I prefer this)

Grind together the nuts, seeds and dry fruits into a fine powder.
Add everything else, except Vinegar, and grind well.
Add a little water at a time and blend into a smooth, creamy paste, with breaks in between to ensure that the grinder jar doesn't get heated up.
Chill for 10-15 minutes in the fridge.
Add the vinegar and whip for a few minutes, until slightly fluffy and airy.
Transfer to an airtight glass jar and chill for half an hour.

Enjoy! :)



I've added this recipe to the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop.

Creamy Pumpkin Radish Soup

In the first two weeks of May we had a lot of thunderous rain. The powerful, cooling breeze gave us respite from the terrible heat the preceding days of blazing sun had wrought. It felt amazing!

But the thing about persistently cloudy, rainy days is that they make me want to be constantly burrowing under a cozy blankie, reading Tom Robbins or Wodehouse or cuddling on the couch with hubby, watching episodes of Misfits or Modern Family.

If only I had a genie who'd appear in my kitchen and make those rainy day comfort foods - Deep Fried Bajjis and Bondas, Multi Grain Herbed Loaves, Piping Hot Soups and Stews, Hot Chocolate Brownies, Spicy Masala Chai... Mmmmmmm

Apparently hubby was thinking on the same lines, except he seemed to be under the impression that I was the genie! It was the evening of a particularly rainy day. I had just managed to steam and toast a batch of GF Flatbreads for dinner. I was feeling too lazy to make anything to go with it so my idea was that we would be having it with garlic pickle and chutney pudi mixed with vegan curds. But hubby had other ideas. One look at the bread and he was like, "oooh that would be so nice with some hot, spicy soup".

Normally I might've replied, "yeah I bet it would, but here's the garlic pickle!" But the poor guy had been sniffling all day with a cold (minor dust allergy from the cleaning we'd done around the house on the previous day), so I said, "okay baby, soup coming up soon". Then I proceeded to concoct the easiest, quickest, yet one of the most delicious soups I'd ever made. It's *laziness* that's the true mother of all invention! :D



1 large slice Red Pumpkin
2-3 large White Radishes
1/2 C Almonds
1 tsp each of Cumin Seeds and Black Pepper Corns
1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
1 inch Cinnamon
2 Cloves
Salt
Nutritional Yeast

De-seed and clean the pumpkin. Keep the peel intact and cube.
Toss with salt and microwave in a medium sized glass dish for five to six minutes.
Meanwhile, scrub and wash the radish and slice into roundels.
Add the radish to the pumpkin and microwave for another one minute.
Keep aside to cool to room temperature.

Combine the whole spices in a small glass dish and microwave for one to two minutes, until they emit a nice aroma.
Allow to cool for a few minutes.

Grind the almonds and the roasted spices together into a find powder.
Mix in the cooked veggies and blend into a smooth paste, using a little water at a time.
Add more water to reach desired consistency and blend well.

Pour the mixture back into the glass dish used to cook the veggies and microwave on medium heat for two to three minutes.

Ladle into large soup bowls, crush more pepper on top, sprinkle some nooch and serve hot with some toasted vegan, gluten free pearl millet flatbread.

Enjoy! :)

Simple Healthy Vegan Gluten Free Coconut Almond Bajra Cookies Biscuits

A few weeks ago, hubby and I decided to try a GF diet for a while, just to see how we'd feel. After 3 weeks of this, we didn't really see any marked differences in our health (probably because we are already pretty healthy to begin with) but since it is a healthy diet anyways we decided to switch to an as-Gluten-Free-as-possible diet. This means, we do indulge in wheat products once in a while, but mainly stick to other grains.

In this period of being GF, I've cooked and baked with a variety of local millets and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Luckily for us, we even had a Millet Mela (Fair) during this period where we could stock up on a variety of grains and flours.

Among the flours, the one that seems to be best suited for baking is the Pearl Millet flour. Pearl Millet is known as Bajra in Hindi and Sajje in Kannada (my language). It is native to regions which are prone to drought and cannot support the growth of wheat, rice or other such grains which require a high water content. I've tasted Sajje Rottis, a sort of thin, crispy flatbreads made of Pearl Millet, as a child. One of my aunts, who is from the Northern part of Karnataka (a fairly dry area), used to bring them back whenever she visited her hometown and all of us kids used to delight in eating it dipped in a spicy peanut powder and yogurt mixture.

Until I attended the Millet Mela, I didn't know that Sajje was in fact Bajra and that it could be used to make anything, other than the Sajje Rottis. haha But once I did learn this, I've bought a lot of Sajje flour and have been experimenting with it, as you can see in my GF Flatbread post from 2 weeks ago. Since the grain itself has a really nice flavor, whatever I've made with it has turned out pretty tasty. But the most delicious of all are these Healthy Coconut Almond Bajra Cookies/Biscuits.



I started with Dr.Nandita Shah's Healthy Cookie Recipe from the SHARAN India website. It's a an extremely simple, quick and very versatile recipe. I made a few changes to it based on the ingredients I had on hand and came up with this one. It really hit that cookie craving spot. :)

Plus, because it has no refined oils, white flour or baking powder, hubby and I could stuff our faces with as many as we liked. The sugar syrup is the only 'unhealthy' ingredient in my recipe because I don't like Date Syrup or Jaggery in my baked goods. I would have preferred Agave or Maple Syrup but I had run out of them.

Simple Healthy Vegan Gluten Free Coconut Almond Bajra Cookies Biscuits

1 C Dry Coconut Powder (Desiccated Coconut)
1 C Almonds - ground into a coarse powder
1/2 C Bajra Flour
1/2 C Sugar Syrup
1 Tbsp Tahini (Sesame Butter)
Salt (a small pinch)

Mix everything together in a bowl.
Lick a few fingerfuls of the yummilicious cookie dough.
Wash hands. :oP
Form half inch balls of the dough between your palms.
Flatten slightly and place on a wax paper lined baking sheet.
Bake at 250 C (480 F) for 10-15 minutes, until the edges and top have browned.
Press the top of a cookie with your fingertip to check for doneness. If it's slightly soft it's okay but it shouldn't be doughy.
Let it cool in the turned off oven for a few minutes.
Transfer to cookie racks and cool completely.
Enjoy! :)



Before I end this post, I'd like to request all of you to please visit Richa's Fundraiser for VSPCA.



VSPCA is a wonderful organisation, doing amazing work for the animals! It is an organisation that is very close to my heart and the preferred charity for my Art by Susmitha etsy store. I've donated a few of my jewelry creations to this fundraiser.







So please visit the fundraiser page and pitch in by bidding on the many, many beautiful and delicious offerings.

Chia Chow: guest post by GiGi of Veganville

Today I'm super happy to introduce the first guest blogger here at Veganosaurus...the very vitty qveen of Voppee Pies and Veganville...ladiessss and gennnntlemen, let's hear it forrrr...GiGi Anber!! *loud cheering and applause*

I met Geegers here on our Vegan Etsy team and the first thing that stuck out about her was her sense of humour. GiGi, with her videos and her stories, runs her own brand of comedy show on her blog Veganville. She has some yummy vegan recipes up there too but I have to admit that it's the hilarious back stories she gives them which take me back there time and again.

She is also the owner of the Veganville Etsy Shop where she offers some highly delicious looking baked goodies. I can't wait for my next trip to the US just so I can try some of these amazing looking Voppee Pies!



The recipe that GiGi has shared with us here is a healthy Chia Pudding. The replacement for Chia seeds in India are Sabja seeds, the kind used in Faloodas. Sabja has been used for its healing properties in Ayurveda for aeons.

While Chia hails from the Mint family, Sabja belongs to the Basil family. However, they are very similar in properties. They form the same kind of ooey gooey layer around them when soaked in water for many hours, they are very cooling and rehydrating to the body and they give a good cleanse to the intestines. Not to mention, they are both so darned yummy!

Now let's get on to GiGi's post.

--

Chia Chow

Chia seeds made a comeback last year. Posts and recipes were everywhere. The vegan boards were lit up like chia seed Christmas trees. For me the light was on and nobody was home. See it took me a while to get on board the chia seed party boat. I'm not sure if it's because I lost the coolness factor or that the ubiquitous gelatinous chia is $14.95 a bag at my local Whole Foods. Anyway what the hell was I going to do with all those seeds? When I found out the seeds are actually the very same seeds that go into growing those TV chia pets they show on late night commercials, I procrastinated even more. I mean if I give into these chia seed pet seeds what would I give into next - thigh busters and JLo pendants? Still, all those chia puddings look pretty enticing, a little like tapioca only a whole lot healthier, and who doesn't like a good tapioca? Okay, my mom doesn't, that's who. My mom detests tapioca; she thinks it looks like little balls of sn_ _. I probably shouldn't say that on a food blog but what the heck, it’s true. That's what she thinks.



I gave in and bought the seeds and just when I was about to make a super duper chia pudding, crazy boy aka the husband brought home the first blueberries of the season. Since this is a guest post for Susmitha, ice cream maker to the stars. I just had to whip some cold creamy delicious blueberry and crème dessert up first. And because I am all about shameless self promotion you will have to visit my blog if you want the the recipe. Nananannana. I hope there is a translation in India for nanananana, since I intend to publish this blog in many languages.



I digress. Chia has been called the ancient food of the future. Clearly it is called this because if you make a pudding now you won’t be eating it any time soon. Chia has also been known to increase energy, prolong hydration and build muscle and tissue. This is also good since you might have to stay up all night waiting for the crazy ass pudding to set. I guess I could have slept or watched some more infomercials, but I was excited to see how much energy I would derive from the pudding. I couldn't wait to see how speedy I would get if I coupled the chia with my morning cup of Joe. Energy and speedy = good in my book.

I read about some chia recipe flops. There are a lot of hot and bothered chia blog recipe comments out there, really. Like, "Hey my stupid chia never solidified", and "this slop was supposed to be my breakfast", and "this chia looks the same now as when I went to sleep", and another one "your stupid chia recipe sucks". Still I risked it all and forged ahead.


Chia Pudding

4 C almond milk
1C maple syrup or agave
¾ C chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla non-alcoholic flavoring
Nutmeg and cinnamon to taste

Mix together the almond milk, vanilla extract, and maple syrup until combined. Gently fold in the chia seeds. Pour the mixture into an 8"x11" baking dish Refrigerate over night. If you’re awake, stir.

Here is what happened at the Chia Seed unveiling the next day which happened to be my birthday. (April)



Sure, you might have to wait until your birthday for the chia to set and you might need a a new haircut but I think it would totally be worth it. The pudding is delicious with a scoop of vegan ice cream on top. Why not try of one of Susmitha’s many scrumptious ice cream recipes? Or come see me over at my blog, Veganville. Shameless, shameless I know. But I am kind of nice.




Thank you for having me, my friend. You are as delightful as your confections :)

Second Vegan event at the Taj 5th May 2012

Last week I shared a long, detailed blog post about the vegan demo and lunch at the Taj on 28th April and a video of a mini-demo by me at that event.

There was another such event on 5th May, and earlier this week I shared the video of me showing the participants how to make Chocolate Mousse. Today's post is about the rest of the event and as always, I took loads of pictures to share with you all. :)

This was the second in a series of vegan events that have been organised at Graze, the fine dining, European cuisine restaurant at Vivanta by Taj, in association with FIAPO - Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations. FIAPO's head office is situated at Delhi, where they were contacted by the people of the Taj, Bangalore when the idea of doing this event occurred to them. The people at Delhi got in touch with Himani Shetty at their Mumbai branch and she in turn contacted a few of us members of Vegan Bengaluru asking if we'd be interested to help the chef veganise food.

As a vegan food blogger, this opportunity interested me very much and I got in touch with Chef Uday Nathan and over the next couple of weeks, I helped him out with recipes and veganising tips. The first event on the 28th of April was a big hit among the participants and we were all looking forward to the second event too.

On Saturday, 5th May, I walked into Graze a little after 12 noon, the scheduled start time for the vegan demo, followed by lunch. Only a handful of people had arrived and Uday was in the main kitchen behind the huge glass window. He motioned me to quickly come into the kitchen where I found him frantically trying to whip the cashew sour cream in a large bowl that was placed in an ice bath. The cream just wasn't holding its shape because it wasn't thick enough. The problem was quickly solved by adding more cashew cream into the mix and it soon achieved the right consistency.



By the time we were done with the sour cream, Executive Chef Ramasamy Selvaraju walked in and introduced himself. I'd seen him before on my first visit to Graze and also when he made a brief appearance at the first event but we hadn't gotten a chance to speak. He was really nice and took me on a short, behind the scenes tour of the hotel kitchen system. I got to meet the head baker and the head chef of the room service section. I even got a peek at their awesome, top of the line oven at the bakery. I was so caught up in looking at everything that I forgot to click pictures. :( I would've liked to share a picture of him and a few of the gadgets with you all. Next time I'm there, I'll make sure to grab some shots.

What I did remember this time, was to click a picture of Restaurant Manager Ashvin Singh and the service team who took good care of us during both events.



I also managed to get F & B Manager Vivek Sharma in a few shots at the end of the event which you'll find at the bottom of the blog post.

After my tour through the labyrinths which connected all the kitchens of the hotel, I came out and took my place at the bar seat in front of the open kitchen. By and by more participants joined in and the area around the open kitchen was packed. This time there were more non vegans than vegans. By the time the last few guests arrived, it was a quarter to one and by then the Chefs had finished the basic prep work and the demo began. It was a slightly late start but much earlier than the first time.

The first thing we learnt how to make was the Chilled Gazpacho of Cherry Tomatoes. It was absolutely brilliant and hands down the best item that was served that day! It was bursting with the tangy flavour of the tomatoes, with a hint of sweetness from the red bell peppers. Amazing stuff. The little shot that was served to us got gulped down way too quickly. This is definitely a chilled soup that's to be served in large helpings.



Next, they showed us how to prepare a plate of salad of Marinated Beets and Fresh Greens tossed in Sherry Vinaigrette and Walnut Oil.



The artist at work. :oP



This was followed by a demo on making Spanakopita of Spinach, Tofu and Mushrooms.



Here's a video of the whole process, including how to fold and shape the Spanakopita.



I found the filling to be the tastiest part and I think I will enjoy it more as a stuffing inside bread.



The Spanakopita was served on a bed of extremely scrumptious Smoked Red Pepper Compote. They smoke it by placing the chopped peppers and other ingredients in a large pot and in the middle of this pot they place a small pot of coal doused in oil. They then cover the whole thing in aluminium foil and keep it on the stove. The smoke from the coal gets infused into the peppers and creates a remarkable flavour.



The second main dish was Pumpkin Risotto which was topped with Roasted Salsify, Crisp Shallots and Cashew Sour Cream.

Here you can see Pushpender adding the special rice for the Risotto into the pot. I asked if the Risotto could be made with local rices or other grains but Uday said he hasn't tried that out. I do intend to try it soon though. It's always fun to experiment with using local ingredients in world cuisine. Plus, we reduce our green footprints.



Most of the participants found the risotto to be a tad too sweet because of the apple juice added to the pumpkin puree, but I enjoyed it. I guess I have my Karnataka taste buds to thank for that. :)



One thing that everybody enjoyed in this dish was the Salsify. It's an imported root vegetable and not easy to find here. We were told that some local root veggies can be used in its place in this dish. Here's a shot of the Salsify being peeled. It has to be done very quickly because it tends to oxidise very fast.



After the main dishes were done being taught, I did my Chocolate Mousse demo.

For dessert, we had Chocolate Mousse in Almond Tart Shell along with Cinnamon Coconut Milk Ice Cream.





After the delicious lunch, most people left and a handful of us from Vegan Bengaluru hung out with Uday, Vivek and Ashvin and chatted about the success of the event.









They told us that after this kind of excellent response, they definitely intend to make this into a regular affair. Maybe once or twice a month on fixed Saturdays. Uday said that he wants Graze to be known for the monthly Vegan Demo-Lunches. Also, they will be launching a separate vegan section in their menu where all the dishes they make for these demos will be available.

I am very happy to have had this opportunity to be involved in the making of these events. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. :)

My Vegan Chocolate Mousse Demo Video at Vivanta by Taj

Last week I shared a video of my first demo on making nut milks and ice creams at Vivanta by Taj on 28th April. It was a part of the Vegan Demo and Lunch event organized at their fine dining restaurant, Graze in association with FIAPO.

There was another such event again last Saturday (5th May) with a completely different menu than the first event. After Sous Chef Uday Nathan had finished demoing the first three courses of the menu, I showed everyone how to make the dessert, Chocolate Mousse made of Tofu. It was really nice of Uday to readily let me do this demo at his event.

The Mousse was originally not part of the menu, the accompaniment for the Cinnamon Coconut Mylk Ice Cream (the other portion of the dessert) was to be Espresso Brownies. But a week before the first event, members of the press were to drop in for dinner on short notice. I hadn't taught Uday how to make the brownies yet. Well, I'd given him the recipe but he wanted me to be present in is kitchen when attempting it for the first time because he was nervous about trying a Vegan Brownie out himself and getting the texture right. That's when I told him how to make Chocolate Mousse with Tofu. It was simple enough to explain on the phone and after a couple of phone calls, he had picked up the method.

That night the press people were completely blown away by the Tofu Mousse. Not surprising to me, as almost everyone has this reaction to the Vegan Mousse. :) They had high praises for it in their newspaper write-ups. After that, making it a part of the menu was a no-brainer.

Here's a video of my demo:



You'll get to read more about the event with pictures of the food in another blog post.

Gluten Free Vegan Bajra (Pearl Millet) Flatbread

I've often seen Gluten Free baked goods pop up when I'm browsing in the Vegan blogosphere. I never really paid too much attention to GF baking though because most GF cakes and breads called for certain gums and such. Besides, I figured, why put the extra effort when GF was meant for people with wheat allergies?

Then I came across Hobby and More's Vegan, Gluten Free Breads. Even though she doesn't *need* to follow a wheat-free diet, Richa of Hobby and More makes amazing looking GF breads and that got me very interested. I kept thinking I should attempt some of her GF bread recipes using her innovative steaming method but kept procrastinating because I needed to go out and buy potato or tapioca starches.

Then Rithika of Vegan on the Prowl made this Very Versatile Gluten Free Flatbread. She based it on Richa's recipe and switched up the ingredients to things that are more easily available in India. Now I had no excuses left!

Plus, a few weeks ago, hubby and I decided to follow a GF diet and see if it makes any difference in general health and energy. I'd been making rotis with various grain flours (jowar, bajra, makki...) but was jonesing for something more bread-y. This was a perfect time to try out the GF flatbread!

I made this bread twice. The first time around I followed Rithika's recipe exactly. But the next time I wanted to use a local grain (as opposed to the ground oats) and I remembered Harini of Tongue Ticklers mentioning that Bajra (Pearl Millet) is good in GF recipes. Harini has years of experience making delicious Gluten Free baked goods because her daughter requires it so I confidently took her word for it. I'm glad I did. Bajra turned out to be an excellent replacement for wheat! I've continued to use it in all GF baking recipes since.

Also, I was out of arrowroot powder. So I used the last of my organ egg replacer powder stock instead since it is made of starches. And I eliminated the baking powder because the egg replacer contains leavening agents. But in future recipes I'll be going back to using arrowroot powder and baking powder.

Here's my version:

2 heaping C Bajra (Pearl Millet) Flour
2/3 C Orgran No-Egg Powder
2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
5 tsp Organic Jaggery Powder dissolved in 1/4 C Hot Water
2 T Coconut Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
1 - 1 1/4 C Warm Water

Mix dry ingredients.
Add wet ingredients (except water) and mix.
Add water, a little at a time and knead into a sticky dough.
Cover the bowl with a plastic bag and let it sit for 1 1/2 hours to let it rise.
Punch down dough and break off balls.
Tap each ball into a flat shape on wax paper.
Cover and let rise for 15 minutes.
Place the flattened dough along with the wax paper in a tray inside a steamer and steam for 5 minutes.
Peel off the wax paper and let the bread cool.
Toast on a griddle or grill in an oven.
Enjoy! :)

Vegan Demo and Lunch at Vivanta by Taj Bangalore

Lounging on comfy bar seats around an open kitchen, friendly conversations, sips of green tea and Mojitos, watching the chef and his team whip up a delicious vegan lunch, then proceeding to relish said lunch...that's the definition of a perfect, relaxing weekend afternoon!

We got to enjoy exactly such an afternoon last Saturday, thanks to Sous Chef Uday and his colleagues - Anish, Pushpendar, Ashvin and Giri - at Graze, the high-end European cuisine restaurant at Vivanta by Taj.

Formerly known as Taj Residency, this 5 Star hotel is a part of old Bangalore and after all these years, it still retains its charm. I have fond memories of going there as a kid to attend their exclusive lifestyle exhibitions (this was long before these kinds of exhibitions became a dime a dozen) and eating hot jalebis afterwards. Graze is one of their 3 restaurants and it is situated just across from the pool. Even though some of the poolside tables are tempting, the indoor setting of the restaurant is appealing enough to make one want to stay inside. What can I say? I truly appreciate places with cozy lighting and soft jazz playing in the background.

The attendees consisted of a small group (about a dozen) of vegans and non-vegans. And all of us enjoyed the demo and the food alike. Throughout the whole event, Ashvin (the Restaurant Manager) and Giri were very attentive, friendly and helpful. They took good care of us while Uday, Anish and Pushpendar taught us how to make simple yet gourmet vegan delicacies. A well planned four course meal. By the time the demo was done, the wafting flavors of spices and vegetables had us all famished and we were about ready to wolf down everything that was placed in front of us. And what a treat it was! The flavors, the textures...I'd say we were transported into another world but the ambiance at Graze was too perfect for that to happen. :)

This vegan event was the fruition of many weeks of planning and veganising. I spoke about the background and my involvement in it in an earlier blog post. Now here are some captured moments from the event itself.

The Cooking:

The Close Up Views:

The firm feel of a tomato after being blanched in boiling water for about 8 seconds and immediately dunked into ice water. Just the peel is cooked so it comes off easily.



The simple and versatile tomato sauce.



Finely sliced lemon rind for the Polenta. These pieces were so tiny and uniform. Truly the work of a patient and skillful person!



Neatly seeded and diced provençal vegetables for the Polenta dish - Zucchini, Onion, Aubergine (Brinjal), Red Pepper, Mushroom.

Video Tutorial:

Mixing and shaping the Gnocchi.

Plating:

Sampling:

Everyone wanted a taste of the raw cashew butter that was used to make cashew cream for the vanilla ice cream.

The Scrumptious Meal:

Bread Rolls.



Chunky Chick Pea and Olive Oil Dip for the Breads.



Chilled Melon Gazpacho infused with Mint and Thyme.



Salad Platter. The greens were tossed in an amaaaaazing Raspberry Vinaigrette!! *slurp* And the pickled onions topped with fried capers were yummy! I wish there were more onions and capers in there.



Hearts of Palm.



Wine Steeped Mushrooms. These were brilliant!! The colour and the flavor really added to the whole appeal of the Salad.



The Palette Cleanser. A truly refreshing Cognac and Tamarind Sorbet. Yum yum *hic*. :oP



The main course choices.

"Milanese" Polenta topped with Grilled Provençal Vegetables and served with this *heavenly* Essence of Sweet Red Peppers sauce. This signature concoction of Graze, was bursting with citrus-y flavors and was the star of the dish! All of us who ate it were completely blown away. It took me a lot of self control not to start licking the last drops directly off the plate after I'd had every bit my forkfuls of Polenta could sap up. *slurpity slurpity*



OR

Deep Fried Gnocchi tossed in a chunky Tomato, Red Pepper Sauce and topped with crunchy, tender Asparagus.



The desserts were Vanilla Ice Cream made of Cashew Cream and Poached Pears and Figs in an Almond Tart Shell.





There is another vegan demo/lunch coming up at Graze this Saturday, May 5th 2012. The menu will be completely different.

Course 1 - Gazpacho of cherry tomatoes – served chilled.

Course 2 - Marinated beets, fresh greens, sherry vinaigrette and walnut oil.

Course 3 -“Spanakopita” of spinach, tofu and mushrooms, smoked red pepper compote and aged balsamic OR Pumpkin risotto, roasted salsify, crisp shallots and cashew sour cream.

Course 4 - Tofu chocolate mousse with cinnamon coconut milk ice cream.

The event starts at 12 noon. The price is Rs.1200 plus taxes. If you'd like to attend, call and register with Ashvin at +91 80 6660 3270 or +91 77606 35477. They're limiting the number to 15 so that the event is more personal and interactive.

Here's a picture of the dessert to tempt you. :oP



Most of these vegan dishes are going to be a part of a new vegan menu section to be launched at Graze. They also plan to have more vegan demo-lunches in the future.