Video and Recipes from my Vegan Demo at Soul Kadhi

On 18th May, I was part of a vegan cooking demo and lunch event at Soul Kadhi. I had a really nice time talking about vegan food and showing people how to make a bunch of scrumptious, Indian, vegan dishes along with Chef Ajay.

The response was very good. There were about 20 participants and all of them said they found the demo interesting and the food delicious. Less than half the attendees were vegan. The rest were people who wanted to learn vegan cooking for various reasons. It was all totally worth the effort! :)

My hubby captured the demo on video and I spent some time editing and putting it together. The video explains the general outline of the recipes and also contains a few pointers about making vegan mylks and curds. I've shared all the recipes below, after the embedded video. Between the two, you will be able to clearly understand all the steps involved and easily make the recipes at home yourself.

If you were present for the demo, do drop me a line here in the comments section to let me know how you liked the experience. :)

Vegan Demo Video



I already have a blog post explaining the process of making Peanut Curds in detail.

In all the recipes below, the quantities of ingredients are approximate and certain quantities are not even mentioned. As you prepare the food, taste and adjust often to suit your preferences.

Basundi

1/2 C Cashews
2-3 tsp Sugar
Small pinch of salt
Sliced Pistachios
Crushed Saffron/Elaichi

In a dry jar, grind together the cashews and sugar into a fine powder.
Scrape down the sides and grind again until the cashew starts to release its oils and becomes slightly buttery.
Add a small pinch of salt and a splash of water and blend to a smooth paste.
Add a little more water and blend into a cream, it should have the consistency of condensed milk.
Pour into a bowl and garnish with sliced pistachios and crushed saffron and/or elaichi.
Chill for at least half an hour and serve.

Notes:
This dish doesn't need to be cooked and you can make it completely raw by using soaked dates in place of sugar.
If you like, you can heat the Basundi for a few minutes while stirring continuously and chill it. This makes it a little more creamy but is not really a necessary step.

Tamarind Tofu Tikka

500 gms Firm Tofu
1 Onion
1 Capsicum (preferably red or yellow)
1 Tomato
1-2 T Thick Tamarind Paste
1/4 tsp Dhania Powder
1/4 tsp Jeera Powder
1 tsp Kasauri Methi
1 tsp Chilli Powder
Mustard Oil
Chopped Green Chillies
Chopped Cilantro
Salt

Drain and gently squeeze the tofu to remove water.
Make the tofu into 1 inch cubes.
Cube the vegetables.
Mix salt, tamarind paste, spices, herbs and mustard oil with a few spoons of water to get a creamy marinade.
Toss the cubed tofu and vegetables in the marinade.
Cover and keep aside for a minimum of 30 minutes.
If you have more time then marinate overnight in the fridge to meld the flavours very well.
Skewer and grill on high in a convection oven or tandoor for 8-10 minutes.
Serve hot.

Notes:
You can alternately roast the skewered tikkas on a hot, non stick pan that's greased with oil, turning them occasionally to ensure even grilling. In this case, don't add the chilli powder in a marinade because it will create a lot of smoke. Instead, sprinkle the chilli powder on top of the tikkas after they have been grilled.

Malai Kofta

For the Kofta Balls:
4 Potatoes - boil/steam, peel and grate
200-250 gms Tofu - drain, rinse, gently squeeze to remove water, grate
2 T Corn Starch
Elaichi Powder
Pepper Powder
Salt
Dry Fruits/Nuts - chopped finely and mixed

Gently mix the grated potatoes and grated tofu together with a fork or spoon.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Dust a clean surface or a plate with corn starch.
Rub corn starch on your palms and fingers.
Shape the potato/tofu mixture into balls and make a hole in the center with your finger.
Place some dry fruits/nuts in the hole and close the ball.
Shape into elongated balls.
Deep fry in hot oil until golden.
If you want to make them more healthy, instead of deep frying, grease the kofta balls with a little oil and bake in a preheated oven at 200 C for about 15 minutes, until the balls have browned lightly.
Drain on tissue paper and keep aside.

For the Malai Sauce:
Ginger-Garlic Paste
Green Chilli Paste or Pepper Powder
Thick Cashew Cream
Elaichi Powder
Salt
Sugar (optional)
Keora/Kewra Water (optional)

Stir fry the ginger-garlic paste in a dry pan or optionally with a spoon of hot oil.
Add the green chilli paste (if using) and stir.
Add the thick cashew cream (this could be raw or cooked cashew cream, either way is fine).
Add salt, elaichi powder and pepper powder (if using) and stir.
Optionally add sugar and keora water and mix.
Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes.
Adjust the thickness of the sauce with some water.

How to proceed:
While the sauce is simmering on low heat, the prepared kofta balls and toss gently.
Add a splash of water to the sauce to keep it in a constant simmer (so it doesn't start boiling vigorously).
Simmer the koftas for a minute and turn off the heat.
Serve hot with rotis or pulaos.

Kadhi Pakora

For the Pakoras:
Besan Flour
Ajwain
Sliced Onion
Chopped Curry Leaves
Chopped Cilantro
Chilli Powder
Salt
Oil

Mix everything with some water to make a thick batter.
Heat oil and drop spoonfuls of the batter.
Deep fry while occasionally turning over, until crispy and golden brown.
Drain on tissue paper and keep aside to cool.

For the Kadhi:
Peanut Curds
Besan Flour
Turmeric Powder
Oil
Dhania
Jeera
Finely Chopped Garlic
Thinly Sliced Onion
Amchoor Powder
Roasted Red Chillies
Salt

Make a thick batter by whisking together besan, peanut curds and turmeric powder.
Heat a spoon of oil in a pan.
Add whole jeera and dhania and stir for a few seconds, allowing them to crackle.
Add the finely chopped garlic and stir.
Add the thinly sliced onion and stir fry until the onion is translucent and lightly browned.
Pour in the peanut crud-besan batter and stir well.
Add amchoor powder and salt and mix well.
Adjust thickness of the sauce with a little water.
Add the dry roasted red chillies and simmer.

How to proceed:
While the sauce is simmering, add the deep fried pakoras.
Mix for half a minute and turn off the heat.
Optionally season with toasted mustard seeds, dhania, jeera and curry leaves.
Serve over hot, steamed rice.

Carrot Halwa

4 Large Carrots - grated
1/2 C Thick Cashew Cream
2-3 T Sugar
1 T Oil
2 Cloves
2 Elaichis (crushed)
Raisins
Chopped Dates
Slivered Almonds

Grate the carrots.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add the cloves and stir.
Add the grated carrots.
Stir fry until the carrots are cooked and have reduced in quantity.
Add thick cashew cream, stir and cook for a few minutes.
Add crushed elaichi and sugar and stir for a minute.
Mix in the sliced almonds, chopped dates and raisins and turn off the heat.

Notes:
You can reduce the sugar or eliminate it completely and add more dates and raisins for sweetness.
If you want to avoid oil, steam the carrots whole and grate them, that way you can completely skip the stir frying process.
You can add finely ground cashew powder instead of cashew cream.

Enjoy! :)

Cool, Summery Chickpea Salad

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, tomorrow is my vegan cooking demo at Soul Kadhi. Right now I've come to Soul Kadhi to do a quick discussion about the event but their generator decided to act up and spew ash during the peak lunch time and that has kept Nirmala very occupied for over an hour. So while I wait, I thought I'd start a blog post (and finish it after I get home).

Poor Nirmala hasn't had a moment's respite. She came to speak to me in the middle but something came up again and she had to go attend to it. It's nice that her mom is around to help out everyday but despite that, Nirmala is constantly on her feet. I have no idea how she manages to run three restaurants full time on the same premises and stay sane!

A lot of my friends who have tasted my cooking/baking and even a few people who follow my blog have asked me why I haven't started a vegan café or restaurant yet. I really want to, hubby and I even keep talking about it, but I keep procrastinating and the main reason is that I don't know if I'll be able to handle all the stress that goes into running a food establishment.

I like my work related life to be slow paced. When I create my jewellery, I need to be relaxed and in the zone to come up with beautiful designs which carry positive energy. Similarly, I feel that some of my tastiest and most creative dishes are made when I am taking it easy. I'm afraid of what my cooking will taste like if I am constantly under pressure.

So if I do take steps to make my dream of a vegan café come true, I know for a fact that all the administration work will have to be done by someone else! My restaurant will be part of the slow food movement. That means, people need to come there with the intention to relax and enjoy the meal at a slow pace. People in a big huff to be served their food will not be allowed. :oP

Amusingly, my recipe today does not belong to the slow food movement. It can be put together in a breeze and wolfed down in the blink of an eye. hehe

Cool, Summery Chickpea Salad

I've used small, Indian Chickpeas aka Gulabi Gram in this salad but even the larger Garbanzo Beans aka Kabuli Channa will taste yummy in this recipe. For that matter, any kind of bean will work, doesn't even have to be Chickpeas.

I like eating this salad plain or as a side dish with chapathies.



1 C Indian Chickpeas (Gulabi Gram)
3 Large Tomatoes
1 Small European Cucumber (regular Cucumber is fine too)
3 Small Carrots
1 heaping tsp Peanut Butter (I used the Chia Peanut Butter that my friend Somera> sent me)
1-2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar (it's okay to use lime juice, tamarind water or any other vinegar instead)
1/2 tsp Liquid Jaggery (or other sweetener)
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt

Soak the chickpeas overnight.
Drain, rinse and pressure cook in fresh water for 3-4 whistles.
Cool, drain (cooking water can be saved and used to cook something else) and keep aside.
Finely dice the tomatoes and cucumber.
Grate the carrots.
Toss all the ingredients together and mix well (using your fingers if required to spread the peanut butter well).
Cover and chill for a short while.
Enjoy! :)

Rice Mylk Majjige - Spicy South Indian Buttermylk for Virtual Vegan Potluck 3.0

It's Virtual Vegan Potluck time once again! Wheee.

If you have been following the VVP blog route, you have arrived here from Veggie4ayear. You can click on the "Go Back" button below to go back to her VVP blog post which is the first in the Beverages category.



I took part in the VVP for the first time last November. I made Hot Spiced Chai with Cashew/Sesame Mylk which was voted as the Award Winning Recipe in the Beverage Course and got featured on the VVP blog last month. I even got a cool VVP Tee. :)

This VVP, I'm back with another Beverage offering, complete with a step-by-step HowDo tutorial. Spicy South Indian Buttermylk made of Rice Mylk.



Buttermilk/Moor/Majjige is a quintessential South Indian beverage. It's made out of yoghurt that's been blended with water, flavoured with lime and spices and seasoned. As I mentioned in my Peanut Curds post, the first thing a South Indian does when they turn vegan is to look for a vegan yoghurt alternative to make Curd Rice. More often than not, vegan Buttermylk is the very next thing curds get turned into.

Cold Majjige is one of the most delicious things to sip on a hot summer's day. It's spicy and soothing all at the same time. It is chock full of beneficial bacteria which are extremely soothing for your tummy and help to beat the ushna (body heat) that is generated because of all the mangoes you've been indulging in during the summer months. :)

I really like the gingery, mustard-y goodness, but it can also be prepared in a more simple and non-spicy way by just blending the curds with water, ice (optional), salt and lime. It's pretty tasty that way too.

You can start with any packaged or home made plant based yoghurt - soy, peanut, cashew, oat, rice... It just has to be absolutely plain - unflavoured and unsweetened. I've made this one with Rice Mylk that I turned into curds by adding a few cups of rejuvelac and letting it ferment overnight. Since Rice Mylk is already watery to begin with, I feel it suits the Buttermylk recipe well. And the starch in the rice makes the end result extra soothing.

Now on to the step-by-step How-Do recipe for Rice Mylk Majjige. Enjoy! :)

To continue on the VVP path, you can click on the "goforward" button below to be taken to Gazing In's VVP post, which is also a Beverage.

Or if you want to go to the beginning of the whole list of 169(!!!) blogs which are participating this time in the Virtual Vegan Potluck, you can find them on the host site Vegan Bloggers Unite.

Thank you Annie, Somer, Lidia, Jason and everyone else behind VVP for making this awesome event possible! :)

The Great Vegan Fix - cooking demo and lunch event at Soul Kadhi, Bangalore on Sat, 18th May 2013

My Hazelnut Chocolate Cake blog post in March was full of updates about all the awesome things happening in my vegan life. One of the things I'd mentioned was an upcoming vegan cooking demo at a local restaurant. I'd promised to tell you more about it as soon as all the details fell into place. They finally have and here's the story...

It had been a long and pleasantly tiring day. We were all winding down at the end of the first VGF, basking in the overwhelming success and fretting about how we hadn't gotten our hands on certain sinful delicacies which had sold out way too fast. That was when Aditi Shankar walked in and asked for me. She told me she had found me through my blog and wanted to speak to me about another vegan event which involved promoting vegan food.

I thought she meant an event like VGF, a fair of sorts, and having just finished one after weeks of planning and preparing, I didn't have the capacity to start thinking of another one right away. So Aditi and I decided to connect on Facebook the following week and I promised her I'd be happy to discuss further with her then.

As it turned out, this event happened to be a vegan cooking demo and lunch at a restaurant called Soul Kadhi. The concept is similar to the demo-lunches I helped organise at Vivanta by Taj last year, but with one significant difference, it's all about promoting Indian vegan food.



Soul Kadhi is a North Indian cuisine restaurant located on a cozy street just off Richmond Road, in the heart of Bangalore. It is owned and operated by Nirmala Balakrishnan, who also runs two other eateries on the same premises. Though it is not a completely vegetarian joint, they do serve a variety of vegetarian dishes. Unlike typical North Indian restaurants, they don't overly douse their food with fats and oils. Instead, they strive to serve good, simple, comfort food with a homemade feel. In fact, Nirmala says that ever since she opened the restaurant, she's not felt the need to cook at home. Her whole family eats the food served at the restaurant. :)

Now Nirmala wants to introduce vegan and veganisable options into the menu and that is where I come in. I met with Aditi and Nirmala in March and we came up with some interesting ideas for the event menu. When asked why Soul Kadhi wants to have this vegan event, Nirmala said, "Vegan food has become this trendy/fashionable concept and it is a general impression that to be vegan, one must eat fancy dishes with exotic ingredients. But what people don't realise is that in India, we just happen to eat vegan food at home on a daily basis. So the idea here is to show people that not only are they already eating vegan food as a part of their regular diet, they can also veganise everyday foods which might contain animal derived ingredients."

Everyday staples like rice, roti, dal, sambar, idli, dosa, etc... are already vegan by default. Most vegans already know how easy it is it be a vegan in India and how it takes barely any changes in day to day cooking/eating for a person to follow a cruelty-free diet. But I was *really* happy to hear a non vegan person understanding and explaining all this. It truly does show that veganism has come a long way in India and is growing each day.

We fixed an appointment for a cooking/tasting session in early April. I first spent some time in the Soul Kadhi kitchen, teaching Chef Ajay and his staff how to make basic dairy better-natives like peanut mylk/curds, cashew mylk/cream. The next day, we worked together for a couple of hours to create the tamarind tofu tikka, malai kofta, kadhi pakora, gajar ka halwa and basundi.

Chef Ajay is really nice and down to earth. He was very open to learning about vegan food and since he's an experienced chef, I ended up picking up some valuable cooking pointers from him as well. It was such a pleasure working with him!

All of us had a scrumptious food tasting session that afternoon. :)

Tamarind Tofu Tikka


Cucumber Raita


Kadhi Pakora


Malai Kofta


Gajar Ka Halwa


Basundi


Everything was delicious but the kadhi was hands down the *best* dish! Nirmala exclaimed to the chef that this vegan kadhi made of peanut curds was even better than his regular kadhi (which is supposed to be really good to begin with). :)

Event details:

Location: Soul Kadhi, #3, Laurel Lane, Richmond Town, Bangalore - 560025
Date: Saturday, 18th May 2013
Time: 12 noon
Price: Rs. 500 per person (inclusive of taxes)

At 12 noon, I will give a short introduction to vegan food. Then the chefs and I will begin the cooking demo and show you how to make the dishes pictured above. It will take about an hour to hour and half.

This will be followed by a sit down lunch where all the demo-ed dishes will be served, along with steamed rice and tandoori rotis. The lunch is not limited to single portions.

Registrations for the event begin after 12th May. You can reach Nirmala at +91 96866 01021 and book your place.

You can additionally RSVP on the Facebook Event Page.

This will be a nice event for veteran vegans to spend a relaxing afternoon indulging in some delicious fare. It will be even more useful to new vegans who want to learn some interesting vegan recipes and those people who are considering a vegan lifestyle or are curious about what completely plant-based food tastes like.

I'd love to see some of my fellow Bangalore Vegans at Soul Kadhi on the 18th. More importantly, if you have friends or family members who you've been talking to about switching to a vegan diet, this is an excellent opportunity for you to make them experience vegan food at a restaurant first hand.

Depending on the response to this event, Soul Kadhi plans to organise more vegan cooking events in the future. They also intend to introduce these and other vegan dishes into their regular menu based on the feedback of the participants.

Looking forward to seeing you there! :)

Tofu Walnut Dumplings and Balsamic Vegetables in Quinoa

This is one of my totally made up recipes. :D I cooked it up for lunch on a very hungry afternoon and as all hunger powered experiments go, it turned out to be scrumptious.

I had spent the most part of my late morning visiting my fellow food bloggers' spaces, and the constant barrage of yummy looking vegan food photography had left me feeling famished.

I *had* to make something delicious and special that would hit the spot and it had to be quick! Really, really quick!

Thence arrived the fancy looking, fancy sounding, super easy to make Tofu Walnut Dumplings and Balsamic Vegetables in Quinoa! :)



For the Quinoa:

3/4 C Quinoa
2 C Water
Cherry Tomatoes

Wash the quinoa well under running water and drain.
Heat a heavy bottomed pan and toast the quinoa for a minute.
Add the water and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid or plate leaving a slight gap for the steam to escape.
Cook for 15-20 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is translucent and fluffy.
Turn off the heat and keep the pot aside.
Slice the cherry tomatoes into halves and add to the cooked quinoa.
Mix well, cover and keep aside.

For the Balsamic Vegetables:

150 gms Baby Corn
1 Capsicum
5-7 large cloves of Garlic
2 T Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Liquid Jaggery (or any other sweetener)
1 tsp Soy Sauce

Slice the baby corn and capsicum any way you like.
Roughly crush the garlic.
Toss all ingredients together and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.
Bake or microwave for 10 minutes.

For the Tofu Walnut Dumplings:

500 gms Tofu (I used Silken but Firm might be even better)
1 C Greens (I used a local green called Chilkavare Soppu)
1/2 C Walnuts
1 T Corn Starch (Corn Flour)
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Freshly Crushed Pepper
Salt

Blanch the greens, drain, gently squeeze out the excess water and chop finely.
Break the walnuts roughly into little pieces.
Drain the tofu and gently squeeze out as much water as possible.
Place everything in a bowl and mix with your hand while mashing the tofu.
Shape into balls and place on a baking tray.
Bake or microwave for 8-10 minutes.
Then grill/broil for 5 minutes, until it's browned lightly.
Allow to cool slightly and gently remove from the pan with the help of a spatula or flat spoon.

How to Proceed:

Pour the balsamic veggies along with their liquids over the quinoa and mix well.
Add the tofu walnut dumplings and gently toss, ensuring that the dumplings stay intact.
Serve hot with freshly crushed pepper on top.
Enjoy! :)



Update: 23rd June 2013

The ingredients for this recipe can now be purchased in India in the form of a recipe box from Global Graynz.



Here are the links to purchase the three kinds of boxes for this recipe:

1. Rare Ingredients box
2. All Packaged Ingredients
3. All Ingredients Including Fresh/Perishable Ones (pictured below)