Veganism, the plant-based diet that shuns meat and dairy has gained much popularity in the recent years. Veganism originated in the 1940s when Donald Watson coined the term ‘vegan’ to demarcate vegetarians who didn’t consume dairy from those that did. The following years saw it becoming the doctrine of holistic living, and the virtues of veganism resonated with the animal rights activists as well. But it didn’t quite garner the same acceptance in India, primarily because it was considered as a counter-cultural trend that would seem tedious to maintain. Fast-forward to 2020 and turning vegan is now seen as an effective way of achieving a healthier way of life. A growing body of evidence also suggests veganism could lower the risk of lifetsyle diseases. It can improve blood pressure and lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, thyroid, and PCOD.
So, what was once seen as a fringe movement has now permeated into the mainstream. The rapid explosion of the annual Veganuary campaign, in which even the omnivores and vegetarians sign up to attempt veganism for a month, is a testament to the movement’s success. Veganuary was launched in 2014 when 3,300 people signed up for a change in their lifestyle. Today, it has grown to a staggering 2,50,000. So, what are you waiting for? Take up the challenge and try going vegan.
Badapu Wambatu Maaluwa
-Recipe by Chef Lakshit Shetty, Hoppumm
Ingredients:
Brinjal: 50gm
Onion: 20gm
Green chili: 5gm
Garlic: 5gm
Cinnamon: 1 stick
Curry powder: 10gm
Turmeric: 2gm.
Chili powder: 5gm
Ginger: 5gm
Curry leaves: 3gm
Pandan leaf: 3gm
Mustard: 5gm
Coconut vinegar: 5ml
Coconut milk: 50ml
Coconut oil: 50ml
Salt to taste.
Method:
- Heat oil in a pan. Wash brinjal and cut into strips, deep fry until golden brown.
- Crush onion, ginger, garlic and green chili. Heat the pan and add 1tbs coconut oil, and fry onion, ginger, garlic, green chili for about a minute.
- Once they are sauteed well, add curry powder, turmeric, chili powder, curry leaves, pandan leaf and cinnamon and mix well.
- Next, add coconut milk, mustard, and coconut vinegar and cook for one more minute. Finally, add fried brinjal and salt to taste.
Paella Valenciana
-Recipe by Chef Harish Jadhav, Poco Loco Tapas & Bar
Ingredients:
Cebolla rice: 100 gm
Onion: 30 gm
Chopped garlic: 50 gm
Tomato sauce : 100 gm
Cayenne pepper, whole: 5 gm
Paella seasoning: 20 gm
Salt: as per taste
Smoked paprika: 10 gm
Red bell pepper: 15 gms
Green bell pepper: 15 gm
Yellow bell pepper: 15 gm
Mushroom: 20 gm
Baby corn: 20 gm
Broccoli: 20 gm
Saffron water: 20 ml
Parsley: 3 gm
Microgreens: 5 gm
Method:
- Saute onion, garlic in olive oil and add some Paella seasoning. Add tomato sauce and cayenne pepper and stir.
- Par boil the cebolla rice on the side for about 15 minutes. Add the rice to the tomato mixture. Add salt and smoked paprika and stir together.
- When the rice is almost cooked, add the saffron water made by soaking saffron in water. Add all the vegetables and let it cook in the paella pan for about 10 more minutes.
- Garnish with parsley and micro greens
Jowar Pita Pockets
-Recipe by Parvinder Singh, Garde Manger Cafe
Ingredients:
Pita pockets :
1/4 cup jowar flour
Salt to taste
For falafel:
1 ½ cups chickpeas, soaked
1 bunch coriander
2-3 onions, finely chopped
½ cup crushed peanuts
6 8 cloves of garlic
1 ½ tsp chilli flakes
Lemon & salt to taste
For hummus:
2 cups cooked chickpeas
6 to 7 cloves of garlic
10 jalapeno
1/2 cup Tahina paste
2 cup lime juice
For Cashew dressing
½ cup cashew
2 teaspoon mustard seeds & roasted powder
1 tsp pepper
3-4 cloves garlic
2 table sp chopped onions
Lemon juice
Salt to taste
Pickled carrot and beetroot sticks
Method:
- Sieve the jowar flour and salt together in a bowl. Add enough lukewarm water and knead into a soft dough. Divide the dough into equal portions and flatten each portion into a circle. Heat a non-stick tava and roast it on both sides till brown spots appear on both the sides.
- Grind the chickpeas, coriander together. Add all the other ingredients and make a thick tight batter.
- Shape them into tikkis or roll them into balls and roast them on the non stick pan. Add the cooked chickpeas and stock water in the mixer and add all the ingredients. Blend well along with lime juice and salt. Once everything is blended well, add the lime juice, salt and mix it well.
- For cashew mayonnaise, soak cashews in water for 3- 4 hours. Drain and wash. Blend all the cashew in mixture grinder and add all the ingredients.
Zoodle Pad Thai
-Recipe by Chef Subhash Shirke, The Pantry
Ingredients:
Peanut butter dressing:
60 gm
Zucchini zoodles: 200gm
Pink salt: 3gm
Fresh red paprika: 10 gm
Chilli flakes: 10gm
Salted peanuts: 10 gm
Mix of black & white sesame: 2gm
Lemon slice: Half
Microgreens: 6gm
For peanut dressing
salted peanut: 50gm
Tamarind paste: 10gm
Soya sauce: 3ml
Black jaggery: 5gm
Lemon juice: 2ml
Pink salt: 2 gm
Garlic peeled: 3 gm
Method:
- Deseed tamarind and boil itin 2 cups of water over low flame for 8-10 mins. let it cool.
- Mash the tamarind in water, strain through a metal colander and discard the fibers.
- Add garlic peels, roasted peanuts, jaggery, tamarind paste, soya sauce, salt in a grinder and grind it untilit has a medium coarse consistency. Now, add lemon juice and grind again until it forms a paste.
- In a bowl, take peanut dressing, lime juice, chilli flakes, salt and bit water and whisk, until it becomes thinner in texture.
- Mix the fresh zucchini zoodles with the dressing and toss it until all dressing is mixed properly.
- Place the zoodles in a fresh bowl, add salted peanuts, red paprika, sesame seeds & micro greens as garnish. Serve cold.
Avocado and silken tofu
-Recipe by Chef Altamsh Patel, The Park
Ingredients:
Avocado:1pc.
Silken tofu: 80gm
Orange and olive salsa
Fresh orange (pulp) chopped:1
Green olives, finely chopped: 30gm
Orange marmalade: 20gm
Sake:10ml
Mirin:10ml
Lemon juice:10ml
Salt: 5gm
Black pepper-5gm
Sake dressing recipe
Sake:30ml
Mirin:30ml
Sesame oil: 10ml
Olive oil: 40ml
Salt: 5gm
Black pepper: 5gm
Sugar: 8gm
Light soy: 10ml
Method:
- For the orange and olive salsa, chop orange pulp, olives. Add orange marmalade, sake, mirin, lemon juice, salt, black pepper powder. Mix all of the above ingredients.
- For Sake dressing, in a bowl, add sake, mirin, sesame oil, olive oil, salt, black pepper powder, sugar and light soy. Whisk all the ingredients well.
- For avocado and silken tofu carpaccio, thinly slice avocado and silken tofu and arrange on a plate. Dress with sake dressing.
- Sprinkle peri peri dust on thinly slice avocado and tofu, arranged on plate. Serve with orange and olive salsa.
