Yummy Vegan

Almond Red Tea Custard

Almond-Red Tea Custard
Take the unmistakable flavor of red tea, add in some almond milk, mango, maple syrup and you’ve got a dessert that can be summed up in one word: luscious.
servings: 12
ingredients 2 cups almond milk
3 red tea bags, or 3 teaspoons loose red tea in a tea strainer
1 block tofu
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel (orange part only)
1 cup finely diced mango
1/4 cup maple syrup

This custard is adaptable – it may also be made with black, green or white tea, and may be topped with berries or diced peach, nectarine, kiwi, or lychee instead of mango.
preparation

Preheat oven to 325°F. Bring almond milk to a boil; steep tea 4 to 5 minutes or until a desired tea flavor is reached. Meanwhile, whisk together grated tofu, sugar and salt in a medium bowl until blended. Very gradually whisk hot milk mixture into tofu mixture and stir until sugar is dissolved. If lumps appear, strain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl or pitcher. Stir in orange zest. Divide mixture between 6 ramekins or tea cups and bake in a water bath until set but still a bit jiggly when shaken, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool, then wrap and chill for at least 4 hours. To serve, gently stir together diced mango and maple syrup. Top custard and serve.

(Never before tried, but seems good to go, key is in crushing tofu right way)

mumbai vegans

There exist vegans in Mumbai, I may attend their next meet-up and if I do, I’ll tell you what I saw. I’m too lazy to be a vegan in India. And the soy milk has like 100 lbs of sugar in it. It’s totally gross.

Chili Cheese Toast

Alrighty vegans, get ready for the most delicious and Indian thing you’ve ever had. Grab your favorite fake vegan cheddar cheese or mozzarella will do too, whichever you prefer.

Spread some margarine on some bread. Add to it the faux cheese. Add to it sliced green chilis and sprinkle some sea salt on top. Add tomatoes and finely chopped parsley (coriander leaves preferred). TOAST it.

Eat for breakfast. Also a great alternative to garlic bread — this dish is readily available in Mumbai and is spectacular… not the vegan version obviously.

Being Vegan in India

Everyone in India drinks milk. Eats sweets made from ghee which is clarified butter and has a glass of buttermilk after lunch to help digest and also to keep cool.

Ice cream comes by the plentiful in India and it comes in rich natural fruit flavors and all such things. Paneer is the staple of most North Indian cuisine. It’s this rich ricotta/mozzarella like cheese that’s prepared in various succulent gravies and had out at restaurants.

Now, how is one supposed to maintain a completely with options such as these? Determination, love for the cows and creating plenty of alternative sources of proteins and balancing each meal right.

It’s going to be tough, but I plan on sticking to it.

Zaatar for life.

Zaa’tar, Zaatar is a spice blend that is eaten with fresh pita breads in the form of a sandwich throughout the Middle East. Originating in Lebanon, I had this for dinner last night and breakfast this morning. A salty, herby, satisfying sesame seed combination — great with hot fresh pita bread.

And it makes water taste a lot sweeter. But also, after eating it by itself, your mouth will naturally secrete sweetness and give you a calm aftertaste that most foods cannot.

Very enjoyable and a must-try when you come to this part of the world. But the spice is sold in several Middle Eastern markets in NYC as well.

Peanuts in jars are not always Jain

Make sure that if you’re eating peanuts that are roasted or salted you check the ingredients. Just in the past 2 days I’ve been offered peanuts that contained onions, spices and also some questionable chemical ingredients.

One was a no-name brand but the other jar was Planters.

So, once again, never take anything for face value. The peanuts will look as if they are plain but they are NOT! They have tons of additives and preservatives!

Yipes.