It’s Diwali here in India and over this coming weekend,
so many homes will light up with lamps, lanterns and colourful lights. It is also when
kitchens will be bustling with all the sweets and savouries being made to bring
in the festival. I come from a South Indian family and the sweet stuff made in
traditional kitchens involve some form of dairy. So how does a vegan get around this festival of Diwali surrounded by not-so-vegan sweets?
The recipes in this E-Book cover everything from Mysore Pak, Nan Khatai, Sandesh, Kaju Katli to Rasgulla, Rasmalai, Coconut Barfi and more! The recipes are easy to follow and must be doubled when you make it because it’ll be over before you know it.
If you have eaten a Mysore Pak you should know that if you eat more than two pieces of the one with ghee (clarified butter) it’s going to leave you feeling sick with a sugar high. The best part about making and eating vegan Mysore Pak is that you can enjoy the taste and texture of the Mysore Pak without feeling heavy or sick after stuffing yourself (read myself) with the whole batch.
And that brings me to what this post is about. Richa Hingle
the super talented kitchen goddess and brilliant photographer behind Vegan Richa has made things easier for people like me looking to make vegan
traditional sweet-treat recipes this Diwali. She has put together a lovely e-book
called Vegan Diwali Sweets. The e-book is for sale for $5 (which is a steal)
and ALL the proceeds will be donated to two animal welfare organisations, one
of which is in India working for animals affected by the Cyclone Phailin and
the other to PeacePigs Sanctuary.
The recipes in this E-Book cover everything from Mysore Pak, Nan Khatai, Sandesh, Kaju Katli to Rasgulla, Rasmalai, Coconut Barfi and more! The recipes are easy to follow and must be doubled when you make it because it’ll be over before you know it.
I tried the recipe for the Mysore Pak (Chickpea fudge
squares) because that was something I ate a lot before I turned vegan. I was so
well known in my family for my love of Mysore Pak that whenever my uncle used
to travel to Coimbatore, the headquarters of the most famous makers of Mysore
Pak - Sri Krishna Sweets, he used to make it a point to get me a box of Mysore
Pak. My uncle passed away a few years ago and when Richa asked me if I wanted
to take part in the blog tour of her E-Book, I thought making Mysore Pak is my way
of remembering him and everything he did to make my day when he brought me the
Mysore Pak back then. It is also my way (through Richa's recipe, of course) of showing you all that in spite of choosing this lifestyle, almost any food can be adapted and can still taste absolutely delicious.
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| The colour of my Mysore Pak is not as yellow as Richa’s because I used unbleached brown sugar to make it. I also made thinner squares. |
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| Perfect texture! |
Richa is generous enough to share her recipe of Amaranth
Burfi with the world wide web. Try it and tell her how (delicious) it turned out.
Makes 15-20 . Easily doubled
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Amaranth flour(Rajgira atta)
1/2 loaded cup dried coconut flakes. Pulse in a blender a few times to make coarse flour.
a generous pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon chai masala (or cardamom powder)
6-7 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon oil (optional)
Method:
In a wide pan, add the amaranth flour and heat on medium heat.
Dry roast until the flour gets fragrant and changes color. 5-7 minutes.
Reduce heat to low-medium. Add coconut flakes, salt, oil and chai masala/cardamom. Roast for another 1-2 minutes so the coconut flakes release some oil. Mix well.
Add the maple syrup mix into the flour mixture to get a very soft dough consistency. Use more for a soft sticky dough or less for just about all together dough for crumbly Burfi.
Add the oil, keep mixing and cook for a minute. The dough will become less sticky.
Transfer the dough onto parchment and flatten it out using a spatula or hands. Top with coconut flakes or almond slivers or pistachio slivers.
Let cool for a bit, then cut up into desired shapes. Cool and store in airtight container for a few days.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Amaranth flour(Rajgira atta)
1/2 loaded cup dried coconut flakes. Pulse in a blender a few times to make coarse flour.
a generous pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon chai masala (or cardamom powder)
6-7 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon oil (optional)
Method:
In a wide pan, add the amaranth flour and heat on medium heat.
Dry roast until the flour gets fragrant and changes color. 5-7 minutes.
Reduce heat to low-medium. Add coconut flakes, salt, oil and chai masala/cardamom. Roast for another 1-2 minutes so the coconut flakes release some oil. Mix well.
Add the maple syrup mix into the flour mixture to get a very soft dough consistency. Use more for a soft sticky dough or less for just about all together dough for crumbly Burfi.
Add the oil, keep mixing and cook for a minute. The dough will become less sticky.
Transfer the dough onto parchment and flatten it out using a spatula or hands. Top with coconut flakes or almond slivers or pistachio slivers.
Let cool for a bit, then cut up into desired shapes. Cool and store in airtight container for a few days.
Go and get yourself a copy of the E-Book! It’s more than
worth it!
Have a blissful and colourful Diwali! Be kind!
