Vegan Banana Bread

Whenever I post the Vegan recipe, there is a considerable increase in the traffic. I don’t know the reason behind. Not just for the traffic, I am posting a vegan recipe again. This one for my vegetarian friends those who always ask for egg less cakes and bread recipes. 

Ingredients  :      1 banana mashed    ;     3/4cup of coconut milk      ;     1/4 cup coconut oil      ;     1/4 cup of sugar      ;     1/8 cup of warm water      ;     1 tsp of instant yeast   ;      1 ½ cup of whole wheat flour       ;      1 ¾ cup of all purpose flour    ;      1 tbsp of salt      ;    1 tbsp. of coconut milk (for brushing)  

Procedure :        In bowl add coconut milk, warm  water, sugar, yeast  and mix well.  Add salt, mashed banana, coconut oil, whole wheat flour and mix well. Add the all purpose flour little by little and knead until it become smooth and elastic dough but, not sticky. 

Shape it into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl and cover with damp cloth for about 2 hours or till it become double in volume.  Gently deflate the dough and shape the dough into a greased loaf tin or braid it. (It’s up to you to decide how many braided you need) cover the loaf with damp cloth for about an hour for a second raise. 

Add little sugar in 1 tbsp. of coconut milk (non vegans can add 1 tbsp. of honey instead of sugar) mix well and brush it on the top of bread. Transfer the loaf pan into 180°C pre-heated oven and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes or till the bread is nice brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped. 

Vegan chocolate macarons

 

My first macaron post was in 2014. After I didn’t post any because, it’s quite labor intensive and need a good skill to get a right consistency. Otherwise it will be like a cookie.  (My first Vegan sweet recipe is here)

As I mentioned earlier post, two light, fragile, crispy cookies are stacked together with sweet filling like, jam, chocolate or cream.

The major ingredient for macarons is Egg white. But, here the egg white is replaced with chickpeas water. After seeing this vegan at Aileen post,  I could not resist myself and wanted to try and it turns out pretty good, light, fragile, chewy (not crispy) macarons.  (My first Vegan sweet recipe is here)

Ingredients     :    2 cups chickpeas water (soaked overnight, pressure cooked it with water and drain the water )           ;              1/2 cup of light brown sugar          ;         1 cup of almond flour                  ;                   1/2 cup of powdered sugar                ;            1/4 cup of coco powder             ;           1 tsp of vanilla essence.

 

Filling   :    100gms of melted chocolate       ;        1 tsp of coconut oil         ;        2 to 3 tbsp of coconut milk

 

Decoration :  melted white chocolate & chocolate.

In a small saucepan, bring chickpea liquid to a boil.  Simmer the burner and wait to reduce chickpea water to about 1/3 cup.

Meanwhile, combine the almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder well and transfer the mix into sift. Crush the large chunks if any and sift. Divide the flour mix into three equal parts.

Once your chickpea liquid has reduced, pour it into your stand mixer bowl and whisk at medium speed for about 2 minutes or until to get frothy and foamy. Add brown sugar and beat at high speed for 5 minutes or until the mixture should look like a meringue with stiff, glossy peaks.  

Add vanilla and beat further for 1 more minute. When your meringue is done, add one part of flour mix and fold well and repeat for other two parts. If batter id dry add a teaspoon or two of vanilla into the batter. 

Make sure to get shiny, thick, firm batter consistency. Transfer the batter into the piping bag that attached with half inch hole. Hold the hold the bag upright at a 90 degree angle, and make your own shape or circle shaped macarons on a cookie sheet spread baking tray. Smack the cookie sheets gently few times to release any air bubbles, if any.

Allow the macrons to dry for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Preheat the oven to 120°c and bake the macarons for about 30 minutes and turn of the oven and allow the macarons to sit in the oven for further 15 minutes and allow cool at outside.

Meanwhile, let’s do the filling mix melted chocolate with coconut oil and coconut milk and using  tablespoon, spread chocolate cream on the on the macron and grab another macarons and sandwich them together.

Gajar Halwa or Carrot Halwa (Vegan Version)

When I met Mrs.P V in 2013, she claims that she is a Vegan and explained me the difference between Vegetarian, Eggtarian, and Vegan. Till that time, I never had any idea about Vegan.

She explained me with details..................Vegetarians are those who do not eat meat, fish, poultry or Egg. 

Eggtarians, addition to being vegetarian they also consume Eggs in their diet. 

The Vegans, in addition to being vegetarian, they do not use any animal products and by-products such as eggs, dairy products, honey, leather, fur, silk, wool, cosmetics, and soaps.

Though, Mrs.PV is a Vegan, she regularly visits my blog and tried my recipe for her friend and family. She also shares her view by writing long mails, at the end with a vegan recipe request. In fact, she was the one to congratulate / inform me about my 100^th post! Till that, I didn’t realize, I have done so much!

In return, I wanted to thank / surprise her on this Diwali (Deepavali) for posting Carrot Halwa  (Vegan ver).  Also I take this opportunity to wish her and all my followers, reader, friends and co-bloggers to a very happy & prosperous Diwali.

Ingredient :  4 cups of  grated carrot     ;     2 cup of coconut milk (refer the link)     ;        ½ cup of coconut cream  (refer the link)     ;      4 tbsp of sugar      ;      ½ tsp of cardamom powder         ;       1 to 2 tbsp of coconut oil      ;     1 tbsp of chopped cashews  (fried in coconut oil)

Peel and then grate the carrots either with a hand held grater or in a food processor. In a thick bottom pan, add the grated carrots, coconut milk and coconut cream and keep the pan on med heat burner. 

Stir, occasionally. Cook the carrot till froth and bring the burner into low flame. Keep stirring and scraping the sides of the pan, until the coconut milk is fully absorbed. 

Add the sugar (since coconut and carrots are naturally have sugar, just 4tbsp would suffice) and continue to stir on low flame till the mixture starts to thicken and sugar fully dissolved.

Now, slowly add coconut oil till the halwa looks shinny and the oil start separate from the halwa. Sprinkle the chopped, fried cashews and cardamom. Serve either hot or chilled.

Note : for non-vegans and those who do not want coconut oil, you can substitute the coconut oil with Clarified butter (Ghee)