The 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of the East: 150 Asian-Inspired Recipes--from Soba Noodles to Summer Rolls (8 page)

MANGO LASSI

Lassis, both sweet and salty, are a popular yogurt-based drink throughout India. Dairy yogurt lovers frequently find soy-based yogurts to be a far cry from the original. Thankfully, there are coconut-milk-based yogurts that create the epic flavors of this drink. Combined with the tropical mango, this beverage may have you chanting Hare Krishna in no time.

1. Place the mango, yogurt, lemon juice, and ice cubes in a blender and blend on high speed for 20 to 30 seconds, until smooth and even.

2. Taste and add agave nectar, if using, as desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

VANILLA CARDAMOM ROSE LASSI

Three great tastes that taste great together. This recipe can be used as the base for any kind of lassi you can dream up. Any or all of the three flavor ingredients (cardamom, rose, and vanilla) can be omitted for a plain lassi or exchanged for your desired flavors.

1. Place all of the ingredients except the ice water in a blender and blend on high speed for 20 to 30 seconds, or until smooth and even.

2. Taste and, if desired, add ice water to thin the mixture. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

WARM CARDAMOM MILK

You can make even quicker work of this recipe by using 4 cups of store-bought rice milk instead of making your own as in this recipe. But if you enjoy this beverage as much as we do, you’ll save a lot of packaging and have a fresher product by following the recipe as it is. Either way is a win for you! Warm cardamom milk is such a soothing, nurturing, warming way to end a busy day.

1. In a blender on high speed, blend the rice and water for 40 to 60 seconds or until a white liquid forms. Note: If you have a powerful blender, be sure not to overblend. If the rice is ground too fine it will not strain out and the milk will turn out very thick.

2. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, into a pot. Place the pot on the stove over low heat. Add the cardamom seeds and allow the mixture to heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the flavor of the cardamom has been well released, stirring occasionally.

3. Whisk in your desired sweetener and serve warm. If you prefer, you may strain out the cardamom seeds, but it is not necessary to do so.

For our chutney recipes, we consulted with our friend and resident Indian food expert, Vi Herbert (see inset on page 42). Chutneys are the condiment of choice in India. They are exceedingly flavorful and typically spicy. Here we provide a few different versions for your culinary enjoyment. Try them alongside any of the Indian dishes in this section. They go particularly well with Samosas (page 7) and dosas (page 21).

MINT CILANTRO CHUTNEY

Remove the mint leaves from the stems. Place the leaves in a blender or food processor with the remaining ingredients. Process until smooth. Store in a glass container in a refrigerator for up to 3 days.

TOMATO CHUTNEY

1. Place the tomatoes in a blender and blend until pureed.

2. Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly until they pop. Add the turmeric and onion and sauté for 3 more minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Add the curry leaves, garlic, ginger, chile, salt, and garam masala and sauté for 3 more minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomato puree, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Add the coconut milk and cilantro, lower the heat to low, and cook for 2 minutes.

ROASTED GARLIC CHUTNEY

1. Place the sesame oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the shredded coconut and coconut milk, stir well, and remove from the heat.

2. In another pan, dry-roast the coriander seeds and dried chile over low heat for 2 minutes, until a pleasant aroma is released. Remove from the heat. Grind in a spice grinder or blender.

3. Place everything together in a food processor or blender and pulse chop until you have a chunky and well combined chutney. Optionally, you can puree it smooth.

CUCUMBER MINT RAITA

Raita is a yogurt-based sauce that is served as a condiment with Indian meals. It has a cooling effect on the palate and is the perfect balance to the spiciness of curries and other favorite Indian dishes. Add a small dollop to your feast, which may include Mulligatawny (page 3), Cauliflower Chickpea Subji (page 19), Tempeh Vindaloo (page 28), and Rice Pilau (page 9).

1. Place the cumin and coriander in a small sauté pan over high heat. Stir constantly for about a minute or until the cumin turns golden brown and a pleasant aroma is released.

2. Add to a large bowl with the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Why not impress yourself and create your own spice blends for the freshest flavors? Here are two of the more popular blends we use throughout the India section. These recipes create just over ⅓ cup each. Feel free to double or triple the recipe depending on how fast you plan to go through them. Store in a glass jar. For maximum freshness, use within a month.

CURRY SPICE BLEND

Here is a simple base recipe for curry powder. Create your own blends by experimenting with the variations and altering the quantities.

3 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon mustard powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Whisk all of the ingredients together and store in a glass container.

GARAM MASALA BLEND

There are more variations of garam masala than there are rickshaw drivers in New Delhi. And there are a lot of rickshaw drivers in New Delhi! Try altering the spices and quantities to come up with your own signature blend.

2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, optional