We often have vegan potlucks in open public gardens and sometimes people bring along their dogs that are being raised on a plant-based diet. Whenever this happens, I try to get something special for them coz vegan doggies are the sweetest 🙂

I made this cake for the vegan fur-babes Karma (white), Legacy (golden brown), and Sultan (black & white) who honored me by happily devouring it all up! Ah, the heart-warming fulfillment of watching these innocent beings enjoy something I lovingly made for them… pure bliss!

The much-hyped “Dilli ki sardi” is here, and so are our beloved “winter veggies” like carrot, broccoli, mushroom, sweet potato, and a wide variety of greens. This is the season to load up on healthy and wholesome vegetable soups, hearty stuffed parathe, and of course, the much-loved dessert, gajar ka halwa or gajrela.

I love all kinds of homemade Indian sweets but what I especially love about this beloved winter delicacy is that it’s so easy to make dairy-free! Any of the “regular” recipes can be easily veganized by replacing the dairy milk/condensed milk/ghee with vegan alternatives. I personally prefer this method, in which the carrots are cooked with sugar until tender and lightly caramelized before mixing in the cashew “mawa.” Do try and share your results 🙂

I was never a “cheese person” so I never missed it after going vegan. However, my best friend, who once *loved* cheesy pizzas and pasta, definitely did. I started experimenting with cashew cheese recipes so that they could have an alternative. After a few trials (and some “errors”), this recipe happened which finally earned my “picky eater” friend’s vote of approval: “Tum aaj kal achcha cheese bana leti ho!” 

Yayy 🙂 Thanks, sweetheart, for kindling in me a love for vegan cooking!

From what I remember, this cashew cheese spread has a texture and flavor that kinda reminds me of the “garlic” and “pepper” variants of Amul cheese spread.  It’s smooth, creamy, savory, and so easy to make!

“Where do vegans get their calcium from?”

You know the drill. If you have been vegan for any length of time, there is no way you’d have escaped this question! Actually, there are numerous plant-based sources of calcium available (ever wonder from where do horses, elephants, rhinos, and hippos get their calcium? *hint: plants*)

Sesame seeds are amongst the richest sources of calcium (Google for more details). I like to add freshly ground sesame seeds to my smoothies, chilla batter, and roti dough.

It was a cold winter day in January when we first brought home Eddie, our new puppy. He was a “pure-breed double-coated” German Shepherd, one of the eight pups born to Elsa, a docile bitch *owned* by a hobby breeder. To acquire this trophy pup, dad paid Rs. 3000, a princely sum in the mid-1990s. It was a very exciting time for my little brother, “K”, and me—our dream of getting a “pet” dog had finally come true! But… something about the entire situation felt wrong; what, my preteen mind couldn’t yet pinpoint.

Eddie cried throughout the first night he was with us. He was probably missing his mother, the warmth of her body, the comfort of suckling her teats, the company of his siblings. He was, after all, just an infant, albeit of a different species! Then it struck me why something felt wrong: a tiny baby, not even a month old, had been taken away from his mother and sold to strangers! Nonetheless, my parents did their best in raising him. The pup was taken to the best vet in the city and arrangements were made for him to have a comfortable life. Due care was taken regarding his food and vaccinations.

A few weeks passed. It was peak winter. One day, while playing with our naughty little fur-ball, K blurted out of the blue, “We should have adopted a puppy from the streets, no? Eddie would have found a home anyway!”

Continued from Meet the Mascot—Part I

Sometime in May 2015, the mule came to the notice of a kind-hearted human. One thing led to another, and soon she was bundled up on a jeep carrier and transported to the Peepal Farm, an organic farm and stray animal recovery center in Dhanotu which is run by a group of vegans who are committed to helping animals.

Bela. That’s what the folks at the farm named the traumatized and fearful mule. Now, for the first time in her life, she was recognized as an individual. For the first time, she experienced love at the hands of humans, a species that had so far only tormented her. She thrived under the watchful care she was receiving and blossomed into a content, sweet-natured, and trusting individual.

There are numerous varieties of plant-based curds for us to enjoy! While the most common variants of dairy-free curds call for soy, peanuts, or cashews, it is very much possible to make a soy-free, nut-free, peanut-free and yet absolutely delicious vegan curd!

It was my friend Preeti Kapasi who first introduced me to the idea of melon seed & rice curd. Check out her original recipe here on her blog Vegan Foodsteps—one that has both the vegans and the non-vegans going gaga! It’s truly versatile and can be used in a number of sweet and savory dishes. A certified crowd-pleaser!

There are loads of vegan curd recipes on blogs and YouTube channels out there. Most of the online recipes use store-bought non-dairy curd as the starter. But… what if you don’t have the option of buying any vegan curd off the shelves in your local supermarket, as is the case in most Indian cities?

Relax! There are numerous ways of making your own vegan curd starter at home with some easily available ingredients.

Here are 5+ methods—all tried and tested—for you to try!

Today, I am sharing yet another method of making vegan curd starter at home! The thing is, you can make a curd starter out of almost anything. I learned about the various methods of making a curd starter from FB posts and comments—a big thank you to everyone who shares their curd-making adventures online!

This one is a super-simple method and works so well. So, if making vegan dahi has been on your to-do list for quite some time, just make a batch of this starter and get going!!

If you ask me, this one is the tastiest of all the varieties of vegan curd I’ve ever eaten! However, due to the cost factor—cashews aren’t cheap—I don’t make this regularly. This is more like an occasional weekend treat for me 🙂

If you love curd or have loved ones who do, then do try this some time. It’s really versatile and works well in all kinds of dishes that call for dairy curd—both savory and sweet.

And please do make it if you’ve vegan guests coming over for lunch. They’d definitely love you more for making this for them 😀