Palak Tempeh (Tempeh in Spinach Tomato Curry)! Vegan

Palak Paneer/Saag Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese in Spinach or other greens curry) used to be one of the weekend quick fixes. Now since cheese is out of the picture, I tried the curry with some Tempeh. This is another creamy curry which is very versatile. You can add Tofu to it as well, and some peas and whole cashews.

Saag is the greens curry base which is exactly the same recipe without the tempeh. Saag is sometimes serves as is, or with other additions like Potatoes, Paneer(cottage cheese), garbanzo beans, vegetable fritters(Kofta), tofu or tempeh.

The curry picture is a little less green than what the curry should look like because the pictures are from when my refrigerator conked out and I had to throw all my frozen spinach. So I used about 1.5 cups of fresh spinach which was not enough to add to the green.We make this curry often for a quick dinner and hence never enough time to take pictures.!

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups spinach chopped (fresh or frozen thawed)
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 Serrano green chili
• 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon raw sugar or sweetner
• 1 teaspoon kashmiri garam masala or regular garam massala (or 1/4 teaspoon each of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and cardamom powder and 1 bay leaf)
• 4 oz organic tempeh( about 3/4 cup chopped)
• 2 Tablespoons cashews soaked for an hour (more or less depending on how creamy you want the curry)
• 1/4 teaspoon asofetida (hing)
• 1 cup water or more for desired consistency
• 2 teaspoons oil

Directions:

1. Blend the spinach, garlic, ginger, chili pepper and tomatoes with a little water into a smooth puree and keep aside.
2. Blend the cashews separately with little water to make cashew cream.
3. In a large pan, add oil and heat on medium.
4. Add the spices and asofetida and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add in the spinach puree, salt and sugar and mix well.
6. Add in the chopped tempeh pieces and cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes until the spinach curry thickens and starts to leave the edges.
7. Add in the cashew cream and water for desired curry consistency. Taste and adjust salt and spices.
8. Cook for another 6-7 minutes on medium low till the curry comes to a boil.
9. Serve hot with with Indian flat breads like Rotis or naans, some sliced tomato salad and pickles! Other variations: Use 1 cup spinach and 1 cup mustard or collard greens!.

Chocolate Cake! Vegan

Oh Yeah Part Deux..!:) After the yummy mango chutney in the earlier post.. It is time for a moist, crumbly chocolate cake! No butter, no eggs.. Organic fair trade cocoa powder.. and an apple!

I have to make a molten chocolate cake too! ..look out for that one soon!. This one is simple with some apple to add moisture. You can add some strawberries or some zucchini instead too!

Makes 1 mini loaf 5x2 inches

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoons flax seed meal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1/2 medium ripe apple
• 4 Tablespoons high fat oil (I used 2 Tbsp organic canola oil and 2 Tbsp Coconut oil)
• 5-6 Tablespoons raw sugar or equivalent jaggery or other sweetener.
• 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder (I have organic fair trade unsweetened non alkaline, reduce cocoa powder if you like less dark cake )
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6-8 Tablespoons warm water or non dairy milk
• chocolate chips(optional, I dint use any, you can add some to the batter for melted chips in the cake!)

Directions:

1. In a blender, add chopped apple, flax meal, vinegar, sugar, vanilla extract, oil and 6 Tablespoons warm water.
2. Blend into a smooth puree and keep aside.
3. In a bowl, mix the flours, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and cocoa powder.
4. Add in the apple puree and mix till just about combined. If the mixture doesnt become moist and pasty , add more water. The water content need depends on the water content of the apple. The batter does not need to be smooth and runny.
5. Grease a mini loaf and pour the batter in it.
6. Top with some oats and bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the Middle comes out clean.
7. Or top it off with some chocolate cream.. Blend some avocado, a couple of teaspoons of cocoa powder and maple syrup to get a cream. Adjust sweetness and layer it on the cake!
8. I am craving some caramel frosting actually.!:) Have an awesome day!

Sending this to Girlichef's Friday Potluck and Harini's Only Baked Event and Amee's Fit and fabulous Fridays

Spicy Mango Chutney. Vegan

This is one addictive chutney. You can tweak the chutney according to taste for sweetness, sourness, spice level etc. Use it as a dip with chips or toasts, as a side with a regular meal.. Make a curry out it with some cashew cream and add Tempeh or Veggies to it and find yourself with a fantastical Mango curry right from a good Indian Restaurant! There's lots more to do with it.. Let me know if you have other ideas to use up this chutney.

This is my version of the Major Grey Mango chutney. You can can it and preserve it for months or refrigerate it for weeks. Adjust sugar content to taste, more if you want to make it into a preserve and can it for longer, less if using soon and if your mango is already nicely ripe.

Ingredients: makes about 2/3 cup.

• 1 teaspoon organic high fat oil ( I used organic canola. coconut would work too)
• 1 diced champagne mango or large mango preferable ripe
• 1/2 inch ginger grated
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes or 1 broken dry red chili (adjust to taste)
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 2 Tablespoon Raw sugar or equivalent jaggery or packed brown sugar or other sweetener. (adjust to taste less or more)
• 2 Tablespoons golden raisins
• 1/8 teaspoon each of cinnamon, clove, cardamom, nutmeg powders (add or remove spices according to taste.). Can also use 1/4 teaspoon of Kashmiri Garam Masala

Directions:

1. In a large non stick or non-reactive pot, add oil and heat on low, swirl to spread on the bottom.
2. Add all ingredients and mix well.
3. Cook on medium-low heat and bring to a rolling boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until thick, about 25 minutes.
4. Stir frequently to keep from sticking.
5. Taste for sweet, sour, spice levels, adjust spices, mix well and take off heat after another minute.
6. Let cool before canning.

This chutney is headed to Ricki's Wellness Weekend Event.. Check out some super healthy recipes on dietdessertsdogs! and headed to Traditional Tuesdays !

Meal Series: Phukein, chole/chana masala and roti! (Green onions and potatoes, Garbanzo Bean Curry and Indian Flat Bread)

Heres another simple indian meal! Beans, veggies and whole grain bread!!

The ever present Garbanzo bean/Chickpea curry(everyday Chole/Chana Masala) and a current favorite, served with green onion and potatoes subzi and Whole wheat Roti.

Some of the Garbanzo beans curry(Chole) recipes that I've posted before.

Everyday Chole (Everyday Chana Masala curry)

Imli Chole (Sweet and sour Tamarind Chickpeas)

Palak Chole (Garbanzo beans/Chickpea curry with spinach)

Kadhai Chole (Garbanzo beans/Chickpea curry cooked in a deep pot)

Our usual simple whole wheat Indian flat bread(Roti or Chapati). How to make your own Roti. Substitute clarified butter with high fat oil in the given link's recipe.

Of course, we eat a lot of indian food:) A huge percentage of Indian food from all different parts of India is already Vegetarain and hence easily veganized!. It just comes naturally to us and makes life simpler! Eat well balanced Indian meals and you wont have to worry about nutrition! Grains, beans, veggies, and salads!

Phukein or Spiced Green Onion and Potatoes dry preparation.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium organic potatoes chopped
• 2 cups chopped green onions
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 green chili chopped or red chili flakes to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 teaspoon organic canola oil

Directions:

1. In a medium deep pan, add the oil and heat on medium heat for a minute.
2. Add in the cumin seeds and let them cook for a few seconds.
3. Add in the garlic and chili and cook for a minute.
4. Add in the potatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes, covered on low-medium heat.
5. Add in the green onions, turmeric and a little salt and cook for 10-15 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally until potatoes are well cooked.
6. Serve hot topped with chopped cilantro leaves! Serve as part of meal with any lentil curry(Daal), or beans curry, or other soups/stews, Indian bread(Roti) and salad or any indian pickle.(my current favorite is the punjabi raw mango pickle)
7. Another way to make this, is with Boiled potatoes. Add the boiled potatoes to the pan at Step 4.
8. Mix well to coat. Add in the green onions as well along with the salt and turmeric and mix well. Cook on low heat for 6-8 minutes since the potatoes are already cooked. The green onions look fresher and retain their shape when cooked this way! Have a fun day!

Pasta with Spicy Blackened Tempeh and Cilantro Almond Pesto!

Another quick pasta.. and another creamy pesto. If you dont like cilantro much, substitute that with basil!

Topped with right off the grill Blackened Tempeh strips for the meat eater's craving!. Add or change anything you like! I'll let the pictures and the recipe do the talking..

Ingredients:

Tempeh Marinade:

• Tempeh strips(used about 4 oz of the flax and soy organic tempeh)
• 1/2 teaspoon cajun spice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder or Cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Cilantro almond Pesto:

• 2/3 cup almonds soaked for overnight(or soaked half an hour and then nuked for 1 minute 2 times in the microwave)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2-3 cups cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 Serrano chili pepper or to taste
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2-3 Tablespoons water
• Other:
• Elbows or any pasta, 2 cups cooked, cooked as per instructions on the package. (I found a big elbows package which needs to be finished up, hence elbows in most dishes;)
• 1 medium tomato sliced

Directions:

1. Cut up the tempeh in 1/2 inch strips.
2. Mix in all the ingredients of the marinade and rub over the tempeh. Use more or less marinade, according to preference. Keep for atleast half an hour. Also use the spices according to taste. We like our tempeh a bit spicy.
3. In a small deep non stick pan(can use grill pan too), add some canola oil and heat at medium heat, and arrange the tempeh.
4. Add in 2/3 cup water or just about to reach the tops of the strips and cook covered on Low heat for 10-12 minutes.
5. Flip the strips and cook for another 10 minutes. The water should have been absorbed by the tempeh. Keep cooking on the same pan to blacken the strips a little or grill them in any which way, for a few minutes till preferred blackened effect! Cook the tempeh right before serving so it is hot and sizzling!
6. Cook the pasta according to instruction and keep aside.
7. For the pesto, blend the almonds, cilantro, chili, garlic cloves, salt and olive oil into a smooth paste. Use some water if necessary.
8. Toss the pasta in the pesto and top it off with the hot blackened Tempeh and some tomato slices!.
9. Drop some extra pesto, some chopped cilantro, chili flakes or anything you fancy on top! Quick sizzling Meal!
10. Other sauces like a garlicky tomato basil, or a creamy chipotle (cashew cream+chipotle peppers) would work with the blackened Tempeh too! Have a fun Monday!

Sending this to My Legume Love Affair, created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook and hosted this month by Susan herself.

Mango Beet Spiced Cooler!

Yay, its finally hitting 80 deg F in Seattle today.. Oops.. I think its going to be lower tomorrow again.. meh

But thats seattle.. I like the 70s, just the right amount of heat and cool air without burning u up!

Heres another cool fruit drink combination that I tried the other day. A little beet in the usual Mango cooler! This cooler keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days without any change in taste. I like these cooked fruit drinks esp for the mornings, when I am short on time to make fresh juices or smoothies!

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 medium mango
• 1/2 medium beet peeled and chopped
• 8-10 mint leaves , or dry mint or basil to taste
• 2-3 cups of water
• 2 Tablespoons raw sugar or jaggery
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon rock salt(kala namak) or 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

Directions:

1. In a pressure cooker or a deep pan, add beet, peeled chopped mango, mint leaves, salt, sugar, rock salt or lemon juice, cumin powder, and water enough to cover the fruit.
2. Pressure cook for 1 whistle, or boil for 15-20 minutes until mango is soft and cooked.
3. Blend the mixture when cool and adjust salt, sugar and rock salt(rock salt adds a nice sour taste).
4. Add more or less water according to preference. For super hot days, add more chilled water to get a watery version... quick rehydration! Keep it thick and smoothie like for a filling breakfast!
5. Serve chilled topped with fresh mint leaves! Or add a splash of your favorite liquor !
6. Wish you all a Happy Summer!. Stay safe and dont leave your pets in the car! They are better off at home than getting roasted in a 140 deg F car!

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies! Part Deux! Vegan

Ok, heres the new and improved Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies.. which you will not be able to keep for anyone else... believe you me!

Nut butters are the key to getting soft and yummylicious cookies! And all the goodness,vit e, protein, b vitamins, fibre and what not! Not in your regular butter!

Ingredients: 6-8 cookies

• 2 Tablespoons Raw turbinado sugar or jaggery
• 1.5 Tablespoon agave syrup
• 1 teaspoon flax meal
• 1 Tablespoon hot water
• 1.5 Tablespoon roasted almond butter (Homemade nut butter recipes)
• 1 Tablespoon Organic Canola Oil or coconut oil(coconut oil will add a slight coconutty taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cranberries
• 1/2 -2/3 cup oats
• 1/2 cup self rising flour (can be substituted by all purpose flour + 1/4 teaspoon baking powder)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix the flax meal and hot water and let sit for a minute.
2. Add in the room temperature almond butter, oil, sugar and agave syrup and mix well by hand or by hand mixer until the mixture feels light. The almond I used was store bought and it takes a while to mix up.
3. Add in 1/2 cup oats, salt, cinnamon powder and lemon juice and a little flour(1/4 cup) and mix till just about combined. Add in more oats and flour if needed to get gooey muffin mixture kind of consistency, Or a very sticky dough. If you added too much flour or oatmeal and the mixture looks like a stiff dry dough, then add in a little oil and or lemon juice to make it gooey. (If the dough is stiff and not sticky, the cookies might come out too hard)
4. Oil hands or tablespoon and pick up tablespoon full dough, drop them and flatten on parchment paper. Thinner the better.!
5. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 10-11 minutes(add minutes depending on the thickness of the cookie). The cookies should Not be runny or liquidy. They might look wet because of the shiny oil, but check with toothpick to confirm they are not squishy. They cook quite easily esp because there is no egg!
6. Take cookies off baking tray and cool on rack for a few minutes!
7. Store in airtight container for a week or so. Let me know how yours turn out!
8. Have a fun Week! and Yay for 200 likes on my Facebook page! Please like and share if you havent yet! :)

This one is headed to Girlichef's Friday Potluck! and Amee's Fit ad Fabulous Fridays.

Broccoli and Zucchini in onion and pickle spices curry! Vegan

Achari Broccoli and Zucchini! We usually make Achari Baingan (Eggplant in pickle curry) or Achari Gobi(Cauliflower in pickle spices). I had to finish the wilting broccoli, so I tried this combination and it worked pretty well!

The curry is onion based and spices usually used in Indian pickles! This same curry can be used to make stuffed or stirfried baby eggplants(baingan), okra(bhindi) or bitter gourd(Karela)!. Just the spices can be roasted and powdered and added to any dry vegetable preparation as well! Hope you all like it!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2/3 medium onion chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds(saunf)
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds(dhania)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds(jeera)
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds(methi)
• 1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds(kalonji)
• 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds(khus khus)
• 1 dry red chili or to taste
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 cup small broccoli florets
• 2/3 cup chopped zucchini
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar or jaggery (optional)

Directions:

1. In a medium pan heat 2 teaspoons oil at medium low.
2. Add in the onions and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Add in fennel, coriander, cumin, poppy, fenugreek, nigella seeds, chopped ginger and the dry red chili and cook on medium low till the onions turn golden. Add more or less spices depending on taste preference.
4. Cool the onion mixture a bit and blend with a little water into a blended puree.
5. In the same pan, add a little oil and the onion puree.
6. Add in the broccoli and zucchini, salt and sugar and mix well to coat.
7. Cook for 25-35minutes on low, stirring occasionally until the curry thickens and veggies well cooked.
8. Serve hot with Rotis, puris or Naan!(Indian flat breads)

This yummy fusion curry is headed to Ricki's Wellness Week at Diet Dessert and Dogs!

Mung Bean Sprouts sauteed with spices. Vegan Glutenfree Breakfast

Mung Bean(green gram) sprouts are the go to sprouts for some protein filled breakfast or evening snack in Ma's home.. and now mine too.

A quick saute with minimal spices, or a salad with chopped cucumber and lemon juice, or just a curried version to eat as dip with flat bread.

Other whole beans/lentils like red lentils(Masoor), black eyed peas(Raungi/Chavli), bengal gram(chana) and chickpeas can be sprouted and added to salads or served this way as well.

This is the quick stir fry with some spices, and tomatoes.

Method:

I soaked the Mung beans overnight then covered with a damp paper towel and loose lid.

Dampen the towel and rinse the beans twice a day. It took 2 days for long sprouts.

In a pan, heat a teaspoon of organic canola oil, add 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder or coriander powder, a generous pinch of turmeric and chili flakes or chili powder and cook for half a minute.
Add in a few Tablespoons of chopped onion and saute on medium for a minute.

Add in chopped tomato(1 tomato) and cook for 2 minutes.

Add in the sprouts, and salt to taste and mix well.

Cook on low-medium heat, covered,  for 2 to 10 minutes depending on how cooked you want the sprouts to be.

Serve hot topped with fresh cilantro leaves and lemon juice. with a cup a hot tea.

Other toppings.. chopped cucumber or chopped onions or chopped apple.

Have a fun day.

Here is some nutrition data for raw or cooked Mung bean sprouts!

http://www.livestrong.com/article/266522-mung-bean-sprouts-nutrition/

One cup of raw mung bean sprouts contains only 31 calories and 3 grams of protein. One cup also contains 43 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin K, 23 percent of the daily value of vitamin C, 16 percent of the daily value of folate and 10 percent of the daily value of manganese.

One cup of sprouted mung beans boiled in water without salt and drained contains 26 calories and 3 grams of protein. When the mung beans are cooked, the vitamin K content drops to 35 percent of the recommended daily value, while vitamin C remains around 24 percent.

Other Beans and legumes with high protein with chart here. http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/beans-legumes-highest-protein.php

The superpower of the bean world is soybeans, which contain 29 grams for every cup serving of cooked beans. Edamame, green soybeans which are picked before full maturity, have 22 grams of protein in every cooked serving. 98% soybeans in the US though are genetically modified. In my house, we stick to non GMO and fermented forms of soybean because of the controversies surrounding its effect on hormones, and thyroid function.

Favabeans are another great protein-rich bean, with 22 grams of protein per serving. Lentils , split pea are also high in protein, with most lentils having around 17 grams per cup. Following close behind are red kidney beans, pinto beans with 16 grams in a one cup serving. Black beans and navy or haricot beans have 15 grams or protein, while blackeyed beans, garbanzo beans, and lima beans have around 14 grams per cup.

No one on a Vegan diet ever suffers from protein deficiency, because everything fro regular vegetables , fruits to lentils and nuts have proteins. High protein meal, esp Breakfast or in between meal snacks help keep the energy up and the hunger pangs away..!

Sending this to My Legume Love Affair, created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook and hosted this month by Susan.

Jamaican Jerk Tempeh and creamy Red Bell pepper mayo Sandwich! Vegan

Another fun Tempeh Burger!! A complete quick and yummy vegan meal!

Tempeh (/ˈtɛm.peɪ/), or tempe (Indonesian), is a traditional soy product originally from Indonesia. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form, similar to a very firm vegetarian burger patty.

Cut Garden Veggie Tempeh(organic) into the patty size for the bread slice.
Marinate the tempeh in jamaican jerk spice(or any other fave spice mix), salt, pepper, lemon juice and garlic powder for half an hour. Rub the spices over all sides of tempeh and let sit covered.

In a pan, add some oil and cook red bell pepper slices for 3 minutes( slices of half a medium red bell pepper).

Take half of red bell pepper slices and add to blender. Keep rest for topping the sandwich later.

In the same pan, roast 4-6 cashews, red chili flakes(1/2 teaspoon or to taste) and 2 garlic cloves in the remaining oil for a minute.

Add cashews and garlic to blender. Add some salt and pepper and some vinegar if you want a ranch kind of sauce. Blend to a creamy puree with a little water and keep aside. Thats your mayo!

In the pan, add some onions and asparagus and cook until golden(4-5 minutes). Keep aside.

Tempeh:

In a small pan, add some oil and the tempeh. Add water(2/3 cup) and cook on low, covered for 7-8 minutes.
Cook covered for 7-8 minutes each side, until all water is absorbed! Once done, You can additionally grill the tempeh a little to blacken it or get grill marks.
Serve the hot tempeh on toasted Multigrain Loaf.

Top tempeh with the creamy Red Bell pepper Mayo, Roasted Red pepper, golden cooked onions and asparagus!!
Sprinkle some salt, pepper on the arrangement before adding the second bread slice on top and then bite into it and burn your palate!

Kulfi! Cashew Almond Oats Ice cream! Vegan

Yay for Kulfi! This Indian icecream can be frozen as is and not necessarily whipped, it doesnt get rock solid hard. You could use an ice cream maker, which would make it fluffier. I fluffed it a little for the first 2 hours. I added a chocolatey layer the next day on the remaining icecream, which is totally optional.

Kulfi is a popular frozen milk-based dessert from the Indian Subcontinent. It is usually made with thick, condensed or evaporated milk, with some thickening agent like arrowroot or cornflour. Kulfi comes in various flavours, cream (malai), raspberry, rose, mango, cardamom (elaichi), saffron(kesar or zafran). Unlike Western ice creams, kulfi is not whipped, resulting in a solid, dense frozen dessert similar to traditional custard based ice-cream.

This is the vegan recreation! It has cashews and almonds creamed into thick puree along with oats and some vegan butter or high fat oil. I added saffron and cardamom for the flavor. Some chopped pista can be added as well.

• Soak cashews and almonds overnight (I used 1/3 cup each). Nuke them in the microwave for a minute with a little water. You can also soak them for an hour and then nuke them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. or blanch/cook in hot water for 2 minutes.
• Puree the cashews and almonds with about 1/3 - 1/2 cup warm-(more towards hot) water to make a creamy puree. I did not peel the almonds, you can peel them if your blender doesnt puree the mix smooth enough with the peel.
• Add some quick cooking oats( 1/4 cup), 5-6 tablespoons raw sugar or jaggery(depending on the sweetness wanted) and a Tablespoon of softened vegan butter or high fat oil, 1/2 teaspoon saffron, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder and blend again. Add a little water if needed to get a thick puree consistency.
• This puree now can be frozen as is, in popsicles or any container, or put in the icecream maker.
• Cooking Step: I heated the puree in a teaspoon vegan butter over low heat, stirring almost continuously, till it just about bubbled. This will thicken the puree even more. You can add a teaspoon of arrowroot/cornstarch powder mixed in a little water, to thicken it further.( the cooking adds a bit of a sticky oat texture. If you dont like stickyness, skip this step) Use icecream maker, or freeze in covered container or as popsicles.
• I added some cocoa powder to some of this mix the next day and made a thin chocolatey layer on top, just for fun. It is totally optional. :) The saffron cardamom by itself taste much better!
• made some Popsicles twice without the cooking step. A bigger container as in the first picture, with the cooking step. Both came out creamy and thick!

You can add a frozen banana, a half cup Coconut cream or soy cream for added creaminess. You can also use rice soaked overnight as a substitute for the oats. Adjust sweetness by taste. I like my desserts on the mild sweet side.

Other variations: Add 1/4 cup blanched and pureed pistachios to it and cardamom powder but no saffron, for a pistachio Kulfi!

Have a fun Summer. We are still in 60s deg F here in Seattle!

I am also super happy to report that some smart kids gave their approval to this version! Yay for dairy free icecreams!