Indian Sweets Round up! Vegan, some gluten free options

Wishing everyone a very happy and beautiful festive season. This whole month is about celebration...

Navarathri: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navratri

Garba: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garba

Dussehra: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vijayadashami

Diwali: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali

Some or all festivals celebrated in a variety of ways in different parts of the country. The things that are common are Pooja( religious worship rituals performed in different ways to get god's blessings), making sweets and snacks, visiting family and friends and exchanging gifts and sweets.

Here are some already vegan or veganized sweets that have featured on my blog!

Jalebi: pretzels in flavored sugar syrup. http://hobbyandmore.blogspot.com/2010/08/jalebi.html

Gulab Jamun- Doughnut balls in flavored sugar syrup.(Recipe posted! http://hobbyandmore.blogspot.com/2011/10/gulab-jamuns-veganized-indian-sweet.html

Kulfi. cardamom flavored Indian icecream http://hobbyandmore.blogspot.com/2011/07/kulfi-cashew-almond-oats-ice-cream.html Gluten free

Date Fig Burfi. sugar freehttp://hobbyandmore.blogspot.com/2010/08/date-fig-burfisugarless-date-fig-indian.html Gluten-free

Strawberry Beet Oats Semolina Laddoo (Sweet balls) http://hobbyandmore.blogspot.com/2011/05/strawberry-beet-semolina-oats.html

Besan Laddoo. Sweet chickpea flour balls with cashews and raisins.gluten free option http://hobbyandmore.blogspot.com/2011/08/besan-laddoosweet-chickpea-flour-balls.html

Blueberry Oats Semolina Laddoo. http://hobbyandmore.blogspot.com/2011/07/blueberry-oats-semolina-laddooindian.html

A good number of sweets made during the festivities are milk based depending on the region. There are quite a few already vegan sweets like Petha, Imarti, Kaju/almond Katli, all dry fruit/nut mithais, Jaggery sweets. There are fusion vegan versions too these days. Check some more options out at Harini's Tonglue Ticklers here http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.287898861222631.80129.212063542139497

Have a fantastic festive season, and please do try some dairy free sweets!! All that ghee(clarified butter) and khoya(thick milk solids) is not good for your health or the cows!

Do drop by in October to see some of my Mom's wonderful creations on the blog!! :)

These sweets are headed to Hearth and soul blog hop and Ricki's Wellness Weekend and Amee's Fit and Fab fridays.

Vegan Mofo!

Join me and several other vegan bloggers in the month of October, blogging together for Vegan Mofo- Month of Food October!

Find more details and how to sign up at http://www.veganmofo.com/

Veganmofo Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/VeganMoFo

Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/VeganMofo

Its going to be a tough month blogging 5 times a week.. lets hope we can get there! Here's what you can expect to see in the first few posts!!

Find Me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HobbyAndMore

On Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/betit19

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/betit19/

Tumblr: http://veganindian.tumblr.com/

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Blog Feed: http://hobbyandmore.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I am trying to rest(and failing) before the storm!. Wish me luck! Have an amazing day!

White Burger buns with some whole grains. Vegan

Remember these fun Beet Oats Chickpea Patties! with those mini buns to make fun sliders!

These are those quick and mini buns! Sometimes I add little wheat flour and other times I use only bread flour for white buns. Most times I am short on time, so I use this quick one rise recipe. You can let them rise twice the usual bread way too.

Seen below with the Beet Oats Chickpea Patties.

The recipe is for one rise with a little wheat flour. I also sneak in a tablespoon or more of whole grain cereal mix, which after cooking expands to 3-4 Tablespoons. But you cant see the grain in this almost white bun! Prep time about 10 minutes, rise time 35 minutes and bake time about 20 minutes.

For a more wheat bun, use 3/4 cup wheat flour and 1/3 cup bread flour. you might need a little more water for a soft dough.

I have to bake up some fun Bread loaves, some fall versions!. Our fall started with some thunderstorms and the temps going 30 degrees up and down within a few hours, in the last few days.. Hope it settles down soon, as my allergies are going all wonky on me with the sudden pressure changes!

Ingredients:6-8 buns depending on size

• 3/4 cup bread flour
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour ( Use bread flour for totally white and even squishier buns)
• 1 teaspoon vital wheat gluten (optional, for better gluten formation and some extra protein)
• 1.5 Tablespoon hot cereal mix(I use 4 grains+ flax cereal(cracked wheat, steel cuts oats, rye and barley grits, flax seeds))
• 1 Tablespoon raw sugar or equivalent jaggery/agave/maple syrup or other sweeteners.
• 1.5 teaspoons quick rise yeast
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons Virgin olive oil
• 1 Tablespoons vegan butter like earth balance
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil flakes or black pepper or garlic flakes for a fun twist to the flavor.( I usually add basil and black pepper, basil + olive oil makes for an amazing combination)

Directions:

1. Cook the hot cereal in 1/2 cup of boiling water for 5-7 minutes or until tender. All of the water might not be absorbed.
2. Let the mixture cool a little to about warm to touch. Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar and mix well. Let stand for 10 minutes or until frothy.
3. Add in the flours and rest of the ingredients and give a mix for a few seconds. (For a more wheat bun, use 3/4 cup wheat flour and 1/3 cup bread flour. you might need a little more water for a soft dough.)
4. If the dough looks too dry, add a little water and knead.
5. Knead the dough for 4-5 minutes by hand or in mixer, scraping sides every 2 minutes if using a stand mixer. add more bread flour or water in little quantities if needed.
6. You can let this dough sit in a covered container for an hour for the first rise and then shape into balls and let rise again for 30 minutes, Or directly go to the next step.
7. Divide dough into equal parts(or parts half the size of bun size you want) and roll into a ball pull and tuck under) and place on parchment on baking sheet, an inch apart.
8. Spritz the top with water, sprinkle sesame seeds or seeds of choice,then spritz oil spray, and cover with a towel.
9. Place it in a warm place or warm oven for 35-40 minutes or until doubled.
10. Remove towel and bake at preheated 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow.
11. Remove buns from sheet, spritz a fine mist of water and then oil on top and let cool on rack.
12. Pull the buns apart, dip in some herbed olive oil and enjoy as is! or slice into halfs and use for your favorite burger! Buns ready in just about an hour! Have a fun day!

These quickies are heading to Melt in your Mouth Monday 32, Veggieconverter's Meatless Monday 35, Susan;s Weekly Yeastspotting!

Banana Oatmeal Quinoa Raisin Muffin top cookies. vegan

When life hands you a ripe banana make a cookie.. or a muffin:) or both! When dad finally decides to take a vacation, book his tickets!

Yes, my parents will be here mid October.. So I am opening up the blog to a couple of guest posts .. Leave me a message on richahingle at gmail dot com about a guest post!!

These cookies are muffin top cookies, not too crisp, but soft and chewy and wonderful! and will not give you a muffin top! I am loving these simple cookies.. and the cookies dough... thats the fun part about vegan cookie dough, you can just make balls out of the raw dough and have those too!

Squeeee, I have so many things to do before mom and dad's visit... clean up house, schedule some posts before hand.. make goodies that I want them to try, and then some goodies I want mom to make!:)

Some more fun cookies posted earlier..

The ever famous Chocolate Oats Raisin Nut butter cookies

and the Recent Pink Candied Beet thin crisp cookies!

Ingredients: 7-8 medium size cookies

• 2 teaspoons flax meal
• 2 Tablespoon hot water
• 2/3 ripe banana mashed
• 2 Tablespoons Raw turbinado sugar or jaggery or sweetener of choice (depends on how ripe/sweet is the banana)
• 2 Tablespoons organic canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice powder ( or allspice)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 Tablespoons quinoa , blended coarsely or quinoa flour ( or use oats coarse flour, if you dont have quinoa)
• 3 Tablespoons Oats flour, Oats blended coarsely or Oats flour
• 4-5 Tablespoons Oats (Bob's Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned)
• 1/2 cup self rising flour( or all purpose flour or whole wheat pastry 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 oil, sugar, spice, salt, lemon juice and mashed banana and mix well.
3. In a blender add, quinoa, 3 Tbps oats and baking powder and Blend/grind to a coarse flour.
4. Add in this coarse flour, the 5 Tbsps oats and self rising flour to the banana mix and mix till just about combined. Add in more oats and flour if needed to get gooey, slightly stiff, muffin mixture kind of consistency, Or a very sticky dough.
5. Oil Tablespoon and pick up tablespoon full dough, drop them and flatten on parchment paper.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 14-17 minutes(add minutes depending on the thickness of the cookie). The cookies should not be runny or liquidy when done.
7. Take cookies off baking tray and cool on rack for a few minutes if you can:)
8. These are soft cookies because of the banana, but super fun and a wholesome snack! The whole oats and coarse quinoa, give it a great texture and add a bit of crisp! Have a fantastic day!

This cookie is headed to Ricki's Wellness Weekend. and Anyone can cook 34

Blueberry Apple Whole grain Cake. Vegan

Hope you all had great weekend! I made some blueberry apple puree compote the other day, thinking of putting it either in a cookie or a granola bar.. but ended up making this wonderful cake out of it!

The cake has wheat and oats, my current favorite combination and is moist and dense because of the thick fruit syrup. Its almost like a dense bar! and oh so yumm. Makes for a great snack or breakfast with you favorite hot drink!.

On another note, I am trying to help Animal Aid, a 501c3 registered rescue in India find some volunteers. If you are interested, please ping me! They have a beautiful sanctuary and care for all animals dogs, cows, donkeys and have a hospital as well. They get some international volunteers too, who take a volunteer vacation(vacation+volunteer work), and always have beautiful words about their experience.

Ingredients: One 6x3 inch pan

Compote:

• 2/3 cup blueberries
• 1/3 cup chopped apple
• 4 Tablespoons raw sugar or jaggery grated
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 3-4 Tablespoons water

Cake:

• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2/3 cup self rising flour ( or all purpose flour + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder)
• 1 Tablespoon flax seed meal or flax seeds coarsely ground
• 3 Tablespoons Oats
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon raw sugar
• 1 Tablespoon high fat oil ( I used virgin coconut oil)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup warm water

Directions:

1. You can prepare the compote beforehand and keep. Blend the blueberries, apple, sugar and cinnamon in a blender into a smooth puree. use a little water if needed.
2. Cook this puree on low heat till it thickens to a thick syrup consistency. about 15-20 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, add flax meal, vinegar, oil, and 1/4 cup almost hot water.
4. Mix it well till the mixture is well combined. Add in the oats and sugar, mix well and keep aside for a few minutes.
5. In a bowl, mix the flours, salt, baking powder.
6. Add the fruit syrup and the flours to the flax meal mixture. Mix lightly.
7. If the mixture seems too dry, add in a few tablespoons water at a time. Mix until just about combined like a muffin batter.
8. Grease a mini loaf well. Drop batter in and even it out.
9. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the Middle comes out clean.
10. Let cool a little before removing from pan and slicing! Serve warm as is, or topped with blueberry compote or the strawberry orange one in the pictures.:) Have a fun day!

This cake is shared with SimplySugarandglutenfree's Slightly indulgent Tuesday.

Breakfast Poha (Flattened Rice Flakes with Veggies and Nuts) Vegan, Glutenfree

My recipe post on OneGreenPlanet!. A simple breakfast recipe, very flexible to your taste. Add nuts, raisins, dry fruits, coconut flakes, peas and more, to make it your own Breakfast you would love to wake up to every Monday!

Poha-Flattened rice (also called beaten rice) is a dehusked rice which is flattened into flat light dry flakes. This easily digestible form of raw rice is very popular across Nepal, India and Bangladesh, and is normally used to prepare snacks or light and easy fast food in a variety of Indian cuisine styles. The thickness of the flakes varies depending on the use. This breakfast preparation uses thick Poha, which can be bought from any Indian Store. Thick rice flakes or brown rice flakes can also be found in some local health stores or online stores.

Cooked Poha is a quick breakfast or snack served in most parts of India. The preparation might be a different with additions or different nuts or vegetables, or shredded coconut depending on the region.

It is a carb heavy snack if made without any nuts. To make it a more balanced breakfast, I usually add a good helping of nuts and/or green peas. You can also use brown rice flakes to make this same preparation.

Check out the rest of the post and Recipe on OneGreenPlanet here!

Have an amazing Monday!! This post is getting linked up to Meatless Monday Link up on Veggieconverter , Amy's Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays , Melt in your mouth Monday , AllergyfreeCookery and Hearth and Soul Blog hop 66. and Ricki's Wellness Weekend!

Quick Rajma (Red Kidney beans curry). Vegan, Glutenfree

We dont eat much Rajma at home!.. Gasp !! I know! I am a Punjabi(North India), and we punjus pretty much live off Rajma and Chole/chana masala every other day.(Rajma: Red kidney beans curry and Chole: Garbanzo bean curry). And to think that hubbs doesnt like Rajma.. Double gasp!

Yes, there are some very very few things in the world that he doesnt like. He will eat it, but not with relish. Its all because he had enough Rajma in his 4 years in the college cafeteria, during undergrad.. lets just say it was bad, watery, undercooked, bland(few more of his choice adjectives) enough to alter the all eating hubbs' brain waves!

I do make Rajma once in while, with all sorts of dread. Sometimes I make the longer more authentic mom's version and sometimes a quick version, but usually in limited quantities..:)

This recipe works on him most times, if served hot and spicy!!. Hope you all like it.. Keep an eye for my mom's version later! Those neural pathways seem to be altering with every good Rajma event.. Some more and those happy pathways will get permanent.

Some Chole/Chana Masala curry recipes posted before here.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1/2 cup onion chopped
• 2/3 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri garam masala
• 1 bay leaf
• pinch of asafoetida(hing)
• 2 medium tomatoes chopped small
• 1 inch ginger chopped (can be substituted with ginger paste)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped (can be substituted with garlic paste)
• 1/2 teaspoon of green chili chopped or to taste
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2/3 of a can dark red kidney beans or equivalent dry kidney beans, soaked overnight, drained and pressure cooked for 3-4 whistles until tender(about 1.5 cups cooked)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon rock salt/black salt
• 1/4 teaspoon raw sugar

Directions:

1. In a pressure cooker, add oil and heat on medium heat. Add onions.
2. Cook until onions are translucent. Add in the spices, kashmiri garam masala, asofetida, chili, ginger, garlic and mix well for half a minute.
3. Add in the chopped tomato and cook on medium low, partially covered with occasional stirring for 10-12 minutes, till tomatoes are mushy and leave the sides of the pan.
4. Add in the salt, sugar and red kidney beans and a 3/4 or 1 cup of water according to consistency you want for the curry. Adjust for salt and spice.
5. Mash some of the kidney beans with the spatula and Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles.
6. Serve hot topped with lemon wedges, cilantro, some more garam masala and Rotis or Naans(flat breads) or fresh Basmati rice! Quick and fun everyday Kidney beans curry.!

This quick curry is being shared with Ricki's wellness weekend! and to Allergy free Lunchbox Love and MLLA 39 at WhatwouldCathyEat , started by Susan

Crystallized Beet Multigrain Thins! Vegan cookie

You heard it right. These are pink cookies because of beet syrup. There are some crystallized beet chunks in these thin crisp cookies too!

These pink beauties have some wheat flour, oats and quinoa flour for a fun crunch too! And you thought I would make white flour cookies!:) I am on a Oat and Quinoa roll.. All that protein from Quinoa and all the vitamins, minerals, fiber and anti-oxidants from Oats !! And lets not forget folate and phytonutrients from Beet!

Pack these glowing rosy thins(well a bit thick thins) for a rewarding snack or mail them out to a loved one! I am loving them veggies in cookies and cakes.. hmm maybe a green cookie with baby greens next?...:)

Ingredients: 8-9 cookies

Crystallized Beet:

• 1/2 medium beet , peeled and chopped into 1/8 inch cubes
• 1 cup water
• 4 Tablespoon raw sugar or jaggery (raw granulated sugar is usually sweeter than powdered sugar)
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder

Cookies:

• 2 teaspoons flax meal
• 1 Tablespoon hot water
• 1-2 Tablespoons Raw turbinado sugar or jaggery or sweetener of choice( I used 1 Tbsp for mild sweetness.)
• 3 Tablespoons sugar syrup(beet syrup).
• 1 Tablespoon roasted Cashew butter (Homemade nut butter recipes)
• 1 Tablespoon virgin coconut oil ( or vegan butter like Earth Balance)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 Tablespoons quinoa , blended coarsely or quinoa flour ( or use oats coarse flour, if you dont have quinoa)
• 3 Tablespoons oat flour (Bob's Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned)
• 1/2 cup self rising flour
• 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour

Directions:

1. In a pan, add a cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the sugar, and mix well. Simmer for 2 minutes.
2. Add in the chopped beet, cinnamon, ginger powder and cook on low heat for 30-40 minutes or until the syrup thickens and starts to bubble up and just about starts to crystallize.
3. I got about 5 Tablespoons of thick syrup with beet in it. You can remove the beet pieces and coat them with powdered sugar and keep refrigerated for a few weeks. I left them in the syrup, since I was going to use them within the next few days.
4. I used about 2/3 of the this mixture for the cookies, that is 3 Tablespoons of the syrup with beet pieces.
5. The remaining syrup went in some multigrain pancakes, which turned out an amazing. pink, fluffy with them fun beet chunks! My multigrain pancake recipe here.

Cookies:

1. In a bowl, mix the flax meal and hot water and let sit for a minute.
2. Add in the room temperature cashew butter, coconut oil, sugar and beet syrup(without the beet pieces) and mix well by hand or by hand mixer until the mixture feels light. The cashew butter I used is store bought and it takes a while to mix up. Mix and let sit for a few minutes and then mix again.
3. Blend/grind the quinoa and oats to a coarse flour along with the baking powder and keep aside.
4. To the oil and sugar mix, add in the ground quinoa, ground oats, salt, wheat pastry flour, self rising flour, beet pieces and lemon juice and mix till just about combined. Add in more wheat flour if needed to get gooey muffin mixture kind of consistency. If you added too much flour, the mixture will get too stiff, then add in a teaspoon oil and/or lemon juice to make it gooey. Keep this mixture more flowy and gooey, more like a thick batter and unlike the oat cookie dough, where the mixture is slightly stiff.
5. Oil a spoon and pick up tablespoons full batter-y dough, drop them and flatten on parchment paper. Thinner the better.! Shape with oiled hands.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 11-14 minutes(add minutes depending on the thickness of the cookie). The cookies should not be runny or liquidy when done and just about starting to brown on the edges.
7. Take cookies off baking tray and cool on rack for a few minutes if you can:)
8. Store in airtight container for a week or so. Let me know how yours turn out! Have a fun Tuesday!

Pinkin Pinkin. blushing Pinkin!

Some fun cookies posted earlier..

The famous Chocolate Oat Raisin Cookie and Quinoa Oatmeal Raisin cookies(popcorn cookies as hubbs calls them)!

These cookies are headed to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays , Ricki's wellnes weekend and Hearth and Soul Bloghop, and Food Palette series-rainbow at torviewtoronto.

As you can see I was trying different compositions and styles to work with the pink.. And now I dont know which ones look best! Let me know which ones get your eyes and mouth working!