The Indian Vegan Kitchen_ More Than 150 Quick and Healthy Homestyle Recipes - Madhu Gadia [105]
Other than sugar, the main ingredients in traditional Indian desserts are milk and ghee—not ideal if you’re cooking vegan, to say the least. Over the years, vegetable oil and shortening have replaced ghee in many desserts. Vegetable oil is used because of health concerns, and shortening is used because it’s cheaper. This is very similar to how the desserts have changed in the United States. Here, we use shortening for cost reasons and oil or margarine instead of butter for health reasons.
Overall, coming up with good vegan Indian desserts without using milk and ghee has been a challenge. I have not included any milk desserts in this book. I chose not to substitute soymilk except in the Whole Wheat Cookies (page 202), for it used very little and would not alter the taste of the finished product. That is not to say you cannot make kheer or halwa with soymilk; just use the recipes from my previous book, New Indian Home Cooking and substitute the milk. In this book I have provided only recipes that were easily made with vegan ingredients. The recipes have been tested with shortening, but I also give an option for ghee or butter where it might make a difference in taste. Choose the ingredient you’re most comfortable with.
In India, as in the United States, desserts are typically high in fat and calories. I’ve cut down on the fat wherever possible, without compromising taste. Enjoy a small piece or a bite occasionally, for everything fits into a healthy diet.
Types of Desserts (Mithai)
I’ve attempted to simplify the wide array of Indian desserts, which are called mithai. Most are cooked on the stovetop; the four main categories are barfi, laddu, halwa, and kheer. Then there are other mithais that do not fall into these categories, such as jalebi, gulab jamun, and rasagulla, which I’ll call others.
Barfi is either square- or diamond-shaped and is made with a variety of ingredients. The closest thing that I can use to describe its appearance is fudge. The majority of barfi are made with super evaporated milk. Then there are nut barfi (see Almond Barfi, page 204) and barfi made from different beans, grains, and even vegetables. The majority of barfi use milk or ghee as one of the major ingredients. Barfi are often lined with a thin layer of edible silver foil called vark, which is more like a garnish and makes the barfi glitter. Very occasionally, edible gold foil is also used, but only on special requests from wealthy customers.
Laddu is a round ball that looks quite a bit like a chocolate truffle. The most common laddu is boondi laddu. It is made with besan (chickpea flour) that is fried into tiny balls, soaked in syrup, and formed into balls. Halwai makes the best boondi laddu versus homemade, that is. Then there are laddu made with whole wheat flour (atta) or besan (chickpea flour). These laddus, although available at a halwai shop, are often made at home using family recipes.
Halwa varieties are limitless. The most popular halwa is made with cream of wheat and is served in temples as communion. The best way to describe halwa is a very thick pudding. The majority of halwas use ghee and milk as the main ingredients. Carrot halwa, mung bean halwa, and Almond Halwa (page 203) are some of the most popular halwas.
Kheer literally translates to “pudding” but should not be confused with Western pudding, as it has a very different taste and texture. Indian kheers are primarily made with milk and are not in the scope of this book. Anything can go into a kheer, rice being the most common. You can make kheer using soymilk, if desired.
Other Mithai: There is an array of mithai that do not fall into the above four categories, such as Indian Funnel Cakes (page 200), a pretzel-shaped dessert soaked in syrup, gulab jamun (milk balls swimming in syrup), and rasagulla (fresh cheese boiled in syrup).
Crunchy Blossom Pastries
Chirote
PREP: 10 minutes
COOK: 50 minutes
MAKES : 20 servings