• 2 tbs of raisins
• 1/2 litre of soya milk
• ½ kg of carrots – grated
• ½ cup of brown sugar
• 2 tbs of oil or vegan margarine
• 7 white cardamom pods – peeled and the seeds roughly crushed
• 2 tbs of creamed coconut
• 2 tbs of pistachios – roughly chopped
• 2 tsbs of almond slivers

1         Soak the raisins in water until needed.

2         Using a heavy bottomed pan bring the soya milk to the boil and add the grated carrots.  Simmer on a low heat for about 1 hour stirring occasionally. The mixture will thicken.  Stir constantly  during the last 10 minutes to prevent sticking.

3         Add the sugar continue simmering and stirring until the mixture is thick and all the milk has been absorbed.  How long this takes depends on your heat setting.

4         Add the oil or vegan margarine, the creamed coconut,  raisins and cardamom.  Continue simmering for a few minutes more stirring all the time.

5         Leave to cool for a few minutes before spooning into either a large serving dish or individual small dishes.

6         Decorate with the almonds and pistachios.

This dish can be served hot or cold

• 1 medium cucumber – peeled and de-seeded
• 2 cups of soya yoghurt
• 4 tbs of fresh Coriander – finely chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes – cored, de-seeded and finely chopped
• ½ tsp of cayenne pepper
• Salt to taste

1. Beat the yoghurt with a fork until it is smooth
2. Stir in all other ingredients adding salt to taste
3. Leave to chill

This is a very tasty accompaniment in its own right but is particularly useful for cooling down and over-spiced meal.

It’s Diwali for the next three days so to celebrate I’m going to be posting some of my favourite Indian recipes.

• 1 1/3 cups of red lentils
• 2 cups of water
• 2 tbs of oill
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 medium onion – chopped
• 1 tsp of mustard seeds
• 1 x 400 gramme tin of tomatoes – chopped
• 1 x tin of coconut milk
• 1 tsp of chilli powder
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 1” of ginger root – finely grated
• 3 tbs of fresh coriander – chopped

1. Cover the lentils in water and leave to soak
2. Whilst the lentils are soaking add the oil to a heavy bottomed saucepan.  When it is hot add the garlic and onion and leave to cook until the onion is translucent.
3. Add the mustard seeds and heat for another couple of minutes.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir in well.  Leave to simmer for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Do not be tempted to short cut this step.
5. Pour in the lentils together with the water they’ve been soaking in and add the coconut milk, chilli powder and cinnamon stick.
6. Simmer for about 30 minutes until the lentils are soft.  You may need to cook for a bit longer or add more water if the mixture gets too dry before its cooked.
7. Add a little salt and the coriander and stir well.

Serve with rice and riata for a simple meal or with vegetables for a more substantial Indian meal.

Vegan Blog Tracker

• 2 tablespoons of red miso
• 1 teaspoon of raw cane sugar
• 2 teaspoons of mirin
• 2 teaspoons of sake

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together.
2. Cut the tofu into the pieces you will be using and spread the miso paste over each piece covering all exposed sides.
3. Leave for about 1 hour and then scrap off any excess paste.

• 1/2 cup of tamari or low salt soya sauce
• 1/4 cup of sesame oil
• 2 cloves of garlic – chopped
• pinch of dried flaked red chilli
• 1″ ginger – finely grated

1. Squeeze all the juice out of the grated ginger and put the juice into a screw top jar along with the rest of the ingredients.
2. Shake hard.

This will keep in the fridge for about a week.

• 1 cup of black olives (or a mix of green and black)
• 1 tablespoon of capers
• 2 gloves of garlic – chopped
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice

This is just too easy to make.  Put every thing into your processor and give it a whiz.  Don’t make it too smooth as tapenade should have a good texture.

This makes a great topping for any breads or crackers and I love it with crudités.

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon garlic – crushed
• 1 teaspoon parsley – finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Put all the ingredients into a screw-top jar and shake vigorously.
2. Leave to stand for about 30 minutes to get the best flavour and re-shake before serving

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (I prefer smooth but its your call)
• 1/2 small onion – finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon soya sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar (raw cane works well)
• 1 teaspoon crushed red chilli flakes
• 1 clove garlic – crushed
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

1. Fry the onion in the oil until soft
2. Then put everything, except the lime juice, into a saucepan and gradually bring to a boil stirring frequently.
3. Simmer for a few minutes to allow it to thicken.  If it gets too thick add a bit of water.
4. Add the lime juice and simmer for a minute or so more.