Deena Kakaya Vegetarian Recipes & Cooking

We have made some subtle, but impactful lifestyle changes in our home recently and I’m not ever sure whether the change is enough, but there is change and I see that, as positive.  One of my boy’s teacher’s said something I will use, and that is that ‘practise makes progress’ (rather than the unattainable standard of perfection). We have moved from refined white flour to spelt for foods like pizza, pancakes or bread.  We have cut out the use of white sugar from our diets during the weekdays; I like to use a little honey though, just a little. I am reading more these days and I wish I had not fragmented my relationship with books during recent years, because I have always loved the vivid escapism that books can ignite; conjuring up mental pictures is a powerful thing after all, isn’t it. I have joined a new health club and I am really enjoying it; I have been busy balancing my body (using a mix of Tai Chi and Pilates), swimming in a lovely warm pool followed by the steam room and jacuzzi scattered with chatting to strangers and I have been playing badminton and I have also been attending classes in mindfulness. I have been walking more, working outdoors in the sunshine and watching a few movies here and there.  I have been exploring work that I will choose, because I will enjoy it – how profoundly important this is. My husband has been a voice on the shoulder, saying ‘do it (whatever ‘it’ may be) if it makes you happy, life is too short’.

So, when Arla asked me if I would write a post about their organic milk and how I would use it through the day, of course I said yes. Arla tell me that the nutrients in a 200ml glass of semi-skimmed milk are as follows:

• 31% of our recommended daily calcium (needed for the maintenance of normal bones and teeth)
• 74% of our recommended daily vitamin B12 (contributes to the normal function of the immune system)
• 41% of our recommended daily iodine (contributes to normal cognitive function)
• 35% of our recommended daily vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) (contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue)
• 16% of our recommended daily potassium (contributes to the maintenance of normal blood pressure)
• 14% of our recommended daily protein (contributes to the maintenance and growth of muscle mass)

So, this weekend just gone, I got lots of the fabulous white stuff going and I started with spiced paneer on toast. It always feels so clever to make paneer cheese, but it is so, so simple and the clean, soft textures are satisfying for my mouth and ego.

Spiced paneer on toast (serves 2)

For the paneer

700ml of Arla organic whole milk

About 1-2tsp. lemon juice

A muslin/cotton cloth

Vegetable oil for cooking (1 tbsp.)

A splash of lemon juice

A spring onion, chopped for the topping

Spices; salt to taste, ¼ tsp. ground turmeric, a pinch of kalonji (onion seeds), a pinch of cumin seeds, ½ tsp. ground coriander, ½ tsp. ground cumin, ¼ tsp. smoked paprika

For the asparagus; a large handful of extra fine asparagus spears, salt to taste, 1 tbsp. cooking oil, ½ tbsp. sesame seeds

Method

1. Bring the milk to the boil in a non-stick pan, then add the lemon juice. Wait for the curds and whey to separate.
2. Drain the paneer into a tightly woven muslin or cotton cloth, washing out the lemon juice. Remove as much of the water as possible.
3. Heat the oil for the asparagus and add the sesame seeds. Let them catch colour before adding the asparagus and salt and cook them for about 4 minutes. They should have a bite, but not be chewy.
4. Heat the oil for cooking, then add the ground turmeric, onion seeds, and cumin seeds before gently mixing in the paneer cheese. Now sprinkle in the salt, ground cumin and coriander as well as the paprika before the lemon juice is added and then cook the paneer for a couple of minutes
5. Layer the paneer cheese and asparagus onto the toast and sprinkle with spring onions. I used siracha sauce too, because I like it hot!

After what I would consider a plentiful breakfast I didn’t fancy much of lunch. I had a very small portion of the boy’s lunch of spelt pasta with a roasted red pepper sauce and this of course left plenty of space for my inner child to scoff a falooda milkshake whilst unashamedly sighing in pleasure, throughout. Doesn’t it look like fun to eat?

Strawberry Falooda shake (Serves 2)

200g chopped strawberries with a good squeeze of honey

1 tbsp. chopped pistachios

1 ½ cup of Arla organic milk (I used whole milk)

Another generous squeeze (or two) of honey

A pinch of saffron strands

¼ tsp. ground cardamom

½ tbsp. rose water

2 tbsp. chia seeds

A large handful of brown rice vermicelli, broken

A scoop of ice cream for serving

A few slices of strawberries for serving

Method

1. Heat the milk and add the honey, saffron and ground cardamom. Remove about a third of it and pour it into a bowl, then mix it with the chia seeds.  Allow this milk (with chia seeds) to cool to room temperature before placing it into the fridge.
2. Add the brown rice vermicelli to the remaining, two thirds of the milk and bring it to a slow simmer. Cook the vermicelli for a couple of minutes before allowing the milk to cool, to room temperature, before placing it in the fridge.
3. In a non-stick pan, simmer the strawberries combined with the honey until the pulpy. Allow them to cool to room temperature before, you guessed it, placing it in the fridge.
4. When all the ingredients are chilled, take one deep glass and spoon half the strawberry mixture onto the bottom, then add the milk with vermicelli, then the milk with chia seeds. Top it with the sliced strawberries, pistachio, desiccated coconut and ice cream (I used coconut gelato).

I have finally, finally, got the boy to eat tofu – I know that this may not seem like a big deal, but for me it feels like a momentous accomplishment.  If you have been reading my blog for some time, you may recall my worry and confusion from the point of weening, through to well, relatively recently when it comes to his eating. I mean, I still can’t get my boy to eat a vegetarian sausage or a sandwich but there are, thankfully, foods that he will indeed eat and I have to admit to flutters in my tummy when he picks up some tofu and actually consumes it, willingly. Anyway, back on to my adult taste buds.  I like a creamy curry, but I can’t bring myself to use cream.  It is a good job that cashews make for a mellow, lightly sweet and easy-to-make alternative. I don’t mind some crunchy bits in there, but you may choose to be more careful about that.

Creamy (milky) tofu and broccoli curry

A pack of firm tofu, drained and cubed

200g of broccoli florets, boiled or steamed for a couple of minutes

2 tbsp. vegetable oil for cooking

1 tbsp. for shallow frying the tofu

A  medium-sized onion, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic and a thumb sized piece of ginger, minced

½ can of tinned tomatoes, pureed

1 cup of warm milk combined with 30g cashews

1/3 cup of hot water

Spices; salt to taste, ¼ tsp. ground turmeric, 1 tsp. ground cumin, 1 tsp. ground coriander, ½ tsp. garam masala, 2 tsp. dried fenugreek leaves, ½ tsp. cumin seeds, a pinch of asafoetida, a small stick of cinnamon and a clove.

Method

1. In a non-stick pan heat the oil and shallow fry the tofu until its golden brown.
2. Let the warm milk and cashews settled until the cashews are softened. This should take about 20 minutes.  Blitz the cashews and milk together until they’re smooth, as a thick milk.
3. In a deeper pan, heat the cooking oil and add then asafoetida, turmeric, cumin seeds, clove and cinnamon. Allow the seeds to sizzle before adding in the onion and the salt.  Soften the onion, before adding in the ground cumin, ground coriander and then cooking for just under a minute.
4. Now add the tomatoes, the dried fenugreek leaves and the garam masala. Simmer for a couple of minutes on a low flame before gently placing in the tofu, before giving them a little shake in the pan. Be careful not to break the tofu. Cook for a few minutes.
5. Now Add the cashew milk and the water, and then simmer for a further couple of minutes, let the curry base thicken.
6. Finally, introduce the broccoli. The broccoli should spend only 2-3 minutes cooking in the curry

Tags: arla, arla organic milk, Broccoli, chia seed, chia seed dessert, chia seeds, curry, falooda, paneer, shake, spiced paneer, strawberry, strawberry falooda, tofu, tofu curry