Go inventive with vegan desserts

A small sweet shop in my neighbourhood prepares the most delicious khoya barfi. Having grown up on milk and milk products, I am a great votary of milk-based sweets. And I have often wondered what vegans — whose diets exclude all that is milky — have for sweets.

Quite a lot, it transpires. I realised that a few days ago when a recipe for a coconut barfi popped up in my inbox. It seemed like a fair alternative to a milk-based coconut barfi, and it got me thinking. There are many Indian vegan sweets, of course, from all our halwas to jalebis and laddoos. But how do chefs create traditional milk-based sweets without using dairy products? Chef Pradip Rozario, who runs food outlets in Kolkata, tells me that there are many ways of doing so.

According to him, if you like sandesh, for instance, you don’t have to prepare chhena with milk. They use almond milk instead. The process remains the same — boil almond milk, add lemon juice, strain it through a muslin cloth, rinse the pulp, squeeze it well and let it hang for 20 minutes. Then knead until smooth, mix in powdered sugar, cardamom powder, and a few tablespoons of fresh pomegranate juice for flavour and colour. Place this mix in small moulds, chill for 30 minutes, and serve. Garnish each sandesh with a few pomegranate arils.

Rasgullas can be prepared similarly, and also with soy milk and sugar, flavoured with a few drops of natural rose essence and garnished with dried rose petals and chopped pistachios.

These are all novel ideas, for veganism was not popular even some decades ago. Nowadays, there is a strong global movement against the use of dairy products. Its proponents tell us that veganism is a kinder diet, as it safeguards animals as well as the environment. And combined with seeds and other sources of protein and calcium, it can be a healthy diet, too. There are many celebs and athletes who uphold veganism.

But you don’t have to be a full-fledged vegan to enjoy these alternative milk-based sweets. Agnibh Mudi, chef at a popular chain called One8 Commune, prepares vegan rasmalai with almond or cashew milk, kheer and Mysore pak with oat milk, and sandesh with coconut milk. “Almond and cashew milk have a nutty taste, so they need to be skimmed or strained for the right texture. Coconut milk is creamy and aromatic. Soya milk has a different viscosity and consistency,” he explains.

Clearly, there is no end to ideas when it comes to inventive dishes. Want something special for dessert? Chef Nishant Choubey suggests makhana-based dessert with dates and almond milk. To prepare, roast one cup of makhana (fox nuts) till golden. Coarsely grind half, and keep them all aside. Warm two cups of almond milk in a thick-bottomed pan. Add some threads of saffron, and simmer. Add the makhana, both ground and whole, to the almond milk. Cook on low heat, stirring until it thickens to a kheer-like consistency. Stir in 6-8 chopped and pitted dates, add 1-2 tablespoons of jaggery powder or date syrup, if you like it sweet. Sprinkle cardamom powder on top, garnish with toasted almond slivers and, if desired, a drizzle of date syrup.

The best bit about these desserts is that they make you feel virtuous. And what could be sweeter than that….

— The writer is a food critic