Plant-based food: Recipes to warm you up during the southeast monsoon season |09 August 2021
For various reasons, people adopt a plant-based diet and some make plant-based meals an occasional part of their diet, and today, for those of you who enjoy this or would like to try it out, we have got some recipe ideas using local ingredients, just for you!
We asked Antigone, a local yoga teacher who also follows a plant-based diet, to share a few recipes with us, especially for our readers. Antigone is also the creator of the ‘Island Vegans Seychelles’ page on Facebook where people share tips, recipes and new vegan finds on our islands.
She tells us that she adopts a plant-based, wholefoods diet because it is good for the health to avoid processed foods, and encourages people to make more use of fresh, organic ingredients from the earth, to stay connected to nature, and to bring more mindfulness into nutrition.
During this slightly cooler weather that we have been experiencing during our southeast monsoon season, Antigone proposes a Warming Chai Tea and a Chayotte and Aubergine Thai Green Curry below, to help warm us all up.
Warming Chai Tea
Ingredients
- 2 ‘Seyte’ vanilla tea bags
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Small chunk of ginger (minced)
- Small chunk local turmeric (minced)
- 2 cloves
- A sprinkle of nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- Sprinkle of black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups soy milk (or any milk of your choice)
Method
- Add all ingredients to a small pan and simmer on low heat.
- Remove from the stove just as it starts to boil.
- Carefully strain the chai to remove the teabags and spices.
- Enjoy hot!
Chayotte and Aubergine Thai Green Curry
Photo source: www.herewebuy.org
Ingredients
Curry paste:
- 2 local lemons (sitron)
- 5 Kaffir lime leaves (kambava)
- 2 lemon grass stalks
- 1 red onion
- 4 gloves garlic
- Splash of soy sauce
- 1 or 2 ‘piman kabri’
- 1 large bunch of coriander
- 2-inch piece of ginger
- 1-inch piece of fresh turmeric
- 1tsp coriander seeds
- 1tsp crushed cumin
- 3tbsp olive oil
Vegetables:
- 2 chayotte (shushut)
- 1 large aubergine
- Or any other vegetables that you have on hand, like green beans, pumpkin, ‘kalbas’ - anything you like
Method
- Roughly chop the lemon grass stalks, coriander, ginger, garlic, chilli, turmeric and onion.
- Add to a food processor along with the juice of one large local lime, olive oil, soy sauce, coriander seeds, cumin, and pulse to a paste.
- Chop your vegetables to medium cubes.
- Heat some oil in a pan and add your fresh curry paste, cook for 1 minute before adding your chayotte.
- Coat chayotte with the paste and leave to cook on medium heat (add water if needed).
- When the chayotte is half-way cooked, add your chopped aubergine and leave to simmer for a little longer.
- Finally add half a cup coconut cream or one cup coconut milk.
- Salt to taste.
- Allow to simmer for 2 more minutes.
- Serve with fluffy white rice and a papaya chutney.
F. P.
