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Vee
Cathlete
Mmmm coconut milk ice cream.
In the Far East, ice cream is traditionally made with fruit pulp, jaggery and coconut milk. That creates a texture which is more dense than ice cream made with milk and a yummy, different kind of creaminess. It is less sweet than western ice ceam usually. It is called potong. Typical varieties are mango, jack fruit, durian, red-bean, sweet-corn. I would pick potong over ice cream made with milk any day because it doesnt have artificial flavors or ingredients and tastes better to me. But you need to be careful when buying because now the name potong is used to describe ice creams made with flavored syrups or ice creams made the traditional way with cows milk.
Another favorite vegan treat in Singapore/Malaysia is vegan laksa. It is a chunky-soup-like meal in a pot made of curried soy or coconut milk, containing mee (rice or wheat noodles), veggies, tofu/texturized soy and then garnished with sprouts and cilantro or laksa-leaves. It has a sour/spicy taste that is absolutely divine.
In coastal cuisines of India we make several desserts with coconut milk and palm jaggery instead of processed sugar. Y-U-M-M-Y. My favorite is a very simple rice pudding - basmati rice cooked in coconut milk with a turmeric leaf thrown in the pot (the aroma is heavenly). When cooked, add jaggery to taste and serve warm or chilled.
Peaceful Rainbow
Cathlete
I'd be in for a check-in, too.
The boys baseball team has a tournament out of town this weekend and the club is providing food for a picnic Saturday night. The coach came over and asked DH and I last night what he could get so that we'd be able to eat, too. I'm so used to having to bring along all our food, and I really appreciate is offering.
The boys baseball team has a tournament out of town this weekend and the club is providing food for a picnic Saturday night. The coach came over and asked DH and I last night what he could get so that we'd be able to eat, too. I'm so used to having to bring along all our food, and I really appreciate is offering.
Vee
Cathlete
LaughingWater
Cathlete
Cathy, sounds like that coach is a thoughtful guy. 
Along with the check-in, I'd be up for a recipe thread too.
Along with the check-in, I'd be up for a recipe thread too.
kathryn
Cathlete
Yes, I saw that article, and I agree. I hate it when I see people use the spelling "mylk" for nut milks (Ani Phyo does this, as do some other raw-food chefs).
I think nut milk, soy cheese, hemp burgers, etc. make clear that they are not animal products, without making them seem 'less than'/strange/unappealing ("analog" sounds so plastic to me, "faux" a bit snooty, "mock" is not as bad).
kathryn
Cathlete
VT has gone back and forth. I've considered not renewing my subscription for years, but then an issue will come out that has good info and more substance, and I stick with it.
kathryn
Cathlete
They are yummy, aren't they? (I've been raw this summer, but I tried Coconut Bliss before, and it's delicious! ---if you like coconut, and who wouldn't, LOL!. There are several raw ice cream recipes using coconut, and now that I found out how much coconut cream to sub for the flesh of a coconut, I might try out a recipe or two).I seem to use coconut as an example a lot, and I think I know why...the new coconut ice creams are so delicious and decadent (I've had Coconut Bliss and the So Delicious kind--various flavors of each brand). These ice creams are definitely not trying to be like anything else; they are their very own (incredibly delicious) thing.
I have eaten jackfruit in the past and recently was really craving it. I went to the health food store and they had dried jackfruit! I was so surprised as I never saw it here before. Jaggery is a brown sugar but more molasses like in taste. You get it in a big lump. The only place I have seen it in the US is in Indian grocery stores.
Durian, Jaggery, Blog, Recipes...
Durian is kind of an acquired taste. That doesn't mean it isn't worth acquiring...just that it's different than your standard American supermarket fare.
I actually keep palm jaggery around the house because I like the way it tastes in coffee. So, Vee, YES, I want recipes! Especially the laksa. I found a recipe over here at Vegan Planet, but I'd prefer to know yours, if you have one. Maybe we do need to finally let this amazingly huge thread die?
If anyone cares, I have a vegan food/issues blog (very lazily maintained) here. I should warn you: it's mostly about cake. But there are a few other recipes knocking around there somewhere.
Durian is kind of an acquired taste.
That doesn't mean it isn't worth acquiring...just that it's different than your standard American supermarket fare. I actually keep palm jaggery around the house because I like the way it tastes in coffee. So, Vee, YES, I want recipes! Especially the laksa. I found a recipe over here at Vegan Planet, but I'd prefer to know yours, if you have one. Maybe we do need to finally let this amazingly huge thread die?
If anyone cares, I have a vegan food/issues blog (very lazily maintained) here. I should warn you: it's mostly about cake. But there are a few other recipes knocking around there somewhere.
Vee
Cathlete
Yes, jaggery is palm sugar or even sugarcane sugar, except it is unrefined.
It is made by cooking palm/sugarcane juice. It is less refined than Western brown sugar. Based on the ingredient and the technique used to cook it, it can be
a. a soft to medium-hard lump that chips off when you apply pressure
b. extra-hard, roughly shaped blocks - as hard as stone
c. a powder that lacks the crystals of refined sugar
It turns sticky in hot weather if not stored in an air tight container and this stickiness makes it excellent for toffee. We cook jaggery and water with sesame seeds and/or nuts to make delicious toffee.
Here is a recipe for traditional far-eastern coconut ice cream.
1 cup jaggery (not the extra-hard kind) or refined sugar
1/2 cup water
3 to 4 cups thick coconut milk (fresh, from a can, or reconstituted from coconut milk powder - dessicated coconut flakes wont do)
1/2 to 1 cup of fruit pulp, optional (melon - honey-dew or musk kind - tastes pretty good in this too, but otherwise tropical fruits go best with coconut milk)
Cook the jaggery/sugar in water until it forms a thick syrup that coats the ladle when you pick it out from the bowl. Cool to room temperature. Stir in the remaining ingredients. If you are unsure of whether this may be too sweet, add the syrup a bit at a time and stop when it tastes right. Freeze in a tray.
When it sets on the outside but the centre is still un-frozen, remove and blend in a mixer or manually to give your arms a workout. Repeat this 3 to 6 times (taking out when not fully set and blending). Cut into slices and serve.
Laksa recipe coming up...I need to refer to my book.
It is made by cooking palm/sugarcane juice. It is less refined than Western brown sugar. Based on the ingredient and the technique used to cook it, it can be
a. a soft to medium-hard lump that chips off when you apply pressure
b. extra-hard, roughly shaped blocks - as hard as stone
c. a powder that lacks the crystals of refined sugar
It turns sticky in hot weather if not stored in an air tight container and this stickiness makes it excellent for toffee. We cook jaggery and water with sesame seeds and/or nuts to make delicious toffee.
Here is a recipe for traditional far-eastern coconut ice cream.
1 cup jaggery (not the extra-hard kind) or refined sugar
1/2 cup water
3 to 4 cups thick coconut milk (fresh, from a can, or reconstituted from coconut milk powder - dessicated coconut flakes wont do)
1/2 to 1 cup of fruit pulp, optional (melon - honey-dew or musk kind - tastes pretty good in this too, but otherwise tropical fruits go best with coconut milk)
Cook the jaggery/sugar in water until it forms a thick syrup that coats the ladle when you pick it out from the bowl. Cool to room temperature. Stir in the remaining ingredients. If you are unsure of whether this may be too sweet, add the syrup a bit at a time and stop when it tastes right. Freeze in a tray.
When it sets on the outside but the centre is still un-frozen, remove and blend in a mixer or manually to give your arms a workout. Repeat this 3 to 6 times (taking out when not fully set and blending). Cut into slices and serve.
Laksa recipe coming up...I need to refer to my book.
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Vee
Cathlete
Afreet, I liked your blog! Many weddings in India serve vegetarian (with dairy) fare. I read about planning a vegan wedding. Asian cusiines have so many options that would ensure the menu tasted like a rich feast.
I also checked out the laksa recipe. Very nice with great substitutions for less commonly available ingredients like galangal, lemon grass and fresh turmeric root. I would cut down on the quantity of linguini and add veggies (Eggplant, brocoli, string beans, spinach, chinese greens like bok choi) and garnish before serving with a touch of lime juice. I would also garnish with bean-sprouts. The crunch contrasts very well with the smoothness of the pasta. This also makes it more balanced nutrition wise. If you can find far-eastern noodles (rice or wheat) - especially the no-cook kind that you just soak in warm-water that tastes great in laksa. Mostly the noodles are not added into the soup. Some noodles are placed in a laksa-bowl (large soup bowl - big enough for a very big serving as this is your one pot meal) and the laksa-curry-soup is poured over.
I will post my recipe too.
I also checked out the laksa recipe. Very nice with great substitutions for less commonly available ingredients like galangal, lemon grass and fresh turmeric root. I would cut down on the quantity of linguini and add veggies (Eggplant, brocoli, string beans, spinach, chinese greens like bok choi) and garnish before serving with a touch of lime juice. I would also garnish with bean-sprouts. The crunch contrasts very well with the smoothness of the pasta. This also makes it more balanced nutrition wise. If you can find far-eastern noodles (rice or wheat) - especially the no-cook kind that you just soak in warm-water that tastes great in laksa. Mostly the noodles are not added into the soup. Some noodles are placed in a laksa-bowl (large soup bowl - big enough for a very big serving as this is your one pot meal) and the laksa-curry-soup is poured over.
I will post my recipe too.
Vee
Cathlete
Durian is definitely an acquired taste. It is sold in open street markets/street corners with at times tables and chairs even in the open, so you can sit right there and consume it. This is because the smell is pretty strong. In places like Singapore you can be fined if you bring durian into a hotel or mall becuase the "aroma" lasts and lasts long after the fruit is consumed. In most places, cab drivers or public transport will refuse to let you board if you are carrying durian.
It tastes more creamy than any other fruit...I can only liken the texture to ripe avocado but even that is close rather than perfect. The flesh is pale yellow. It is only mildly sweet.
Durian pancakes are served at the most exclusive chinese restaurants, especially after a dim sum lunch. Durian puree is blended with whipped cream and mildly swetened with sugar. The smell becomes far less overwhelming, but you may find your burps mysteriously strong smelling, because the aroma protection of the pancake recipe doesnt last during the digestion process!
My mum ate durian on a trip she took to Thailand after hearing me rave about it. She still hasnt forgiven me.
I must be good now and let this thread die.
It tastes more creamy than any other fruit...I can only liken the texture to ripe avocado but even that is close rather than perfect. The flesh is pale yellow. It is only mildly sweet.
Durian pancakes are served at the most exclusive chinese restaurants, especially after a dim sum lunch. Durian puree is blended with whipped cream and mildly swetened with sugar. The smell becomes far less overwhelming, but you may find your burps mysteriously strong smelling, because the aroma protection of the pancake recipe doesnt last during the digestion process!
My mum ate durian on a trip she took to Thailand after hearing me rave about it. She still hasnt forgiven me.
I must be good now and let this thread die.
pixiesis
Cathlete
I must be good now and let this thread die.
LOL Vee! I love that this thread won't die. It's sort of funny given SNM's response (waaaaaaay back there) that the original topic (what was it again
?) was really a minority issue. I will try that coconut ice cream for sure. And I've seen Durian on some of those "extreme" foods shows. I understand that you either love it or hate it. I'd like to try it some day (I think
) Amy
LOL Vee! I love that this thread won't die. It's sort of funny given SNM's response (waaaaaaay back there) that the original topic (what was it again
Me, too! Over 9,000 views! Impressive. I think the OP should win some sort of thread-starting award. I was just so relieved that there were other vegans on this forum who were concerned and wanted to talk about it.