New Year Vegan Dinner: Stuffed Butternut Squash, Apple Salad, and Coconut Cake Layered with Custard

This year we're keeping it simple. It's the boy, the mother, the dogs, and me over a simple vegan new year eve dinner with a glass of champagne. I usually a non-drinker except in times of celebration or excuse to drink the sparkling wine.

I wanted to strip the quantity this time. instead of making too many dishes (which I did for Christmas and the Holiday party), I wanted to tone it down and make something holiday-ish but simple. We have stuffed butternut squash (stuffed with seasoned rice and mushrooms), an apple lettuce salad, and a coconut cake layered with simple vanilla custard. It's all vegan, it's all bright.

I was DELIGHTED to see Butternut squash available at my local supermarket today. I really haven't seen it around before, and the last I've cooked with it has been in the U.S.A. Looks like a slow demand for this western winter squash is rising.

It was the perfect opportunity to make something I've wanted to try for a bit. The rich creamy butternut squash pairs well with a stuffing of herbed rice with mushrooms. You can make this recipe your own by fiddling with your own (and available) seasonings. 

Here's how to make it

What You Need: Stuffed Butternut Squash

One large Butternut squash

Olive Oil

Thyme (dried or fresh)

italian seasoning

2 tablespoons chili flakes (less if you don't want a bite)

1 cup raw rice

Salt

Pepper

Vegetable stock or powder (1 cup or two tablespoons)

1 large carrot

1/2 large onion

2 cups mushroom

6 pods garlic minced

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)

1 tablespoon cashew butter

4 tablespoons chopped almonds

How To Make

With a large sharp knife gently cut the butternut squash lengthwise. It should look like the picture above.

Now scoop out the seeds from each round socket. You can discard them or save them to roast for later. 

On an oven, pan add olive oil to the raw butternut squash and rub all over. Now sprinkle seasonings of choice, salt, and pepper. Pop this into a pre-heated oven at 200c for 30-45 min. You'll have to check to see if the squash is tender and 'scoopable'. 

While those are in the oven start to prepare your stuffing. Heat oil in a skillet, add thyme (or any other seasoning like rosemary), garlic, onions, diced carrots and fry well. Throw in your chopped mushrooms. Now add a pinch of sugar to balance it out. Add chili flakes, Italian seasonings, any other mixed seasonings you'd like and fry for a couple more minutes. Add the vegetable stock or powder.

Now if you've used vegetable stock powder like me, add 2.5 cups of water to it. If you've used liquid stock, then add one cup of that and 1.5 cups of plain water. Let it start to bubble. Add nutritional yeast and cashew butter to this and stir. Now add one cup of raw rice and let the fire go on simmer. Check the rice every 5 minutes and stir gently. It should all be cooked in 15-20 minutes. If it's drying up too fast and the rice is not cooked add small amounts of water. 

Check on your squash. If it's cooked well in the oven remove. Give it five minutes to cool so you don't burn your hands. Now gently scoop the soft squash out while leaving an inch of the squash on the peel. Mix the cooked squash to your cooked rice filling. It should look like the picture above!

Now go ahead and fill your squash cases with the filling. Add chopped nuts on top and pop in the oven at 180 for 10 min right before you want to serve!

This is a meal by itself. I'd add a salad to compliment it. You'll see that I've made an apple lettuce salad here with avocado. Simple balsamic olive oil dressing with salt and pepper as dressing.

The cake was simple. While I am not posting recipes for the salad and cake, I'll try to give you the idea. You'll need to make two simple vegan vanilla cakes ( a thin 3-inch layer each time you bake)with coconut essence and freshly grated coconut. 

Separately you'll use custard powder (the cornstarch versions are vegan by default) and boil soya milk as a substitute for milk. Follow package instructions. Now you jsut need to add a thick layer of cooled custard to the cake, add more coconut and sandwich the other cake with it. Tah-Dah!

Well 2018, you've been swell. But are we ever excited for 2019! I have big plans this year and lots of lessons to learn. More kindness to you this year. 

Keep it Real!

Vegan Christmas Kulkuls- A Tribute to my Manglorean Catholic Roots

I turned 35 this year. An age where you've figured yourself out and can finally fit in your past symbiotically with your present. And that's why tradition, or rather recreating new traditions based on the ones I grew up on are so important to me. I was raised in a rather secular household, a catholic Mangalorean mother (albeit raised in Calcutta) and a Hindu father. We were brought up with both influences, celebrating Diwali and Christmas with same-same enthusiasm. I was born in the U.S and lived there till I was 10. Then I was raised in Bangalore from ages 10 to 18. 

The one Mangalore Catholic tradition that stood the test of time in my childhood (growing up both in the U.S and Bangalore)was making Kulkuls at Christmas time with my mother Rosemary Mukherjee. Then we grew up and the tradition stopped. 

Today, I am making them again after 20 years.

The recipe is perfect for the whole family (especially the kids) to get involved with because of the fork you need to shape the dough with. In fact, that's all I was allowed to do as a kid, only roll them and never go near the stove for deep frying. Today, Manjula who has worked in our house for almost 6 years now told me she'd teach me how to do the perfect deep fry, making sure the kulkuls were dark and crisp outside and the dough inside cooked just enough. I usually cook and bake in isolation, but having Manjula doing it with me today created the atmosphere of memory- kulkuls are always made together.

I've organized the recipe of course. The traditional version has butter and in some versions even eggs. So here is my 'kinder' version of Kulkuls :) It's a fairly easy recipe. 

What You Need

(makes 25-30 kulkuls)

1 cup flour (maida)

1/2 cup semolina (rava)

1/4th cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons salt

1/4th cup coconut oil

3 tablespoons soya/almond/plant-based mylk

How To Make

We'll roast the semolina (rava) on a dry pan on medium heat for a few minutes till it smells toasty. In a large bowl add flour, cooled down semolina and salt. Now add the coconut oil and start to mix with your hands, you'll get a crumbly dough. Now add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix again. Finally add the soya mylk and knead the dough well. It should be dry-ish and not wet, but you still want it to be pliable. 

Kulkul dough

Let the dough rest for 30 minutes. 

Now gather around and everyone who wants to make kulkuls with you (the more the faster) grab a fork. Pluck 2- inch sections of the dough and press on the back of the fork. Now roll upwards. They might not be perfect, it's ok. Every table of kulkul makers will have a show-off and the failure- it's ok, all kulkuls are equal. 

Roll em up!

When all your kulkuls are shaped heat a large bottomed vessel with oil for deep frying. Let it heat up on med-high for 4-5 minutes. Take a speck of the dough and test the oil. If the dough rises up it's hot enough. Add the first batch of Kulkuls gently into the hot oil. 

Reduce flame to simmer and the kulkuls cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remember to flip them in the middle. Drain them of oil with your spoon and lay on a plate lined with tissue paper. 

While they are still hot sprinkle on some more powdered sugar. 

Your kulkuls are ready! Spread New Year/Christmas cheer by sharing. 

Here's to a bright, kind, and adventurous. I'll see you guys on the other side! Keep it real.