Kosha mangsho – a Bengali curry with a rich, flavorful sauce – is a popular Eastern Indian Onion Cardamom Chili Sauce. I paired with tofu as meat substitute. It is super delicious with rice, naan, or luchi!

Kosha mangsho is a speciality meat curry from Bengali cuisine. Bengal is a state in the eastern part of India and it has its own cuisine and the cuisine has its set of special dishes. There is the kosha mangsho, which is a curry as well as dishes like puchka, which is sort of like pani puri. Bengali desserts include dishes like rasgulla and sandesh mishti.

There is a lot of seafood in Bengali cuisine, and the vegetable curries in this region are made differently. You can find some delicious Bengali curries already on the blog, like chapor ghonto(lentil stew with dumplings)and charchari (veggie stir fry).

The kosha mangsho we are making today is a vegan version of a meaty, Bengali mutton curry. Kosha means slow roasting and mangsho means meat, so for the traditional dish, you’d slow roast the sauce for a while, then add the meat to it and slow roast that as well, so the meat browns and picks up all of the amazing flavors from the sauce.

For the vegan version, we are going to brown our onions really well, so that we can use up all of that color and flavor of caramelization. Tofu is our meat substitute, but you can use other meat substitutes, as well, such as vegan chicken, vegan beef, vegan goat (if you can find it), and use those instead. You can also use chickpea flour tofu or just add some white beans or chickpeas to the sauce.

So much of the flavor is in the sauce that you won’t miss the meat!

Like many of the other regional Indian dishes, this one also uses a lot of whole spices, so use whichever spices you have on hand. If you are missing a spice here and there, it’s not going to take away from the dish. There’s plenty of flavor overall in this recipe.

This curry is a part of my Eastern Indian menu for Diwali! This year I am sharing 4 regional menus for your Indian dinner party. Regional Indian food often gets overlooked in the midst of the popular options, so try these recipes celebrating the many cuisines within Indian cuisine! You can find these fabulous recipes and menus on my YouTube channel here. Happy Diwali!

Why You’ll Love Kosha Mangsho

• flavorful Bengali curry cooks up in a single pan
• deep, authentic flavor without the meat!
• naturally gluten-free and easily made nut-free and soy-free

Continue reading: Kosha Mangsho (Bengali Mutton Curry with Onion Cardamom Chili sauce)

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Jalapeño popper pinwheels have the creamy-crunchy texture and spicy flavor of jalapeño poppers in crispy, pinwheel form! Perfect for parties, game day, holiday dinner!

I love crispy pinwheels as appetizers for parties or any get-together. They’re such a satisfying, handheld snack that’s quick to pick up and not too messy. And you can add whatever fillings you like to pinwheels, like the veggie filling in my spinach pinwheels, spiced lentils in my kachori pinwheels, or spiced potatoes in my samosa pinwheels. 

And today, we are making jalapeño popper pinwheels, which have a mix of pickled and fresh jalapeños along with non-dairy cream cheese, rolled into puff pastry sheets and topped with crispy breadcrumb and cheese mixture. This amazing appetizer is basically jalapeño popper dip rolled up in a crispy puff pastry sheet!! It’s spicy, creamy, cheesy, crispy and just addictive. They need few ingredients, and are also easy to make ahead.

Delicious, crispy-creamy-spicy jalapeño poppers pinwheels are perfect for a crowd! Serve them at your next dinner party, Diwali dinner or holiday party when you have vegetarian and vegan guests. They’re delicious on their own or with a dip, like vegan ranch, celery ranch, or garlic dressing.

Why You’ll Love Jalapeno Popper Pinwheels

• hand-held roll-ups are perfect for parties and holiday gatherings. No individual plates needed!
• creamy jalapeño popper dip rolled up in crisp puff pastry
• easy and fun to make! Can be made ahead.
• soy-free and nut-free with easy gluten-free option

Continue reading: Jalapeño Popper Pinwheels (vegan)

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These Indian-inspired chilli tofu puff pastry parcels are the perfect fusion appetizer for a Diwali or Indian-themed party. Or really any other party, because they are just so delicious! You all will love these Indo-Chinese Chilli Garlic Tofu in crispy parcels! Options for gluten-free and Soyfree

The festive season is here and I am bringing some fantastic appetizers this year. Flaky puff pastry stuffed with spicy savory, Indochinese chilli garlic tofu stir fry makes a super delicious vegan holiday appetizer. These are amazingly delicious hand pies that will absolutely be a hit at your next holiday party.

We make the Indochinese chilli garlic tofu “paneer”, and then try not to eat it all before we get a chance to stuff it into that puff pastry. Because the tofu is just so tasty by itself! No one will blame you if you snack on it a bit while you fold these.

There are 3 kinds of chilies/heat in these. There’s Kashmiri chili powder, which is usually mild but can be moderately hot depending on the brand. There’s black pepper and there’s hot green chilies such as Serrano or Indian chilies. Green chilies also vary in heat. So adjust these to adjust the heat to preference. Use less of each for mild heat.

I use a mixture of non dairy milk and maple syrup as the pastry wash. This helps the pastries get nicely golden and also help them stick really well when shaping into whatever kind of parcels.

Why You’ll Love Tofu Puff Pastry

• flaky puff pastry with sweet-spicy-savory filling
• 1-pan chilli garlic tofu filling is full of amazing Indochinese flavors!
• festive appetizer for Diwali, Indian dinner party, or any other holiday
• naturally nut-free with gluten-free and soy-free options

Continue reading: Indo-Chinese Chilli Garlic Tofu Puff Pastry (nut-free)

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These vegan gluten-free almond flour snickerdoodles are easy and delicious! I use my dependable almond flour cookie base and coat it in cinnamon sugar. They have the perfect crinkly top and are crisp on the outside and soft in the center.

I coated mine in brown sugar and cinnamon. You could use coconut sugar instead, but the color will be a bit darker than the snickerdoodles in the pictures.  For a lighter look, you can easily substitute white sugar for the coating.

These cookies are perfect for all lovers of cinnamon-y goodness and definitely a welcome addition to our regular repertoire of cookie recipes.  I make these year-round for my friends and family. You can change up the spice to chia spice, pumpkin spice or other for variation!

More vegan cookie recipes:

• Almond Flour Ginger Molasses Cookies
• Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies
• Vegan Pistachio Cookie Recipe
• German Chocolate Cookies

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Almond Flour Snickerdoodles

These almond flour snickerdoodles are vegan and gluten-free yet perfectly crispy and chewy, and with the signature crinkly top that makes them the eye-catcher on every cookie platter. So easy to make and kids and adults alike love them. 

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword vegan snickerdoodles

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Chill time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Calories 116kcal

Author Vegan Richa

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond flour I use super fine blanched almond flour
• 3 tablespoons tapioca starch or use other starch of choice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the wet ingredients

• 1.5 tablespoon melted refined coconut oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For coating the cookies:

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix well. Press and mix so that the almond flour lumps break down
• Then add the wet ingredients and mix into a sticky dough. Chill this dough in the refrigerator for at least half an hour. If the dough after half an hour is still a bit too sticky, add in 1 tablespoon of almond flour, or oat flour, and mix in
• In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and brown sugar and set aside. Prep your baking sheet by lining with parchment paper.
• Preheat the oven to 335 degrees Fahrenheit (170 deg C ) . Make equal scoops of the dough and roll it into a ball then flatten it lightly and press into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Coat on either all sides or just one side and then the edges and then place on the parchment lined baking sheet.
• Repeat for all the dough. Depending on the size you’ll get 6 large cookies or 8-10 small .
• Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes depending o the size of your cookie.
• Remove from the oven. The cookie will be soft when it is just out of the oven. Let it cool for 10 minutes then move it into a cooling rack and let it continue to cool completely.

Video

Notes

• Store on the counter in a covered container for up to a 2 weeks. These cookies are best fresh for the first  4/5 days 
• For variations, you can change up the spice in the cookie to cardamom, chai spice, saffron, pumpkin spice or other flavors.
• To make this oil-free, substitute the oil with tahini or smooth nut butter just omit the oil and add more maple instead 

Nutrition

Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 22mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Ingredients:

• almond flour –  I use  super fine almond flour from blanched almonds. This recipe is made for almond flour. The only substitutes that work. Are another nut flour. For regular flour cookies, see these.
• tapioca starch gives them more stability – you can use another starch of choice, like cornstarch, potato starch
• as fat we use refined coconut oil to keep it neutral tasting. Virgin works as well
• maple syrup – these are naturally sweetened with maple syrup
• vanilla – always
•  salt brings out the sweetness some more
• baking soda gives these the signature crinkly top
• these would not be snickerdoodles without a hefty dose of cinnamon both in dough and topping
• the signature snickerdoodle look is achieved by coating the cookie dough balls with a mix of cinnamon and brown sugar before baking

Tips :

• You can use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar for the topping to make these completely refined sugar-free
• To make these oil-free, substitute the oil with tahini or almond butter or just omit the oil and add more maple syrup

How to make Vegan Almond Flour Snickerdoodle Cookies

In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix well. Press and mix so that the almond flour lumps are broken down really well.

Then add the wet ingredients and mix them into a sticky dough. Chill this dough for at least half an hour. If the dough after half an hour is still a bit too sticky after, add in 1 tablespoon of almond flour or oat flour and mix in.

In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and brown sugar really well and set aside. Prep your baking sheet by lining it with a sheet of parchment paper.

Preheat the oven to 335 degrees Fahrenheit (170 deg C ) . Make equal scoops of the dough, roll it into a ball, flatten it lightly, and press into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Coat on either all sides or just one side and then the edges and then place on the parchment lined baking sheet.

Repeat for all the dough. For larger cookies, you will get about 6 cookies. Smaller cookies would be about 8-10.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes depending o the size of your cookie.

Remove from the oven. The cookie will be soft when it is just out of the oven. Let it cool for 10 minutes then move it into a cooling rack and let it continue to cool completely.

Storage

Store on the counter in a covered container for up to a 2 weeks. These cookies are best fresh for the first few days. Refrigerate for freshness and longer storage.

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Madurai chicken curry is a rich, spicy South Indian curry with a tomato base featuring flavors of fennel, pepper, curry leaves, garlic, and ginger. You can adjust the spice as you like and try this incredible sauce with your protein of choice! Gluten-free with Nutfree and Soyfree options

I lived and worked in Bangalore(Bengaluru) for a while, which gave me the opportunity to try various South Indian curries. I hadn’t gone vegan yet, so I tried a bunch of the chicken curries, and I was just so surprised by the various flavors. There were so many different flavors and textures, depending on what Southern region the curry came from!

That time and those curries are full of fond memories, so I have been making vegan versions of those amazing sauces and curries. But I have barely scratched the surface of Southern Indian flavors. Each state and region with a whole cuisine in itself with many sauces and ingredients to explore!

This curry is just one interpretation of this Madurai style chicken curry, or kuzhambu, which is from the cuisine of the city of Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu. This sauce is absolutely delicious with the flavor combination of whole spices. I paired it with tofu, which you toss in some of the spices and bake and add into the curry, but you can use any other protein of choice, as well. You can make this with white beans or chickpeas, chickpea tofu or pumpkin seed tofu, or use roasted veggies for soy-free variations. 

Whatever protein you choose, you really need to try the sauce! It can get a little spicy, because, there is quite a bit of black pepper and Kashmiri chili powder in it. You can tone it down by reducing the black pepper and Kashmiri chili powder to preference. 

Why You’ll Love Madurai Chicken Curry

• rich curry with a flavorful tomato broth and notes of fennel, curry leaves, garlic, and ginger
• flexible! Replace the tofu with plant-based protein of choice, if you like.
• one ground spice mix seasons the tofu and the sauce
• gluten-free and nut-free with several soy-free options

Continue reading: Madurai Chicken Curry (Kuzhambu South Indian Coconut Pepper Curry)

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Lemon blueberry scones are crisp on the outside, flaky inside and use No butter or oil! This one-bowl spring recipe is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or snacking. Soyfree Nutfree Glutenfree option. Low fat option.

These are super refreshing scones that come together in just one bowl. We use some chilled coconut cream to add the flaky texture. They are perfectly flaky without using any butter or oil, but if you want to add some, you can go ahead and add some to the dough, for extra buttery, extra flaky scones.

To make these lower fat, see my low-fat apple cinnamon scones, which are also oil-free. Follow the process for the wet ingredients from there.

Change up the berries to use seasonal berries of choice. Make orange cranberry or other combination scone. Add in some poppyseeds for lemon poppyseed scones!

No matter what variation you choose, lemon blueberry scones are going to be a new favorite breakfast, brunch, or snack. They are so easy to make, perfect for spring or any season, and vibrant and delicious! Drizzle with your favorite icing!

Why You’ll Love Lemon Blueberry Scones

• flaky, buttery scones with no added butter or oil!
• zesty lemon and sweet blueberries in crisp, flaky scone form
• drizzle topping adds even more vibrant, lemony flavor
• one bowl, oil-free recipe
• easily made gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and even low fat!

Continue reading: Lemon Blueberry Scones (oil-free. gluten-free option)

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After all the Baklava inspired recipes I had to make the real deal. Baklava is a decadent and  sweet treat. Traditional baklava is not vegan as it uses butter and honey. I changed it up with some vegan butter and and a sticky lemon syrup made with maple syrup!

This vegan version of baklava is made with layers of sweet filo and chopped nuts, all covered in a sweet syrup! we also add dates to the nut filling since our syrup is not very sweet. We add less sweetener than in traditional baklava recipes. This is a simple yet showstopping dessert guaranteed to impress!

Baklava has many variations and flavors. I use  a blend of nuts and some lemon zest for that decadent and refreshing flavor! If you want, add some rose water to the syrup but be careful as a little goes a long way.

The texture is flaky, soft, buttery, with some added crunch from the crisp filo and nuts. It’s sweet and with a hint of lemon and cinnamon without any flavor being overpowering.

What is phyllo pastry?

Many people are unaware that phyllo dough and filo pastry is actually vegan. There are no eggs or dairy used.

The number of Phyllo sheets needed depends on the size of your pan. I used an 8×8 inch glass pan and needed 24 sheets of that size. The phyllo bundle that  I had had 18 sheets but they were larger sheets and I could cut out of them.

More vegan desserts with nuts:

• Vegan Pistachio Cookie Recipe
• Hazelnut Brownies
• Oatmeal Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies
• Vegan Almond Halwa
• Vegan Snickers Peanut Butter Cups

Baklava inspired desserts

• Baklava cheesecake 
• Baklava cookies
• baklava Lassi
• Baklava cake 

Continue reading: Vegan Baklava with Date nut filling

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Spinach and cheese Savory scones with Italian herbs and sun-dried tomato are crisp on the outside and buttery inside with no added oil! They’re the perfect addition to breakfast or brunch, side with soups and they make a great snack, too.

These vegan savory scones with spinach and cheese are full of flavor from fresh herbs, sun-dried tomato, and green onion. They are absolutely delicious and perfect with gravy or spread with vegan butter. You can also make these a side with soups, bean stews, tofu scramble or really anything else you want to serve with it.

They are crisp on the outside and buttery on the inside, even though there isn’t any added butter in this recipe. Instead, they get this amazing texture from a little bit of almond flour, vegan cream cheese, and non-dairy “buttermilk” made from mixing vegan milk with a little bit of vinegar. 

These scones / biscuits are based on my other oil-free scones, like my churro scones, banana scones, and apple cinnamon scones. For these savory version, I add herbs, spinach, and vegan cream cheese.

Why You’ll Love Vegan Spinach and Cheese Scones

• crisp outside and buttery inside with no vegan butter or added oil!
• full of amazing flavor from Italian herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, green onion, and cheese
• 30 minute recipe and needs just 1 Bowl! Everything gets mixed in the same bowl, then shaped and baked
• easily made nut-free and soy-free with a simple gluten-free option

Continue reading: Spinach and Cheese Savory Scones (30 minutes, gf option)

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Beans do pyaza (Indian cumin onion sauce) uses the flavorful sauce from North Indian chicken do pyaza! Creamy caramelized onion sauce seasoned with toasted cumin, ginger, garlic, and spiced and garnished with seared peppers and onions. Glutenfree. Nutfree Soyfree

Beans are having a real moment right now, so I’ve been using beans in some of my favorite sauces. Today we add them to this flavorful Indian sauce.

All the amazing complex flavor is always in the spiced Indian sauces! The proteins( meats, tofu, beans) taste so good because of the well spiced and simmered sauce! This sauce today is vibrant, deep and delicious! Do pyaza translates to double onions. In this fragrant toasted cumin and onion sauce, you add onions at two different points. You’ve got seared onions in the topping and caramelized in the base sauce. Caramelized onion with well toasted cumin and other spices makes for a deeply rich and flavored sauce.

This one is an amazing curry to use with any protein that you like, like baked tofu, chickpeas, beans, soy curls, seitan, vegan chicken substitutes, or whatever you like. I’m using great northern beans, but you can also use other white beans, like cannellini beans, butter beans, or you can even use chickpeas in the same sauce. 

It’s a fabulous, flavorful sauce!

This is also a freezer-friendly recipe. You can freeze just the sauce or the sauce and beans together and heat it up and serve whenever you’re ready.

Beans do pyaza is also a great way to serve beans on toast! if you want the beans and toast to be extra flavorful and spiced As with spiced Indian curries and sauces, the flavor gets stronger as the sauce sits. The flavor also depends on the age of your spices. If you find yourself tripling the amount of spices listed in my recipes, the spices are probably quite old.
This sauce pairs well with any kind of protein like baked tofu, vegan chicken subs, roasted cauliflower or veggies and what not! With the beans It makes a simple, cozy, satisfying one-pot meal.

Why You’ll Love this Beans do Pyaza Curry

• Very flavorful, creamy sauce packed with onion, spices, ginger, and garlic and toasted fragrant cumin seeds
• quick and easy one pot meal. Uses just 1 pan and cutting board!
• freezer-friendly : the sauce as well as the beans+ sauce are freezer friendly. Reheat in pan or microwave
• gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free with an oil-free option

More Indian curries

• Malai tofu
• Gobi Do Pyaza
• Lasooni Chicken Curry
• Dal Bukhara
• Lentil Coconut Curry (1 pan, 30 minutes!)

Continue reading: White Beans in Toasted Cumin Onion Curry (White Beans do Pyaza) – one pot

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Meet my new favorite vegan soup for cold days! This Zuppa Toscana is easy and  the perfect comfort food.

Lusciously creamy and every bit as hearty and satisfying with that signature blend of potatoes, mushrooms, and spinach. I use veggie crumbles or chopped soycurls instead of sausage that get flavored with spices and herbs. You don’t have make the whole sausage! Cashew cream adds that decadent creamyness.

As we thicken the soup with cashew cream and the natural starches from the potatoes, it is gluten-free. However, if you want to keep this nut-free I have added a couple of alternatives for thickening the soup in the recipe notes.

With the added potatoes and veggie crumbles, this soup is filling enough to be a main dish. Top with vegan cheese shreds, pepper, herbs and serve with some toasty bread. So good!

More Vegan Soup Recipes:

• Laksa – Malaysian Curry Laksa Soup Recipe
• Vegan French Onion Soup
• Green Chili Enchilada Soup
• Chickpea Rice Soup
• Roasted Tomato Soup

Continue reading: Vegan Zuppa Toscana

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