Some people call it a passing trend or a fad, but I think Veganism is a way of life and it’s here to stay. I adopted a phased approach for transitioning to a plant based diet because I’ve been raised a true blue punjabi household with tandoori chicken galore. Phase one was first ridding my diet of milk products (yes all the ghee and white butter too), then once I believed I could handle it, I slowly weaned myself off of meat and meat masalas. After almost 2 years of having a plant based diet, I believe my relationship with food has transformed and I eat mindfully without giving in to cravings that come disguised as hunger pangs. On the flavour front however, there still seemed to be something amiss.
Having recently moved to Canada from India, a lack of vegan options was never my problem as being Indians our vegetarian food is primarily plant-based from chana masala to Chole Bhature or our famous Aloo Parathas. My challenge was the cravings of the flavor some aromas of masalas like Butter Chicken marinades being prepared fresh by my grandma in the kitchen or the taste of rich and decadent Mutton Curry or Nihari. More than the meat, it was always the masalas which never tasted the same without the meat packed flavour until I had a serendipitous encounter with Shan Foods Cooking or Simmer Sauces some call it. It all started when I saw a series of posts by influencers about how they tasted fresh and authentic for veg and non veg food alike but as I’m someone who thoroughly does my research before buying a product, I wasn’t only going to take their word for it so I went ahead and got 2 flavours of Shan Cooking Sauces to give them a shot for myself. I would have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how the sauces brought me back home to the kitchens of my grandma. Even though I didn’t use meat while cooking them, they still had the flavour I was missing in spite of having no animal extracts.
For those of you, looking to transition and exploring some plant based meals, I have two ridiculously easy recipes concocted for you with my new find !
Soya Karahi
- 1 jar of Shan Karahi cooking sauce
- Soya Chunks
- 2 tbs coconut oil
- Handful of coriander/cilantro to garnish
Step 1 – Boil and then lightly fry your soya chunks in coconut oil for 5 -10 mins
Step 2 : Add Shan cooking sauce
Step 3. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes
Top it with some cilantro & plate up! No wonder they say just ‘Pour, Cook and Serve!” with these cooking sauces.
Tofu Tikka
- 1 jar of Shan Chicken Tikka cooking sauce
- Silken or Firm Tofu
- 2 tbs coconut oil
Now, Here’s how easy it is to marinate your tofu (just pour, cook and serve like the back of the bottle says)
- Simply press your tofu for 15 minutes.
- Chop your tofu into bite sized cubes, and either place it in a Tupperware container or ziplock bag with a jar of Shan BBQ Chicken Tikka Cooking Sauce. Seal and place in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
- Pan fry over medium heat for five minutes on each side of the tofu. You can also BBQ it on skewers.
- Serve with fresh cilantro, rice or sautéed veggies, add a dash of lemon and dig in!