Vegan Cardamom Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

This is the most exciting vegan cardamom chocolate chip cookies recipe ever! Easy to make in one bowl, no chilling necessary (although it is recommended) and they come out perfect each and every time.

Make them crunchy or soft and chewy according to your preference and spice it with a hint of cardamom to make it exciting!

INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS FOR THESE VEGAN CARDAMOM CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

• Flour – I used regular all-purpose flour but you can also substitute with a gluten-free flour mix made for baking.
• Cardamom – You can use cardamom seeds from the pods but you can also use a tsp os pre-ground cardamom.
• Sugar – These vegan cardamom chocolate chip cookies are made with white and brown sugar. You can use any sugar you have, but make sure to look for the vegan mark on white sugars. You can also replace a portion or all of the sugar with zero-calorie sugar to make it “macro-friendly”.
• Butter – I use vegan butter but you can substitute it with coconut oil. Make sure to use the deodorized version.
• Chocolate chips – I used vegan dark chocolate chips. You can choose to use vegan white chocolate chips, vegan milk chocolate chips etc or choose to skip it if you don’t like chocolate!
• Flax meal – I used flax meal (ground flax seeds), mixed it with water to create a “vegan egg”. Substitute with 1 tbsp of cornstarch and 4 tbsp of water if you don’t have flax seed available.
• Espresso powder – Espresso powder or any instant coffee powder added to the dough mix, helps bring out the chocolatiness of the sweet chocolate chips.

Do try this Vegan Cardamom Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe and let me know if you like it. Enjoy these cookies with coffee or chai !!

MORE COOKIES FROM THE BLOG:

• Cardamom Snickerdoodle Cookies
• Tahini chocolate chip cookies

Vegan Cardamom Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients1x2x3x

• 2 tbsp flax meal
• 4 tbsp warm water
• ½ cup white sugar 100g
• ½ cup brown sugar packed 110g
• ½ cup vegan butter room temp., 112g
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp espresso powder or instant coffee powder
• 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour 270g
• 4-5 cardamom pods shelled and crushed, or 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
• Flaky salt for garnishing

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine the flax meal and water, mix well and set aside to gel up for about 5-10 minutes.
• Add the brown and white sugar and vegan butter to a larger bowl and whisk until creamed with a hand mixer or stand-mix.
• Mix in the flax “egg”, espresso powder, and vanilla extract, and beat until combined.
• Sift in the flour, ground cardamom, baking powder, and salt.
• Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon mix the ingredients together.
• Then, fold in the chocolate chips. Be careful not to overwork it. At this point the dough will be dry, so you may want to use your hands to work the dough, and it will likely not hold together.
• Then, place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for 30-60 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 170°C or 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet.
• Scoop batter with an ice cream scoop and place them on the baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie so they can spread.
• Bake 6 cookies on a tray at a time, making sure to keep 2 inches around the cookie for them to spread.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on the softness of the cookies you prefer.
• Remove from the oven, and let them cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely before eating.
• Then, serve with some coffee or chai!

Here’s how you can make restaurant or Dhaba-style Mushroom Masala in your kitchen with these easy and simple ingredients. Every Dhaba or restaurant on an Indian National Highway serves Mushroom Masala paired with Rumali roti or hot Basmati Rice . It is a rite of passage for us to stop our vehicles at these Dhabas and enjoy this delicious dish. Takes me down memory lane! <3

You can recreate this famous Indian dish from your kitchen if you follow my recipe and all the instructions. Mushrooms Masala is a lip-smacking Indian dish made from roasted mushrooms, onions, tomato and cashew base, and well garnished with spices and vegan cream. The secret lies in the yoghurt marination and the tomato cashew blend, which adds a smokey and rich flavour. The gravy base is very similar to other Indian dishes like Vegan Paneer Butter Masala but this dish is prepared slightly different. Choosing the right kind of meaty mushroom is also important.

Things to keep in mind while preparing Mushroom Masala

• The key to a good marinade is the yoghurt and the consistency of the yoghurt. If you use yoghurt with a lot of whey, your marinade will be watery and won’t attach to the mushrooms. If you getting thick vegan yoghurt is difficult, you can make some on your own. Place some plant-based yoghurt in a thin muslin or cheesecloth and hang it over your sink until all the moister has been drawn out. Once the hung yoghurt is ready, add the rest of the imagination masala and marinate the mushrooms in this mixture for a good 30-40 mins. Make sure to pat dry the mushrooms as the mushrooms tend to release moisture.

• Char the mushrooms on a heated cast iron grill. Charring is when we sear the food at a high temperature until the food releases water and gets smokey browned bits. Everything, including mock meat, veggies, and tofu, can be charred. That’s how the mushrooms will stay so juicy and meaty.

Note: How to char- Heat a cast iron grill at a high temperature until smokey. You will know it is done when you drizzle oil and the oil get hot. Add your mushrooms and press it down either with a spatula or a heavy flat bottom cast iron skillet, turn the heat to medium or medium-high and cook until done.

How to prepare Mushroom Masala (vegan): Step-by-step recipe

1. Place all the ingredients hung yoghurt, Garam Masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, and chaat masala powder to hung yoghurt in a bowl.

2. Add Ginger Garlic Paste, ajwain (carom seeds), and lemon juice to the yoghurt. Mix the yoghurt and the marinade ingredients together.

3. Add the mushrooms and get your hands dirty. Try to coat every nook and cranny with the yoghurt marinade. Set aside for 30 minutes.

4. Soak cashews and tomatoes in boiling water for 30 minutes. This helps in blanching the tomatoes and turning the cashews soft. You can take the tomato skin off if you prefer.

5. Drain all the water and blend the cashews and tomatoes (adding water if required) to make a smooth paste and set aside.

6. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet and place the marinated mushrooms in it. On medium to medium-high heat

7. Press down the mushrooms with a spatula or a heavy pan, flip it when one side is well charred and repeat for the other side.

8. Take it off the heat when the mushrooms are well cooked and charred (not burnt). Set aside and slice it to your desired shape when cooled.

9. Heat oil in a pan. Add onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent with a glass lid on, stirring a few times.

10. Add the aromatics: green chilli, ginger garlic paste, or minced ginger and garlic.

11. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, ground cumin, coriander powder and optionally deghi mirch (for the red colour).

12. Add tomato and cashew paste, garam masala, and charred mushrooms.

13. Mix well, deglazing the pot to remove any browning on the bottom of the pot to the sauce (the best flavour lies in the browned bits)

14. Finish it off with dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi), some soy/almond/coconut cream, and chopped coriander leaves.

15. Mix well and serve with basmati rice or roti!

Vegan Mushroom Masala (Dhaba style)

Ingredients1x2x3x

For Marination

• 200 g Mushrooms of any choice Prefered: Oyster Mushrooms
• 4 tbsp Thick yoghurt or hung yoghurt
• 1/8 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp Garam Masala
• ½ tsp Kashmiri red chili powder or Deghi mirch or any red chilli powder
• ½ tsp chaat masala powder
• 1.5 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste or 4 garlic cloves and ½ inch ginger – crushed/minced
• ½ teaspoon ajwain or carom seeds
• ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ tablespoon oil for grilling on cast iron or baking in the oven
• salt to taste

For the Mushroom Masala sauce:

• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 nos large onion finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste or 3 garlic cloves and ½ inch ginger – crushed/minced
• 2 nos fresh ripe red tomatoes pureed sub with 3/4 cup tomato puree
• ⅓ cup cashews
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ to 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder or any other red chilli powder
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander seeds or coriander powder
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 tbsp Kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves
• 1 tbsp soy cream sub with almond, cashew or coconut cream
• Few cilantro leaves chopped for garnish

Instructions

• Place all the ingredients for marination, except oil, in a bowl and mix well.
• Add the mushrooms and coat the mushrooms with yoghurt marinade. Set aside for 30 minutes.
• Soak cashews and tomatoes in boiling water for 30 minutes or until tomatoes are blanched and cashews are soft.
• Blend the cashews and tomatoes (adding water if required) to make smooth paste and set aside.
• Heat oil in a cast iron skillet and place the marinated mushrooms in it. On medium to medium high heat, roast the mushrooms.
• Press down the mushrooms with a spatula or a heavy pan, flip it when one side is well charred and repeat for the other side.
• Chope the mushrooms are per your liking and set aside.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent.
• Add the aromatics in the order: green chilli, ginger garlic paste or minced ginger and garlic. Saute for 30 seconds.
• Add turmeric, red chilli powder, ground cumin, coriander powder and optionally deghi mirch (for the red colour).
• Add tomato and cashew paste, garam masala, and the charred mushrooms. Mix well.
• Deglaze the pot to remove any browning on the bottom of the pot and add to the sauce.
• Stir in dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi), soy/almond/coconut cream, and garnish with chopped coriander/cilantro.
• Mix well and serve with hot basmati rice or roti!

Vegan Christmas cake recipe | Vegan Christmas fruit cake | Kerala plum cake Make this popular and flavourful fruit cake, commonly called plum cake made with a load of soaked dried fruits. You can skip out the rum and soak the fruit in orange juice. This is an vegan version, of the popular rum fruit cake or brandy Christmas cake served for Christmas.

WHAT IS A PLUM CAKE?

In India, specifically Kerala, Plum Cake refers to a type of cake made with either dried fruit (such as raisins, cranberries, figs, prunes etc.)with a hint of rum or brandy. In India, the plum cake has is served during the Christmas season, and those who are vegetarians, skip out the eggs, and those who don’t want alcohol in their cakes, generally use orange juice instead.

This recipe came to India from England, but it is quite a popular cake around the world. Every family usually has their own family recipe for a fruit cake.

How to make my Plum Cake alcohol-free?

Traditionally, for this cake, the dried fruit is soaked in rum or brandy for months or even years and then using them for an extensive Christmas bake. Honestly, nowadays, not everybody remembers to do this! For this eggless and vegan plum cake, I use half rum and half orange juice. But if you want to skip out on the rum, then just replace it with more orange juice! Also, try my quick, cheat code to soak the dried fruit in a matter of 10 minutes! I do this by cooking the dried fruit in rum and orange juice until the fruit soaks it all up! It helps make the dried fruit super flavorful for the cake. I used raisins, dried cranberries, dried apricots, dried figs, and prunes for this vegan plum cake. But you can use any dried fruits you have at your disposal!

How to bake this cake without an oven?

Just turn on the convection mode in your microwave! Then, pre-heat to 160 degrees celsius and place the cake pan on the microwave tray, and allow it to bake for 30-40 minutes. Definitely keep an eye on the cake so that it doesn’t burn. As soon as it gets a golden brown edge, stop!

This vegan plum cake can also be made in a pressure cooker or the Indian wok: kadhai! Feel free to try out the option that best works for you!

Make other festive bakes from the blog:

• Vegan Cardamom Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
• Cardamom Snickerdoodle Cookies
• Tahini chocolate chip cookies

Vegan Plum Cake – Vegan Christmas Fruit Cake

Ingredients1x2x3x

For the cake batter:

• 1 ½ cup All purpose flour 180 grams
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp ground ginger
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup yogurt 245 grams
• ½ cup neutral vegetable oil sub with vegan butter, 109 grams
• ¾ cup brown sugar 165 grams
• For soaking the dried fruit:
• ⅓ cup orange juice
• ⅓ cup rum sub with orange juice
• ¼ cup raisins
• ¼ cup dried apricots chopped roughly
• ⅛ cup dried cranberries
• ⅛ cup figs chopped roughly
• ⅛ cup prunes chopped roughly

Nuts (about 110 grams):

• ¼ cup almonds
• ¼ cup pecans
• ¼ cup cashews

Instructions

• In a saucepan, take rum and orange juice, and turn on the heat.
• Add the dried fruits to the rum and juice mix and cook untill the mixture thickens and the dried fruit absorbs all the juices. Set aside and let cool.
• Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C (320 degrees F) and line an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
• In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground spices, and orange zest and set aside.
• Whisk together brown sugar, vanilla extract, yoghurt and oil in a separate bowl until well combined.
• Gently fold in the dry ingredients with a silicone spatula, then the soaked dried fruit, and nuts and mix until everything is well combined with no large flour pockets. Do not over-mix the batter!
• Bake at 160C for 50-55 minutes or only until a toothpick or skewer comes out clean.
• Top the cake with the extra soaked fruits and enjoy!

Vegan Cardamom Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients1x2x3x

• 2 tbsp flax meal
• 4 tbsp warm water
• ½ cup white sugar 100g
• ½ cup brown sugar packed 110g
• ½ cup vegan butter room temp., 112g
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp espresso powder or instant coffee powder
• 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour 270g
• 4-5 cardamom pods shelled and crushed, or 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
• Flaky salt for garnishing

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine the flax meal and water, mix well and set aside to gel up for about 5-10 minutes.
• Add the brown and white sugar and vegan butter to a larger bowl and whisk until creamed with a hand mixer or stand-mix.
• Mix in the flax “egg”, espresso powder, and vanilla extract, and beat until combined.
• Sift in the flour, ground cardamom, baking powder, and salt.
• Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon mix the ingredients together.
• Then, fold in the chocolate chips. Be careful not to overwork it. At this point the dough will be dry, so you may want to use your hands to work the dough, and it will likely not hold together.
• Then, place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for 30-60 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 170°C or 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet.
• Scoop batter with an ice cream scoop and place them on the baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie so they can spread.
• Bake 6 cookies on a tray at a time, making sure to keep 2 inches around the cookie for them to spread.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on the softness of the cookies you prefer.
• Remove from the oven, and let them cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely before eating.
• Then, serve with some coffee or chai!