If you were blown away by 'Game Changers', a documentary that has become the topic for much party and social media chatter, you're not alone. It's by no means the first argument in favour of a plant-based diet and certainly not the last. There's a section in the documentary that outlines Bruce Lee's approach and philosophy. It involves being open to absorb new things and yet filter out things that may not necessarily work for you. It's something that resonates with my approach to most things, especially diets and equally fad diets. Because what works for Virat Kohli or Novak Djokovic may not necessarily work for you or me. And yet it's always good to take cues from the diets of champions.
If there's one thing I can't resist, it is ice-cream. I find it easier to curb sweet cravings for mithai and Western desserts but ice-cream usually gets the better of my resolve. One of the most delicious ice-creams that I sampled during the last few weeks was at a popular hangout in Auroville, Pondicherry. Bread and Chocolate's calling card is its Pain au Chocolat (Chocolate croissant, in simple words). I drove for a little over two hours down the scenic East Coast Road (aka ECR) that connects Chennai with Pondicherry to sample these croissants for breakfast. They're easily the best I've tried anywhere in India. The wait staff urged me to try another signature dessert. Ice-cream for breakfast seemed excessive even for me, but I'm glad I did.
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Chocolate ice cream at Bread and Chocolate (Auroville, Pondicherry)
It was only during my second visit to Bread and Chocolate (this time I drove for the ice-cream) that I discovered that this was a dairy-free, vegan ice-cream. I would have never guessed. It's around the same time I watched Game Changers and it sparked a sudden quest for a vegan ice-cream hack. I certainly didn't turn vegan but looked for a solution that would help me eliminate or at least drastically reduce my consumption of factory made ice-cream. Conversations with a few chefs and my own trial and error made me pick Coconut Milk (over Almond milk) as the medium. I tried multiple flavours and these are the two that worked best.
Double Chocolate Fruit And Nut Vegan Ice-Cream
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
- Coconut milk: 200 ml
- Water: 50 ml
- Tia maria or Kahlua (optional): 25 ml
- Brown sugar (you could use white sugar): 6 heaped teaspoons (or to taste)
- Cocoa powder: 3 - 4 teaspoons
- Dark chocolate: 40 gm
- Raisins and nuts: a handful
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Double chocolate fruit and nut
- Soak the raisins and nuts in the liqueur and set aside.
- Heat the coconut milk in a pan on a low flame. Add the cocoa powder slowly and the sugar. Keep stirring. Make sure that it doesn't boil over or forms lumps. Add the dark chocolate bits as you turn off the flame when it begins to boil over and cool down.
- Freeze in an ice-cream container for 2-3 hours
- Remove from the container and whisk it in a blender once it's partially set
- Blend the nuts and raisins along with the mixture and freeze it till it sets
- Sprinkle some cocoa nibs as you serve (optional)
Filter Coffee Crunch Vegan Ice-Cream
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
- Coconut milk: 200 ml
- Filter coffee concentrate: 50 ml
- Tia maria or Kahlua (optional): 25 ml
- Brown sugar (you could use white sugar): 6 heaped teaspoons (or to taste)
- Peanut brittle (chikki): a few squares crushed (not too fine)
- Walnuts: a handful
- Roasted coffee bean (for garnish)
Filter Coffee Crunch ice cream
- Soak the walnuts and peanut brittle in the Kahlua liqueur and set aside.
- Heat the coconut milk in a pan on a low flame. Add the filter coffee and the sugar. Keep stirring. Make sure that it doesn't boil over or forms lumps. Turn off the flame when it begins to boil over and cool down.
- Freeze in an ice-cream container for 2-3 hours.
- Remove from the container and whisk it in a blender once it's partially set.
- Blend the walnuts and peanut brittle along with the mixture and freeze it till it sets.
- Top the scoop with a couple of coffee beans when you serve.
While I've used a 2:1 ratio for the coconut milk: water or filter coffee in the second recipe, you can make it even creamier by increasing this ratio to 3:1. This ice-cream is certainly not as creamy as the dairy versions you're likely to find at your favourite ice-cream store or supermarket, but it's certainly lighter on the calories.
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