10 Apr Vegan Cheese / Nut Based
After deciding to quit diary products from my food, initially I missed cheese. Not that I was fond of cheese. But an occasional pizza with mozzarella cheese was most welcome. Unlike in other parts of the world where veganism is popular and vegan products are available off the shelves in any super market, here in India, you cannot find Vegan Cheese off the shelves. Most of my search for homemade cheese had ingredients like miso paste, nutritional yeast, etc, which are either not available in India or cost a bomb if available. After 5 / 6 attempts to make cheese with available ingredients, I cracked this finally.
This Vegan Cheese is great recipe for homemade nut based vegan cheese that can be made with just a few simple ingredients.
Quick and easy to make, this is great to serve grated on gluten free flat breads, or sliced and grilled on breads or directly had with crackers.
Ingredients:
1/3 Cup almond OR
1/3 Cup cashew
½ tsp salt
½ tsp white pepper powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
3 tsp agar agar powder
- Soak the nuts in hot water for 2 hrs. If you are using almonds, peel them.
Blend all ingredients very smoothly adding 1 cup water slowly. - Heat a heavy bottomed skillet.
- Pour the blended mixture and cook on a slow flame stirring constantly.
- Make sure to avoid limps.
- When the mixture thickens and leaves the sides of the pan pour in 4” spring form pan /silicon moulds/any suitable container.
Chill in the refrigerator for 30 mts.
Unmould
You can grate it and have it on pizzas
Slice and use on sandwiches
Be warned that it does NOT melt & NOT gooey like mozzarella or cheddar. But its very healthy and versatile and closest to dairy cheese.
Rama ananth
Posted at 11:24h, 27 JuneYeah, Vegan cheesees hardly ever melt, despite of using everything that is supposed to be meltable. And it is true,being a Vegan anywhere else in the world is much easier, than in India, although most of what we eat in our everyday life is mostly vegan,or we can make it vegan by avoiding all the extra fittings which goes to make certain delicious.
I do hate sometimes to make everything from scratch at home.
ramag
Posted at 13:48h, 02 JulyYes Rama. You are right. Making everything from scratch pains at times. But its all part of the game. I’m sure a day will come when we in India get these stuff off the shelf.
Crystal
Posted at 03:23h, 11 Julywere do you get almond powder and cashew powder?
ramag
Posted at 09:13h, 11 JulyHi, I normally grind them at home in spice mixer. You do get almond flour in Amazon. In fact in this recipe, you even soak the two or just cashew alone / almonds alone in hot water for 2 hrs. (Peel almonds). Grind them smoothly with 1 cup of water. No need to powder them too. And proceed. I have updated the recipe. you can check.
Rgds