The Aspiring Home Cook - Home Cooking made easy

Zucchini Curry with Rice and Crumb-fried Oyster Mushrooms

A creamy, mildly spiced, coconut-based Zucchini Curry served with rice and crumb-fried Oyster mushrooms. This makes the perfect Goan-inspired vegan meal. Today’s post is a tribute to the humble Goan ‘Xit-Kodi’ (rice and curry). Typically this would mean either a Fish or Prawn curry served with some crumb-fried prawns or fish. My vegan take on…

Breakfast

How to make Idlis from scratch

Idlis are soft and fluffy steamed rice cakes, made from a fermented batter. Serve them hot with a nourishing sambhar and a tangy chutney. If you’ve never heard about idlis before, you are in for an absolute treat. They are little steamed savoury rice cakes that are made from a fermented batter and are relished…

Mains

Vegan Moussaka recipe

This vegan Moussaka made with layers of eggplant, potato and a flavour-packed mushroom filling, topped with a luscious white sauce, is definitely a must-try. Moussaka is a classic Greek baked dish thats typically made up of eggplant and lamb mince. Its a dish that I’ve made for years and every time I make it, I…

Recipes

Pav Bhaji (a Vegan version)

Pav Bhaji – A quintessential Mumbai Street Food delight that is chock full of veggies and made into an indulgent treat with generous lashings of butter. Today’s recipe is a vegan version of this treat. Today has me longing to get back to normal. Back to the days where we could travel freely, explore, meet…

CondimentsPicklesampSpiceMixes

How to make Vegan Basil Pesto

This Vegan Basil Pesto is packed with flavour and is great in salads, sandwiches and pasta. Use your abundant Basil Harvest to make it. Summertime means an abundance of fresh Basil. If you don’t grow your own yet, you should consider it. Its a great way to have basil on hand all through summer to…

CondimentsPicklesampSpiceMixes

How to Make Vegan Mayonnaise

A must-have condiment, this Vegan mayonnaise recipe is simple and easy, and is perfect for sandwiches, burgers and salads. As the days start to warm up, I start craving lighter food. Here in Australia, our summers can get pretty intense and on those hot days, I don’t really feel like cooking. I’m sure a lot…

Featured

How to make Vegan Parmesan Cheese

This Vegan Parmesan Cheese has a bold, complex flavour that makes it a fantastic plant-based replacement for Parmesan cheese. It’s January 2021. I’m sure you know that perfectly well. What you probably may or may not know is that every January there is a movement called Veganuary that hundreds of thousands of people the world…

Featured

Kale Salad – perfect for the Holidays

A vibrant and colourful salad that’s so full of flavour, this light and refreshing Kale Salad makes a stunning addition to your Holiday menu. In most parts of the Northern Hemisphere, the Holiday Menu consists of warm and hearty mains and sides. Not here. In Australia, we’re smack bang in the middle of summer at…

Bread

Vegan Jalapeno Cornbread

Speckled with little pieces of the jalapeno pepper, this easy, vegan Jalapeno Cornbread pairs perfectly with a big bowl of chilli. In my previous post, I’d shared with you one of my all time favourite recipes for a chilli. And I’d served it up with some homemade cornbread. This post, is all about that Vegan…

Featured

Vegan Chilli – A recipe that’s easy and hearty

Made using Kidney beans and corn, this recipe for a wholesome, vegan Chilli is always a flavour-packed, crowd-pleaser. To me, very few things are as comforting as a big bowl of this vegan chilli on a cold, wet day. If I’m being honest, I can devour a bowlful of this any time of the year….