Indian Vegan Eats from Anupy Singla's Simple Slow Cooker

                                

I just love this woman! First I love that she was a successful journalist/reporter and had the cojones to quit that and follow another passion. And although she had the media ties, there were no guarantees that her "passion" would ever actually materialize into a book deal or any other sort of real financial compensation. Second, I love that she is going against long standing traditions in some aspects and introducing people to new, slightly altered ones. For example, she talks about her father and other relatives being affected by heart disease yet really being loyal to the cream and ghee in their foods. All of our cultures have traditions, and it can be difficult to convince people to change something that they have done forever, to a new paradigm. So her new paradigm is healthy, low-fat, yet traditional, Indian food. She is emulating the outdoor clay ovens of India with the slow cooker. So achieving a result that is pretty similar to the original, yet with nearly no effort. An answer to working people or just people who absolutely don't want to spend any more time than necessary in the kitchen. Her approach makes it so accesible to anyone. I seriously haven't bought a book that had ANY meat recipes in it for well over 20 years, if I ever did, I can't remember. But this book has so much "vegan merit" that I didn't even give it a second thought. I always "think" that Indian cuisine is so much more vegan friendly anyway, and at least they won't laugh at the idea of not eating a cow.  Nearly every recipe in the book is either already vegan or can me made vegan by using a nut milk.

The Indian Slow Cooker Book by Anupy Singla

Now we just need to wait for  her "special" masala dabbas to go online! It's really important to know that you are getting a stainless steel one because spices like tumeric "eat" everything. I had some tumeric stored in a little plastic container (this happened a decade ago when I used plastic) and the spice actually warped/melted the container. Tumeric (haldi) is getting touted everywhere now as a "magical" spice as it has anti-inflammatory properties and they are even researching it's role in the prevention of Alzheimers. Apparently India has virtually no Alzheimers. Is it the tumeric or is it that the many of the people don't eat beef so there is not much undiagnosed "mad cow" disease that can emulate Alzheimers? Maybe they don't have the "factory farm" culture for cattle at least, since maybe their cattle consumption is less. 

In any case, Eat your Tumeric!!  And don't buy your masala dabba until Anupy unveils her super special one with "standard measuring" spoons that will make cooking Indian food even easier. Rumor has it that they will be ready soon!!

And if you are in the St. Louis area, don't forget that Gokul's (6101 Delmar) opened a new location.  All vegetarian, all the time.  Some of the kindest people on the planet and the food is great too!  Kind to your belly and to the animals.  The Delmar Loop location is Kosher.  The Page location is super quaint with Hindu Deities overlooking the buffet bar and Hanuman on the cashier counter.  Bollywood movies at night.