Hello Readers 🙂
It is Valentine’s day so vegan birdie decided to sing a love song for you all 😀
Although I do not distinguish this day in a special way in my personal life but no harm getting a little mushy once in a while surrounded by some pink hearts 😉
Just happy to create something pretty, tasty and that screams love/hearts ❤ <3. Hope this recipe inspires you to head to the kitchen and express your love with a special dish! Carry your heart on a plate this Valentine’s 😀 . A Plant Based heart made with strawberries & Coconut!
Ingredients
200 Ml Coconut Mylk (Kara/Manna)
250G Strawberries
Agar-Agar sheet (2x4cm)
3/4 cup water
3-4 tbs Sugar (plus more for strawberries)
Strawberry Preserve (Make you own with recipe below)
Steps
1. Make a puree of 100-150g Strawberries with 1 Tsp Sugar(more if strawberries are sour). A few tiny chunks in the puree are fine.
2. I used Strawberry preserve from Town Essentials. Make your own at home by cooking down 4-5 big chopped strawberries with some sugar. Add sugar based on sweetness of the berries. Cook the fruit with sugar in a thick pan on a low flame till it resembles a jammy consistency and color gets deeper. Squish with the back of a fork to get a uniform consistency. Chill this mixture in refrigerator.
3. Boil Agar Agar in 3/4 cup water till is dissolves fully. The Agar I used looks something like this and is easily available in retail stores.
4. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan heat coconut mylk until you see first few bubbles.
5. Add dissolved agar agar liquid into the coconut milk and keep stirring.
6. Lower the flame and add Strawberry puree. Stir slowly to combine. Check Sugar and add more if needed.
7. Keep Stirring until the mixture thickens for 5-10 minutes.
8a. Place a heart shaped cutter on your serving plate. Optionally fill this mould with tiny strawberry pieces. Gently pour the mixture into this mould. Keep in Fridge to set(takes about 2-3 hours). Remove the cutter once set.
Or
8b. Fill a shallow flat bowl of depth 1-2 inch with the mixture and let it set in the fridge(2-3 hours). Once it sets use the heart shape cutter to carve a heart. Delicately remove the rest of the pudding from the sides. Gently flip this heart on a serving plate.
9. Keep the heart in fridge. The custard / pudding sets firm but is still very delicate and sensitive to heat. So keep it in fridge until you are ready to plate/serve.
10. Decorate with strawberry preserve, fresh & cut strawberries and anything else you like before serving 🙂
Wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day. Keep Loving 🙂
THE VEGAN BIRDIE 