Vegan Chocolate Cherry Muffins

Are you a lover of chocolate and cherry? Then this vegan muffin is the perfect one. It is made with cocoa powder and cherries. This recipe uses cherry compote. 

Cherries are everywhere and this is the time to whip up delicious cherry recipes and enjoy the summer break. I love simple cherry compote and every year after cherry-picking I make it without fail. When we picked this year, I bought a couple of bags of dried cherries (they were so delicious that I couldn’t resist and bagged a couple of them. Food is irresistible, right!) in the cherry orchard. It was made on the farm and was tasting divine. And I planned to use them in bread, cookies, salads, and muffins if something remained after we were snacking on it.

This may be equivalent to a black forest muffin. Black forest cakes have cherry liqueur in them and cherry juice or preserves can be used as a substitute. This is a muffin inspired by one of all-time favorite black forest cakes but without the liqueur so it is kid-friendly. I have used my homemade cherry compote and added water to it to get the flavor in this muffin. Again, this is an eggless muffin and uses aquafaba. Flaxseed egg can also be used, just make it with a quarter cup of any plant-based milk to keep it vegan. I have used almond milk as cherry-almond-chocolate all pair well. Soy milk or any nut milk can be used.

I am sharing this for this month's #MuffinMonday. #MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all of our lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

I am also linking this to Create Bake Grow Gather.

Ingredients 

Makes 12

All-purpose flour - 1.5 cups

Cocoa powder - 4 tbsp

Baking powder- 1 tsp

Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/8 tsp

Cherry compote - 3 tbsp

Water - 1/4 cup

Oil - 1/4 cup

Almond milk - 1/2 cup

Dried cherries 1/4 to 1/2 cup, chopped

Brown sugar - 2/3 cup, packed

Vanilla - 1 tsp

Aquafaba - 3 tbsp

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add the dry ingredients, combine and set aside.

In a small bowl add a quarter cup of water to cherry compote and mix.  In another bowl, add the oil, brown sugar, and Aquafaba. Whisk well. Add the cherry compote in water, almond milk, and vanilla. Beat well.

Add the dry ingredients and quickly combine to get a smooth mixture.

 Fold in the dried cherries.

Line a muffin pan and fill each one to 3/4 of its capacity. Bake for 17 minutes.

Remove from the pan, cool.

Serve.

Please visit the links below for the recipes we shared today. Thanks, Stacy!

• Banana Rhubarb Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Cheerios Banana Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• S'mores Muffins from Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Sourdough Strawberry Muffins from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Vegan Chocolate Cherry Muffins from Magical Ingredients

Bajra Methi Puri

This is a delicious poori from the state of Rajasthan, India. This poori is made with pearl millet/bajra flour with fresh methi/fenugreek leaves, and flavored with spices. 

Bajra is very healthy with a wonderful nutritious profile. The earthy taste is amazing and it perfectly pairs with fenugreek/methi leaves. The methi leaves have wonderful medicinal properties and is a great addition to regulate blood glucose levels. Also, this poori is easy to make.

This poori can be served dal or any curry. I personally love with dal and yogurt. Yogurt and pickle is an amazing combo for this poori. Millets are very healthy and whether it is Samai Idli, Pearl Millet Banana Muffins, Bajra and Thinai Kozhukattai or Barnyard Millet Upma Kozhukattai,  Millet Pongal or Barnyard Millet Payasam there are wide variations to make healthy and nutritious food. This Pearl Millet Okara tikki is also a tasty snack or appetizer.

Ingredients
Makes 14

Bajra flour - 1 cup
Whole wheat flour - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Methi(fenugreek) leaves - 1/2 cup, packed
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Ajwain - 1 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Water - 1/4 to 1/3 cup

Oil - 2 cups

Method

Add the flour, spice, and methi leaves. Sprinkle water and knead to smooth and soft dough.

Divide into 14 balls.

Roll into 6 to 7 inch circle. Dust with flour as necessary.

Heat oil in a pan. Fry the pooris till golden brown on both sides.

Serve with dal, curry, or yogurt.

Patriotic Potato Pizza

This is delicious pizza made with Alfredo sauce, purple potatoes, red peppers, white onions, and tomatoes. Of course there is the delicious stringy mozzarella.

This has a perfect combination of pod colors perfect for July 4th parties. Or you don’t have to wait for this day alone. It is perfect for any day or occasion too. 

I have used my own Alfredo sauce with vegetarian Parmesan. Feel free to use your choice of sauce. 

In our FestiveFoodies group, we are sharing Red, White, and Blue recipes as July 4th is right around the corner. This is my recipe for the event. Pizza is alltime and everyone’s favorite and with the perfect colors for the day, this is one delicious food that you wouldn’t want to miss. And is perfect for the party.

Ingredients 

Pizza dough -1, for 14 inch pizza

Purple potatoes 4 or 5

Red pepper - 1/3 cup, sliced

Tomatoes - 1/3 cup, sliced thin

White onions - 1/3 cup, sliced

Shredded mozzarella- 1and 1/4 cup

Fresh mozzarella- 1/2 cup

Salt - 3/4 tsp

Italian seasoning - 1 tsp

Garlic - 1 tbsp, minced

Chili flakes -1/2 tsp or more

Alfredo sauce - 3/4 cup

Water

Method

 Add enough water to the potatoes snd after it boils for 5 minutes add the salt.  cook till fork tender. When cool peel and slice to quarter inch slices. Set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread the Alfredo sauce on the pizza dough.

Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella followed by Italian seasoning.

Arrange the potato slices, red propers, tomato, and white onion. Tear the mozzarella chunk and add here and there in the pizza. Sprinkle chili flakes and a little Italian seasoning. Bake for 17 minutes.

Cool, slice, and serve with extra chili flakes.

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• All American Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dog with Patriotic Slaw by Our Good Life
• Celebration Nachos by Palatable Pastime
• Patriotic Berry Trifle by Making Miracles
• Patriotic Charcuterie by Hostess at Heart
• Patriotic Potato Pizza by Magical Ingredients
• Patriotic Rice Krispie Treats by Family Around the Table
• Red, White, and Blueberry Shortcakes by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Red, White, and Blue Bundt Cake by House of Nash Eats
• Red, White, and Blue Cake by Lemon Blossoms
• Red, White,and Blue Celebration Cookies by The Freshman Cook
• Red, White & Blue Cheesecake Salad by Cheese Curd in Paradise
• Red, White and Blue Fruit Pizza by Shockingly Delicious
• Red White and Blue Strawberry Bites by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Red, White & Blue Summer Salad by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Summer Berry Filled Cupcakes by Cookaholic Wife

Pearl Millet Okara Tikki

This is nutritious tikki or croquette that is a crowd pleaser as well. This is made using pearl millet flakes and Okara.

Okara! Wondering what it is? Okara is the leftover meal after extracting soymilk from soy beans. I made nutty soymilk for Kongguksu and utilized the Okara made from it. Since I had used some almonds too in my recipe for the milk used in kongguksu, this Okara had almond meal too and hence a very flavorful and nutrient tikki. I have used the wet Okara, meaning it is not completely dry powder. It has wetness but is not watery. Dry Okara can also be used in this recipe just add a couple of tablespoons of water.

Nowadays every market store has different millet products and millet flakes are quite common. I have used Bajra or pearl millet flakes. Also, any millet flakes can be used for this recipe.

If you don’t have the flakes, try adding the flour but may be in lesser quantity. Cooked and mashed millets can also be used. 

Potatoes help in flavor as well as binding the tikki s for uniform shaping. The spices add a lot of flavor. The kitchen king masala can be replaced with garam masala too. This tikki is very tasty like Vethalavalli Kizhangu Tikki.

Millets are very healthy. Pearl millet or bajra is popular in India. Pearl Millet Banana Muffins are very tasty and a healthy breakfast. Samai/Little Millet Idli is another healthy breakfast, and Bajra and Thinai Kozhukattai or Barnyard Millet Upma Kozhukattai are yet another tasty tiffin or dinner that any family would love to feast on. Be it a Millet Pongal or Barnyard Millet Payasam, any millets can be used from breakfast to appetizers to main course to dessert. A lot of healthy meal options are available with millets. Explore the site and enjoy nutritious meals.

Ingredients

Makes 16 tikkis of 2-in size

Pearl millet flakes - 3/4 cup

Okara (wet) - 3/4 cup

Potatoes - 1/2 cup, cooked and mashed

Rice flour - 1 tsp

Salt - 3/4 tsp

Turmeric- 1/4 tsp

Chili powder - 1/4 tsp

Thai chili - 2, finely chopped 

Ginger - 1/4tsp, grated

Kitchen king masala - 3/4 tsp

Cumin - 1/2 tsp

Cilantro - 2 tbsp, chopped

Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp, toasted

Oil - 6 to 8 tsp

Method

Add the okara and pearl millet flakes in a bowl, mix and set aside for the millets to absorb the water from the wetness in okara.

Add the potatoes, Thai chili, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, Kitchen king masala, salt, and turmeric. Mix thoroughly. Add the sesame seeds and rice flour and mix together to a dough like consistency.

Divide into 16 portion, roll into a ball and flatten to about 2 inches diameter with half inch thickness.

Heat a pan, drizzle a little oil, add the tikkis, drizzle a tablespoon oil and pan fry for about 3 minutes on medium flame. Flip and add another tablespoon oil and cook for 3 minutes. Keep aside. Cook the remaining tikkis.

Serve with ketchup or cilantro-mint chutney.

Jowar Salad / Sorghum Salad

This is a simple, colorful, and delicious salad made with Jowar or sorghum that satiates hunger. This salad is easy to make and I guarantee that this is going to be made often in your home. This is a perfect summer salad.

Fresh veggies and peanuts give the crunch, jowar provides the carbs as well as fiber and garbanzos give a protein boost along with peanuts. The added spices give a kick to the salad. 

Cooking jowar to the right consistency may be tricky but here is a easy way to cook Jowar in Instant Pot. When it gets ready prep the veggies that go into the salad, and use this lemon vinaigrette for an easy and complete one pot meal. 

This millet based salad is very healthy. Also check here for Dal Sprouts salad if you prefer a grain free salad that is equally tasty and satisfying. This vegan salad is a best addition to your party when you have vegan guests.

I am linking this to Blogging Marathon, Wonderful Wednesday, and Sundays on Silverado.

I am also linking this to Souper Sundays by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. Check her page if you would like to participate in Souper Sundays.

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

Jowar- 1 cup

Bell pepper - 3/4 cup, any color

Peanuts - 1/3 cup, toasted

Cumin - 1/2 tsp

Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Lemon vinaigrette - 1 recipe

Onion  - 1/2 cup. finely chopped

Cucumber - 3/4 cup, Finely chopped

Green peas - 3/4 cup, blanched

Cooked Garbanzo beans - 1 cup

Cilantro - 3 tbsp, chopped

Tomatoes - 1/2 cup, chopped

Chili flakes-1 to 2 tsp

Method

Cook the jowar in Instant Pot following the recipe. Alternatively, this can be cooked on stove top too. Set aside to cool.

Toast the cumin and coriander. Crush to a powder. Set aside.

Once the jowar is cool, add the veggies, followed by chili flakes, cumin-coriander powder, and cilantro.

Drizzle the vinaigrette.

Toss and serve.

Laphing - Tibetan Yellow Laphing

Laphing is a spicy noodle dish from the Tibet region. But is also made in Nepal too. There are two different varieties of Laphing - white and yellow. The white one is made with mung bean flour and the yellow one with all-purpose flour with turmeric or yellow food color. This is a tasty and spicy food which happens to be a comfort food as well as street food. I am sharing here the recipe for yellow laphing.

This reminds of the steamed rice crepe (ilai vadam) that we dry and deep fry. We devour the fresh steamed ones when we peel it off. This laphing is made with starch from all-purpose flour and we loved the texture and flavor of this noodle as well. This is a lovely and delicious noodle made with the starch and love how the gluten is used as a tasty filling. Remember this is a fiery noodle, so add the chili paste according to taste. Addition of garlic water, vinegar, and soy sauce helps in balancing the taste. The original recipe uses ajinomoto and since we have intolerant member, I have skipped using ajinomoto.

This requires planning. The starchy water that is extracted from the dough should be left  for 5-7 to settle. This starch is used to make the steamed noodle. This is then flavored with spicy chili and oil paste. That's yum! I followed the video of Dickeydol and tried both the versions, and they were tasty.

I am exploring the different noodle recipes from around the world and enjoying varied types of dishes. I have chosen the theme for A-Z Noodles from Around the World for Blogging Marathon. We share recipes for three days a week and for four days. Here is a quick link to the noodle recipes I shared during this journey. 

A - Angel Hair Pomodoro

B - Bibim Guksu

C - Chow Mein Noodles

D - Dan Dan Noodles - Vegan Sichuan Noodles

E - Egyptian Kushari

F - Fideua

G - Glass Noodle Stir-Fry - Korean Japchae

H - Haluski

I - Idiyappam

J - Jajangmyeon Vegan Version

K - Kongguksu

Ingredients

Serves 3 to 4

All-purpose flour - 1 cup

Water - @1/3 cup

Water - 3 cups

Yeast - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 3-4 tbsp

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Dried red chili - 10-15

Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp

Bay leaves - 1

Peppercorns - 1/2 tsp

Garlic water - 2-4 tbsp

Vinegar - 3-4 tsp

Soy sauce 2 tsp

Green onions/crushed nuts - 1 or 2 tbsp

Ajinomoto - (I have not used)

Method

Knead the dough with about 1/3 cup water to a soft dough and rest for 30 minutes.

Add a cup of water and squeeze to get the milky liquid which is the starch from the flour getting in solution. Filter and to the gluten add a cup of water and repeat the same process twice to extract maximum starch. Squeeze the gluten and set aside. Cover the starchy liquid and set aside undisturbed for 6-7 hours or overnight.

To the gluten, add yeast and knead for a couple of minutes and set aside for 30 minutes.

In a steamer, when it is ready, steam the gluten (apply oil on the plate so that it doesn't stick) and steam for 25-30 minutes.

When cool, chop into tiny pieces and set aside.

Grind about 10-15 dried red chilies to a coarse mix. Add salt and sugar. Heat 3 tbsp oil and add fenugreek, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Fry for 1-2 minutes. Filter and add to the chili mix. Cover and set aside till the sizzling settles.

After 6-7 hours, the starch would have settled down and there would be two layers. Slowly decant the water and keep the starch alone. A couple of tablespoons of water is ok. 

With a whisk, slowly mix the starch which would have settled firmly at the bottm. It should be a thin batter. Mix turmeric or yellow food color.

Smear oil on a steaming plate, add 1/3 cup of the batter, and swirl. Keep inside the steamer and steam for 2 minutes. Apply a little oil on top and gently take it out of the steaming plate and set aside in a stack. Applying oil helps in easily removal from the plate as well as for it to not stick with other steamed crepes. Repeat with the remaining batter.

For the first dry version: To a crepe, add a little chili paste, a little salt, soy sauce, garlic water, and vinegar. Spread it around evenly. Sprinkle a little chopped gluten. Roll into a log, chop into 1-in pieces and set in a serving plate or bowl.

For the noodle soupy version: Fold the noodle into 1/3rd. Chop into 1/2 inch width pieces for noodles.

Place it in a bowl, add the chili paste, gluten, vinegar, garlic water, soy sauce. Add enough garlic water and vinegar to make a soupy version as you prefer. Sprinkle with green onions or crushed nuts.

The fiery yellow laphing is ready to be served.