Delicious Vegan-ish Recipe: Vegan Butter Chicken

cardamon and fenugreek. Green cardamom (not to be confused with black cardamom, which has a completely different taste) has a lovely sweet and lemony taste, and I cannot wait to add it to my vegan lemon pound cake recipe.

It is also part of the trio that is known as garam masala. Literally meaning “warm spice mix” it is a mixture of ground cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Of course, I have made my own mix using my spice grinder (kitchen gadget junkie here, remember?). I store it in a recycled glass spice jar, labeled and dated so I remember what it is and when I made it.

In fact, as I sit here writing this, I am sipping on some green tea that I added garam masala to in a tea infuser. It reminds me very much of the mulling spice that I add to cider, except with a twist of citrus that goes well with honey. Makes me feel warm and cozy inside, the perfect drink on a chilly day.

RELATED: Vegan-ish: Avocado Waffles

As for any health benefits these spices may have, not only are they good, but they are also good for you. A few honorable mentions:

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• Cardamom: has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, may help fight bad breath and prevent cavities.
• Fenugreek: may help increase the amount of breast milk produced by lactating women and weight gain in infants. Can improve testosterone levels and sex drive in men. May help lower blood sugar and cholesterol.
• Coriander: comes from the same plant as cilantro (the seeds are called coriander and the leaves are called cilantro). Contains antioxidants and has antibacterial properties. It may reduce blood sugar, bad cholesterol, and high blood pressure, but more human studies are needed.
• Cinnamon: has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Also has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Helps with digestive issues and may reduce blood pressure and blood sugars (however, more formal studies are needed to answer this question definitively).
• Nutmeg: also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and antibacterial effects. May help boost libido and improve mood but human studies are needed to know for sure.
• Cloves: has antioxidant and antibacterial properties. May also help lower blood sugar, but again, more studies are needed.
• Fennel seeds: have antibacterial and antifungal qualities, reduce inflammation, help relieve constipation.

With all of these health benefits and the wonderful aroma they provide, Indian spices are a wonderful -and healthy way to add flavor to meat substitutes such as tofu, tempeh, seitan, and mushrooms. When cooking with these and other spices, I find that I use little-to-no added salt either, which is good for anyone with hypertension (high blood pressure) such as myself.

Here is my recipe for Vegan “Butter Chicken“ featuring king oyster mushrooms as the chicken substitute. It is a bit of a misnomer because there is no butter or chicken in this recipe. In fact, the oysters provide the perfect chicken-like texture and the sauce is luxurious while being lighter and guilt-free when compared to the original recipe that is made with butter.

See you in the kitchen!

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