Embracing the plant-based lifestyle in Malaysia

Tag: stew

Lentil Tomato Barley Stew

Lentil Tomato Barley Stew

This recipe means a lot to me, because it was part of my first-ever public cooking demo! I was invited by Dataran Pahlawan Megamall in Melaka to do the demo as well as a talk about my plant-based journey.  What made my day was not…

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  • If you’re aware of traditional Asian foods for beauty, you may be aware of something called Birds Nest. Unfortunately, it literally is taken from a real bird’s nest. Made of the hardened saliva found in the nests of a swiftlet species specific to Southeast Asia, birds nest is a sought-after delicacy for its high mineral content and seemingly skin beautifying effect. It is among the most expensive edible animal-based products in the world, with one kilo of the premium stuff going for as much as RM34,000 (USD7,400). As the swiftlets only build nests in beach caves, harvesting them traditionally has been risky business, with nest pickers climbing ropes and makeshift rattan scaffolding several hundred feet high. Nest picker deaths are not uncommon. More recently, business people have been building birds nest factories: windowless concrete towers that mimic cave settings, right down to humidity and speakers that play swiftlet sounds. Like sweatshops, these could be called ‘spitshops’. Imagine all that trouble being saved by choosing a plant-based alternative! Coral Grass (scientific name: Eucheuma Cottonii) is also known as ‘Sea Bird’s Nest’. Aside from its high fibre and iodine content and immune boosting, anti-inflammatory properties, coral grass has 10 TIMES as much collagen as Bird’s Nest, making it a far more superior ‘beauty food’. It has a high yield:area ratio, is efficient at sequestering CO2, and one of the fastest growing seaweeds in the world, making it superior in sustainability too. Coral grass is native to the Indo-Pacific region so if you’re buying it in Malaysia, chances are it has been harvested from Sabah. Here is some Coral Grass I served in a sweet soup of red dates, longan, gingko and wolfberries. Delicious and surprisingly filling! #malaysianvegan #coralgrass #seaweed #beautyfood #asianfood #dessert #collagen #wfpb #vegan #vegankl #plantbased #vegansofig #whatveganseat #eatlocal #supportlocal #jomvegan #sustainability #ecofriendly #homemade #nomnom #yum #makanmakan #makansayur #sedap #healthierchoices
  • If you haven’t been following me lately, I fell asleep one day and woke up in New York City and did all the touristy things and I ate ate ate 3 times my weight. And in the 3 weeks I was there, I dare say one of the most fun food experiences i had was @sluttyveganatl in Brooklyn. Never mind the most convincing plant-based bacon I’ve ever had, nor the pickle chips with blueberry mayo?! Never mind the crazy names on the menu, because all of that is just the extras on top of the craziest part of Slutty Vegan. Here’s what happened when I stepped in to make my order… #travels #nyc #vegannyc #fastfood #burger #bacon #pickle #sogood #nomnom #yum #customerservice #malaysianvegan #vegan #plantbased #fun #sluttyvegan #brooklyn #foodexperience #whatjusthappened
  • Inspired by all the pink-hued Barbie theme food trends, I felt like making myself a Pink Curry today! I fried up spices like cumin, coriander, star anise and clove with oil in my wok. Then added coconut milk, homemade liquid veggie stock, and then carrot, daikon and steamed purple sweet potato. It looked like a regular brown curry and I was worried that my experiment was going to flop, but boy did that shaved beetroot show up! Sautéed chickpeas and mustard seeds and almond slices to finish it off, and served with quinoa. Amazing how much more tantalizing food can be with pops of colour! As humans we are biologically attracted to eat natural colours to make sure we get our nutrients in. So play around and see what other colours you can add to your meals! Any other Barbie-themed food you’ve come across on your feed (apart from pasta)? Let me know… I’ve been under a rock lately! #barbietheme #pinkfood #curry #chickpeas #quinoa #protein #dairyfree #malaysianvegan #wfpb #vegan #vegankl #plantbased #vegansofig #whatveganseat #eattherainbow #plantpowered #plantstrong #jomvegan #homemade #nomnom #sogood #yum #makanmakan #makansihat #makansayur #sedap #fuel #healthierchoices
  • Not the most popular holiday activity, but an animal rights protest was the first thing I ticked off in NYC! The Belmont Park protest this year held by @horseracingwrongs was a great experience in peaceful, well-organized gatherings. There were more than enough signs to go around, and thanks to a guide pasted behind each one, everyone, newcomers included, knew exactly what to chant. We had the assistance of local police who made sure the protesters stayed safe and unharmed, which, if you are Malaysian, can understand how refreshing this must have felt! Some local media came to document the event and with Jane Unchained and @peta reps in attendance I was reminded that wherever we are in the world, as long as we follow our hearts in lending our voices to the voiceless, anywhere can feel like home. Thank you @kirk_miller_music and new friends. Just beyond the walls where we protested, 2 horses died on the tracks of Belmont Park, with the total of this horseracing season reaching 6 within weeks, out of the estimate of 2000 deaths that happen in the States each year. From attending this event, I learned so much about how awful the horseracing industry is, from musculoskeletal damage caused by training horses too young, to confinement and commodification, to drugging them in the name of performance. You can read much more at horseracingwrongs.org. #horseracing #animalrights #animalwelfare #animalabuse #horses🐴 #belmontpark #useyourvoice #voiceforthevoiceless #maketheconnection #community #protest #nyc #vegantravel
  • As much as I loved exploring the vegan NYC landscape, the poor Malaysian ringgit doesn’t stretch very far in dollars! So eating at home helped a lot with budgeting. I gotta say that I understand why @traderjoes is so hyped… SO MANY OPTIONS for their in-house cheeses, dips, mylks and plant-based meats. This meal was mostly from scratch though! Chickpeas and eggplant marinated in smoked paprika, soysauce, apple cider vinegar, date syrup and oven roasted. The rice was cooked with tomato purée, onion, garlic and olive oil. Mixed greens (that come cut and prewashed in huuggee bags at Trader Joe’s) and baby radish, topped with tahini and hemp hearts. To be honest, all these ingredients were bought to make a pizza, but a rice bowl turned out to be heaps nicer. Could I perhaps get pizza rice bowls trending? #wfpb #travels #nyc #veganonabudget #vegannyc #ricebowl #eggplant #chickpeas #traderjoes #lunchideas #eatfortheplanet #malaysianvegan #vegan #plantbased #vegansofig #plantpowered #plantstrong #eatlocal #supportlocal #makansayur #fuel #healthierchoices
  • Audio Narration: I’ve just come back from a trip to New York using @emirates, and apart from spacious leg room in economy class and great entertainment options, let me tell you about the inflight food. Honestly I’m the sort of vegan who would be happy being fed a brick of fresh tofu on a plane so I was really really impressed with the vegan meals during my 30 hour trip. They all had decent flavours, seemed nutritionally balanced and I was never left hungry. On top of that, during the long connection time between flights, the airline offered a free night’s stay in Dubai, which included a warm meal and a comfy hotel bed. I overall really enjoyed my Emirates vegan experience. Rating: 8/10! Note: The meals featured in this reel are from the flights to NYC AND back to Kuala Lumpur. There was I think only 1 repetition of a main meal on the way back to KL. Also, the buffet spread at the hotel showed with a ‘V’ symbol which items were vegetarian, NOT vegan. I learned the hard way 😅 Ask the staff to be sure! #notsponsored #emirates #vegan #vegantravels #plantbased #economyclass #airlinefood #foodreview #vegansofig
  • Homemade trail mix: my lil adventure lifesaver 🙏 I’ve just discovered a little hack for myself: with a spritz of coconut oil all over, I can jazz up my mix with either savoury or sweet flavourings e.g. curry powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg etc. For months I had been trying to find a way to sweeten my nuts beyond just using dried fruit, without making them sticky with sugar or syrup… with a jar of stevia powder sitting in my pantry the whole time 🤣 Roast Almonds, Sunflower Seeds, Pepitas, Coconut Flakes, Dried Blueberries, Cranberries and Apricot, stirred in with Virgin Coconut Oil, Cinnamon and Ground Stevia. Make in bulk and pack into small ziplock bags for an nutritionally dense snack to bring with you on a hike, a long haul flight, or a workday that you know is going to stretch you thin! #trailmix #homemade #malaysianvegan #wfpb #vegan #vegankl #plantbased #vegansofig #whatveganseat #plantpowered #plantstrong #jomvegan #homemade #nomnom #sogood #yum #makanmakan #sedap #fuel #healthierchoices
  • Tempeh Hummus Sandwich is one of my classic quick lunches. I have shared various versions of it as a quick office meal-to-go at corporate demos because it was one of the first meals I taught myself to make as a vegetarian, and hasn’t failed me 11 years and counting! Extra ingredients depend on what I have in the fridge. In this are pan grilled oyster shrooms but I’ve also put in sautéed eggplant, bell peppers, pickles, olives and sundried tomatoes. #sandwich #tempeh #cendawan #lunchideas #malaysianvegan #vegan #vegankl #plantbased #vegansofig #whatveganseat #eattherainbow #plantpowered #plantstrong #eatlocal #supportlocal #healthyfoodkl #jomvegan #homemade #nomnom #sogood #yum #makanmakan #makansayur #fuel #healthierchoices
  • Throwback to when I made these little dessert cups for a family gathering. This photo stayed in the back burner for a while because I didn’t like it, but I came across it in my memory card and looked at it with new eyes and figured it’s not THAT bad! It’s a base made with almond flour, dates and roasted coconut flakes, a middle made of matcha white chocolate (made with dairy free white chocolate chips, homemade cashew butter, dairy free condensed milk and matcha powder) stirred into rice puffs, and topped with raspberry purée from a can in the clearance corner, firmed up with agar. The combination of flavours seemed to work well in my head and I gotta say how pleased I am to find out that I was right! #dessert #matcha #malaysianvegan #vegan #vegankl #plantbased #vegansofig #whatveganseat #jomvegan #homemade #nomnom #sogood #yum #makanmakan #sedap
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