Thank you, Jack, for the reminder that coconut milk is neither healthy nor good for the environment. The cans one can buy are so easy to use, but I will avoid them and try your alternatives.
Bravo, Jessica. I think coconut is marvelous for those living in tropical areas. But it's impossible to remain environmentally-friendly and protect a rich, biodiverse forest that supports a multitude of animals while meeting the huge worldwide demand.
Oh Jack this is fantastic. I hadn't found a creamy alternative to coconut, and like you I don't like using it.
I do use gram flour a lot - but not cashew butter. This, then, is the answer! THANK YOU! It'll revolutionise my curries.
And what would you use in sweet cooking (baking) instead of coconut oil, for instance in biscuits or cakes/'cheese'cake where I've relied quite heavily on coconut oil to set?
That is a good question about baking—one that I will explore in an upcoming article specifically dedicated to coconuts. There are definitely good alternatives for most baking options—that's the good news. Convincing others to change their habits is much more difficult because the properties of coconut oil (like margarine) are similar to how butter functions, and people like taking the path of least resistance.
Thank you for the coconut milk alternative recipes! I will definitely try this. I love coconut milk, but I always feel bad buying it (for different reasons)!
Oh, thank you so much for all of the good and useful information. I am saving this post as a guide for making vegan sauces as well as curries. I am rather ignorant of the foods of other cultures and had never heard of Japanese curries!? Much less some of the others that you mentioned. So much to try here. Thank you!
Thanks, Sandy - I really appreciate your comment. If you are interested in vegan sauces, may I suggest visiting my archives - I did an entire series on making the five mother sauces vegan...that might be inspiring to you!
I adore curry. I cook from scratch and vegetable curries regularly feature in my diet. I’ve never used coconut products for the reasons you mention and because I’m watching my weight but sometimes I long for that creamy consistency. I’ll try your suggestion for using cashew butter, which sounds interesting as I’ve relied on basically using a roux. Thanks for your tips, your posts are always inspiring.
Working with a roux is, of course, a solid idea...one that I also ocassionally use. I like the technique of combining a nut butter with chickpea flour and soy milk to create a mix much like a cream - it's simple to make, too...
Thanks for reading and commenting - I'm grateful for your support.
I have to admit that I love curry!! I AM Vegan but I can't say that I'm a strict Vegan. You have sooo many rules!! I don't know how I feel about the title Vegan although I use it because I feel like some Vegan's hate Non-Vegans and some Non-Vegans hate Vegans. I don't get that... Anyway, I simply can't get myself to eat fish and some who are Vegan can. I've tried and I just end up feeling bad. I'm not sure if I already told you but I became Vegan due to my allergies. Still, I began to feel strongly in some areas as well. I like the fact that being Vegan you help to end Climate Change and stand up for animal rights. At the same time, if I didn't have allergies, I'm not 100% sure if I'd be Vegan. I'd probably be Vegetarian though. That's certain! Why did YOU become Vegan? I have a rather odd question for you...what gives Curry it's Curry taste? Anyway, great post. :)
By 'curry taste,' I'm assuming you mean something that is more in the Indian or Pakistani realm, in which case, the answer would be the spices that are traditionally used, including a curry spice mix (there are many).
*GRINS* Thank you for the suggestions. I've been following you for sometime but hadn't read that so I'm very glad that you shared it. I wish that I could say I were Vegan to help my Epilepsy or the side-effects from Brain surgery but I can't say that. I TRY to stay away from that topic because really nobody can be difined by their health alone. I do have a video up if your interested you can see it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZptPQEgdiM&t=445s Please note that was made YEARS ago and I nolonger go there as I do not wish to be defined by my health alone. It's hard NOT to be judged by that or any of the other things I tend to stand up for. Meditation and SMALL yoga stretches help me.... I saw that you said Meditation helps you as well! Really awesome!!! I also saw that you commented about a wheelchair and wanted to say something. TRUST ME, I've been in a wheelchair and that is an experience that nobody wants. You get used to it and it becomes your daily routine but still it's hard. I'm not going to go into details there as I talk about it in the video I posted. Plus, I'm sure you understand that. Some people really look at me like I'm dirt when I even use the word Vegan and some Non-Vegans look at me like I'm dirt as well so I get that feeling you wrote about. I LOVE that you realise that titles really can't define anyone. I wish that everyone were that way. I honestly do! Anyway, thanks again and goodluck in the future. P.S. I'm not trying to talk you in or out of anything. You just be your awesome self. If you DO watch that video please don't pity me. Pity's only annoying...
Great inspiration here, Jack. Thanks! It makes me feel like cooking a curry :) By the way, do you buy cashew butter at regular bio stores, or do you have a killer recipe for it? Any advice?
Thanks for this great article, as always, Jack, such lovely alternative ideas for cooking curries! Of course, this is also a minefield of a subject, as someone else wrote in the comments.
Unfortunately, every food we eat, unless we know exactly where it comes from and how it's grown etc, and if it's not local to where we live, will generally have a negative impact on the environment for a number of reasons. I, like you, started eating plant-based for health reasons, many years ago, so I've spent all that time researching the subject thoroughly. For example, soya is generally grown as a mono-culture by mainstream agricultural methods, which is why I personally choose to steer clear of it; it also causes me flare-ups due to the phyto-oestrogens it contains.
So, sadly, soya is no more eco-friendly than coconut products, or even cashew butter. I believe most cashews and other nuts, which are popular with people like us who eat only plants, are mainly grown in large mono-culture plantations, too. Mono-culture growing of crops, especially trees, is generally not going to support biodiversity at all.
We all really need to start supporting farmers who use only regenerative methods of growing food in poly-cultures, which support nature and ecosystems, and not support those employing mono-culture Big-Agro methods of growing food, which just destroy our natural world, and make us sick. Regenerative agriculture is becoming more popular in many places around the world now. So it should, after all - it was how food was grown til Big-Agro came along....
The key thing is to find out where our food comes from and how it is grown, in order to try to mitigate as much damage to biodiversity as possible. And of course, try to eat unadulterated, whole foods whenever we can, which also haven't been negatively altered in factories.
Thank you, Jack, for the reminder that coconut milk is neither healthy nor good for the environment. The cans one can buy are so easy to use, but I will avoid them and try your alternatives.
Bravo, Jessica. I think coconut is marvelous for those living in tropical areas. But it's impossible to remain environmentally-friendly and protect a rich, biodiverse forest that supports a multitude of animals while meeting the huge worldwide demand.
Oh Jack this is fantastic. I hadn't found a creamy alternative to coconut, and like you I don't like using it.
I do use gram flour a lot - but not cashew butter. This, then, is the answer! THANK YOU! It'll revolutionise my curries.
And what would you use in sweet cooking (baking) instead of coconut oil, for instance in biscuits or cakes/'cheese'cake where I've relied quite heavily on coconut oil to set?
Same for me. I haven’t used cashew butter.
That is a good question about baking—one that I will explore in an upcoming article specifically dedicated to coconuts. There are definitely good alternatives for most baking options—that's the good news. Convincing others to change their habits is much more difficult because the properties of coconut oil (like margarine) are similar to how butter functions, and people like taking the path of least resistance.
I’m going to settle down and reread this. Thanks for your insights into a minefield of a subject.
Thanks...a minefield is an apt description. Everyone seems to have an opinion on curries...I'll look forward to reading your thoughts!
Thank you for the coconut milk alternative recipes! I will definitely try this. I love coconut milk, but I always feel bad buying it (for different reasons)!
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Susanne - very much appreciated.
Oh, thank you so much for all of the good and useful information. I am saving this post as a guide for making vegan sauces as well as curries. I am rather ignorant of the foods of other cultures and had never heard of Japanese curries!? Much less some of the others that you mentioned. So much to try here. Thank you!
Thanks, Sandy - I really appreciate your comment. If you are interested in vegan sauces, may I suggest visiting my archives - I did an entire series on making the five mother sauces vegan...that might be inspiring to you!
Thank you so much for suggesting this. I will do that!!! 😄
I adore curry. I cook from scratch and vegetable curries regularly feature in my diet. I’ve never used coconut products for the reasons you mention and because I’m watching my weight but sometimes I long for that creamy consistency. I’ll try your suggestion for using cashew butter, which sounds interesting as I’ve relied on basically using a roux. Thanks for your tips, your posts are always inspiring.
Working with a roux is, of course, a solid idea...one that I also ocassionally use. I like the technique of combining a nut butter with chickpea flour and soy milk to create a mix much like a cream - it's simple to make, too...
Thanks for reading and commenting - I'm grateful for your support.
I have to admit that I love curry!! I AM Vegan but I can't say that I'm a strict Vegan. You have sooo many rules!! I don't know how I feel about the title Vegan although I use it because I feel like some Vegan's hate Non-Vegans and some Non-Vegans hate Vegans. I don't get that... Anyway, I simply can't get myself to eat fish and some who are Vegan can. I've tried and I just end up feeling bad. I'm not sure if I already told you but I became Vegan due to my allergies. Still, I began to feel strongly in some areas as well. I like the fact that being Vegan you help to end Climate Change and stand up for animal rights. At the same time, if I didn't have allergies, I'm not 100% sure if I'd be Vegan. I'd probably be Vegetarian though. That's certain! Why did YOU become Vegan? I have a rather odd question for you...what gives Curry it's Curry taste? Anyway, great post. :)
Thanks for reading and commenting, Angela.
By 'curry taste,' I'm assuming you mean something that is more in the Indian or Pakistani realm, in which case, the answer would be the spices that are traditionally used, including a curry spice mix (there are many).
I wrote about my why I'm vegan a while back. Here's the link to that story, which is free to access https://veganweekly.substack.com/p/my-vegan-story
*GRINS* Thank you for the suggestions. I've been following you for sometime but hadn't read that so I'm very glad that you shared it. I wish that I could say I were Vegan to help my Epilepsy or the side-effects from Brain surgery but I can't say that. I TRY to stay away from that topic because really nobody can be difined by their health alone. I do have a video up if your interested you can see it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZptPQEgdiM&t=445s Please note that was made YEARS ago and I nolonger go there as I do not wish to be defined by my health alone. It's hard NOT to be judged by that or any of the other things I tend to stand up for. Meditation and SMALL yoga stretches help me.... I saw that you said Meditation helps you as well! Really awesome!!! I also saw that you commented about a wheelchair and wanted to say something. TRUST ME, I've been in a wheelchair and that is an experience that nobody wants. You get used to it and it becomes your daily routine but still it's hard. I'm not going to go into details there as I talk about it in the video I posted. Plus, I'm sure you understand that. Some people really look at me like I'm dirt when I even use the word Vegan and some Non-Vegans look at me like I'm dirt as well so I get that feeling you wrote about. I LOVE that you realise that titles really can't define anyone. I wish that everyone were that way. I honestly do! Anyway, thanks again and goodluck in the future. P.S. I'm not trying to talk you in or out of anything. You just be your awesome self. If you DO watch that video please don't pity me. Pity's only annoying...
Great article!
Thanks for reading, commenting, and sharing - I really appreciate it, Michael!
So many great tips in this post, Jack. Thank you. The curry photos all look so tempting, especially that first with tofu.
Thanks, Domenica. Curries are so rewarding and comforting...on par with a good plate of spaghetti for me!
Great inspiration here, Jack. Thanks! It makes me feel like cooking a curry :) By the way, do you buy cashew butter at regular bio stores, or do you have a killer recipe for it? Any advice?
Thanks for this great article, as always, Jack, such lovely alternative ideas for cooking curries! Of course, this is also a minefield of a subject, as someone else wrote in the comments.
Unfortunately, every food we eat, unless we know exactly where it comes from and how it's grown etc, and if it's not local to where we live, will generally have a negative impact on the environment for a number of reasons. I, like you, started eating plant-based for health reasons, many years ago, so I've spent all that time researching the subject thoroughly. For example, soya is generally grown as a mono-culture by mainstream agricultural methods, which is why I personally choose to steer clear of it; it also causes me flare-ups due to the phyto-oestrogens it contains.
So, sadly, soya is no more eco-friendly than coconut products, or even cashew butter. I believe most cashews and other nuts, which are popular with people like us who eat only plants, are mainly grown in large mono-culture plantations, too. Mono-culture growing of crops, especially trees, is generally not going to support biodiversity at all.
We all really need to start supporting farmers who use only regenerative methods of growing food in poly-cultures, which support nature and ecosystems, and not support those employing mono-culture Big-Agro methods of growing food, which just destroy our natural world, and make us sick. Regenerative agriculture is becoming more popular in many places around the world now. So it should, after all - it was how food was grown til Big-Agro came along....
The key thing is to find out where our food comes from and how it is grown, in order to try to mitigate as much damage to biodiversity as possible. And of course, try to eat unadulterated, whole foods whenever we can, which also haven't been negatively altered in factories.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to share your views, Shell.
Knowing where food comes from, and how it was grown/prepared are definitely considerations we need to think about.
Thanks for giving us a lovely place to voice our concerns and opinions, Jack!
Thanks for this! I make a lot of curries, and having the additional recipe variations is a big help.