Photo: Instagram/@davinadavegan
Cover Photo: Instagram/@davinadavegan

Climate-conscious recipes for a planet-friendly meal

Vegan and plant-based recipes are one of the simplest ways to reduce your environmental impact in the kitchen because meat, which requires copious amounts of water and land for production, is absent.

But even with the rise of vegan and vegetarian food brands and eateries like The Hungry Tapir, Kind Kones, OmniMeat and Lauk Pauk, incorporating a plant-based diet or dishes into your daily life can be quite a challenge. In celebration of Earth Day 2022, which falls on April 22,  here are nine plant-based recipes we think you will enjoy.

See also: Asian Vegan Food: 12 Instagram Accounts To Follow For The Best Recipes

1. Slow Cooked Butter Chickpea Tofu

Tatler Asia
Photo: InstantPot
Above Photo: InstantPot

Part of adopting a more sustainable cooking and eating habit is also related to using more energy-efficient methods, like the Instant Pot or crockpots. This Slow-Cooked Butter Chickpea Tofu is perfect for those who work from home and need a time- and energy-efficient recipe. Not only is it delicious, it is also incredibly easy to make. All the ingredients are easily sourced at your local grocery store and the prep process is a mere 10 minutes. 

Get the Instant Brands' recipe here

See also: 4 Malaysian Vegans On the Benefits Of Plant-Based Diets

2. Tofu Katsu Curry

Developed by Johor-based teen vegan icon and TikTok star Kristin Tan, this recipe is for those who want a plant-based alternative to your favourite Japanese curry that is just as satisfying as the meat version.

Get Tan's recipe here.

See also: 5 Fascinating TikTok Trends By Vegan Influencers

3. Stir Fry Mince with Basil Leaves

Tatler Asia
Photo: Harvest Gourmet
Above Photo: Harvest Gourmet

Want to go meat-free but craving the taste of meat? Go for plant-based meat like those from Harvest Gourmet or Beyond Meat. This recipe from Harvest Gourmet utilises a bag of its Stir Fry Mince for its take on Pad Gaprao.

Get Harvest Gourmet's recipe here.

See also: 4 Ways Beyond Meat Is Served At La Juiceria Superfoods Cafe And Super Saigon

4. Root Vegetable Peel Chips

Tatler Asia
Photo: Tasting Table/David Katz
Above Photo: Tasting Table/David Katz

For those who need to up their vegetable intake and want to reduce their waste production, this recipe makes use of what would otherwise be thrown away (like the skin of vegetables) and transform them into delicious snacks. Feel free to experiment with other vegetable peelings like sweet potato skin.

Get Dan Barber's recipe here

See also: 6 Eco-Conscious Tableware Brands To Know

5. Mushroom Stem Soup

Tatler Asia
Photo: Food52
Above Photo: Food52

This recipe makes use of the lesser loved part of mushrooms: the stem. Apart from stem-heavy variations of the fungi like enoki and king trumpet mushrooms, any mushroom, for instance shiitake, will work in this recipe and puts the scraps to use. 

Get the Food52 recipe here.

See also: Mushroom Beef Bulgogi: How To Cook This Korean Dish At Home

6. Deliciously Ella Creamy Pasta

Want to go plant-based but can't give up creamy and cheesy dishes? This recipe takes care of that. Not only is it dairy-free and meat-free, it is also gluten-free and nut-free. And who doesn't love a good creamy Mac & Cheese?

Get Deliciously Ella's recipe here

See also: How To Start A Plant-Based Diet

7. Mushroom Rendang

Tatler Asia
Photo: WoonHeng.com
Above Photo: WoonHeng.com

Who says Malaysian food is hard to adapt into plant-based lifestyle? WoonHeng's recipe busts that myth with its Rendang that is bursting with flavours. The use of oyster mushrooms jazzes up the dish but if you want a bit more bite, this recipe also works well with hedgehog mushrooms or even jackfruit

Get WoonHeng's recipe here.

See also: Do Mock Meats Have Real Health Benefits?

8. Mushroom Burger with Dijon Aioli and Pickled Red Onions

Tatler Asia
Photo: Williams Sonoma
Above Photo: Williams Sonoma

There is no need to give up your burgers on Meatless Mondays with this mushroom burger recipe. The umami-filled burger is perfect for re-creating the experience of a juicy burger, but with less environmental impact and more bite than you would get with a regular portobello mushroom patty. The recipe also takes you through the steps to make for a dijon aioli; there's also a vegan alternative.

Get the Williams Sonoma recipe here

See also: 8 Plant-Based Burgers To Fulfil Your Fast Food Fantasies

9. Chocolate Banana Popsicles

So simple yet so satisfying, this dessert recipe only requires a banana, a wooden chopstick, plant-based chocolate, and the toppings of your choice.

Get Davina Goh's recipe here

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