Coconut-fig ice-cream

coconut fig ice cream

Ever imagine that ice cream could be good for you? In your dreams? … well your dreams are about to come true. Sejal Amma from Bangalore sends a recipe for a vegan delight that is raw and sugar-free as well!

Raw, sugar-free coconut-fig ice-cream

Ever heard of an ice cream that contains no harmful ingredients such as dairy products, added sugar & preservatives, emulsifiers or other artificial additives, and yet is sweet, creamy & super simple to make?

Before turning vegan, I too wouldn’t have imagined this to be true! I present one such amazing ice cream recipe here. I learnt it from Dr. Nandita Shah of SHARAN when I visited Auroville for a workshop related to health. This is one of the easiest ice creams one can ever make. By virtue of being animal-ingredient-free, it is totally cholesterol-free and very healthy. Even my usually change-averse dad (who has a high cholesterol problem) is excited to have found a yummy ice-cream equally healthy.

As the title suggests, the recipe involves only two ingredients – Coconut and Figs. Here’s the procedure:

• Take 1 cup thick coconut milk and ¼ cup of figs (chopped into small pieces)
• Soak figs in the coconut milk for at least 3 hours or overnight. Put the bowl in the refrigerator if soaking overnight.
• Blend the mix till it becomes creamy. If you have a low speed blender, it takes a bit of time. Soaking overnight helps in such cases.
• Take the mix out in a container, and freeze for 2 hours.
• You may consider whipping it every 2 hours to stop ice-crystals from getting formed.
• Scoop and serve!

To make coconut milk:

• Break the coconut and take out of the pulp. (The easiest way to break a coconut is to put it in the refrigerator overnight, and then break in the morning!)
• If possible, peel the brown skin (optional)
• Crush it in the mixer.
• Take out the crushed coconut in a bowl to measure. For one full bowl of crushed coconut, take ¾ bowl of lukewarm water and blend both. (Do not warm the water too much, else you won’t be able to run it in the mixie.) To make thinner coconut milk, just take more water.
• Sieve out the coconut milk with a thin cloth.
• Repeat the procedure with half the water for the second extract (which will be thinner than the first extract). Can be used to make cold coffee!
• You can use the extracted pulp of the coconut for curries or even in roti dough.

More about Sejal Amma and why she is vegan.