Vegan Mozzarella Cheese

This Vegan Mozzarella Cheese is the ultimate solution to satisfy the cravings of dairy-intolerant people for that melty, silky, creamy cheese without involving any form of dairy. This cheese features the blending of raw and soaked cashews along with salt, powdered onion & garlic, juice of lemon/vinegar, water, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, & coconut oil(refined), and then thickening the mixture on the stove. With these ingredients, you can enjoy all the deliciousness of real mozzarella with this Vegan Mozzarella Cheese that can melt, slice, & grate as well.

NUMERICAL REVIEW:

• Diet: Vegan, free from soy & gluten
• Course: Vegan alternative to cheese, condiment, topping
• Cuisine: Global-fusion/Italian-inspired
• Five mins for preparation
• ~Seven mins for cooking
• Working time 12 minutes in total
• Size/serving: Two tbsps.
• Yield in total: One & a half cups (12 servings)
• Mode of cooking: Stovetop
• Level of difficulty: Easy

TOOLS:

• A plastic container(free of BPA)/glass(air-tight)
• Food processor/blender(high-speed)
• Spoons & cups to measure
• A saucepan of normal size
• Spatula of silicone/whisk

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4th cup of tapioca starch/flour
• Coconut oil(refined), one tbsp.
• 1 cup of raw cashews
• Powder of onion, half tsp.
• 2 tbsps. of nutritional yeast
• Half tsp. of powdered garlic
• 1 tbsp. of lemon juice/apple cider vinegar
• Sea salt, 3/4th tsp.
• 1 and 1/4th cup of water

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Include the cashews, salt, water, vinegar, powdered garlic & onion, tapioca starch, & nutritional yeast in the jug of the blender.
2. Attach the jug to the machine of blender & run on high speed.
3. Stop the machine when you get the smooth & creamy paste, which will take around a couple of mins.
4. Now transfer this mixture to the saucepan over a normal flame.
5. Use a spatula/whisk to prevent lump formation.
6. You will see the white mixture will begin to stretch & thicken within four mins.
7. Continue to cook it till it achieves a texture that resembles the mozzarella cheese, like a shiny & melty one.
8. Now, the vegan version of mozzarella cheese is ready to use for pizza toppings or other melty applications.
9. While you will be required to keep it in a sealed container & refrigerate it to use it in slices form or grated version.

TIPS:

• To increase the firmness of the cheese, use a couple of tsps. of agar agar.
• You need to taste and adjust the salt level as per your choice.
• Dip the cashew in hot water for 20 minutes is you don’t have a good quality blender.
• Use refine and good quality coconut oil to obtain melty texture.

HOW TO PRESERVE(LEFTOVER):

CHILLING:

• Save the cheese in a container with a lid. Use it whenever you want within six days while refrigerated.

FREEZING:

• The cheese is packed as directed above, and will be frozen for ~thirty days. Defrost it a night earlier in the fridge when you plan to use it. Texture will not be the same but will work well for melting & mixing.

FAQs:

What swaps do I have to make to have its keto version?

• You need to use the macadamia nuts in place of cashews while using xanthan gum + agar agar to replace the tapioca starch.

Does the vegan version of Mozzarella behave the same as the real mozzarella?

• Of course! Tapioca starch is the key component that makes the vegan cheese melt & stretch upon heating under the broiler.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS/SERVING:

Size/serve: Two tbsps.

Calories: ~90 kcal

Carbs in total: Five grams

Fiber: 1 g

Net carbohydrates: Four grams

Fats: 6.5 g

Sugar: 0.3 gram

Proteins: Three grams

Sodium: 140 mg