For individuals who have only recently embraced vegan lifestyles, the transition from animal-based to plant-based products can feel overwhelming. Having a good stock of shelf-stable ingredients that can be stored easily for weeknight meals that are delicious but don’t feel monotonous, ensure that you have access to wholesome, fresh food. The idea behind this is to have affordable ingredients that do not burn a hole in your pocket and allow you to experiment with multiple recipes where they can be repeated. Sticking to the basics but playing around with variants that suit your taste palette and skill level in the kitchen, is one of the ways to shop for a vegan pantry.
Beans/Chickpeas
Having a couple of bags of dry kidney beans, chickpeas or black-eyed peas, can be used in a variety of ways to prepare soups, dips, stews and salads. Being protein packed and mineral-rich, beans are a great way to ensure that the nutritional value in your food is maintained, while also bulking up a recipe considerably. Using a cup or two of beans is also an inexpensive way to feed a family crowd and also take care of their vegan protein requirements.
Bean-Derived Products
Keeping supermarket products like tofu, tempeh, gram flour and refried beans are some of the ideal ways to add variety to your meals. Whether it is Asian-style stir fries or making a patty for vegan burgers and sandwiches, most bean-derived products can be used for breakfast as well as full meal recipes. Bean-derived products are also a refreshing change from whole pulses and beans to provide protein and also contribute texture to a recipe.
Frozen Peas/Corn/Vegetables
From quick soups to adding chopped vegetables and corn to pulaos, fried rice, poriyals and poha, a portion of frozen vegetables in the freezer is always a good idea. What’s also great about having frozen veggies stashed in the freezer is that it works for people with all kinds of cooking skills, since it involves minimal processing and lesser cooking time than fresh vegetables. Always have a couple of options handy to pick and choose between and add to recipes.
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Grains/Pasta
Like beans and pulses, grains like rice, poha and millets, as well as pasta are staples for a diet. Pairing them with vegetables and protein is also the key to ensuring you have the right proportion of carbohydrates added to your meals and adding additional fibre and minerals. Make sure to keep brown rice, oats, polenta, buckwheat pasta and any other type of grains you might prefer eating on a regular basis.
Flours
All-purpose flour aside, having a gluten-free alternative like buckwheat or amaranth flour can be used for baking purposes. Similarly rice flour, potato starch and gram flour can be used to make doughs, batters and also be used as thickening agents for sauces and stews. Stock up on good-quality whole wheat flour if you take an interest in baking bread, as well as almond flour to drive away any cravings for tea cake.
Sweeteners
A bottle of maple syrup, a jar of honey, dried figs and dates are all solid options for a vegan pantry that abstains or consciously avoids refined sugar. Explore options like palm jaggery or coconut sugar to include as many natural sweeteners in your food as possible. Along with being a healthier choice, these natural sweeteners also provide distinct flavour to pancakes, cakes, glazes, jams and compotes. Add a spoonful of maple syrup or a handful of dates to your milkshakes, smoothie bowls and granola for a hint of sweetness or texture.