Amala Akkineni

Ginnifer Goodwin

Actress and philanthropist Amala Akkineni has acted in dozens of Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu movies, including megahits such as Pushpak and Shiva. She leads a busy and full life as founder of the Blue Cross of Hyderabad, a nongovernmental organization focused on animal welfare, and as an environmental activist, wife to south Indian movie superstar Nagarjuna, and mom to a son. She credits her energy to a healthy vegan diet.

Akkineni says that soon after she started following a plant-based diet four years ago, having been motivated by compassion for animals, she saw several health benefits. “I found sound digestion after years. My energy levels multiplied and I cried with joy and relief,” she says.

Learn more about Amala Akkineni’s work at Blue Cross of Hyderabad.

AMALA'S TIPS

Amala's Recipes
Pizza Vegan

Hummus

Pasta Arrabbiata

Grilled Tofu Steak

I do yoga to stay active and fit. When you nurture yourself from within, you don’t seek comfort from food, which ensures you eat with awareness.
Who says you can’t have your pizza and eat it, too, on a vegan diet? After a busy day at work, I like to indulge in some of my guilt-free favorites, like Pizza Vegan and Pasta Arrabbiata.
Just beginning a vegan diet can sometimes help reveal food ailments you didn’t even know you had. I turned vegan after learning about the cruelty behind dairy products, and how buffalos are slaughtered once they stop producing milk. But just one week into a vegan diet I realized I had been lactose intolerant.

AMALA'S RECIPES

Pizza Vegan

Crust:

4 cups (500 grams) all-purpose refined flour

1 cup (200 milliliters) lukewarm water

2 tablespoons (15 grams) bakers yeast

1-2 tablespoons (15 grams) sugar

1 teaspoon (10 grams) salt

Mix the yeast and sugar with the lukewarm water and keep aside. Sieve the flour and salt on a marble working top and make a well in the center. Gently mix and knead into a soft dough and place in a greased bowl. Cover. Give 20 minutes time for proofing (fermenting).

Sauce:

1 9-ounce can (250 grams) canned peeled tomatoes in juice (if available), or plum tomatoes

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon, leeks and celery, chopped

1 tablespoon onion, chopped

salt, pepper and sugar, as needed

Heat 1/4 cup of water in a sauce pan. Add the garlic, onion, leeks, and celery and sauté. Pour the canned tomatoes or blanched and peeled plum tomatoes. Cook until the raw flavor is lost, add the seasonings. Allow the tomatoes to cool to room temperature and then blend them to fine saucy texture.

Toppings: Use vegetables of your choice like sliced peppers, zucchini, eggplant, broccoli, tomatoes, onions, etc. Sauté these and set aside.

Method: Preheat an electric pizza oven or a convection oven with a pizza stone to temperature of

300 F.

Take dough and begin rolling to a flat disc shape (you may wish to break dough in half to make two pizzas rather than one large). Poke the disc with a fork and bake it for about 2 minutes on the pizza stone. Take the base out, spread about 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce and top with the vegetables and bake it again for about 8 minutes or until done. Cut into wedges and serve with hummus.

Hummus

Over boiled white chick peas

1 tablespoon garlic

1 tablespoon tahini (sesame paste)

Juice of 6 lemon wedges

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

salt and white pepper powder, as required

Place all the ingredients in a blender with some water. Blend to a soft paste and the hummus is ready.

Pasta Arrabbiata

90 grams eggless pasta of choice

1 cup homemade tomato sauce

10 leaves fresh basil

6 black olives cut in half

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon onion, chopped

flaked chili, as required

3 tablespoons chopped tomatoes

semi-cooked vegetables (so they are still crunchy)

Boil the pasta in sufficient salted water for about 6 minutes until al dente. Strain the pasta and sprinkle some oil and spread on a flat surface. Once the pasta is at room temperature, place in a bowl and cover to prevent drying.

Heat a sauce pan. Add oil, garlic, onion, and sauté for a while. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for about 2 minutes and pour in the tomato sauce. Add the basil leaves. When the sauce boils, adjust the seasoning and add the pasta and your choice of semicooked vegetables.

Toss and serve the pasta hot, sprinkled with flaked chili (the chilies can be mixed into the sauce).

Grilled Tofu Steak

Marinade:

1 cup cilantro

1/2 cup mint

1 tablespoon garlic

1 green chili

1 teaspoon cumin

salt, to taste

1 teaspoon olive oil

juice of 3 lemon wedges

Sauté all the ingredients in a saucepan except the lemon juice. Blend the ingredients to a fine paste, then add the lemon juice and set aside.

Other ingredients:

150 grams tofu steak

assorted boiled vegetables

olive oil

tomato sauce

Method:

Make light slits on the tofu and then place it in the marinade. Turn over to coat. Place the tofu on a hot grill or griddle and cook until light brown. Place the tofu in a hot oven for further cooking. Create a base of vegetables on the plate. Place the grilled tofu on top and pour the tomato sauce. Garnish with shredded red peppers and serve. (The marinade can also be served as a sauce.)

Recipes by Chef Shashank of N-grill in Hyderabad

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