Celine Steen - The Complete Guide to Even More Vegan Food Substitutions: The Latest and Greatest Methods for Veganizing Anything Using More Natural, Plant-Based…

We always try to use ingredients that are easy to find. If you cannot locate some of the following ingredients at your local grocery store, international foods store, or natural food store, dont forget about the wonderful world wide web and its frequent free shipping offers.

Agar: Also known as kanten, this all-vegetable gelatin is derived from red algae. It can be used in sweet or savory applications as it is colorless and odorless. Because it is available in various forms (flakes, powders, sticks, and rods), we will give its measure in weight. Choose agar that is free of additives, such as the Now Foods brand.

Black salt (a.k.a. kala namak): Not to be confused with black lava salt, this sulfur-y salt adds an eggy flavor to all sorts of foods. Dont let the name fool you: Its actually rose pink in color. And a little goes a long way, so dont overdo it.

Chia seeds: These tiny, little seeds are rich in omega fatty acids, and they contain 3 g of protein and 5 g of fiber per tablespoon (10 g). When stirred into liquids, in ground or whole form, they form a mucilage (a goopy mixture) that works well as a binder, making the seeds ideal to use as an egg replacer. Both white and black chia seeds are available in most markets. We will specify which kind is best for the recipes in which theyre used.

Chickpea flour: Also known as gram flour, garbanzo bean flour, and besan, this flour is made from ground chickpeas. We use it frequently and have to warn you that while the cooked results are outstanding, you should not have a taste of uncooked chickpea flour. It can be bitter and (thankfully) not at all indicative of the final recipe results. Note that garbanzo fava bean flour (a blend of chickpea and fava bean flours) can be used in place of chickpea flour.

Evaporated cane juice: We use the organic kind of this unrefined granulated sugar. It isnt processed with bone char and is therefore guaranteed to be vegan. If you know your regular granulated sugar isnt processed with bone char, you can use it instead. We favor the Wholesome Sweeteners brand, because its also fair trade.

Harissa paste: This spicy North African paste is made from a blend of hot peppers (such as guajillo and chipotle chiles) and other spices (such as coriander and caraway). You can find it in the ethnic aisle of well-stocked grocery stores.

Jackfruit: When it is ripe, this starchy fruit has a very mild flavor similar to a cross between a pineapple and a banana. When young and green, it takes on the flavors of whatever you cook with it. As it cooks, jackfruit breaks down into a stringy, almost meaty texture, which makes it a perfect medium for dishes simulating pulled pork or shredded chicken. Its almost impossible to find fresh jackfruit, and when you do it is almost always well ripened and too sweet for most applications in this book. While we usually choose fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables over canned, this is the exception. We stick to canned jackfruit packed in brine or water (