Curry Broccoli Bites (Raw, Vegan, Gluten Free and Oil Free)
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I am always looking for healthy snacks that are savory as opposed to sweet. These raw broccoli bites are just that! Don’t get me wrong, I like sweet snacks and you’ll find plenty of recipes for those here but I try to minimize my sugar intake so these are a perfect snack for me. I always put them in my pack for camping and backpacking trips.
About preparing raw foods:
Soaking nuts/seeds:
Nuts and seeds naturally contain enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid. These things prevent sprouting in nature when the environment isn’t ideal for growth. However, they also make it difficult for our bodies to break down nuts and seeds. Soaking them in water initiates the sprouting process and makes them much easier to digest. In this recipe, soaking the sunflower seeds also makes them softer and easier to blend to a smooth texture.
Dehydrating:
A raw food diet includes plant based foods that are not heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit. The idea here is that cooking and heating foods destroys the natural enzymes that help our body to break down food and get the most nutrients from it.
You will notice that many of my recipes suggest dehydrating for a short time at a higher temperature before reducing the temperature to 115. This initially raises the AIR temperature (not the food temperature). Early in dehydration the food is releasing a lot of moisture and this moisture prevents the food temperature from actually raising to 145. This high initial temperature reduces the total dehydrating time and also helps to prevent the food from fermenting before it is dry.
There are many dehydrators available. I recommend finding one that gives you control over the temperature. I have been using my trusty Excalibur Dehydrator for over a decade and it’s always my recommendation when people ask me about dehydrators for raw foods. For more tips on preparing raw foods, check out my 9 Essentials for a Raw Vegan Kitchen.
Raw Vegan Curry Broccoli Bites
Equipment
- Dehydrator
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked
- 1" piece fresh turmeric (or sub 1/2 tsp dry turmeric)
- 1/2 lime juice only
- 2 tsp. curry powder
- 1 tsp. salt or to taste
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup shredded coconut dried, unsweetened
- 3 cups broccoli florets raw
Instructions
- Soak the cashews for at least 30 minutes. Drain and rinse. Blend cashews with the turmeric, lime juice, curry powder, salt and water. Blend well. The final mixture should be thick and smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine the blended cashew with the shredded coconut. Stir well.
- Add the broccoli to the bowl and mix until it is evenly coated with the mixture. The broccoli florets can be in large pieces but remove as much of the large stems as you can. Otherwise, once dehydrated they will be quite hard.
- Spread the broccoli onto dehydrator trays leaving space between the individual pieces. Dehydrate for 30 minutes at 145 degrees. Then reduce the temperature to 115 and dehydrate overnight. your final snack will be crunchy. Exact dehydrating time may vary slightly based on your dehydrator and the humidity where you live.