Vegan Houjicha Panna Cotta

RIVSTANG
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NIKO NEKO

@rivstang is an instagram that promotes the importance of physical and mental wellbeing by sharing her wellness journey through yoga, meditation and food. In early 2020, Rivs underwent yoga teacher training course in India. As a graduate in Culinary Arts Management, her interest in food and nutrition plays an important role in her life and she shares not only delicious, healthy recipes but educates on the nutritional value of each ingredient.

“Wellness and healthy living is a personal journey, there’s neither timeline nor comparison.”

Rivs / @rivstang

Instagram: rivstang

INTERVIEW WITH @RIVSTANG

What motivates you to live a wellness-centered lifestyle?

I find happiness in giving back, helping people and sharing knowledge that could make a positive impact in other’s life. It wasn’t super easy for me to find fun and easy-to-digest wellness & lifestyle information that’s relatable in Malaysia when I first started my wellness journey. That’s one of the reasons that keeps me fueled to keep learning, take good care of my personal wellbeing and live a wellness-centered lifestyle, so that I could keep sharing and help people that needed help, as I understand how it feels. “The world doesn’t change by your words, it changes by your actions” I believe that if I’m not at my best, I can’t give my best.

What motivates you to live a wellness-centered lifestyle?

I find happiness in giving back, helping people and sharing knowledge that could make a positive impact in other’s life. It wasn’t super easy for me to find fun and easy-to-digest wellness & lifestyle information that’s relatable in Malaysia when I first started my wellness journey. That’s one of the reasons that keeps me fueled to keep learning, take good care of my personal wellbeing and live a wellness-centered lifestyle, so that I could keep sharing and help people that needed help, as I understand how it feels. “The world doesn’t change by your words, it changes by your actions” I believe that if I’m not at my best, I can’t give my best.

You often share your home-yoga journey and about self-meditation on your IG. How does this change your lifestyle, state-of-mind or perspective in life?

Yoga is an important part of my wellness practice and lifestyle. I love how it works on balancing the mind and body at the same time. It has helped me to improve both my physical and mental health. I learned to be more self-aware and self-conscious in my daily life — that includes being more mindful in the words I speak towards others and myself, the food I eat, the things I consume emotionally, the way I make decisions and the mindset when I handle challenging situations. Practicing yoga asana and meditation definitely has helped me to learn how to be more grounded, grateful and self-content, which I think is one of the most beautiful parts of my wellness journey.

Any tips for viewers who are inspired and like to explore into a healthy lifestyle as you do?

I think it’s very important to first look into what works best for you. You can start by practicing awareness and being conscious about what you consume physically, mentally and emotionally. It could of course start with your personal diet, work with your food sensitivities and gut imbalances. It could also be finding out what type of physical movement that works better in your daily routines. Explore what makes you feel most connected to your highest-self. We are all bio-individuals, what works for others might not work for you. As you keep exploring and learning about your own body, listening to your physical and emotional needs, you will find what makes you feel and perform at your best. Wellness and healthy living is a personal journey, there’s neither timeline nor comparison. I hope you’ll cultivate compassion and happiness along your way.

How did you come up with your Vegan Houjicha Panna Cotta recipe?

This recipe originally contains gelatine as the gelling agent and I do want to let all of my viewers including vegan be able to try my recipes, hence I switched the gelatine with agar-agar powder, as I understand that there can be different concerns about the source of gelatine (plant-based, halal, kosher). After many times of recipe testing with matcha, houjicha and multiple types of plant-based milk, I find that the roasty & earthy tone from Houjicha works wonders with my homemade almond milk. The texture of my panna cotta is also fine-tuned to perfection even though there’s no dairy, no sugar and no gelatine involved in my recipe.

What do you like about working with TSUBAKI / Houjicha powder when creating this recipe?

I think it can hardly go wrong when it comes to TSUBAKI / Houjicha powder, as it carries a very strong and charming characteristic at the same time, that really makes the flavor pop especially in contrast with something that is so soft like panna cotta.

You often share your home-yoga journey and about self-meditation on your IG. How does this change your lifestyle, state-of-mind or perspective in life?

Yoga is an important part of my wellness practice and lifestyle. I love how it works on balancing the mind and body at the same time. It has helped me to improve both my physical and mental health. I learned to be more self-aware and self-conscious in my daily life — that includes being more mindful in the words I speak towards others and myself, the food I eat, the things I consume emotionally, the way I make decisions and the mindset when I handle challenging situations. Practicing yoga asana and meditation definitely has helped me to learn how to be more grounded, grateful and self-content, which I think is one of the most beautiful parts of my wellness journey.

Any tips for viewers who are inspired and like to explore into a healthy lifestyle as you do?

I think it’s very important to first look into what works best for you. You can start by practicing awareness and being conscious about what you consume physically, mentally and emotionally. It could of course start with your personal diet, work with your food sensitivities and gut imbalances. It could also be finding out what type of physical movement that works better in your daily routines. Explore what makes you feel most connected to your highest-self. We are all bio-individuals, what works for others might not work for you. As you keep exploring and learning about your own body, listening to your physical and emotional needs, you will find what makes you feel and perform at your best. Wellness and healthy living is a personal journey, there’s neither timeline nor comparison. I hope you’ll cultivate compassion and happiness along your way.

How did you come up with your Vegan Houjicha Panna Cotta recipe?

This recipe originally contains gelatine as the gelling agent and I do want to let all of my viewers including vegan be able to try my recipes, hence I switched the gelatine with agar-agar powder, as I understand that there can be different concerns about the source of gelatine (plant-based, halal, kosher). After many times of recipe testing with matcha, houjicha and multiple types of plant-based milk, I find that the roasty & earthy tone from Houjicha works wonders with my homemade almond milk. The texture of my panna cotta is also fine-tuned to perfection even though there’s no dairy, no sugar and no gelatine involved in my recipe.

What do you like about working with TSUBAKI / Houjicha powder when creating your recipes?

I think it can hardly go wrong when it comes to TSUBAKI / Houjicha powder, as it carries a very strong and charming characteristic at the same time, that really makes the flavor pop especially in contrast with something that is so soft like panna cotta.

RECIPE

Vegan Houjicha Panna Cotta

by @rivstang

3-4 servings
Preparation time: 20 mins
Set time: overnight / 3 hours
Total time: 3hrs 20mins

Ingredients

50g almond nuts (soak overnight)
510ml water
2 tbsp monk fruit sweetener
1 small pinch of salt
1/2 tsp agar-agar powder
1 tbsp TSUBAKI / Houjicha powder

Method To Assemble

Soak almond nuts in water overnight.
To make almond milk, add soaked almonds and water to a blender. Blend till smooth.
Strain almond milk into a pot through a filter bag or a traditional cloth coffee filter. Squeeze out as much almond milk with your hand. (Save the leftover almond meal for my protein pancake recipe)
In a separate bowl, add in TSUBAKI / Houjicha powder and agar-agar powder then add in 3 – 4 tbsp almond milk, whisk it to a smooth paste with a chasen whisk.
Pour Houjicha mixture back into the pot, add monk fruit sweetener and bring it to simmer over medium heat, keep stirring till you see smoke forming, the mixture should be thicken but not boiled.
Remove the pot from heat and strain panna cotta mixture through a fine sieve into glasses or molds and set it in the fridge overnight or at least 3 hours.
Garnish panna cotta with more Houjicha powder or anything you like. Serves cold.

SHOP TSUBAKI / HOUJICHA POWDER HERE

TSUBAKI / HOUJICHA POWDER

Start Making Your Vegan Houjicha Panna Cotta Today With TSUBAKI / Houjicha Powder.

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Start Making Your Vegan Houjicha Panna Cotta Today With TSUBAKI / Houicha Powder.

SHOP NOW