Vegan

Tackle Winter with the Love Goodly Dec/Jan Box

https://www.chicvegan.com/tackle-winter-with-the-love-goodly-dec-jan-box/

It’s time for another Love Goodly review and I am pretty pumped for this one. Pretty much all the products in this box are EXACTLY what I needed for the winter months. There was even one product I was considering buying and then it just showed up on my doorstep. Talk about some holiday magic right there!

If you’re not familiar with Love Goodly, they are a bi-monthly subscription service. You’ll find a great selection of eco-friendly, non-toxic, vegan, and cruelty-free beauty products to try for a fraction of the cost. Each box also supports a different charity. This month, the entire box was palm oil free in collaboration with the Orangutan Alliance. You get to look beautiful and help the animals, what could be better?

Let’s get to what was in the Love Goodly Dec/Jan Box box:

Sylveco Soothing Eye Cream – I’m going to start with my favorite product in the box. I turned 31 in October and I’m starting to notice a few more fine lines that don’t just disappear with a shower in the morning. I had started to look into eye creams and actually ran across Sylveco. I liked that it was hypoallergenic and fragrance-free. Luckily, I didn’t quite jump the gun because a few weeks later I got my Love Goodly box with this eye cream! It is even better than I thought. The cream isn’t greasy and it absorbs fast. I put it on at night and wake up with younger looking eyes. I know that sounds impossible, but it’s totally true. This is a product I will definitely buy again.

Sylveco Soothing Eye Cream– Put this product in the category of “Didn’t Know I Needed Until I Used It”. This quick fix spray is to help fight breakouts when you can’t wash your face after a workout or other sweaty endeavor. It is made with simple ingredients such as witch hazel, tea tree oil, and lavender essential oil. Usually, after I workout, I have to get right back to work and don’t get to shower right away. I’ve noticed I get a little acne right along my hairline and jaw and didn’t realize it was because I was letting sweat and bacteria sit on my face. Come on, Katie, wise up. Thankfully a few spritzes of this spray and those bumps have started to go away. I’ve even started spraying a little on my face right when I wake up.

ZSkin Pumped Lash Primer – I am lucky enough to have pretty long eyelashes, so I didn’t think this lash primer would do much for me. It is made with ingredients to help your lashes grow longer and stronger, plush thicker. I started using it and didn’t really notice much difference in growth BUT it does help my mascara stay in place longer, which is a definite boost. If you struggle with short or thin lashes, this might be a great product for you. But even if you don’t have that issue, it is a great primer for mascara.

Bee Magical Save the Bees Bracelet – I always love when my Love Goodly Box includes something fun like this bracelet. This piece was made exclusively for Love Goodly and it’s made entirely of recycled materials. Bee Magical is helping raise awareness for bees and trying to secure a safe future for these important creatures.

If you want to get the Love Goodly box, each regular one is $34.95. You can also get the VIP box for $48.95 and receive one more item. This month it is the Bellapierre HD make-up primer. The other great thing about Love Goodly is that if you find a product you truly love, you can buy it from them for a discount with their code. Get ready for winter with this awesome Love Goodly box!

$If you're not familiar with Love Goodly, they are a bi-monthly subscription service. You'll find a great selection of eco-friendly, non-toxic, vegan, and cruelty-free beauty products to try for a fraction of the cost. Each box also supports a different charity. This month, the entire box was palm oil free in collaboration with the Orangutan Alliance. You get to look beautiful and help the animals, what could be better?$

Vegan

Malvani Chicken Curry (Western Indian Coconut, Kashmiri Chili, Onion Curry) gluten-free, nut-free

Explore regional Indian cuisine with me and Try this fantastic Malvani Chikin curry! Western Indian spicy caramelized onion, toasted coconut and kashmiri chili sauce with crisp tofu! This sauce is flavor packed and has its own malvani masala spice blend! 1-pan meal meal that’s delicious served over rice or with flatbread or naan.

malvani chicken curry in the pan after cooking

Malvani cuisine originates from the western coastal region in India. It has overlap with Maharashtrian(cuisine of state of maharashtra in India) as well as Goan cuisines and includes a lot of fish and local meat dishes. The flavors are very specific to the cuisine, with its own spice mixes (malvani masala or malvani garam masala) and cooking techniques.

I’ve been exploring amazing regional flavors from various parts of India and brining you vegan versions, simplified or inspired dishes and today we are making vegan malvani chicken curry! For the sauce base, we use a blended roasted onion and coconut mixture, which is called vatan, making our own malvani spice blend with some spices, and using crisped up tofu in place of the meat. You can use other protein such as chickpea tofu, vegan chickin or beans as well. Traditionally, you don’t add any cream to this curry, but you can add some(it will also balance out the heat), add in some cashew cream or other non-dairy cream right at the end.

close-up of malvani chicken curry in the pan after cooking

The sauce and spice mix includes a lot of Kashmiri chili powder (I know right, you need some!) and black pepper, so it can get pretty hot. You can reduce these spices to suit your heat preferences, if needed.

Like I mentioned above, we make the flavorful Malvani masala spice blend from scratch. It is so delicious! If you have access to Malvani garam masala, I recommend using it in this recipe instead of the spice mix that I’m making below, to reduce active time. Just mix it with two teaspoons of Kashmiri chili powder and use. You can use this fragrant spicy blend over roasted veggies or with beans. It’s flavorful and can be used in many ways!

Key features of Malvani Curry

Malvani masala: this spice blend and the curry are known for the deep red color. It can be made with milder chilies with deeper color like byadagi chilies and Kashmiri chilies. I am using Kashmiri chili powder for a quicker version

Vatan: the sauce made with blended caramelized onion and toasted coconut makes the base of the curry. It adds a delicious sweet toasty flavor and some texture.

Slow long cooking: the longer cooking time helps the flavors meld and the colors to show up. The sauce when well cooked will get a glaze of the deep red color and a settled flavor. Before that state, the coconut might be a stronger flavor and the sauce might be lighter.