Are you ready for your mind to be blown? This is the easiest and most delicious vegan curry recipe you could ever find. Not only will it make your taste buds happy, but it will make the earth happy, too. Legumes are twenty times less land-intensive and emit twenty times less greenhouse gas emissions than ruminant meat. Chickpeas are also a far more resource-efficient protein than meat. Check out this quick and climate-friendly recipe to make your diet more sustainable!
Ingredients:
2 cups of rice (for serving)
1 tbsp of any oil of your choice
1 medium chopped onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fresh ginger
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
½ turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp curry powder
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 14.5 oz cans of chickpeas/garbanzo beans
1 14.5 oz can of coconut milk
Steps:
Step 1: Start cooking the rice before you do anything else. The curry cooks quickly so you want to give the rice time to cook so that it is ready when the curry is.
Step 2: Chop the onion and prepare your spices. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
Step 3: Heat a skillet with 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat. After a couple of minutes, toss in the chopped onion. Cook for two minutes until it starts to become translucent.
Step 4: Add the spices followed by the chickpeas. Give that just a minute or two to cook.
Step 5: Then add the diced tomatoes with all the juices and the coconut milk. Bring to a slight boil and cook for 5-7 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Step 6: Serve over rice and enjoy!
This series is brought to you by student group, Greening Dining
In its current state, only a fraction of the plastic types we use on a daily basis is actually recyclable, accounting for an 8.7% recycling rate. While the process may be limited, sustainability researchers have been working to make improvements in the materials we recycle in order to reduce our consumption of single-use plastics. In this interview, I discuss the chemistry of recycling with Paul Chirik, Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Chemistry, whose lab recently discovered a plastic material with the potential to be recycled more effectively.
Image Credit: Paul Chirik via https://chirik.princeton.edu/
Could you give a brief overview of your current research? What makes it interesting to you?
So, what I do is I study catalysis. That’s a key component of sustainability because what catalysis does is by definition it makes chemical processes use less energy. The question we asked is: Is catalysis as sustainable as it can be? That’s the cool part of sustainability research – you can always do better. You can always save a little bit more [energy] here and there. One of the big things we’ve been after for a long time is that we’ve looked at the way people use catalysts; usually, they’re based on rare elements like platinum and palladium (all the stuff in the catalytic converter in your car). Nobody would argue catalytic converters are bad, they’ve completely cleared up the air and the environment from car exhaust, but at the same time, we’re using elements that come out of mines that have really huge carbon footprints. So, the [goal] is to use these great catalysts with iron and try to make all these reactions go better with less energy input [and] generate less waste. I think the most exciting thing is that we started doing this trying to make catalysts to insert into existing processes, and then when you start playing with new metals and new catalysts, you discover things you never thought you would see.
Image Credit: BBC News via https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45496884
What does the current recycling process for plastics look like? How would you like to further improve it?
I think people are now appreciating how bad it is. You know, I actually feel a little guilty as a chemist, I didn’t realize how bad it was until we started studying it. I figured every week we put our milk jugs at the end of the curb and they went away and all is well, and you don’t realize the percentage of plastic that gets recycled is so low. That tells me there’s a chemistry problem here, the biggest part of it is we need new materials. We use a lot of plastic that it doesn’t make sense to recycle.
What does sustainability mean to you? How do you engage with sustainability outside of your scientific work?
Sustainability to me means a way of life, right? I think it should be how you interact with the environment around you. Outside of my job, I try to practice what I preach which is looking at how much stuff I throw away, how much I consume […]. You have to ask yourself what kind of carbon footprint you think you have and compare that to what you actually have. I think the most impactful thing I can do is educate people, because of the kind of science we do.
What is your favorite source of sustainable energy and why?
If you ask me as a chemist where we need to be in 100 years, we need to rely on the sun. It’s free, there’s lots of it. The problem is we don’t know how to do most of [the chemistry] yet. We have a long way to go but that doesn’t mean you give up, because it’s a really hard problem.
What are some common misconceptions about energy sources?
I think the biggest misconception is that people think that fossil fuel is only for gasoline in their car. They don’t realize that you cannot live without interacting with multiple products [of fossil fuels], whether it’s your clothes or carpets, [even] the food you eat was grown from fertilizer that was made from fossil fuels. Just about every single product you interact with […] had an interaction or derivation from fossil fuels.
Are there any sustainability or climate science resources you know of that you would suggest for readers?
I pay a lot of attention to elemental usage. Hopefully, people worry about their carbon footprint, but that’s still very narrow, you should worry about your element footprint. Your cell phone has 65 of them in it, and some of those elements take a lot of energy [to obtain].
Discover where the elements which make up your smartphone are sourced from:
Welcome back to Good News Friday and happy Earth Month! I hope you’re ready to read some positive picks from recent environmental updates. This week, we have a conservation-themed edition, with promising news about the recovery of bald eagles, pygmy hogs and the Iberian lynx.
Bald eagles rebound: In 2009, conservationists estimated that there were approximately 72,000 bald eagles in the lower 48 states. However, the most recent 2019 estimates place the rebounding population at 316,700, meaning that bald eagle populations have quadrupled in the past decade. According to Deb Haaland, the first Native American secretary of the Interior, “The bald eagle has always been considered a sacred species to American Indian people. Similarly, it’s sacred to our nation as America’s national symbol.” Bryan Watts, the director of the Center for Conservation Biology at William & Mary, says that the bald eagle recovery indicates what can be accomplished when a culture collectively decides to value something.
Image credit: A. J. T. Johnsingh, CC BY-SA 3.0, no changes
Hope for pygmy hogs: The pygmy hog is the smallest and rarest pig in the world. They used to thrive in the sub-Himalayas, but habitat loss has resulted in their near extinction. However, a captive breeding and reintroduction program led by the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP) has raised their chances for recovery. There’s still a long way to go, but this program, in combination with grassland conservation, gives hope for restoring the miniature wild pig populations.
Iberian lynx populations recover: Another example of a successful target conservation story is the recovery of the Iberian Lynx populations. In 2002, the Iberian lynx was already extinct in its native Portugal, and fewer than 100 cats remained in Spain. However, a cumulation of targeted conservation efforts has allowed the species to come back from the brink of extinction, with more than 1000 wild members today. These efforts include captive breeding and reintroduction, rewilding of lynx ranges, wildlife corridors, and increasing prey populations.
That’s all for this week! Tune in next time for more encouraging environmental news. If you’d like to share some Good News with us, please feel free to get in touch!
Welcome to the third stop on the Plant-Based Food Tour of Princeton! This week we are continuing the international exploration with Mexican and Mediterranean cuisine. As always, we reviewed these restaurants and their plant-based dishes, using metrics like price, taste, and creativity. Next time you eat out, order one of the items we recommend. Follow the Office of Sustainability and Greening Dining on Instagram to see video reviews and come back next week to learn about the best plant-based grab-n-go restaurants!
Mexican
Tacoria – Most Outstanding, Full Stop.
Price: $
Bang for Your Buck: ★★★★★
Creativity: ★★★★★
Plant Forward: ★★★
Taste: ★★★★★
Ease of Access: ★★★★★
If you haven’t been to Tacoria, what have you been doing? Not only does this restaurant have a great range of vegetarian and vegan options, but each of these dishes is absolutely delicious and never fails to bring a grin to your face. At the time of undertaking this review I had never tried Tacoria’s brussels sprouts; having now tried them, I doubt I will ever order meat from them ever again. My order, the brussels sprouts burrito box, was absolutely spectacular. If you are a bigger fan of the mission-style burrito, Tacoria has you covered, also allowing you to customize your order to include a number of ingredients, but most excitingly their golden (fried) avocado. I cannot rave about Tacoria enough, and with the restaurant being located right on the middle of Nassau Street there is simply no excuse not to try it out. Just last week, Tacoria added a new plant-based option to their menu in the form of Beyond Tacoria burritos, which is great news for plant-based eating, but possibly bad news for my wallet.
Qdoba – Most Customizable, Best Fake Meat Options
Price: $
Bang for Your Buck: ★★★
Creativity: ★★
Plant Forward: ★★★★
Taste: ★★★
Ease of Access: ★★★★★
I can’t say I have been itching to go to Qdoba in a while, but when I learned that Qdoba was now serving Impossible™ meat as one of their protein options, I couldn’t wait to give it a try. I had a customizable burrito bowl with Impossible™ meat as my choice of protein; the best part about Qdoba is that you can customize your meal to be exactly how you want it! It tasted just like a burrito bowl with ground beef. Some of you out there may be looking for more of a veggie-based option, which Qdoba can provide. Rather than choosing a fake meat protein, you can make a veggie burrito/bowl/nachos, etc. However, if you are looking to satisfy your meat cravings without the meat, Qdoba has exactly what you are looking for! Go check it out and don’t forget to get a yummy side of chips and guac to complete your meal.
Taste of Mexico – Most Intriguing
Price: $
Bang for Your Buck: ★★★★
Creativity: ★★
Plant Forward: ★★★
Taste: ★★
Ease of Access: ★★★
In order to find Taste of Mexico, you have to know where to turn on Nassau street. Luckily for me, I can see the front of the restaurant from my window. Taste of Mexico is a really cute place with beautiful multi-colored lights out front, and a nice seating area for when the weather is nice. Their menu is not particularly creative when it comes to offering plant-based options and only really has a couple of different menu items to choose from. For this review, I ordered the vegetable enchiladas with chips and guacamole as a side. I was a newbie to enchiladas (I know, what have I been doing, right?) and thoroughly enjoyed them, especially the side of rice and beans that was honestly the star of the meal for me. When you order chips and guacamole at Taste of Mexico, be warned you receive A LOT of guac, but it is very tasty so if that entices you, you should definitely check it out. All in all, I would recommend Taste of Mexico, but keep in mind that if you are looking for a truly plant-based option you are going to be a little limited.
Mediterranean
EFES Mediterranean Grill – Most Beautiful Falafel Plate
Price: $$
Bang for Your Buck: ★★★
Creativity: ★★
Plant Forward: ★★★★
Taste: ★★★★
Ease of Access: ★★
This week on my plant-based food tour, I ate at Efes Mediterranean Grill. There I got a falafel plate and hummus.
The falafel plate was quite good. The falafels were a beautiful green in the middle, tasted great, and were cooked nicely. For $3 I added a large shepherd salad, seen on the left of the entree. This was perhaps even better than the falafel. I really enjoyed the tomato, cucumber, and seasoning. Before adding the tzatziki sauce and another sauce which I couldn’t identify, I found myself wanting the fries and falafels to be a bit saltier and more flavorful. Adding both sauces and mixing the falafels with the salad fixed this however, making a tasty combination. After my wonderful experience of hot takeout at Chennai Chimney last week, I was a little disappointed by the temperature of the entree when I opened it in my dorm, but I’m sure the cold shepherd salad factored into that.
I also tried the hummus and pita bread off of the sides menu. The hummus was no frills, plain hummus, but I did like it. I am someone who doesn’t prefer too much roasted red pepper or additions to my hummus, so take that how you will. The pita bread is store bought, but it does the job. I believe each $.40 order of pita bread is 2 pieces since I ordered $.80 of it and I got 4 pieces in packaging for a 6-pack.
Efes Mediterranean Grill is located at the intersection of Olden and Nassau, right across the road from Hoagie Haven. It took me 8 minutes to walk from there to the middle of campus and another 4 to get to Whitman. Google Maps says it’s a 17 minute walk, so come here when you aren’t pressed for time. I forgot to ask for no plastic utensils, but I didn’t receive any regardless. This pleased me, but remember to bring your own utensils or your reusable bamboo ones from the Office of Sustainability! There is limited indoor dining, takeout, and some outdoor seating, not in service on cold days. Though it is not the most value for your money, I recommend the falafel plate.
Mamoun’s – Most Flavourful
Price: $
Bang for Your Buck: ★★★★★
Creativity: ★★★★
Plant Forward: ★★★
Taste: ★★★★★
Ease of Access: ★★★★
Mamoun’s is a deceivingly long restaurant located at the top of Witherspoon street. I ordered the combo plate, a dish that allows you to select any three of their vegetarian options to be served over rice or salad. I chose falafel, baba ganouj, and hummus, whilst also ordering a side of baklava for good measure. I was absolutely blown away by the assembly of items I chose; each was a taste sensation arranged pleasingly on a plate. The rice and falafel in particular were extremely tasty, and once I had finished my dish I sincerely wished I had more left. If you have a sweet tooth I would 100% recommend the baklava, which is an absolute delight. The combo plate was just one of a number of plant-based options on offer at Mamoun’s, which are all well worth your time and money.
Another huge bonus of Mamoun’s is the speed with which they complete your order: I had ordered, paid, and received my food within 10 minutes! All in all I would urge you to go and check out the plant-based options at Mamoun’s, as you will certainly not be disappointed!
This series is a collaboration between student group, Greening Dining and the Princeton EcoReps
*** We are not food critics, but food enthusiasts. This is in no way intended to be a formal critique or review of any restaurant in Princeton, merely a way to encourage students to try more plant-based options when dining out.
Looking for a way to spice up your meals? Tteokbokki, or spicy stir-fried rice cakes, is a common Korean street food dish that you can recreate at home. Although traditionally made with anchovy stock, this vegan version substitutes vegetable stock that has a deep umami flavor developed using shiitake mushrooms, kelp, radish, onions, and cabbage. The dish requires a few special ingredients, such as rice cakes and gochujang, but they can easily be found at an Asian grocery store. Furthermore, the vegetable stock can be prepared in bulk and used as a substitute for anchovy- or meat-based broths in other Korean dishes—including kimchi and soybean paste stew—to make them plant-based. The kelp used to make the broth can also be stir-fried and served as a side dish. Not only is kelp a good source of protein, it can be sustainably farmed since it requires minimal land and freshwater resources. Give this recipe a try, and hopefully it will inspire you to explore plant-based versions of your favorite international dishes!
Ingredients:
Vegetable stock (makes 10-11 cups)
5 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 ounce dried kelp
1 pound daikon radish, peeled and cut into ½-inch thick slices
1 large onion, sliced
4 green onions, cut into 2-in. long pieces
2 cups green cabbage leaves, sliced
4 quarts water
Tteokbokki
1 pound tube-shaped rice cakes (if frozen, thaw and soak in cold water prior to cooking)
Step 1: Prepare the stock by putting all of the vegetable ingredients into a large pot along with 4 quarts of water. Cover and cook over medium high heat for half an hour. Then reduce the heat to medium and cook for another half an hour, until the radish is translucent.
Step 2: Pour the stock through a mesh strainer over a large bowl. The liquid should be clear and light. You can store the stock in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator, and up to 3 months in the freezer. The strained vegetables can also be reused to make stir-fried kelp and radish pancakes instead of going to waste.
Step 3: Pour around 2 ½ cups of the vegetable stock you made in Steps 1 and 2 into a pot. Mix the red pepper paste, pepper flakes, and sugar in a small bowl and add to the vegetable stock. Add the rice cakes and chopped green onions as well.
Step 4: Cook uncovered over medium high heat. When it begins to boil, stir gently and continue stirring until the rice cakes are soft and the sauce thickens (10-15 minutes). If the rice cakes do not soften, add more water and continue stirring. The flatter the pan, the quicker the sauce will thicken as well.
Image credit: Maylin Horchler
Step 5: Remove from heat and serve hot. Optionally, you can add vegan mozzarella cheese (e.g. Violife) or make vegan tofu fish cakes to serve alongside the tteokbokki.
Image credit: Maylin Horchler
Recipe adapted from the Maangchi blog. Image and adaptation credits to Maylin Horchler, a sophomore at Rutgers University.
This series is brought to you by student group, Greening Dining
Hi! I’m Naomi Frim-Abrams (‘23), and I love cooking and baking (and eating!).
(Me being super excited about some good-looking fresh kale)
Though quarantine definitely fueled my cooking/baking enthusiasm, I’ve been in the kitchen for as long as I can remember. I eat a mostly vegetarian (and fully kosher) diet and am on a quest to convince my friends that dishes without meat don’t have to be boring! Here are a few of the yummy recipes I’ve whipped up:
Black sticky rice bowl with avocado, seaweed salad and a soft boiled egg
Linguini alfredo with spring vegetables
Orange poppy seed cake with strawberry cream cheese frosting
Tuna steak with seafood mushrooms, roasted potatoes, topped with caramelized onions, and a red wine pan sauce (fancy, right?)
This past year especially, I’ve really enjoyed what I call “leftover cooking,” or challenging myself to turn leftovers that are sitting in my fridge into entirely new dishes for me and my mom to enjoy. That container of takeout rice that’s slowly losing moisture each day? Add some coconut milk and warm spices, and it can become a luxurious rice pudding. Chili that’s been sitting in the freezer for more months than you can remember? Some mashed potatoes and vegetables can turn it into a hearty vegetarian shepherd’s pie.
The big question here is: why is rescuing leftovers important? Aside from being a fun way to develop creative cooking skills, we in America waste between 30-40% of our food supply which is way too much food waste! That means that not only the food itself is wasted, but the time, labor, and energy that went into growing that food is wasted as well, from the gas used to power tractors to the copious amounts of water needed for agriculture (especially meat and dairy products). Some of this is not on the consumer end; food spoils during transport, is damaged during processing, and gets thrown out by grocery stores if it is blemished. But we can significantly contribute to decreasing food waste by being intentional about what we buy and in what quantities.
And this is where Level Up Your Leftovers comes in. This series aims to be a fun way for readers to submit images and/or descriptions of their leftovers, and in return to receive a personalized recipe to utilize said leftovers! No fridge is too empty or full; what matters is that you can find new ways to use foods that otherwise would be thrown away.
Submitting your leftovers is incredibly easy and takes less than five minutes! Fill out this form, and the next post could feature a recipe designed for you! So, whether you want to reduce your food waste, learn new recipes with old ingredients, or just try and stump me (Naomi) due to whatever personal vendettas you may have (hopefully none!) submit to Level Up Your Leftovers! Looking forward to seeing your submissions.
Crumbling pipes and tainted water have continued to plague communities of color across the nation. The subsequent lead poisoning that comes with the corrosion of these lead pipes is at the forefront of the conversation around environmental justice issues.
In places like Milwaukee, Wisconsin, we see the detrimental effects of this lead poisoning. 2018 Wisconsin blood testing data for children under the age of six were collected into a report by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The results are alarming; in certain jurisdictions, the percent of children with more than 5 mcg/dL of lead in their blood is as high as 9.5%. This proves to be a significant anomaly from the expected percentage when we look at the many other jurisdictions in Wisconsin with less than 4%.
This disproportionate variation between the lead poisoning of children in different jurisdictions can, of course, have many contributing factors not associated with environmental racism. However, a 2019 study done at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee reported that “the risk of elevated childhood blood lead levels is greatest in majority non-White Milwaukee County neighborhoods with high poverty and low homeownership.” The Milwaukee Common Council is now trying to address the obvious unfair circumstances that put communities of color in a more vulnerable position when it comes to lead exposure. “Not only do we have inequities for risk for children in Milwaukee, but that’s been compounded by a lack of access to services for children whose blood lead levels fall between 5 µg/dL and 20 µg/dL,” Hellen Meier, associate professor at UWM, says. The Coalition on Lead Emergency’s (COLE) chair, Rev. Dennis Jacobsen, says that more efforts are being made to create programs that certify that properties are lead-safe before they are rented out to people, particularly in low-income or BIPOC neighborhoods.
How harmful is lead actually?
Lead is a very harmful poison that has the ability to affect almost every organ in a child’s body. Even when blood lead levels are at the lowest measurable values, the toxin can still compromise the child’s reproductive, neurological, and cardiovascular systems. Depending on the amount and duration of exposure, lead can cause “gastrointestinal disturbances”, such as anorexia, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Lead also has concerning effects on a child’s neurological development. Researchers say that, globally, lead accounts for approximately 10 percent of intellectual disability cases that are categorized to have an unknown origin. A 2009 study also estimated that up to one in four cases of ADHD amongst 8 to 15-year-old children may be attributed to lead poisoning. These statistics make the regulation and mitigation of lead exposure even more pertinent as it shows the serious impact lead has on the physical and neurological development of young children all over the world.
How are we working towards mitigating this issue?
The long-term solution to ending this harmful exposure to lead is to replace the lead pipes that are corroding and causing this neurotoxin to be digested in people’s drinking water. However, the dismantling and replacement of this lead-based pipeline infrastructure would take years and a large budget. The more feasible option is to figure out how much lead is actually coming into people’s homes through tap water so we can find more effective ways to mitigate this issue. This past October of 2020, researchers from the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis officially came up with a solution using acid. Senior Elizabeth Johnson and graduate student Weiyi Pan tried many different methods but eventually discovered that slowly passing an acidic solution through a commercial filter would free 100% of the lead captured by that filter. They have come up with the most accurate method to date that would help researchers collect data to see just how much lead would be potentially entering households.
In the conclusion of their research report, the scientists stated that “additional experiments are needed regarding different tap water conditions and PbO2 solids.” They encouraged residents to send their used filters to laboratories so more in-depth data could be taken in a variety of conditions. These field studies would help researchers and utilities select reliable methods for analyzing Pb exposure and corrosion control effectiveness in the pipeline infrastructure. With this new method, we could potentially move one step closer to mitigating the lead exposure amongst young children and lessen the harmful effects it has on their development.
Welcome back to Good News Friday, and happy Earth Month! Today we are covering positive news from the Canadian Supreme Court, President Biden’s offshore wind energy plans, and a plan to use coffee waste in low-income housing construction.
Canada moves closer to a universal carbon tax: Last week, Canada’s Supreme Court ruled that the federal government has the authority to impose a carbon tax in provinces that oppose it. Canada initially passed the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act in 2018 and was set to begin enforcement of the tax in 2019, but the federal government faced pushback from some provinces, in particular oil-producing provinces like Alberta. Due to the opposition, an uneven carbon tax has been implemented, with some provinces paying into the revenue-neutral program and others refusing to implement it. The Supreme Court’s decision changes all of that, however, paving the way for a universal realization of one of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s key campaign pledges.
The Biden administration plans offshore wind expansion: This week, the Biden administration ahead of its announcement of a major infrastructure plan signaled its support for a significant expansion of offshore wind power generation along the East Coast. As part of the expansion, the administration aims to install an additional 30,000 megawatts of offshore turbines by 2030, which it says would create jobs, power millions of homes, and reduce carbon emissions. It has already moved to prioritize an area of water between Long Island and New Jersey for offshore electricity-generating capacity. Currently, the United States has an offshore wind generating capacity of approximately 28,500 megawatts, meaning Biden’s plan would effectively double existing offshore generation capabilities.
Colombian startup aims for sustainable construction: The company Woodpecker SAS is attempting to change the face of affordable and sustainable building. Using a mixture of coffee husks and recycled plastics, Woodpecker manufactures prefabricated buildings that can be easily assembled and made cheaply. This has made the company an excellent supplier of low-income housing and has attracted attention from the Colombian government, which has previously partnered with Woodpecker to quickly provide shelter for displaced citizens after natural disasters.
That’s all for this first week of Earth Month! As always, we welcome you to check out our previous editions of Good News Friday and to contact us if you have any positive environmental news to share!
Welcome to the second stop on the Plant-Based Food Tour of Princeton! While we may not have traveled in a long time, this tour will be taking you around the world over the next couple of weeks. This week we are featuring Asian cuisine in Princeton and how you can eat plant-based at these restaurants. We are going to give you our take on these restaurants and their plant-based dishes, using metrics like price, taste, and creativity. Don’t forget to check in next week for the next part of our international cuisine tour as we explore Mediterranean and Mexican meals!
Chennai Chimney – Best Takeout Experience and Most Creative ‘Doughnut’
Price: $$
Bang For Your Buck: ★★★
Creativity: ★★★
Plant Forward: ★★★★
Taste: ★★★★
Ease of Access: ★★★
On the second stop of my plant-based food tour, I went to Chennai Chimney, an Indian restaurant on Chambers Street. This restaurant has an extensive menu, so I decided to eat vegan (with one exception) to narrow down the choices. I got khadar sabzi for my main, sambhar vada as a side, and non-vegan garlic naan. I really enjoyed my experience, and I recommend the sambhar vada of what I tried.
The khadar sabzi was great. I am not someone who seeks out spice, so I ordered the mild heat, and it was the perfect level of slightly challenging spice. The menu describes this dish as “seasonal vegetables tossed with peppers, onions, tomatoes, [and] crushed coriander,” and that is very accurate. I loved the variety of fruits and vegetables; there were more than I could identify. The dish came with basmati rice that made it a more filling meal. The liquid was a little oily, which I didn’t mind, but others might want to avoid. I also can’t say it had a lot of protein, so try something else if that’s what you’re looking for.
My favorite dish I tried at Chennai Chimney is the sambhar vada, found in the “Chennai Specials” section of the menu. The website described this dish as “South Indian deep-fried lentil doughnut immersed in sambhar, onion, and crisps.” I had never tried sambhar vada before, so I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The doughnuts were very filling and bites of them dipped in the sambhar were delicious. Once again, the spice was perfect for me and you can increase it if you’d like. In the sambhar were peppers which added color and flavor to the dish. It was $6.95 and I recommend it to all eating at Chennai Chimney for their first time.
Lastly, I tried the garlic naan out of the breads section of the menu. The naan was beautifully charred with ample garlic spread on top. I personally would have liked a little more salt, but otherwise it was some good naan. Add this onto your order if you’d like a little more food for just $3.75.
Overall, I was quite impressed with Chennai Chimney. The food tasted great, the takeout was steaming hot after a 15 minute walk from Nassau Street to Whitman, and they didn’t give me any napkins or disposable utensils like I requested. For the most value, get the sambhar vada and experience a whole new meaning of doughnut.
Chennai Chimney offers a 10% discount on both dine-in and takeout for Princeton students. They have indoor seating, takeout, and delivery. The only plastic waste came from the bowls of food and plastic wrap to keep it hot. Find this restaurant across from Milk and Cookies on Chambers Street off of Nassau.
KBG Korean Barbeque and Grill – Most customizable
Price: $$
Bang For Your Buck: ★★★
Creativity: ★★★★
Plant Forward: ★★★
Taste: ★★★
Ease of Access: ★★★
KBG was very easy to make plant-based because they primarily offer build-your-own bowls. They have tofu as a protein option (and shrimp tempura for the pescatarians out there). They have a plethora of veggies to add to your bowl; however, there were not a ton of seasoning differences between the various veggies. I will also say if you prefer a crispy tofu this is not your place. They do have a wide variety of sauces that you can spice things up with! The portion size was pretty big, but the vegetable spring rolls were also a nice addition to the meal.
Nassau Sushi – Most Creative Veggie Sushi
Price: $$
Bang for your Buck: ★★★
Creativity: ★★★★
Plant Forward: ★★★
Taste: ★★★★
Ease of Access: ★★★★★
I loved my experience at Nassau Sushi. A lot of restaurants can be pretty boring with their veggie sushi options, but Nassau Sushi is definitely putting in the effort to be more creative with their vegetarian and vegan-friendly sushi. I tried the oshinko roll and the sweet potato roll; both were delicious. Oshinko is a type of yellow radish and I love the crunch; other veggie sushi I have tried have been kind of soggy so I appreciated the oshinko roll. The sweet potato roll was really fun with both its presentation and flavor, as it featured stingy fried sweet potato. I also thoroughly enjoyed the vegetable tempura and the tofu teriyaki appetizers. You can never go wrong with fried foods! I was definitely expecting the tofu teriyaki to be more firm and even crunchy, but the flavor was unbeatable, I can’t lie. I felt super full after this heavy meal, so I would recommend not doubling up on the fried foods in the future, but it was still a delicious experience! I highly recommend Nassau Sushi, especially in the warmer months, as they have great outdoor seating.
The Mint – Most Menu Options
Price: $$
Bang for your Buck: ★★★
Creativity: ★★★
Plant Forward: ★★★★
Taste: ★★★★
Ease of Access: ★★★★
The Mint is an Indian restaurant with a huge menu, featuring plenty of plant-based options. I tried the vegetable samosa—turnovers stuffed with spiced potatoes and peas—and the palak paneer—cottage cheese in a creamy spinach puree, served with a side of rice. The two samosas were generously sized and stayed nicely crisp on the outside while plush on the inside. I would definitely recommend eating these with the mint and tamarind chutneys that they come with, which balance out the richness of the samosa with notes of freshness and sweetness. I appreciated the creaminess and strong spinach flavor of the palak paneer, although there was far more puree than paneer and I found the cheese to be a bit bland. On the whole, I was really impressed by the extensive number of vegetarian options at The Mint and the overall variety of its menu. There is a special Vegetables section on the menu with 26 items and ingredients including paneer, lentils, and chickpeas. Although vegetarian dishes are far more abundant, there are also seven items marked as vegan. I would definitely recommend exploring the menu at The Mint! With so many options, ranging from entrees to breads to desserts, there’s definitely a way to satisfy your taste buds while eating plant-based as well.
Amazing Thai – Most Unique
Price: $$
Bang For Your Buck: ★★★
Creativity: ★★★★★
Plant Forward: ★★★★
Taste: ★★★★
Ease of Access: ★★
I really went out on a limb with the food that I decided to try at Amazing Thai. They have so many cool options I wanted to try it all. I got their pad thai fried rice (fun, right?!), drunken noodles, and mock duck. The pad thai fried rice was an extremely interesting experience; I think pad thai flavor belongs with noodles, not rice, but it was still such a fun dish to try. The drunken noodles feature wide noodles, similar to pad see ew, which I love so I enjoyed this dish. It wasn’t the most flavorful noodle dish I have had, but it wasn’t bad by any means. The highlight of my experience at Amazing Thai was the mock duck. They did an excellent job replicating duck from the flavor to the texture. I am a huge duck fan and had high expectations and Amazing Thai did not disappoint. I would highly recommend.
Thai Village – Most Consistent
Price: $$
Bang For Your Buck: ★★★★
Creativity: ★★★
Plant Forward: ★★
Taste: ★★★★
Ease of Access: ★★★★
Image Credit: Leena S. via Yelp.com (left) and Joy L. via Yelp.com (right)
Thai Village offers the option to make most of their entrees with tofu or just vegetables, so it is super easy to get a tasty, plant-based meal. They offer a wide variety of noodles, curry, and rice dishes – plus other creative specials. I had the pad thai with tofu. There was a large amount of tofu and it was well-prepared. Their to-go service is super quick and you get a better deal on prices if you call them and place the order rather than using an online ordering platform. Their to-go packaging is mostly plastic, which is not the most sustainable option, but they did ask if/what utensils I needed in order to minimize excess waste. Thai Village is a little bit of a ways down Nassau, but it is well worth the trip!
Schouse Szechuan Cuisine – Most Creative
Price: $$
Bang For Your Buck: ★★★★
Creativity: ★★★★
Plant Forward: ★
Taste: ★★★
Ease of Access: ★★
While I wouldn’t say that Schouse has a “plant forward” menu, a vegan or vegetarian can definitely easily find something to eat here. The restaurant has a section of their menu which is just vegetables prepared in different ways (probably meant to be sides) which I really appreciate, as often I don’t want anything super fancy; I just want a nicely cooked vegetable! I ordered the eggplant with garlic sauce and the lou mein with vegetables (with no egg!) It was my first time ever trying eggplant so I was definitely hesitant but the dish ended up being super flavorful! If you like eggplant, you would definitely like this dish. The lou mein was solid and plentiful, definitely a go-to if you’re looking for a staple noodle! Overall, though Schouse has a pretty meat-heavy menu, they totally surprised me with their delicious vegan options!
Ajiten – Coziest!
Price: $$
Bang For Your Buck: ★★★
Creativity: ★★
Plant-Forward: ★★
Taste: ★★★
Ease Of Access: ★★★★★
Ajiten, with its unassuming storefront right down the street from Rockefeller College, is a rather quaint Japanese restaurant with a cozy atmosphere. Currently their indoor dining space is open, but somewhat limited; if you’re visiting with more than four people, it’s worth considering ordering takeout instead of dining inside. Their main specialities are ramen and sushi, both of which are unfortunately not vegetarian. While lacking a sizable vegetarian menu, they did have a handful of options; I tried the server’s recommendation of the vegetable croquette curry [$13.00], as well as the cucumber umeboshi (pickled plum) rolls [$7.50]. The curry could have had a bit more substance to it, but the flavors were good, and the vegetable croquette was very light and crispy. As for the rolls, they were somewhat basic, but well-made nonetheless. Ajiten would be a nice excursion with a small group, with its short distance from campus and straightforward menu.
Sakura Express – Most Enticing!
Price: $$
Bang for your Buck: ★★★
Creativity: ★★
Plant Forward: ★★★
Taste: ★★★
Ease of Access: ★★★★
Sakura Express is smack dab in the middle of Princeton, located adjacent to Hinds Plaza on Witherspoon Street. While the menu boasts mostly of seafood or meat options, there are also a number of different vegan/vegetarian options to entice you. I was in the mood for sushi when ordered from Sakura, and I therefore opted for the veggie roll, which comes with 18 pieces of avocado, spinach and cucumber sushi. 18 pieces is more than enough to fill you up but I was also intrigued by the seaweed sushi roll, so I added that and the vegetable gyoza to the cart for good measure. I was blown away by the vegetable gyoza, which honestly forced me to wonder why I had ever ordered meat and seafood versions in the past. I would have loved to see a bit more creativity and flavor flair with all of the veggie sushi options; however, they were definitely worth the money I paid for them. Ultimately, Sakura Express is definitely worth your time, and will fill you with a relatively inexpensive plant-based meal!
This series is a collaboration between student group, Greening Dining and the Princeton EcoReps
*** We are not food critics, but food enthusiasts. This is in no way intended to be a formal critique or review of any restaurant in Princeton, merely a way to encourage students to try more plant-based options when dining out.
This series is also on our Instagram (@tigersgogreen)! To check out the video version of this plant-based food tour, click here.
Yogurt parfaits are a quick, easy, and customizable breakfast or afternoon snack. You can use your choice of fruits, nuts, granola or other toppings; mix it up and experiment! The general process of putting a parfait together is the same regardless. Try going for organic products, which have a number of positive environmental impacts compared to conventional agriculture. Notably, organic food is not grown with harmful synthetic pesticides and prevents toxic runoff from polluting air and water. Organic agriculture also employs a number of farming practices like crop rotation and natural fertilizers to preserve soil health.
For this recipe I used:
~¾ cup strawberry yogurt
For a vegan alternative, there are plenty of non-dairy yogurt products out there. I would recommend So Delicious Coconutmilk Yogurt, but feel free to try different brands to find one that you like, or use one that you’re already familiar with!
6 oz blackberries
1 banana
1 handful of chocolate chips
2 handfuls of almond granola
Of course, portions will likely vary depending on your preference and choices of toppings.
Steps:
Step 1: Once you have your ingredients ready, you’re all set to start making your parfait. Simply layer in alternating layers of yogurt and your toppings.
Step 2: To avoid your crunchy toppings getting soggy, put them in the upper layers, while your fruits stay on the lower levels.
Step 3: For your last layer of toppings, feel free to add some garnish or decorative flair! (I’m a fan of fruits so I tossed all my extra fruit on the top.)
This series is brought to you by student group, Greening Dining
