SonyaI am always on the look out for extraordinary offerings from kitchen goddesses. When I recently discovered Mekhala Living – a line of organic, all-natural, gluten and nut-free, vegan friendly foods, I knew I had stumbled across something truly special.
Mekhala, which means “goddess” in Thai, is a Singaporean and Thai whole foods brand that offers high quality and tasty items for home chefs. Started by three women Daphne, Diane and Jang out of a desire to provide quality, natural products for family and clients at a retreat in Chiang Mai (Thailand), they decided to team up and create their own brand.
Their ingredients are locally grown and hand-picked before heading into their own manufacturing facility where they have complete control over the process. By overseeing every step of the business, they would be able to achieve what is important to them. It’s not just about producing wholesome foods but also minimizing their impact on the environment and providing fair wage work for local women and youth as well as actively supporting those around them like the School of Hope programme at the Burmese Shan community in Thailand.
The Mekhala line includes a dazzling array of cooking pastes inspired by the tastes of Thailand, South East Asian, and Asian cuisines. The line extends also to dressings and sauces, cooking sauces, as well as plant-based starter packs that are great introductions to the line.
I recently tried the Green Curry Paste and the Lemongrass Turmeric Paste at home with my family. Curry pastes and powders are a staple in our pantry and each one offers something different. Mekhala Living’s line is a welcome addition. What drew my attention is it can accommodate a number of dietary restrictions. The Green Curry Paste (no gluten, no added sugar, nut-free, and no shrimp or fish used) is an easy way to bring robust flavours to a savoury lunch or dinner. There are recipes offered on their site if you’re not sure how to use them. My family loves a curry and coconut based meal that is both easy and impressive. Within three easy steps you have a luscious meal. Here’s a recipe for Vegan This Green Curry Roasted Vegetables.
Recently I mixed in the paste with coconut milk then added cooked eggplant, zucchini, carrots, and baby corn. You can also add in Tofu (firm, cubed) or if you like protein, add cooked chicken. 
The Lemongrass Turmeric Paste had a quick, easy and delicious and colourful fried rice recipe and I had tried that. The dish called for eggs and I added whatever vegetables I had on hand (carrots, zucchini, corn, diced) It was also a hit with my family (yes, kids too!)
I also spotted this Prawn Salad with Lemongrass Turmeric Dressing recipe that I’ll try when we have our friends over for dinner soon.
The Mekhala Living line of products are easy to use. Fast and easy to create some exciting new dishes for the foodlovers in your life. You can find out where they are available here.
