Vegan South African Milk Tart

This month on Gormandize is South African food month. At first I wasn't sure how I would go having a completely vegan South African spread, as I understand it to be a very meat centred cuisine. But, on further delving, I found lots of wonderful dishes which were vegetarian, vegan or could easily be made so.

My favourite dish from this month was this lovely milk tart. I couldn't have been happier with how it turned out and I couldn't believe how easy it was to make this custard vegan, and it tasted just exactly like the non vegan vanilla custards that I ate growing up. Exactly! What a great start to South African month.

I haven't included a recipe here for the pastry, I've used the basic shortcrust pastry recipe from Terry & Isa's Vegan Pie in the Sky Cookbook. I won't put it here because it's their wonderful intellectual property, not mine. If you have a good vegan shortcrust pastry recipe, then use that. If not then praise Google and you'll find something!

Do you know any good South African dishes? :)

South African Milk Tart (Vegan)

Ingredients
500ml oat milk
1/2 cup castor sugar
1/8 cup plain flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 batch of vegan shortcrust pastry dough
Cinnamon, for sprinkling

To Make
1. Roll out your shortcrust and line a greased pie dish. Bake in an oven at 180 degree oven for 10 minutes and then remove and set aside to cool.
2. Combine the oat milk, castor sugar, plain flour, cornstarch and vanilla extract in a saucepan and whisk together (while cold).
3. Place the saucepan on a moderate heat and whisk continuously for 7-8 minutes while it thickens gradually. Test by dipping a knife or spoon in and if it comes out coated then you're done.
4. Pour straight into the pastry base and sprinkle with cinnamon. Allow to cool and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Makes 1 tart.