3-kind-Mayonnaise + 3-type-Variations

In addition to this month’s theme of HOMEMADE SAUCES-Homemade Tomato ketchup, Barbeque sauce, Nachos cheese sauce and Instant salsa next comes the mother of all cold sauces, Mayonnaise. Though it has its origin from Spain and France, this sauce has become popular and favoured across many nations for its simplicity in taste and texture.

Mayo is smooth, creamy cold sauce used as a condiment, dressing, dip and spread. It’s made of few ingredients but rich in texture and taste. Thick smooth gel like texture obtained from the emulsification of fat, protein and acid from oil, egg or milk and lemon or vinegar respectively. Texture varies from thin creamy to thick gel and colour from light yellow to white depending upon the ingredients you choose. Added advantage of this sauce, it’s absolutely Zero cooking, yes, it’s a NO COOKING recipe. It’s super easy recipe, can be prepared maximum in couple of minutes or just 1 minute.

This recipe consists of 3 different mayos with and without egg. I made Vegan mayos with Plant extract milk like soy and another with Aquafaba. Apart from these 3 mayos, I prepared 3 variations using the mayo namely BBQ mayo, Indianised Tartar sauce and Green mayo.

You can question me why should I bother preparing Mayo at home while I’m getting hell lot of choices @stores❓❓ My answer would be a) freshness b) taste and texture c) preservatives free d) quality and choice of ingredients you get it from homemade which makes it worth trying at home. I emphasize my kitchen mantra again- “Nothing beats Homemade”.

You can try my both Vegan Mayo. This recipe is a bliss to people who are lactose intolerance and who are not convinced using raw eggs with a fear of Salmonella. If Salmonella is your concern, you can buy pasteurized eggs in the place of raw eggs. If it’s a challenge to get pasteurized eggs from store, don’t give up, try my two Vegan versions which I prepared with Aquafaba and plant extract milk.

What is Aquafaba? Aqua means water, faba means the fava or faba beans. It’s the water obtained from cooking faba beans or chick peas. This water is then reduced to get a thick gelatinous consistency resembling an egg white. It provides the protein content to emulsify with oil. Another Vegan Mayo made with Soy milk; you can try with any other plant extract milk. It acts as a substitute to the egg protein. 

Equipments– you can try with different kitchen appliances to blend like food processor, hand mixer, blenders and emulsion or stick blenders.

Stick blenders are so handy and give quick and best results. But if you are using stick or emulsion blenders use only the jars provided along with it. Don’t use a wider or larger jar, it’ll not give the desired result while emulsifying. Blender head has to fit tightly into the jar you mix enabling the emulsion of fat and egg to perfect. Alternatively, you can use a measuring beaker which fits the blender perfectly.

Keep in mind, when using mixer grinder (as it’s easily available in every household) that you should only pulse, not blend. Blending will produce too much heat from the motor, which ultimately breaks your mayo. Divide your chilled oil into 3 portions and only pulse 4-5 times each portion, once thickened, immediately stop pulsing.

Also, most importantly chill your ingredients egg, oil (protein and fat) and blender jar in the freezer for 30 minutes before grinding. This prevents overheating of your blender resulting in broken mayo.

Ingredients– In all my mayos, key ingredients like oil, acid like vinegar or lime juice, salt, sugar, mustard powder, remains the same. Only egg is substituted with Aquafaba or plant extract milk for vegans, lactose intolerants, or for Salmonella free mayo.

Oil -selecting the perfect oil also plays a crucial role in the mayo’s taste. Any neutrally flavored oil like sunflower, canola, avocado would be perfect. Can try with pomace olive oil, still it’ll be strong in its flavour. Don’t try with intensely flavoured oils like peanut, sesame, extra virgin olive oil.

Acid– you can go with fresh lemon juice or store-bought vinegar; it can be white vinegar or wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. I used both vinegar and fresh lemon juice to give a combined effect.

Mustard powder– you can dry roast mustard seeds and grind them in a blender or mortar and pestle, sieve it if it’s too coarse. Be mindful to grind it fresh, as the stored ground mustard powder became too bitter (my own experience) or otherwise go with store-bought powder or dijon mustard. You can keep it as optional as well.

Salt– be cautious while adding salt, especially in vegan mayo with Aquafaba where we add black salt as well. Add salt in pinches as mayo has a tendency to become salty easily.

Sugar– though sugar can be optional, adding it enhances the flavour.

Vegan mayo– if you don’t want to take the strain of making Aquafaba, buy store-bought canned chickpeas, which has the ready-made Aquafaba, still you need to reduce and chill it before emulsifying. If you are using plant extract milk, go with unsweetened soy milk which produces amazing results. Regular sweetened soy milk doesn’t give the desiredresults.I haven’t tried with almond and cashew milk, let me try with it and will update the result if it was equally good as Soy milk.

Variations– mayo is so resourceful sauce, that it’ll adapt any ingredient and transform into a completely new avatar. You name it, mayo does it…🥰🥰. You create your own version of mayo by incorporating different spices, flavouring agents, condiments, pickled veggies, mix herbs. Here, I made 3 different variations with my available ingredients @ kitchen.

1. BBQ mayo– by adding my homemade BBQ sauce. Increase or decrease BBQ sauce how intense you prefer yours.
2. Indianised Tartar sauce– added finely chopped onion, cucumber, coriander leaves soaked in vinegar and salt, spiced up with pepper. Traditionally, Tartar sauces are made with pickled veggies, I made my instant version as I’m not a big fan of pickled veggies.
3. Green mayo– as the name refers, I added fresh green herbs spiced up with ginger, green chillies and spice powders. You can try with fresh or dry herbs of your choice, feel free to adjust spices according to your requirements.

Storage– egg mayo will last for a week or 10 days depending upon the quality of the egg you choose. Vegan Mayo will have a life of 2 weeks maximum. Do not freeze it as the emulsion tends to break when you thaw.

Tricks–

1. Either keep both the milk and oil cold or at room temperature. Both the ingredients should be at same temperature to emulsify.  I would prefer cold, as it expedite your results. Also, chill the mixer jar, if you are using blender.
2. During the first step of blending, do not move the head of the blender at least for 10-15 seconds. Fix it to the bottom and keep beating till it emulsify.
3. If you are using stick, immersion blender always use narrow jars or measuring jars or the jars given along with it. Wide bowls will hinder the emulsification process as the liquid is spread across the bowl and blender’s head cannot cover the entire area of the bowl.
4. Vegan mayo made from Aquafaba, texture will be thin and creamy, if you want to increase more thickness, add 2-3 tbsp of chickpeas. This step is optional.
5. If you are using mixer grinder, then make sure entire grinding is only in pulse mode, from start to beginning. Do not grind it in other modes as it’ll break the mayo due to excessive heat. One reason to chill or freeze the milk and oil is to avoid heat created by excessive grinding.

Troubleshooting– if you find your mayo still runny after halfway your process, don’t panic, add another egg, beat vigorously then gradually add the thin mayo to slowly incorporate and to progress the emulsion. Then adjust seasonings as you increased the egg quantity.

You can try this trick of adding an egg, if your mayo is broken. It’s my personal experience when I wanted to try my egg mayo with blender (mixer grinder, as it’s easily available in every household), it came out well till the last portion of oil. When I blend the last addition, it completely broke down. Ultimately, I figured out the culprit, it was the mixer grinder which become overheated after several pulse. Before troubleshooting with egg, you should also freeze the mixer jar for at least 15 minutes. Now use the chilled jar to pulse the egg for few seconds, then slowly add the broken mayo in 3 portions, blending each portion with 4-5 pulse. After the addition of last portion, you can see the mayo thickening, stop immediately as if you continue pulsing, there is chance of mayo breaking again due to the overheat of the motor.

For vegans, increase either aquafaba or soy milk to thicken your thin or broken mayo.

Click here to jump to recipe card!

For vegan mayo with Aquafaba, if you have store-bought canned chickpeas, drain the water, reduce it to half, refrigerate it for minimum 1 hour.

If you are making Aquafaba from scratch, plan a day before, as soaking of chickpeas need minimum 8-10 hrs. After soaking, add surplus water and pressure cook them for 10-15 whistles. After pressure is released, drain the water, reduce it to half.

The reduced water turns to a thick gelatinous consistency resembling an egg white. It provides the protein content to emulsify with oil. Once cooled down, refrigerate it for 30 mins-1 hr or freeze it for 30 minutes.

Now take a narrow jar which fits your immersion blender’s head tightly, add the chilled Aquafaba, then add everything except veg oil.

Insert the stick blender, fix the head to the bottom of the jar, then pulsate the blender for 10-15 seconds without moving it. This helps the emulsification of Aquafaba.

Later, move up, down and sideways and blend thoroughly for another 10 seconds. Now gradually add the oil in portions, blend it consistently. When you empty the last portion of oil, mayo would have started thickening.

After few seconds of beating, your creamy smooth mayonnaise is ready.

If you want to increase more thickness, add 2-3 tbsp of chickpeas. This step is optional.

Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week or 2.

Now let’s move to Egg Mayo, take a narrow jar which fits your immersion blender’s head tightly, add the whole egg, then add everything except veg oil.

Insert the stick blender, fix the head to the bottom of the jar with eggs covered in it, then pulsate the blender for 10-15 seconds without moving it. This helps the emulsification of egg.

Later, move up, down and sideways and blend thoroughly for another 10 seconds. Now gradually add one quarter of the oil in tsps.

Then add remaining oil in 3 portions, blend it consistently. When you empty the last portion of oil, mayo would have started thickening. After few seconds of beating, your thick creamy smooth mayonnaise is ready.

Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week or 2 depending on the quality of egg you choose.

Thick creamy Egg mayo is ready.

Now let’s move on to the Vegan Mayo with Soy milk. Refrigerate the milk and oil for 3 hrs or quickly freeze it 30 minutes. Take a mixer jar of a blender, add the chilled soy milk, quarter portion of the oil.

Then add mustard powder, salt and sugar.

Pulse it for 10-15 seconds, then add vinegar and another quarter portion of oil, again pulse it for 10- 15 seconds, still it’ll be little runny texture.

Later add another quarter portion of oil, pulse it again for the same timing. Now mayo starts to thicken.

Finally add the last quarter of oil and again pulse it for another 15 seconds. It reaches thick gel like consistency.

Transfer to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for a week or 2. Thick gel like Vegan mayo with Soy Milk is ready.

Three different mayos from three different proteins with three different textures are ready.

Let’s start with the variations.

For BBQ Mayo, take ½ cup of mayo, gradually add ¼ cup of BBQ sauce.

Stop if you reached your desired taste. For more intense add more BBQ sauce, manipulate according to your requirements. Lip-smacking BBQ Mayo is ready. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week or 2. Use it as dip, spread or like any condiments.

For Indianised Tartar sauce, add finely chopped onions or shallots, finely chopped cucumber and finely chopped coriander leaves in a bowl, then add a tbsp of vinegar and salt, let it soak for 1 hr to overnight. 

Then take ½ a cup of mayo, add pepper powder.

Then finally add the vinegar-soaked veggies.

Whisk well. (If you don’t want to make your mayo runny, squeeze the water and add only the veggies, soy milk and egg mayo will be thick, only Aquafaba mayo will be thin, so decide to add water or not according to the consistency of your mayo).

Dazzling Indianised Tartar sauce is ready, it can be served as a dip, dressing, spread or as a sauce. Storage life is same as any mayo.

For Green Mayo, add chopped ginger, green chillies.

Then add ¼ tsp each of cumin powder, amchoor powder, black salt and 1/8^th tsp of chaat masala.

Finally add mint and coriander leaves.

Add a tbsp of water and grind it into a paste (will be slightly coarse). It’ll yield roughly 2 tbsp of paste.

Take ½ cup of mayo, add the paste according to your requirements.

Drain the water from the paste, if you want to keep your mayo consistency thick.

Whisk well, your refreshing Green Mayo is ready, it can be served as a dip, spread, dressing or as a sauce. Storage life is same as any mayo.

I use my mayo for everything, be a dressing on your salad 🥗🥗.

To garnish your tacos 🌮, as a spread for your burgers 🍔🍔, shawarmas, wraps🌯🌯 sandwiches 🧇, even dosas, savoury pancakes 🥞, as a dip for your fries🍟,  as a condiment to your deviled eggs 🥚. List is endless.

Recipe Card

Preparation time: 0- 10 minutes

Cooking time: 0 minutes

Cuisine: International

Category: Accompaniments

Yields: 1 cup

Author: Manimala

Ingredients:

For Vegan Mayo with Aquafaba:

Aquafaba – ¼ cup

Vinegar – 1 tsp

Lemon juice – 2 tsp

Black salt – ¼ tsp

Salt – a pinch

Sugar – ¼ tsp

Mustard powder – ¼ tsp (optional)

Neutral Vegetable oil – 1 cup

Chickpeas/channa – 2-3 tbsp (optional)

For Egg Mayo:

Whole egg – 1

Vinegar – 2 tsp

Lemon juice – 2 tsp

Salt – ¼ tsp

Mustard powder – ½ tsp (optional)

Neutral Vegetable oil – 1 cup

For Vegan Mayo with Soy milk:

Unsweetened Soy Milk – ½ cup

Vinegar – 2 tsp

Sugar – 1 tsp

Salt – ¼ tsp

Mustard powder – ½ tsp (optional)

Neutral Vegetable oil – 1 cup

Variations:

For BBQ Mayo:

Mayonnaise – ½ cup

Barbeque sauce – ¼ cup

For Indianised Tartar sauce:

Mayonnaise – ½ cup

Finely chopped shallots/onion – 2 tbsp

Finely chopped cucumber – 2 tbsp

Finely chopped coriander/parsley – 1 tbsp

Vinegar/lemon juice – 1 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

For Green Mayo:

Mayonnaise – ½ cup

Chopped green chillies – 1 tsp

Chopped ginger – ½ tsp

Mint leaves – ¼ cup

Coriander leaves – ¼ cup

Cumin powder – ¼ tsp

Black salt – ¼ tsp

Dry mango/amchur powder – ¼ tsp

Chaat masala – 1/8^th tsp (optional)

Instructions:

1. For vegan mayo with Aquafaba– if you have store-bought canned chickpeas, drain the water, reduce it to half, refrigerate it for minimum 1 hour.
2. If you are making Aquafaba from scratch, plan a day before, as soaking of chickpeas need minimum 8-10 hrs. After soaking, add surplus water and pressure cook them for 10-15 whistles. After pressure is released, drain the water. Reduce it to half. The reduced water turns to a thick gelatinous consistency resembling an egg white. It provides the protein content to emulsify with oil. Once cooled down, refrigerate it for 30 mins-1 hr or freeze it for 30 minutes.
3. Now take a narrow jar which fits your immersion blender’s head tightly, add the chilled Aquafaba, then add everything except veg oil.
4. Insert the stick blender, fix the head to the bottom of the jar, then pulse the blender for 10-15 seconds without moving it. This helps the emulsification of Aquafaba.
5. Later, move up, down and sideways and blend thoroughly for another 10 seconds.
6. Now gradually add the oil in portions, blend it consistently. When you empty the last portion of oil, mayo would have started thickening.
7. After few seconds of beating, your creamy smooth mayonnaise is ready. if you want to increase more thickness, add 2-3 tbsp of chickpeas. This step is optional.
8. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week or 2.
9. Now let’s move to Egg Mayo-take a narrow jar which fits your immersion blender’s head tightly, add the whole egg, then add everything except veg oil.
10. Insert the stick blender, fix the head to the bottom of the jar with eggs covered in it, then pulsate the blender for 10-15 seconds without moving it. This helps the emulsification of egg.
11. Later, move up, down and sideways and blend thoroughly for another 10 seconds. Now gradually add one quarter of the oil in tsps.
12. Then add remaining oil in 3 portions, blend it consistently. When you empty the last portion of oil, mayo would have started thickening.
13. After few seconds of beating, your thick creamy smooth mayonnaise is ready. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week or 2 depending on the quality of egg you choose.
14. Now let’s move on to the Vegan Mayo with Soy milk.
15. Refrigerate the milk and oil for 3 hrs or quickly freeze it 30 minutes.
16. Take a mixer jar of a blender, add the chilled soy milk, quarter portion of the oil, mustard powder, salt and sugar.
17. Pulse it for 10-15 seconds, then add vinegar and another quarter portion of oil, again pulse it for 10- 15 seconds, still it’ll be little runny texture.
18. Later add another quarter portion of oil, pulse it again for the same timing. Now mayo starts to thicken.
19. Finally add the last quarter of oil and again pulse it for another 20 seconds.
20. Thick gel like mayo is ready, transfer to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for a week or 2.
21. Let’s start with the variations.
22. For BBQ Mayo- take ½ cup of mayo, gradually add ¼ cup of Barbeque sauce, stop if you reached your desired taste. For more intense add more BBQ sauce, manipulate according to your requirements.
23. Lip-smacking BBQ Mayo is ready. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week or 2. Use it as dip, spread or like any condiments.
24. For Indianised Tartar sauce-add finely chopped onions or shallots, finely chopped cucumber and finely chopped coriander leaves in a bowl, then add a tbsp of vinegar and salt, let it soak for 1 hr to overnight. 
25. Then take ½ a cup of mayo, add pepper powder, then finally add the vinegar-soaked veggies, whisk well. (If you don’t want to make your mayo runny, squeeze the water and add only the veggies, soy milk and egg mayo will be thick, only Aquafaba mayo will be thin, so decide to add water or not according to the consistency of your mayo)
26. Dazzling Indianised Tartar sauce is ready, it can be served as a dip, dressing, spread or as a sauce. Storage life is same as any mayo.
27. For Green Mayo-add chopped ginger, green chillies, ¼ tsp each of cumin powder, amchoor powder, black salt and 1/8^th tsp of chaat masala, mint and coriander leaves, add a tbsp of water and grind it into a paste (will be slightly coarse). It’ll yield roughly 2 tbsp of paste.
28. Take ½ cup of mayo, add the paste according to your requirements, drain the water from the paste, if you want to keep your mayo consistency thick.
29. Whisk well, your refreshing Green Mayo is ready, it can be served as a dip, spread, dressing or as a sauce. Storage life is same as any mayo.
30. I use my mayo for everything, be a dressing on your salad 🥗🥗, to garnish your tacos 🌮, as a spread for your burgers 🍔🍔, shawarmas, wraps🌯🌯 sandwiches 🧇, even dosas, savoury pancakes 🥞, as a dip for your fries🍟,  as a condiment to your deviled eggs 🥚. List is endless.

Notes:

• Any neutrally flavored oil like sunflower, canola, avocado would be perfect. Can try with pomace olive oil, still it’ll be strong in its flavour.
• Don’t try with intensely flavoured oils like peanut, sesame, extra virgin olive oil. Selecting the perfect oil also plays a crucial role in the mayo’s taste.
• You can go with fresh lemon juice or store-bought vinegar; it can be white vinegar or wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. I used both vinegar and fresh lemon juice to give a combined effect.
• You can dry roast mustard seeds and grind them in a blender or mortar and pestle, sieve it if it’s too coarse. Be mindful to grind it fresh, as the stored ground mustard powder became too bitter (my own experience) or otherwise go with store-bought powder or dijon mustard. You can keep it as optional as well.
• Be cautious while adding salt, especially in vegan mayo with Aquafaba where we add black salt as well. Add salt in pinches as mayo has a tendency to become salty easily.
• Though sugar can be optional, adding it enhances the flavour.
• If you don’t want to take the strain of making Aquafaba, buy store-bought canned chickpeas, which has the ready-made Aquafaba, still you need to reduce and chill it before emulsifying.
• If you are using plant extract milk, go with unsweetened soy milk which produces amazing results. Regular sweetened soy milk doesn’t give the desiredresults.I haven’t tried with almond and cashew milk, let me try with it and will update the result if it was equally good as Soy milk.
• if you find your mayo still runny after halfway your process, don’t panic, add another egg, beat vigorously then gradually add the thin mayo to slowly incorporate and to progress the emulsion. Then adjust seasonings as you increased the egg quantity.
• You can try this trick of adding an egg, if your mayo is broken. It’s my personal experience when I wanted to try my egg mayo with blender (mixer grinder, as it’s easily available in every household), it came out well till the last portion of oil. When I blend the last addition, it completely broke down. Ultimately, I figured out the culprit, it was the mixer grinder which became overheated after several pulse. Before troubleshooting with egg, you should also freeze the mixer jar for at least 30 minutes. Now use the chilled jar to pulse the egg for few seconds, then slowly add the broken mayo in 3 portions, blending each portion with 4-5 pulse. After the addition of last portion, you can see the mayo thickening, stop immediately as if you continue pulsating, there is chance of mayo breaking again due to the overheat of the motor.
• For vegans, increase either aquafaba or soy milk to thicken your thin or broken mayo.
• Egg mayo will last for a week or 10 days depending upon the quality of the egg you choose. Vegan Mayo will have a life of 2 weeks maximum. Do not freeze it as the emulsion tends to break when you thaw.