Strawberry Cheesecake
[Vegan]

For the Crust: 

1. Crush the cookies in a mixer. Add 2-3 teaspoons of coconut oil and mix to form a crumbly dough. The amount of oil required depends on the kind of cookies used.
2. Line the base of a 6-inch loose bottom cake tin with baking/parchment paper. Press the cookie mixture evenly on the base to form the crust. Refrigerate.

For the Filling:

1. Mix the chopped strawberries, sugar, salt, and cinnamon powder and leave to macerate for 30-40 minutes.
2. Add the agar-agar powder to the water and mix well. Keep aside for 5 minutes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat & simmer for a minute.
3. Add the strawberry mixture to the agar-agar water and cook for 4-5 minutes over medium heat until the fruit pieces are mushy. Reserve some of the cooked fruit.
4. Blend the soaked cashews with the strawberry-agar-agar syrup while it is still warm. Add vanilla extract, lemon juice, and beetroot juice. Blend again till smooth and creamy. Mix in the reserved cooked fruit.
5. Pour into the cake tin over the set crust. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes before serving. Dip a knife in hot water, wipe, and slice the cheesecake.
6. Don’t skip the beetroot juice for a natural pink color!
7. You can decorate the cheesecake with chopped fruits of different colors like kiwis, strawberries, cherries, pomegranate arils, orange segments, etc. Or drizzle over some vegan chocolate syrup and sprinkle with toasted nuts and seeds!