Vegetables
I feel I have been spoiled. When I was growing up in India we raised all our own vegetables so I had the choice of grabbing them straight off the plants, vines, or shrubs that produced them and devouring them raw. I could shell and peel, eat with salt, chile, or sugar—or with nothing. I could invite my friends and neighbors along and play hostess or loll
about lazily on the perfectly mowed lawns consuming our considerable bounty by myself. Peas and tomatoes were always at the top of my list, with kohlrabi, cauliflower, radishes, carrots, beans, and chickpea shoots following closely behind. Once the vegetables went into the kitchen, they went into my mother’s and the cook’s domain. But in the garden, under the blue winter sky, all the vegetables were mine.
I knew exactly how I liked my tomatoes—hard and crisp but red ripe. As I plucked and ate them I could smell and almost taste the green sepals they wore like little crowns. To this day, I associate a good fresh tomato with the smell of the greenery that hosts the fruit.
While tomatoes were always in my life from the first day I can remember, kohlrabis were not. My father sent for the seeds or seedlings, I cannot recall which, when I was about six. What was this wild thing? I wondered.
It was the gardener’s custom to bring my mother a whole basket of the garden’s produce at about eleven o’clock in the morning. She would sit on the diwan in the verandah, surrounded by bolsters and cushions, and decide which vegetables should go to the kitchen (and how they would be cooked), which needed to be made into juice immediately (most of our overabundant tomatoes were juiced for our midmorning snack), and what we should eat raw, right away.
The day the gardener brought a basket of kohlrabis was one I shall never forget. The gardener was new to them, so the cook was sent for. The cook was baffled and kept shaking his head. My mother called my father at the office and the message that came back was that since it was a cabbagelike vegetable, the leaves should be given to the cook to prepare in a cabbagelike manner. Once the cook took away the leaves, we were left with the little “knot” that had connected them. My mother, ever adventurous, sent for a paring knife, which came, napkin and all. She peeled the “knot.” It looked promising. She cut it. One look at the crisp, pale green inside, and we knew that once again my father had grown a winner.
Chickpeas were never planted for the beans they might produce, but rather for their greens. We ate them as little feathery shoots, either raw in salads or stir-fried with a little ginger and green chile. They had all the promise of green chickpeas in them just as snow pea shoots carry hints of the peas that will soon droop from their stems.
Cauliflowers were eaten when they were small and their stems still pale green. They had no odor of age, so unlike the plastic-covered, giant specimens we find in our supermarkets today. My mother had them cooked in different ways but
I loved them best when the florets were lightly browned and then stir-fried with our little new potatoes. You will find a similar recipe here.
We picked our okra young as well. The small pods were either stuffed or cooked with tomatoes. They were also thinly sliced and fried until crisp. We just loved them.
Over the years I seem to have traveled to most corners of the world. I greet young fresh vegetables, wherever I find them, like lost siblings. In Australia, where I taught a series of cooking classes, I stayed with my friend Di Holuigue. Each night before the start of my classes, Di prepared a family dinner, and I looked down into a dish one day and there they were, tiny okra, just like the ones we had grown. She cooked them so differently—and so beautifully—in a Chinese-Australian style, a quick stir-fry with garlic, a red chile, soy sauce, and sesame oil. They were out of this world.
In the mountains of Greece, another hostess, Elena Everoff, picked some spinach from her garden and cooked it with a small amount of rice (which helps absorb all the spinach juices), olive oil, and lemon juice. Where had this dish been all my life?
Here you’ll find an Iranian ratatouille that combines the usual suspects—onions, carrots, tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini—with fresh fruit and dried fruit to make a delightfully grand casserole. Such a delicate sweet-and-sour mélange could only come from Iran.
To organize this rather large chapter, I have arranged the vegetables alphabetically. Greens, however, are bunched together and mixed vegetables come at the very end. When fruit is the main ingredient—pineapple, mango, plantain—they’ll sit under the benign heading of “Savory Fruit Dishes.” There are simple dishes for all vegetables—what would we do without them?—and those that are less than simple but well worth the minor effort. I have selected about two hundred vegetable dishes from around the world that I like, hoping you will like them too.
I love all vegetables but I seem to love the prickly, globular artichoke above all others.
It could well be that the difficulty in getting to the limited edible portions makes the heart grow fonder. It is also true that I was introduced to the artichoke at a rather romantic, adventurous stage of my life. I was young, straight out of a London drama school, and coming to America for the very first time on the Queen Mary. Right there on the high seas, I fell in love with the taste and texture of the artichoke heart.
Even though my own exposure to artichokes is associated with America, first on the voyage over and then in my several trips to Castroville on the West Coast,
which advertises itself as the “artichoke capital of America,” artichokes actually originated in the Mediterranean. According to Waverly Root, Mediterraneans eat two hundred times more artichokes per capita there than we do in the United States. For one thing, artichokes are cheaper in the Mediterranean and considered everyday food. Many markets sell fully cleaned fresh hearts sitting in pans of acidulated water. I would give my eyeteeth for that!
In Turkey, apart from the pleasure they give, artichokes are revered for their medicinal value and considered perfect food for all manner of liver ailments. One of my hostesses in Istanbul informed me that the best diet for hepatitis sufferers was a steady, monthlong diet of mainly artichokes.
I have eaten stewed artichokes in Morocco, fried, thinly sliced artichoke hearts in Italy, and artichokes cooked with white wine and coriander seeds in Cyprus. Syrian hostesses have served me artichokes in a sweetened pomegranate sauce and Greek nuns have offered me artichokes cooked with peas and dill. You will find many of these recipes here.
Look for green, crisp artichokes without brown spots or dried-out tips. Buy heads with stems attached. Store in a perforated plastic bag or in the vegetable bin in the refrigerator.
Baby ones, when you can find them, need little done to them. Wash them well. Trim the stem bottoms. A good inch of the stem may be left on. The artichokes may now be boiled in water for no longer than 10 minutes, or until a lower leaf pulls off easily. They may also be quartered lengthwise and boiled quickly in stock. Most parts may be eaten. Just discard the few sections that seem too coarse, such as the tips of the outer leaves.
These require somewhat different treatment. The simplest way to cook these artichokes is to just boil them. Trim away their stems so they can sit flat on a plate and then lower them into a large pot of boiling, salted water. Cover and boil for anywhere from 15 to 35 minutes, depending upon the size of the artichoke. Small ones cook fairly quickly. To check if an artichoke is ready, tug at one of the lower leaves; if it pulls off easily, the artichoke is ready. Drain the artichokes, then drain further by turning them upside down. They may now be eaten hot, chilled, or at room temperature.
Boiled artichokes are generally served with what may be called a dip. For hot or warm artichokes, this can consist of melted butter with a generous squeeze of lemon juice and a hint of salt, or a hollandaise sauce. For cold artichokes, a vinaigrette or a mayonnaise works well. To eat them, just pull off the petal-like leaves starting at the bottom, dip their lower, fleshy sections in any of the suggested “dips,” and then put this section in your mouth while still
holding on to the tip end of the leaf. Clamp your teeth down on the center of the leaf. Keeping your teeth shut, pull out the leaf, thus scraping off these fleshy parts. Discard the hard, coarser section of the leaf. Turn to the next leaf and eat it the same way. The leaves will get softer and you will be able to eat a bit more of each. Soon you will come to the fuzzy choke. Scrape this choke away with a knife or a spoon and eat all the rest—which is the heart— with a knife and fork, again dipping every forkful in the prepared sauce or dressing. This is what you have been waiting for. The heart is the best part of the artichoke.
For a more formal presentation, the thorny, prickly parts of the artichokes are often removed. As artichokes darken wherever they are cut, they need to be kept in acidulated water, that is, water with lemon juice added to it, about 3 tablespoons to every 4 cups of water. Have this water ready. First cut off most of the stem so that the artichoke can stand up. Pull off and remove some of the lower leaves that are very near the stem. Now lay the artichoke on its side and cut off about ¾ to 1 inch of the very top, depending upon size. Using a sharp pair of scissors, cut the top third off all the remaining leaves. Keep dipping the artichoke in acidulated water as you do this. You may, if you wish, remove the choke at this stage as well. Pull the leaves apart as if you wanted to peer inside. Then use a grapefruit spoon to scrape away all the choke. Once an artichoke is prepared, put it in the bowl of acidulated water. The more artichokes you prepare, the more acidulated water you will need.
Some recipes call for just the hearts. You need large artichokes for this. Unless you want the whole heart to sit firmly on the plate, it is best to leave at least 1 inch of the stalk attached. The core of the stalk is just an extension of the heart itself and should be eaten. Get your acidulated water ready as above. Have a cut lemon half near you as well. Now, starting with the first outer ring of leaves near the stem, bend each leaf back one by one, as close to the base as possible, and snap it off. Rub the lemon over all the cut surfaces. When you begin to see the paler green leaves, lay the artichoke on its side and, using a sharp stainless steel knife, cut off and discard the upper ⅔ of the artichoke. Rub the lemon all over the cut surfaces. Using a grapefruit spoon, scrape out all the choke. Rub the cut lemon inside or dip the artichoke in acidulated water. You now have what could be called a rough cut of the artichoke heart. Use a sharp, stainless steel paring knife and peel the stem. Continue upward neatly, as if you were still peeling, and remove all the dark green sections. You should be left with just the very pale green heart. Drop the heart into the bowl of acidulated water. The heart may be left whole, cut into quarters or 6 or 8 parts, or it may be sliced according to the recipe. Keep the parts in acidulated water until you are ready to cook them. Pat dry just before you start cooking
.
There are times when you might want to have fully cooked artichoke hearts ready to be used later in a mixed salad or as beds for poached eggs, dressed vegetables, or dried beans. Here is how to do it:
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose white flour
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 medium raw artichoke hearts, trimmed as above
Put the flour in a medium bowl. Slowly add 5 cups of water, stirring with a whisk as you do so. Add the lemon juice and salt. Empty into a wide pan and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Lay the artichoke hearts in the pan in a single layer and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tip of a knife pierces the flesh easily. Let the hearts cool in the liquid. They will need to be rinsed off just before they are used in a dish.
MOROCCO
Artichokes Stewed with Potatoes
Artichokes are cheap and plentiful in much of the Mediterranean region and used in everyday meals. This dish may be eaten hot as a stew or chilled as a salad or first course. It is generally accompanied by Everyday Moroccan Bread, though any other bread will suffice.
3 raw hearts from large artichokes, cut crosswise into ½ × 1-inch pieces, stored in
acidulated water1 medium red waxy potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
⅛ teaspoon cayenne (optional)
¾ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Put all the ingredients in a wide-bottomed pot. Add 1 cup of water and mix well. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat down to medium-low, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring now and then, or until the potatoes are tender. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
SERVES 2 TO 3
Androche Markidis’
Artichoke Hearts with Wine and Coriander Seeds
Tiganites Aginares
This may be made with just artichoke hearts or with a combination of artichoke hearts and potatoes (the potatoes stretch out the artichokes, I was told by the two delightful ladies in Nicosia who gave me this recipe). Ideally the artichoke hearts should be deep-fried first and so should the potatoes. However, in my effort to lower the oil content of the dish, I have come up with a slightly different version.
2 medium potatoes (12 ounces)
¼ cup olive oil
1½ tablespoons coriander seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar so each seed breaks into 2 to 3 pieces
¾ cup dry white wine
¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
Cut the artichoke hearts into 4 to 8 parts, depending upon size, rather like a pizza. Put back into the acidulated water.
Peel the potato and cut it into pieces similar in size to the artichokes. Put the potatoes into a small pot, cover well with water, and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Boil for 5 minutes and drain. The potatoes will be half cooked. Rinse them under cold water and pat dry.
Remove the artichokes from the acidulated water and pat dry.
Put the oil in a large frying pan or large sauté pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the artichokes and potatoes. Stir and fry until the artichokes and potatoes have browned lightly. Now put in the coriander seeds, wine, and 1 cup of water. Turn the heat to high. Cook on high heat, stirring frequently, until there is very little liquid left and the vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. If you run out of liquid, add another ½ cup of water and keep cooking rapidly until there is very little liquid left. (This process may be repeated.) Add the salt and lemon juice. Toss to mix. Dribble the extra-virgin olive oil over the top when serving.
SERVES 4
Artichokes with Peas
Carciofi con Piselli
This dish is my idea of heaven. Use fresh young tender peas in season. Otherwise the frozen petite pois, or extra fancy petite peas as they are sometimes called, work very well. The only tomatoes to use here are the Oven-Dried Plum Tomatoes. If you have not laid up a supply of these, do without them. The artichokes and peas will still taste wonderful. Do not use store-bought sun-dried tomatoes as they are far too intense for something this delicate.
The artichoke hearts themselves may be prepared several hours ahead of time, sliced, and then left in acidulated water. Make sure to pat them very dry on paper towels before cooking. The entire dish may be prepared ahead of time. Do not cover it once the peas go in as they tend to discolor.
2 cups fresh or frozen tender peas (see note above)
4 raw hearts from large artichokes,
prepared according to directions, then sliced crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices. Slice through the stem when you come to it and keep in acidulated water.
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 to 4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled but left whole
Salt
½ cup vegetable stock or water
3 tablespoons dry white wine (dry white vermouth is fine)
6 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley (use just the leaves, washing and drying them before chopping)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Drop in the peas and boil until just barely tender (the peas should be slightly undercooked—for petite peas, this takes about 1 minute). Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again and set aside.
Just before cooking, dry off the artichoke heart slices between layers of paper towels.
Put the oil in a large frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When very hot, put in the garlic and the artichoke heart slices. Fry, stirring gently, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle in about ¼ teaspoon salt, add the stock and wine, and bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and simmer gently for 5 minutes, or until the artichokes are just tender. Uncover, add the peas, parsley, lemon juice, black pepper to taste, and another ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt (taste as you
go). Turn the heat up, stir, and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring gently, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, if using. Stir for another 30 seconds and turn off the heat. (Leave uncovered, even when reheating.)
SERVES 4
ITALY
Fried Artichokes
Carciofi Fritti
One winter four couples who had known each other over at least three decades and now lived in different parts of the world met up in Italy and shared a villa just outside Sienna in Tuscany. We generally cooked dinners at home or went out together to dine in some recommended restaurant but during the day we all wandered freely, reporting to the others any discovery that seemed unique or even sensational. One day a couple reported having eaten lunch at a restaurant in the tiny, fortified, hilltop town of Montereggioni that included a plate of fried artichoke hearts. Needless to say, my husband and I were there the next day. I warned my husband in advance that I would not share my artichokes with him and that if he wanted any, he would have to order a plate for himself. He did!
In Italy, artichokes are fried in different ways. Medium or smaller ones are first trimmed and then often quartered lengthwise, though some recipes leave them whole. Chokes are removed, if necessary. Sometimes only slices of the heart from large or medium artichokes are used. Before frying, the slices or quarters may be dipped in just flour or first flour and then egg.
What I like best are just the hearts, cut into slices, dipped in flour and then water, and then fried. (This technique of dipping quickly in water removes extra flour that would eventually sink to the bottom of the cooking utensil and start to burn.) Once cooked, I season with salt and pepper plus a little lemon juice and serve immediately.
Peanut or canola oil for shallow frying
4 raw artichoke hearts (from large or medium artichokes),
prepared according to directions, cut crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick slices, and left in acidulated water
1 to 1½ cups unbleached all-purpose white flour, spread out in a large, shallow bowl
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges
Pour the oil to a depth of 1 inch in a medium frying pan and set over medium-low heat. Allow it to get hot (a piece of bread should sizzle as soon as it hits the oil). This will take a little time.
Meanwhile, remove the artichoke slices from the acidulated water (save the water) and pat dry. Put the slices in the flour and coat thoroughly.
When the oil is hot, remove a small handful of artichoke heart slices (I use both hands and so have 2 small handfuls), shake off a little of the flour, dip them very quickly in the acidulated water in one quick in-and-out motion, shake again, and then put them into the frying pan. Stir and fry 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels and keep in a warm place. Do all the artichoke hearts this way. Put on a large serving dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve. Those who desire lemon juice should squeeze some over their portion.
SERVES 4
There is nothing like fresh, seasonal asparagus, white or green, thick or thin, though these days, the season seems to go on forever!
The classic French
cooking method is to trim off the woody ends, peel the bottom halves, and then tie up the spears into bundles. The bundles are then placed standing up in tall pots filled with rapidly boiling, salted water and cooked until crisp-tender. The bundles are then removed and the asparagus spears served immediately with butter or a sauce such as hollandaise. The spears could also be cooled quickly and served with mayonnaise or doused in a vinaigrette.
This tried-and-true system works, and I do use the French method of cooking and serving frequently. But there is another method of basic preparation that I have now come to prefer. I like to cook asparagus lying down in just a few tablespoons of water, which eventually gets absorbed in the cooking. This way not a drop of flavor is lost in the water and the asparagus retains its intensity of taste. I do, however, believe passionately in peeling asparagus so that the entire spear can really be enjoyed.
The crisper the asparagus, the better it will be. Cook as quickly as possible, but if you need to store it, stand it up in a bowl with a little water at the bottom.
Cut off the lower woody section and discard it. Keep the upper 6 inches or so. Peel the lower 2 to 3 inches of each spear with a good peeler (I use a short Swiss peeler) or a paring knife. The spears may be left whole or they may be cut—into thirds or even smaller pieces—if the recipe requires it. Smaller pieces are better if stirring is required. You may now soak the asparagus in water for 15 to 30 minutes. This keeps it crisp. Drain it well before cooking it.
Basic Asparagus, My Way
This method may be used for all kinds of asparagus, thick or thin, white or green, cut into segments or whole. What will vary is the cooking time. Thicker asparagus will take longer to cook, about 4 minutes, and the very thin kind may be done in 2 minutes.
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed, peeled, left whole or cut into thirds, and then left to soak
according to directions1 tablespoon bland olive or peanut oil
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons oriental sesame oil (optional)
Drain the asparagus well.
Put the olive oil in a large frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the asparagus. Stir quickly until the asparagus is coated with the oil, using tongs to turn the whole stalks. Add 3 tablespoons of water and the salt. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and cook 2 to 4 minutes, or until the asparagus is just cooked through. Remove the cover, add the sesame oil if you like its aroma, and turn the heat up to boil away most of the liquid.
If you wish to serve the asparagus chilled, spread it out on a clean plate and allow to cool. Now put in a covered container and refrigerate.
SERVES 2 TO 3
CHINA
Shiu-Min Block’s
Cold Asparagus with a Chinese Dressing
Liang Ban Hsu Sun
Prepared in this fashion, the asparagus remains very crisp and green.
1 pound fresh asparagus, peeled, cut into thirds at a slight diagonal, and then left to soak
according to directions4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Chinese Shao Hsing wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil
1 garlic clove, lightly crushed and peeled but left whole
Drain the asparagus well.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Drop in the asparagus for just 1 minute. Drain and run under cold water. Drain again. Leave in a colander.
Mix all the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
Just before serving, put the asparagus into a bowl. Remove the garlic from the dressing, stir, and pour it over the asparagus.
SERVES 4
KOREA
Cold Asparagus with a Korean Dressing
Spicy and cooling, this is a wonderful way to serve asparagus. Sesame seeds flavor the dressing best if they are freshly roasted and go straight from the hot pan into the liquid dressing with a sizzle.
1½ pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed, peeled, cut into thirds at a slight diagonal, and then left to soak
according to directions3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon oriental sesame oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed to a pulp
Drain the asparagus well.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Drop in the asparagus and boil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and run under cold water. Drain again. Leave in a colander.
Mix all the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
Just before serving, put the asparagus into a serving bowl. Remove the garlic from the dressing, stir well, and pour it over the asparagus.
SERVES 6
Asparagus with Pine Nuts
This may be served by itself as a first course or as part of a meal. The pine nuts should be mixed in at the last minute.
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 scallions, cut into very fine rounds all the way up their green sections
1 to 1½ teaspoons very finely chopped fresh hot green chile
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons oriental sesame oil
Drain the asparagus well.
Put the olive oil in a large sauté or frying pan and set over medium heat. When very hot, put in the pine nuts. Stir once or twice until the pine nuts are golden and then remove them with a slotted spoon and spread on paper towels. Quickly put the scallions and chile into the oil. Stir once and put in the asparagus, 3 tablespoons of water, and the salt. Stir gently to mix and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes, or until the asparagus is just done. Uncover and add the sugar, lemon juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Stir to mix, boiling away most of the liquid as you do this. Add the pine nuts, toss, and serve immediately.
SERVES 6
SPAIN
Asparagus with Romesco Sauce
Romesco Sauce, a beautiful orange-red, is just perfect with asparagus. Its color contrasts stunningly with the shaded greens of the vegetable and its flavors—roasted peppers, garlic, good olive oil, and vinegar—complement the delicate taste and texture of the asparagus. (Sometimes I serve asparagus with two sauces, a neat trick I first saw at Moulin de Mougin in the south of France. Roger Verge’s sauces were both white. I like to have one white, a hollandaise, and the other red, the Romesco.)
The asparagus may be steamed until just tender when pierced with the tip of a knife or else poached with just enough liquid to cook it. I like the second method.
This dish may be served hot as soon as it is made, at room temperature after it has sat for an hour, or chilled after it has been refrigerated. It should not be reheated.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Scant ½ teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons Romesco Sauce (see recipe introduction) per person
Drain the asparagus well.
Put the olive oil in a large frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the asparagus. Stir quickly until the asparagus is coated with oil, using tongs to move the spears around. Add 3 tablespoons of water and the salt. Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until the asparagus is just cooked through. Uncover and turn up the heat to boil away most of the liquid.
Serve the hot asparagus immediately in individual plates with a dollop of Romesco Sauce across the middle or on the side. You could also allow the asparagus to cool on a platter, then cover, refrigerating, if necessary. Serve the room-temperature or chilled asparagus the same way, either on individual plates or in a large platter with a wide ribbon of sauce going across the center.
SERVES 4 TO 6
HONG KONG
Asparagus Stir-Fried with Ginger and Red Pepper
Asparagus has now become a much favored vegetable in the top Hong Kong restaurants. Serve them with rice and a bean curd dish or with other vegetables.
2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
2 thin slices of peeled ginger, lightly mashed
5 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly mashed
1 dried hot red chile, coarsely crumbled
¼ cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil
Drain the asparagus well.
Put the vegetable oil in a large wok or frying pan and set over high heat. When hot, put in the ginger and garlic. Give a few quick stirs. Put in the red chile, stir
once, and quickly put in the asparagus. Stir until the asparagus turns deep green and is coated with oil. Add the stock, soy sauce, salt, and sugar. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until the asparagus is just tender. Uncover and boil away most of the liquid. Add the sesame oil, stir once, and serve.
SERVES 4 TO 6
Rich in potassium and calcium, these red marvels are much underused. Apart from being boiled or roasted and used in salads, they may be stir-fried, made into cold dishes, and made into curried dishes. If you grow your own, look for the small, very sweet striated Italian variety known as chioggia, which may be used for any of the beet recipes in this book. Needless to say, their natural sweetness will add its own dimension. They are also not as violently red as common beets and so give off a gentler color.
Beets are generally sold with their leaves, which can be cooked with the root or separately (see
beet greens). Look for juicy, unwithered roots and bright green leaves. Store in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator.
Cut off the beet stalks in such a way that you leave at least ½ to 1 inch of the stalks still attached (this holds the skin together). Wash the roots well and put them in a pan with enough water to cover them generously (as you would when boiling potatoes). Bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and simmer gently for 20 to 60 minutes (depending upon the size), until the tip of a knife may be inserted easily. Drain. Cut off the stalk area and peel the beets. They are now ready to be used in all dishes that require boiled beets.
I absolutely loathe potatoes that have been roasted in foil. This process steams them in the most undesirable fashion, leaving the flesh somewhat gooey and the skins leathery and soft. However, the same method is perfect for beets, whose skin is inedible anyway. The beet flavor gets concentrated (nothing is lost in the water) and the root gets beautifully tender.
To roast beets, preheat the oven to 375° F. Cut off the beet stalks in such a way that you leave at least ½ to 1 inch of the stalks still attached. Wash the roots well. Wrap each beet in foil and set on a baking tray in a single layer. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, depending upon size. The tip of a knife should be inserted easily. Take the beets out of the oven and remove the foil. Cut off the stalk area and peel the beets. The beets are now ready to be used in any recipe that requires beets roasted in aluminum foil.
Grated Beets with Shallots
This is one of the quickest ways of cooking beets. The grating can be done in a food processor and the cooking takes only about 10 minutes. I generally make this quite spicy but you could easily leave out the green chile altogether. With the beets picking up the taste of the fried shallots, this is really an exquisite dish.
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon whole brown or yellow mustard seeds
2 large shallots, peeled and cut into fine slivers
1 fresh hot green chile, cut crosswise on a sharp diagonal into thin slices
1 pound beets, peeled and coarsely grated
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Put the oil in a wide pan or a large frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, put in the shallots and green chile. Stir and fry for 30 seconds. The shallots should turn a little brown. Now put in the beets and stir for a minute. Put in the salt and ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook gently for 10 minutes. Uncover, turn the heat up to medium, and add the lemon juice. Stir to mix and turn off the heat.
SERVES 4
GREECE
Elena Averoff’s
Boiled Beets and Beet Greens with a Horseradish Dressing
Pantzarosalata
It is unusual to have both the root and the leaves in the same dish but here they are in a delicious pairing. You may serve this with virtually all meals. The horseradish gives it an extra kick.
The coarse stems should be trimmed off the leaves. Generally, the leaves should be left whole, but if they are very large, they can be cut on a diagonal into wide ribbons.
3 good-sized beets (about 12 ounces)
8 ounces trimmed beet greens
¼ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 very small garlic clove, peeled and crushed to a pulp
Put the beets to boil in a large pot with water to cover them by several inches. Boil until they are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
Prod with the tip of a knife to test doneness. Peel. Cut in halves lengthwise and then crosswise into ⅓-inch-thick slices.
Bring 12 cups of water to a rolling boil. Drop in the beet greens and boil about 12 minutes or until they are just tender. Drain.
Combine the beets and greens in a shallow serving dish. Mix the remaining ingredients and pour the dressing over the beets and greens. Mix gently and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
SERVES 4
GREECE
From the Ormylia Monastery in Macedonia
Pureed Beet Salad
Pantzarosalata II
Rather like the chickpea puree popularly known as hummus and the eggplant puree known generally as baba ghanouj, this more unusual puree of beets is eaten in a very similar way. It is served as part of the appetizer course, a meze, to be eaten with bread or used as a sauce for fritters, such as the Crisp Zucchini Fritters. It is also quite wonderful on boiled or baked potatoes. Because it has walnuts in it, it is nutritionally quite substantial. This recipe was given to me by a charming young nun named Protokliki, “First Called.”
1 good-sized beet (about 6 ounces) or 2 smaller ones
4 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1 slice of stale white bread (you could use a small boiled potato instead)
1 garlic clove, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Cover the beet well with water and boil until it is tender, about 40 minutes. Drain. Peel and chop coarsely.
In the container of an electric blender or food processor, combine the beet, walnuts, bread, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and salt. Blend until smooth.
SERVES 6
From the home of the Raja of Mahmudabad in Lucknow
Beets with Mint and Yogurt
Chukandar Dahi
Until I starting making this myself, I had had this dish only once in my life—in the royal, shabby-genteel mansion that the Raja of Mahmudabad called home. The grandeur of bygone days hung in the air like a ghost. I was led up what was once a grand staircase but now seemed to barely hold itself up. The family had wisely retreated to a tiny suite in the mansion. While all other rooms seemed almost bare, the door to the suite, opened by a retainer, revealed a room that could have come straight out of an aristocrat’s home in England: a cold study (it was winter) with very English fraying chairs, very English fraying books, and a very English fireplace with blazing logs; oriental carpets on the floor (Was there a dog? I cannot remember); and a young, handsome raja with a very English Oxbridge accent, the “proper” accent of another era now rarely heard in Oxbridge circles. The raja’s hospitality and grace matched the era of his accent. I was led to the dining room (also on its last legs) as if I were being led to the annual ball. And the lunch was about as grand as a Muslim nobleman could produce. This beet dish was among many on the table. I asked for the recipe after the very first bite.
A word of warning: I have a friend who at first refused to eat this dish because of its color, a wild, alarming fuchsia. He complained that it did not look “natural.” Since then he has been persuaded. The taste, he says, won him over.
This is generally served at room temperature or chilled.
1 (8-ounce) beet or 2 smaller ones,
boiled or roasted in foil
2 cups plain yogurt
¾ to 1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne (optional)
2½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I like to use olive oil)
3 small garlic cloves, peeled (or 1 large garlic clove, cut lengthwise into 3 sections)
Peel the beet and grate it coarsely.
Put the yogurt in a bowl and beat it lightly with a fork or a whisk until it is smooth and creamy. Add the salt, pepper to taste, and cayenne, if using. Mix. Add the mint and beet. Mix gently.
Put the oil and garlic in a small frying pan and set over medium-high heat. The garlic will eventually begin to sizzle. Press down on the garlic with a spatula and let it sizzle some more, turning the pieces once or twice, until they turn a medium brown. Now pour the flavored oil and garlic into the bowl with the yogurt and mix.
SERVES 6 TO 8
Beet and Mushroom Curry
Shorvedar Chukandar Aur Khumbi
This is a simple curry made with raw beets and mushrooms that may be served with rice and a split pea dish. Yogurt relishes and chutneys or salads may be served on the side.
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
½ teaspoon whole yellow or brown mustard seeds
6 ounces medium mushrooms, halved lengthwise
14 ounces beets, peeled and cut into ¾-inch dice
2 teaspoons peeled and grated ginger
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed to a pulp
1 fresh hot green chile, very finely chopped
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
Put the oil in a medium pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the cumin and mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, put in the mushrooms. Give the mushrooms a quick stir and put in the beets. Stir and fry the beets for 2 minutes. Now put in the ginger, garlic, and chile. Stir and fry, still on medium-high heat, for another 2 minutes. Now put in the tomato sauce, 1 cup of water, and the salt. Stir to mix and bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and cook gently for about 40 minutes, or until the beets are tender.
SERVES 4
This once-exotic vegetable has slim, sleek, elongated whitish leaves that bunch around each other tightly like some pale, effete but stylish lettuce. As with white asparagus, the leaves never see the light of day, growing without benefit of sun in fairly cool earth. Belgian endive is known both for its crispness and its slightly bitter taste. In its original form, the plant has fairly bitter green leaves and, by the nineteeth century, was grown partly for these leaves and partly for its roots (it is also known as chicory), which were ground and either mixed with coffee or used as a coffee substitute. Endive as we know it was discovered accidentally in the last century in Belgium when roots left in dark storage began to sprout yellowish-white leaves.
Endive is most commonly used in salads. But it makes a superb cooked vegetable,
delicate in flavor and quite worthy of its somewhat excessive price. If possible, buy it wrapped in its dark paper as this keeps it from taking on color and turning bitter. Cut off the bottom end if you want to separate the leaves for salads or else cut the whole heads lengthwise into halves or quarters for braising. Wash quickly under running water and pat dry. Soaking in water only makes the leaves more bitter. My favorite way of cooking endive is also the simplest: I brown it first and then let it bake, covered, in its own juices—of which it has plenty.
Wrap in paper and store in the vegetable bin.
Browned Belgian Endives Cooked in Their Own Juices
This dish is as glorious as it is simple. I often serve it as a course by itself. This recipe may easily be doubled. In that case, you may have to brown the endive in two batches but you will still be able to bake it all in one dish. You should not need to increase the oil or butter.
Endive heads come in various widths. If they are very fat (the last heads I got weighed ½ pound each), then you will need to quarter them lengthwise. If they are slim, just halve them lengthwise.
1 pound Belgian endives
3 tablespoons olive oil
Scant ½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Trim the very bottom of the endive heads, making sure that there is enough base left to hold the leaves together. Now cut the heads lengthwise into halves or quarters, depending upon width (see recipe introduction).
Put the oil in a wide flame- and ovenproof dish and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the endive pieces in a single layer and brown them well on all sides. This will take 6 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the top and dot with the butter. Cover well (you may use foil here) and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until tender.
SERVES 2 TO 3
Belgian Endives with Bread Crumbs and Parmesan Cheese
Brown the endives according to the preceding recipe and then lay the pieces in a gratin dish. Cover well with foil and bake as in the preceding recipe. Remove the foil and dust the top with a mixture of 3 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs and 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Dribble a little melted butter or olive oil over the top and place under the broiler until lightly browned. Serve immediately.
This cancer-fighting vegetable, rich in calcium and vitamin C, is available everywhere. It may be blanched and combined with sauces, stir-fried, and put into risottos and pasta dishes as well as salads.
Look for tight green heads with firmly closed buds. Yellowing buds are an indication of aging. Avoid broccoli with very split, woody stems.
In our family, we waste very little, eating both the head and stem. The main stem, which tastes very much like kohlrabi, is cut off and peeled, to be eaten out of hand as the cooking proceeds. (It may also be sliced on a slight diagonal and used in stir-fries or salads.) The main head is broken into florets of the size needed, each stem peeled individually with a paring knife. This allows for even cooking and leaves no hard, chewy segments. I like each floret to have at least an inch of stem so that it holds together elegantly. Wash in a sink of lukewarm water to which you have added some salt. (This gets rid of little creatures.) Lift out of the water and drain. If the broccoli is a little limp, you can soak the florets in cold water for 30 minutes and drain.
This is one of the fastest methods of cooking this vegetable. Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons salt and stir. Put in the broccoli florets and let the water come to a boil again. Boil, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the broccoli is just tender. Drain. Either use immediately (the broccoli is at its best now) or rinse under cold water to preserve its color, drain, and set aside for later use.
Broccoli with Walnut Sauce
Blanched broccoli is so good when served with Caucasian walnut sauce. Its food value increases, too, as walnuts have almost as much protein as meat. If the sauce seems too thick, just save a tablespoon or two of the water used for cooking the broccoli and thin it out.
I used 1 large broccoli head for this dish.
6 well-packed cups broccoli florets,
blanched and drained
Put the drained broccoli in a serving dish. Pour the sauce over the top, toss gently, and serve immediately.
SERVES 4
INDIAN-AMERICAN
Broccoli with Spinach
Broccoli Ka Saag
Broccoli is a very uncommon vegetable in India, though it has been adopted with much love by the Indians who have settled in the United States. In our inspired New World recipe, Indians combine it with spinach, making two vegetables taste like an as-yet-unknown third one. Serve it with any South Asian or Western meal, or have it on toast as one of my daughters does.
For this recipe I bought ¾ pound of spinach. After cleaning and trimming, I was left with ½ pound. I used the florets of a good-sized broccoli head. Each floret had only about 1 inch of stem. (Save the rest of the stems for another recipe.) If a hot red chile is not available, use a green one.
Salt
½ pound washed trimmed spinach
6 cups broccoli florets (see above)
¼ cup olive oil
½ smallish onion (1 ounce), peeled and very finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and very finely chopped
2 thin slices of peeled ginger, very finely chopped
½ to 1 fresh hot red chile, seeds removed, if preferred, very finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Bring a large pot of water (about 4 quarts) to a rolling boil. Add 2 tablespoons salt. Now put in the spinach and broccoli florets and bring to a boil again. Boil
rapidly for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the broccoli and spinach are tender. Drain in a colander. Run cold water over the greens. Let them drain naturally, but do not squeeze any liquid out. Chop very finely.
Put the oil in a large, preferably nonstick frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the onion, garlic, ginger, and chile. Stir and fry until the onion bits turn brown at the edges. Put in the cumin. Stir once and quickly put in the broccoli-spinach mixture. Stir once or twice and turn the heat to medium. Now put in 1 teaspoon salt. Stir and cook gently until the broccoli-spinach mixture has just heated through. Serve.
SERVES 4 TO 6
CHINA
Shiu-Min Block’s
Broccoli Stir-Fried with Ginger and Garlic
Chow Chia Lan
Normally made with kailan, or Chinese broccoli, this may just as easily be prepared with the plain broccoli we can buy in our supermarkets. To cook the broccoli evenly, all the stems need to be peeled and sliced and the head cut into delicate florets.
1 large head of broccoli (about 1½ pounds)
2½ tablespoons peanut or canola oil
2 thin slices of fresh ginger
1½ teaspoons salt
3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
3 tablespoons vegetable stock, liquid from soaking dried mushrooms, or water
1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil
Cut the broccoli head into slim, 1½-inch lengths. Peel the larger stems and cut them crosswise into ⅛-inch slices.
Put the oil in a large wok or frying pan and set over high heat. When hot, put in the ginger. Stir once and put in the broccoli, salt, and garlic. Stir vigorously for a minute, or until the broccoli turns bright green. Add the stock, cover, and cook on high heat for about 1½ minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the sesame oil and stir to mix. Serve immediately.
SERVES 4 TO 6
Broccoli with Potatoes
Here is a simple dish I make with seasonings from both India and Trinidad.
I bought a large, 1½-pound head of broccoli and was left with ¾ pound of florets, about 6 cups. Amchar masala may be bought from a West Indian grocer or you can make your own.
6 cups broccoli florets
Salt
1 waxy potato (8 ounces) or 2 smaller ones, boiled, drained, and cooled
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
Generous pinch of ground asafetida
½ teaspoon whole brown or yellow mustard seeds
1 fresh hot green chile, with its tip cut off
10 fresh curry leaves (use fresh basil leaves as a different but interesting substitute)
Blanch the broccoli florets in salted water. Drain and if not cooking immediately, refresh under cold water. Leave in a colander.
Peel the potato and cut into chunky dice, the same size as the broccoli florets.
Just before eating, put the oil in a large, preferably nonstick frying pan or sauté pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the asafetida and, a second later, the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, put in the green chile and the curry leaves. Stir once and put in the potatoes. Stir and fry for about 4 minutes, or until the potatoes are very lightly browned. Sprinkle them with a scant ½ teaspoon salt. Toss to mix. Now put in the broccoli and amchar masala. Turn the heat to medium and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until the broccoli has heated through. Turn off the heat and serve.
SERVES 4
Perhaps ancient Greeks and Romans knew what they were doing when they devoured cabbage. And so do contemporary Koreans, who consider the cabbage pickle,
kimchi, their national dish and eat it at every meal. Cabbage is rich in cancer-preventative magic and vitamin C. It may be stir-fried, steamed, braised, pickled, and used in stuffings for savory turnovers and dumplings or the leaves may be stuffed themselves. Many recipes for cabbage are scattered throughout this book. All cabbage cooks down considerably.
When shopping for any cabbage, look for crisp, unblemished leaves. Signs of withering or yellowing indicate staleness and age.
First of all, there is regular cabbage. It has lovely green leaves, which can be fairly dark on the outside but turn quite pale near the core. Red cabbage is associated with Germanic,
sweet-and-sour winter stews, though it can be cooked in many other equally interesting ways. I have worked out a curried red cabbage that is as festive as it is good. As this cabbage is fairly tough, stewing or braising it slowly in the oven is the best approach.
Savoy cabbage, popular in France and Belgium, has crinkled skin and may be used for all the regular cabbage dishes. Then there are all the Chinese cabbages. I have decided to keep bok choy, which is also of the cabbage family, in the greens section but celery cabbage, with its pale, slim, elongated leaves, and the similar but chunkier, heavier
napa cabbage certainly belong here.
CHINA
Shiu-Min Block’s
Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage
Tang Chu Bow Pai Tsai
With its unusual hint of bitter oranges, this is both a vegetable dish and a condiment. It is particularly wonderful served with plain rice, bean curd, or bean dishes and any other vegetable of your choice. It may be served with all Chinese meals and goes well with many Mexican and Indian ones as well.
The cabbage needs to be cut into chunky 1-inch pieces—squares, rectangles, and triangles.
I use a large wok or 14-inch frying pan to make this.
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons marmalade
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
2 thin slices of fresh ginger, cut on the diagonal, 2 inches long
¾ medium green cabbage (18 ounces)
2 medium garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled but left whole
½ teaspoon oriental sesame oil
Combine the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, marmalade, and salt in a bowl. Mix well.
Set a wok over high heat. When hot, swirl the oil into it and put in the ginger. Stir for a few seconds and put in the cabbage. Stir and fry for 2 minutes. Now put in the sauce. Stir and cook for a minute. Add the garlic, stir once, and cover. Cook 2 minutes. Add the sesame oil, stir, and turn off the heat.
SERVES 2 TO 4
Vali Manuelides’
Cabbage with Rice and Currants
Tembel Dolma
I am just as lazy as the next person and am forever looking for delicious dishes that cook quickly. In Turkey I sat around for hours watching housemaids stuffing leaves (chard, cabbage, grape) and preparing many-layered desserts, which would later be consumed by masters and mistresses of the house. Would I ever come back to New York and make these things, I wondered. Then in Greece I ran into Payanis Manuelides, a Greek from Turkey, who told me of tembel dolma, or the “lazy man’s stuffed cabbage.” His mother, Vali, provided the recipe. This was a dish after my own heart. Here it is.
The cabbage and rice are layered and once cooked, they may be inverted like a cake into a serving dish.
Salt
½ large head of fresh green cabbage (1 pound in all), cored and shredded
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into fine half rings
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1½ cups long-grain rice (I like to use Thai jasmine rice)
2 tablespoons dried red currants
½ well-packed cup (1½ ounces) finely chopped fresh dill
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
Bring 2½ quarts of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and stir. Now put in the cabbage and bring to a boil again. Boil for 1 minute, or just until the cabbage wilts. Drain immediately and run under cold water. Drain again and leave in a strainer.
Put the oil in a large frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the onion. Stir and fry about 4 minutes, or until the onion has browned a bit. Put in the pine nuts. Stir and fry for 30 seconds. Turn the heat to medium-low and put in the rice, currants, dill, cinnamon, black pepper to taste, and 1½ teaspoons salt. Stir and sauté for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Divide the cabbage into 3 portions and the rice into 2. Put one portion of the cabbage in the bottom of a heavy, medium pan, spreading it out evenly. Cover with a layer of seasoned rice. Cover the rice with a second layer of cabbage, then another layer of rice and a final layer of cabbage. Add 3 cups of water and the sugar. Find
a plate that you can fit, upturned, on top of the cabbage. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the pot to a boil. Cover tightly, turn the heat down to low, and cook for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat. Leave the pot undisturbed in a warm place for another 30 minutes or a bit longer. Just before eating, remove the lid and the plate inside the pan. Take a knife and go around the edges of the pan. Now upturn a large serving plate and place it on top of the pan. Invert the pan so that the plate is now under it. The rice should just slide out. Serve hot.
SERVES 4 TO 6
INDONESIA
Mrs. Sanuar’s
Stir-Fried Green Cabbage with Spicy Red Paste
Sambal Kol
This spicy Sumatran specialty may be made with the coarser dark green outer leaves of green cabbage, kohlrabi leaves, or young collard greens. You will need about 1 pound of just leaves. Serve with rice and any bean or split pea dish.
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
6 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 smallish red bell pepper, seeds removed and coarsely chopped
¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne
5 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
Dark outer leaves of cabbage mixed with some inner ones to make up 1 pound, washed and very finely shredded into long, thin strips, about 6 well-packed cups
¾ to 1 teaspoon salt
Put the garlic, shallots, red pepper, cayenne, and 3 to 4 tablespoons of water in the container of an electric blender or food processor and blend until you have a coarse paste.
Put the oil in a large wok or pan and set over high heat. When hot, put in the spice paste. Stir and fry for 5 to 6 minutes, or until it turns dark. Add the cabbage and salt and stir to mix. Cover tightly, turn the heat down to low, and cook for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with a little water if the cabbage seems to stick.
SERVES 4
Curried Red Cabbage with Cranberry Juice
I grew up with neither red cabbage nor cranberry juice. America has taught me to use both. I came up with this combination one Christmas when I wanted to braise red cabbage with Indian seasonings. I also did not want to use any red wine, whose tartness and color helps to keep the red cabbage red. And so I came up with the idea of substituting cranberry juice and was very happy with the results. I now serve this cabbage dish both hot and cold. (It makes for a very good, slawlike salad when cold.) The fennel seeds add a very special, sweet flavor, which I have loved since childhood.
The shredding of the cabbage may be done in a food processor or you may cut long, very fine slices by hand.
Serve this with mushroom dishes, eggplants, and beans.
3 tablespoons olive or peanut oil
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
½ teaspoon whole fennel seeds
2 medium onions (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut into fine half rings
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
1 red cabbage (2½ pounds), cored and finely shredded
1 cup pure unsweetened cranberry juice (see Note)
1 cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons sugar
1¼ teaspoons salt (more if the stock is unsalted)
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Put the oil in a large, ovenproof, casserole-type pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the cumin and fennel seeds. Stir for 5 seconds and put in the onions. Stir and fry for about 5 minutes, or until the onion pieces begin to brown at the edges. Put in the garlic and ginger. Stir and fry for another minute. Put in the curry powder. Stir and fry for 20 seconds. Put in the cabbage, cranberry juice, stock, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and bake in the oven for 1¼ hours, stirring now and then.
Note: I used unsweetened cranberry juice, which is sometimes sold as “Just Cranberry.” It is exceedingly sour. If you cannot find that, you may use the sweetened cranberry juice or cranberry apple juice. Just cut down on the sugar or use none at all. Taste the cabbage halfway through the cooking and adjust the sweetness to what you like. The dish should be sweet-and-sour.
SERVES 6 TO 8
INDONESIA
Cabbage with Garlic and Shallots
Tumis Kol
The younger and greener the cabbage, the better this dish will taste.
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
4 to 5 medium shallots, peeled and cut into long, fine slivers
2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into long, thin slivers
1 fresh hot green chile, cut into long, fine slivers
4 scallions, first cut into 2-inch lengths and then into long, fine strips
1¾ pounds fresh green cabbage (about ½ large head), with its hard core removed and then cut lengthwise into very fine strips
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped Chinese celery leaves or plain celery leaves
¼ cup vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Put the oil in a large, wide pan or large wok and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the shallots and garlic. Stir and fry for a minute. Put in the green chile and stir for another 30 seconds. Now put in the scallions, cabbage, and celery. Stir and fry for 3 minutes. Add the stock and salt. Stir once and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat to medium, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the cabbage has wilted completely. Uncover, turn the heat up a bit, and stir for another minute or two. Taste for salt and serve.
SERVES 4
INDIA
South Indian Cabbage
Dakshini Band Gobi
Many South Indian foods get their very special flavoring from a mixture of spices that include split peas (used as a spice), fenugreek, mustard seeds, and curry leaves. Here is a common South Indian way of cooking cabbage. Have all the spices measured and ready before you start, as they go into a hot pan in quick succession.
¼ cup peanut or canola oil
Generous pinch of ground asafetida
1 teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon urad dal, chana dal, or yellow split peas
5 to 6 whole fenugreek seeds
2 to 3 whole dried hot red chiles
10 fresh curry leaves, if available (use fresh basil leaves as a substitute)
1¾ pounds fresh green cabbage (about ½ large head), with its hard core removed and then shredded (as in coleslaw)
1 to 1¼ teaspoons salt
Put the oil in a large wok or large, wide pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the asafetida. A second later, put in the mustard seeds and urad dal. As soon as the mustard seeds start to pop, a matter of seconds, put in the fenugreek seeds and red chiles. Allow the dal to get red and the chiles to turn dark. Now put in first the curry leaves and then the cabbage and give a few quick stirs. Add the salt. Stir and cook for a minute. Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the cabbage has wilted completely. (You may add a sprinkling of water, if needed.) Uncover and taste for salt. Stir and cook for another minute or two.
SERVES 4
CHINA
Shiu-Min Block’s
Stir-Fried Celery Cabbage with a Gingery Milk Sauce
Nai Yo Bai Tsai
1 pound celery cabbage
1½ cups light salted vegetable stock
½ cup milk
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon milk and 1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
2 scallions, cut crosswise into very fine rings (white part only)
2 thin slices of peeled fresh ginger
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground white pepper
Separate all the cabbage leaves and wash them. Shake off as much water as possible. Stacking several leaves together, cut them crosswise into 1½-inch segments. Again stacking several segments together, cut them lengthwise, into halves.
Heat the stock in a large frying pan. When boiling, put in the celery cabbage. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring the leaves, until almost cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon. (The stock may now be saved for some other use.)
Combine the milk with the cornstarch mixture and set aside.
Clean off the frying pan and wipe it dry. Put in the oil and set it over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the scallions and ginger. Stir a few times and put in the celery cabbage. Stir for 30 seconds. Take off the heat. Stir the milk mixture and pour it in. Add the salt and pepper to taste, mix, and return to low heat. When bubbling, cook for a minute, stirring now and then. Serve immediately.
SERVES 3 TO 4
In India, I grew up with many varieties of carrots. There was the almost black carrot used in preserves, the dark wine-colored “bleeding” carrot used in water pickles (it bled like a beet and colored everything it was cooked with), and the more common reddish-orange carrot, a stiff sturdy thing and winter staple that we grew in our kitchen garden. Most of the time we ate it raw, either out of hand, or in salads. But it was cooked in two ways that I loved: It was grated and made into carrot halvah, a dessert, that was eaten with mounds of clotted cream; and it was diced and cooked with fenugreek greens and green chiles. I was addicted to this too and devoured it with fresh breads.
As carrots are meant to have originated in Afghanistan, it is not surprising that India, a neighbor, has many of the early varieties that are not found in the West at all. It is the hybridized orange carrot that is most commonly available here. Like all carrots, it is rich in cancer-fighting beta-carotene that helps to make vitamin A in our bodies. It is strange that small, baby carrots used by many of our chefs are the least nutritious of all and that large, even somewhat old ones have the greatest concentrations of sweetness and flavor.
Choose carrots with good color and clear skin. Do not buy those with sprouting hair or mold.
Carrots are best peeled with a vegetable peeler. After trimming the top and bottom, they are ready to be grated or cut.
Unless the recipe suggests otherwise, it is best to grate carrots on the coarsest part of the grater so you get long shreds. The grating attachment on a food processor may also be used.
cut off the very thin end of the peeled carrot and save it for soups. Cut the remaining carrot crosswise into 1-inch chunks. Now take a paring knife and round off all cut edges by trimming them away. What you will actually be doing is peeling away a thin strip from the outer edge of the top and bottom of each chunk of carrot.
are carrots cut into strips or sticks. The size of the sticks can vary. First cut the peeled carrot crosswise into 3 to 4 pieces. (This will determine the length of the sticks.) Now stand up one piece after the other and cut it lengthwise into 3 to 4 slices. (The thickness of the slices will determine the width of the sticks.) Now lay down a few slices at a time and cut them lengthwise into sticks of the thickness you desire.
cut julienned sticks crosswise, a few at a time, into squares. For larger, chunky dice, cut the thinner part of the carrot in half lengthwise and the fatter part of the carrot into quarters lengthwise. Now lay down the long slices and cut them crosswise into the size of dice you want. For carrot ovals or oval slices, slice the carrot crosswise at a slight or sharp diagonal, depending upon the length of slice you want. You can vary the thickness of the slices according to what is required.
UNITED STATES
Quick Glazed Carrots with Ginger
Here is how I make glazed carrots. It is a fast method that also keeps the carrots firm the way I like them. The ginger here should be grated to a pulp either on a Japanese ginger grater or on the finest part of an ordinary grater. This may be served with green vegetables and dried beans as well as some bread.
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch “olives” as described previously
1 cup vegetable stock
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon very finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Combine the carrots, stock, salt, ginger, butter, and sugar in a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring gently but fairly frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes, turning the heat down a bit if the liquid gets too low. You should be left with just a little thick syrup at the bottom.
SERVES 4
Carrots, Mushrooms, and Onions à la Grecque
Almost a salad, these mixed vegetables are served at room temperature or chilled. In the summer, I often put them out with sliced tomatoes, a bean dish, some cheese, and some good, crusty bread for a simple lunch. These vegetables may be refrigerated in their liquid and kept for a week.
If you cannot get pearl onions or small shallots, you may use a medium onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick half rings.
7 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
2 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves, very lightly mashed and peeled but left whole
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon sugar
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices (the wider slices from the top of the carrots may be halved lengthwise)
1 cup (4 ounces) pearl onions or very small shallots, peeled and left whole but with tiny crosses cut at the root end
8 medium white mushrooms, quartered lengthwise
In a stainless steel pan, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, coriander seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds, bay leaves, garlic, salt, pepper to taste, sugar, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Strain and pour the flavored liquid back into the pan. Add the carrots, onions, and mushrooms and bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat down to medium-low, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Uncover and let the vegetables cool in the liquid.
Refrigerate the vegetables in their liquid and use as needed. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and serve.
SERVES 4
Sautéed, Lightly Sweetened Carrots with Herbs
You may sauté these julienned carrots in olive oil or, as I prefer, in a mixture of olive oil and a little butter. The fresh herbs may be used singly or in combination. I love to eat this with slightly bitter greens and either potatoes or bread.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2 × ¼ × ¼-inch julienne strips
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs (thyme, tarragon, and sage) or 1 teaspoon dried herbs
Scant ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Put the oil and butter in a frying pan or sauté pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the carrots, herbs, and salt. Stir and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the carrots are crisp-tender. Add the sugar. Stir to mix and turn off the heat.
SERVES 4
INDIA
Stir-Fried Carrots and Ginger with Mustard Seeds
Gajar No Sambharo
This is a very light and refreshing approach to carrots. I love to stuff this into pita breads along with beans, roasted peppers, and whatever else looks good in the refrigerator.
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
½ teaspoon whole yellow or brown mustard seeds
1 pound carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely grated
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Put the oil in a large frying pan, sauté pan, or wok and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, put in the carrots, ginger, salt, cayenne, and lime juice. Stir and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
SERVES 4
Mrs. Chanchal Kapoor’s
Village-Style Carrots with Potatoes and Peas
Gajar Aloo Matar
A dish from the villages of the Punjab in northwestern India, this is cooked up in open courtyards in the morning and then taken to the farmers in the fields at midday, along with breads, pickles, and yogurt or fresh buttermilk. In India, where the peas are much firmer, they are generally put in to cook at the same time as the carrots and potatoes. I have used frozen peas here. If you wish to use fresh peas, could put them in with the carrots. However, if they seem very tender, you might put them in after the carrots and potatoes have cooked for 10 minutes.
I noticed in the Punjab that when a quick fresh tomato puree is required, the tomato is simply grated. All the skin stays behind and you are left with a coarse, natural puree. It has seeds in it, but for this dish that does not matter.
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
1 medium onion (5 ounces), peeled and finely chopped
1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into minute dice
2 medium tomatoes (11 ounces), grated
1¾ to 2 teaspoons salt
½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons garam masala (store-bought garam masala should be used here, or if using
my recipe, use only 1 teaspoon)
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch
chunky dice1 pound boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
1 cup (5½ ounces) defrosted frozen peas
Put the oil in a wide pan or deep frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the onion. Stir and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the onion starts to brown at the edges. Now put in the ginger and stir for another minute. Put in the grated tomatoes, salt, cayenne, garam masala, and turmeric. Stir and fry, still on medium-high heat, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato mixture has thickened a bit. Now add the carrots and potatoes. Stir for a minute. Add ½ cup of water, stir, and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and cook gently for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add the peas, stir, and cover again. Cook another 4 to 5 minutes, or until the peas are cooked through.
SERVES 6
Carrots with Fresh Fenugreek or Fresh Cilantro
Gajar Methi
Fenugreek greens, a seasonal favorite in India, are fed to camels in Morocco, which always makes me laugh! One country’s delicacy is another country’s animal fodder! (In the same way, India, which grows tons of lemongrass, uses it only medicinally and, in only western India, as an herbal flavoring for tea.)
In this very traditional dish, made in every Delhi home and sold in the bazaars of the old city, carrots are diced and cooked with tender fenugreek leaves. Whole stalks of this rather strong-smelling herb are now sold in the Indian markets that have sprung up in major cities. The leaves need to be taken off the stems, washed thoroughly, and then chopped. If you cannot get fenugreek (called fresh methi by the Indians), you may use cilantro.
Serve with breads, bean dishes, chutneys, and relishes.
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
Generous pinch of ground asafetida
½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch
chunky dice8 tablespoons finely chopped fenugreek greens (methi) or cilantro
1 fresh hot green chile, finely chopped
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground amchoor or ¾ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Put the oil in a large, nonstick frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the asafetida. Five seconds later, put in the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 15 seconds. Now put in the carrots and stir a few times. Turn the heat to medium. Add the fenugreek or cilantro, chile, cayenne, salt, garam masala, and amchoor or lemon juice. Stir for a minute. Add 3 tablespoons of water, cover, and turn the heat down to low. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. There should be no liquid left and the greens, now quite dark, should cling to the carrots.
SERVES 4
Persian-Style Carrots with Dried Apricots
I love the Persian way of combining savory foods with the sour and the sweet and of putting dried fruit into grain and vegetable dishes. Here are carrots cooked in that manner. I came up with this recipe one Christmas and served it with Red Peppers Stuffed with Herbed Rice in the Persian Manner. Indeed, this dish is as perfect for feasts as it is for everyday eating.
I used whole, seeded Turkish apricots here. They tend to be a little sweeter than the California apricot halves but just a bit more fibrous. Use whichever you can find easily but adjust the sugar as needed.
2 tablespoons olive oil or a mixture of 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 smallish onion (3 ounces), peeled, halved lengthwise, and then cut crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick half rings
4 medium carrots (10 ounces), peeled and cut crosswise but at a slight diagonal into ¼-inch-thick oval slices
6 seeded dried Turkish apricots, split into halves, or 12 dried California apricot halves
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable stock
Put the oil or oil and butter in a large, preferably nonstick frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the onion, carrots, and apricot halves. Stir and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until all the ingredients just start to brown. Put in the sugar and salt and stir for 10 seconds. Put in the stock and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the carrots are tender.
SERVES 4
When I was growing up, family weddings in India went on for days. Caterers set up their cooking tents in an open area, such as a courtyard, that was not being used for the wedding itself or for serving meals. It was here that all the cooking, from breakfast to dinner, was done. Cauliflower—young, crisp, and succulent—was a wedding staple. Winter weddings were popular because of the cooler climate and cauliflower was the queen of winter vegetables. It was cooked in vast quantities. At one meal hundreds of us devoured the florets and, so as to throw nothing away, we ate the coarse stems at the next. The caterers, all famous locally for their “good hand,” transformed these stems into spice-encrusted wonders that we ate rather like artichoke hearts, pulling away the soft flesh in the center between our teeth and leaving the coarse skins behind.
As a result, I have always thought of cauliflower as two vegetables, the soft florets and the sturdy central stem. Unfortunately, I can never get enough stems together to attempt that now mythic wedding delicacy.
The fresher and younger the cauliflower, the better it will be. Look for crisp white heads without black spots and with crisp green outer leaves. Yellowing leaves are an unpleasant indication of age. In American supermarkets, cauliflower heads average 1½ to 2 pounds, including some outer leaves, which yield very roughly 4 to 5 cups of florets. It is best to buy cauliflower the day you are to eat it. If you must store it, wrap it in a dish towel and then put it in a large plastic bag that is left open.
Many of my recipes call for cutting the cauliflower into delicate florets. Here is how you go about this: First, remove the leaves and cut off the thick central stem as high up near the head as you can. Now begin to break off the outside florets with as much stem attached to them as possible. It is the stem that provides the elegance to florets. The outside florets tend to be large and chunky. As you get to the inside of the head, the florets will get smaller and so will the stems. Use a small paring knife and cut the center section lengthwise into as many sections as needed so that you have a head no wider than 1 inch and a stem about 1½ to 2 inches long. In some cases you will be creating a stem with what is actually the core of the cauliflower. Now go back to the chunky outside florets. Each can be divided into 2, 3, or 4 delicate florets of the same size that you prepared earlier but start cutting lengthwise from the stem up. This will ensure that you have a reasonable stem for each little head.
Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add 2 tablespoons salt and stir. Now put in the florets and bring to a boil again. Boil rapidly for 3 to 4 minutes,
or until the florets are just tender. Drain. You may serve these florets very simply with butter or with some extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and freshly ground black pepper sprinkled over them. If I am going to put a cold dressing on them, I do it while they are still hot so it gets absorbed quickly. If the florets are not to be used immediately, rinse them under cold running water until they have cooled off completely.
Cauliflower Stir-Fried with Ginger and Cilantro
A simple, refreshing stir-fry that is good hot but also chilled.
Pick off the cilantro leaves, wash them well, and then spin dry them. This will make it much easier to chop them finely.
¼ cup olive oil
4 thin slices of fresh ginger
1 head of cauliflower (1¾ pounds), cut into delicate
florets¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh cilantro
Generous squeezes of lemon juice
Put the oil in a large wok or sauté pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the ginger. Stir for 10 seconds, pressing down upon the ginger. Now put in the cauliflower and salt. Stir and fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons of water and cover. Cook on medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cauliflower is crisp-tender. Uncover and boil away extra liquid if there is any. Add the black pepper to taste, cilantro, and lemon juice. Stir to mix and turn off the heat. Serve. (The ginger may be removed before serving.)
SERVES 4 TO 6
INDIAN-AMERICAN
Benita Kern’s
Cauliflower with Ginger and Cream
A most unusual dish and completely new to me, this comes from an Indian friend living in the States who got it from another Indian friend in the States. It may be served with almost any meal. I have even had it as a topping for a baked potato! It is simplicity itself to prepare and quite heavenly.
I used a 12-inch-wide sauté pan to make this. You need to give the cauliflower a chance to spread out and absorb the sauce at the same time.
1 head of cauliflower (2¼ pounds), cut into delicate
florets1 (1-inch) piece of fresh peeled ginger, cut into minute dice
1 to 2 fresh hot green chiles, very finely chopped
4 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
Combine all the ingredients in a heavy, wide sauté pan and set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and cook 10 minutes, stirring now and then and replacing the cover each time. Remove the cover and turn the heat to medium-high. Stir gently and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cauliflower is just done to your taste and the sauce has thickened slightly.
SERVES 4
INDIA
Promila Kapoor’s
Punjabi-Style Cauliflower and Potatoes with Ginger
Aloo Gobi
This everyday cauliflower and potato dish is generally eaten with flatbreads (rotis or parathas) as well as a yogurt relish and some pickles. You may serve it as a part of any meal, along with greens, beans, and rice or bread.
Peanut or canola oil for shallow frying
1 pound boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into thick 2 × 1 × 1-inch fries
1 head of cauliflower (1¾ pounds), cut into delicate
florets1 tablespoon peeled finely chopped fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
¾ to 1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 to 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Put the oil in a large frying pan and set over medium heat. When it is hot, put in the potatoes and fry until they are golden and almost tender, about 10 minutes. Lift the potatoes out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Turn the heat to medium-high, put in the cauliflower florets, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until they are golden brown. Lift the cauliflower out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Turn the heat off. Remove all the oil from the frying pan except for 2 tablespoons (the extra oil can be strained and reused). Turn the heat to medium-high and put in the ginger. Stir for 10 seconds. Now return the potatoes and cauliflower to the pan. Turn the heat down to medium. Put in the turmeric, salt, cayenne, cumin, and coriander. Stir gently to coat the vegetables with the spices. Add 3 tablespoons of water. Stir once and cover the pan. Turn the heat down to low and cook very gently for 4 minutes. Add the cilantro and toss gently. Serve hot.
SERVES 4
INDONESIA
Cauliflower and Green Beans in a Red Chile Dressing
On every visit to Yogjakarta, I have had a different version of this dish. It is always served at room temperature there and, in one case where I bought it from a hawker in the market, consisted of lightly blanched cauliflower, long beans, and mung bean sprouts, all tossed together in a sour and spicy dressing that had fresh red chiles and fresh coconut.
1 to 2 fresh long hot red chiles, seeded and chopped (or ½ medium red pepper, seeded, cored, and chopped, plus ½ teaspoon cayenne)
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
4 teaspoons lime juice
⅓ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup (2 ounces) freshly grated coconut or 5 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsweetened dessicated coconut soaked in 4 tablespoons hot water for 1 hour
1½ teaspoons dark brown sugar (more may be added)
Salt
1 head of cauliflower (2 pounds), cut into delicate
florets5 long beans or 16 green beans, cut into 1½-inch lengths
1 packed cup fresh mung bean sprouts
Combine all the ingredients for the dressing and set aside. Taste for the balance of seasonings. (The dressing may be refrigerated, if you like.)
Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add 2 tablespoons salt and stir. Now put in the cauliflower florets and beans and bring to a boil again. Boil rapidly for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the florets are just tender. Throw in the sprouts, stir once, and drain immediately.
Put the well-drained, still hot vegetables into a bowl, pour the dressing over the top, and stir to mix. Serve immediately. (You may also refrigerate the dish and serve it chilled.)
SERVES 4
INDIA
Cauliflower Fritters
I love these extra crisp fritters, which may be served all by themselves as a snack (the chickpea flour in them makes them extra nutritious as do the egg whites) or as part of a meal. Eat them as soon as they are made with Trinidadian Pepper Sauce, Indonesian Peanut Sauce, or Afghani Sour Cherry Chutney. They are equally good with tomato ketchup! If you are cooking the fritters in several batches, it is really ideal to eat each batch as it gets done.
2 cups chickpea flour
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground cumin or whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon cayenne
2 egg whites
Peanut or canola oil for deep-frying
1 head of cauliflower (1½ pounds), broken into delicate
florets
Sift the chickpea flour into a bowl. Slowly add about 2 cups or a little less water, mixing with a wooden spoon as you go. Add the salt, pepper, thyme, cumin, coriander, and cayenne and mix. You should end up with a smooth batter of medium thickness. Beat the egg whites to a very light froth with soft peaks and set them aside.
Put the oil in a large wok to a depth of 3 inches or large sauté pan to a depth of 1½ inches and set over medium heat. When hot (this will take a few minutes),
fold the egg whites into the batter and then, one at a time but moving quickly, dip the florets into the batter and put them in the oil. Put in only as many as the utensil will hold easily. Stir and fry for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the fritters are crisp and golden-red. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain quickly on a plate lined with paper towels. Do more batches as needed the same way.
SERVES 3 TO 4
Most of us enjoy this ancient Mediterranean vegetable raw, simply munching on those heavenly, crisp stalks or adding chopped pieces to cold salads. At the home of my American in-laws, celery stalks were always set out on oval plates on either side of the candlesticks at both Thanksgiving and Christmas. They were consumed with generous sprinklings of salt well before dinner started. And remember when we all thought that celery stalks filled with cream cheese were God’s gift to man? Fortunately our tastes seem to have moved on to find more interesting uses for this versatile vegetable.
When cooked, celery is almost a different vegetable. Of course it may be used as a seasoning in soups, stews, and bean dishes, providing them with a complex, flavorful base, but celery is wonderful cooked by itself, especially when it is stir-fried or braised.
Celery is generally sold two ways, in whole bunches and as “hearts,” which are the inner, more tender stalks. Needless to say, you should look for clean, crisp, unblemished stalks. When
storing, it is best to keep them in a slightly open plastic bag. Slightly tired celery may be restored if put in a bowl of icy water for a couple of hours.
It is a good idea to remove the strings from the coarser outside stalks before cooking. To do this, lay a stalk with its hollow side down and cut crosswise across the very bottom but not all the way through. Now draw the cut sections backward toward the top, pulling the strings as well. You may have to pull off a few strings individually, using the same technique.
Celery Gratin with Fennel and Black Pepper
An elegant celery dish, this has a final coating of nicely browned Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese mixed with crushed fennel seeds and crushed black peppercorns.
2 heads of celery (about 1¾ pounds)
Salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, quartered
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds
2 cups rich vegetable stock (I use stock cubes here)
¼ cup dry vermouth
4 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon lightly crushed fennel seeds (you could whir them for a second in a clean coffee grinder or use a mortar and pestle)
Remove the coarser outer stalks of the celery. Cut off the top, leaving about 7 inches. Trim away a very thin slice at the bottom, making sure that the stalks stay attached. Wash the celery well and then cut each head in half lengthwise.
Bring about 1 gallon of water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons salt and stir. Put in the celery. Continue to boil for 10 minutes, or until the celery is completely limp. Drain carefully.
Put the oil and butter in a wide pan and set over medium-high heat. When bubbling, put in the onion and carrot. Stir and sauté for 3 minutes, or until very lightly browned. Arrange the celery neatly in a single layer and pour the stock and vermouth over the top. Bring to a boil. Cover, leaving the lid very slightly ajar, and cook 45 minutes, or until the celery is quite tender. Gently lift out the celery and put it in a single layer, cut side down, in a gratin dish. Strain the remaining liquid and boil it down until you have 5 to 6 tablespoons left. Dribble this over the celery. Combine the cheese, pepper, and fennel and sprinkle this over the top.
Heat the broiler and put the gratin dish under the heat just long enough to brown the top. Serve immediately.
SERVES 4
Celery Stir-Fried with Snow Peas
Here’s a light, crunchy vegetable dish that would be the perfect accompaniment to something with a softer texture such as eggplants or bean curd.
Do not use the very coarse outer celery stalks for this. You will need 1 large celery head or 1½ to 2 of the smaller “hearts.”
The snow peas should be destringed before being cut. (Snap off the stem end and pull it backward over the top of the pea, along with the string. See details.)
1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil
3 slices of fresh peeled ginger
1 scallion, cut crosswise into ¼-inch-wide rings
2¾ cups (9 ounces) celery stalks, cut crosswise at a very slight diagonal into ¼-inch-wide strips
1½ cups (4 ounces) snow peas, cut crosswise at a very slight diagonal into ¼-inch-wide strips
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Put the oil in a large frying pan and set over high heat. When hot, put in the ginger and scallion. Stir for 30 seconds. Now put in the celery and snow peas. Stir for about 3 minutes. Put in the salt and pepper to taste. Stir and mix for another 30 seconds. Turn off the heat. Remove the ginger slices before serving.
SERVES 3 TO 4
These chives, sold only in Chinese markets, come two ways. Flat chives (juo tsai) are sold tied in bundles and look like flat blades of grass that meet at the bottom like a scallion. The other chives, known as flowering chives (juo tsai hwa), are slightly tubular, rather like western chives but double the length, and have a closed bud at the top. These also come in bundles. The first may be cut and used in scrambled eggs or stir-fried. The latter are excellent when they are stir-fried all by themselves. The bud and stem are eaten. Both types have a strong chive flavor with a hint of garlic.
In Chinese markets there is generally no danger of getting anything but very fresh chives. The flat chives tend to be floppier than the flowering ones, but they should both look alert and green. Rather like radish tops, they do not last well in the refrigerator. Wrap them up in newspaper or brown paper without washing and then put them in the vegetable bin. Plan on using them up quickly.
The flat variety are cleaned rather like scallions. Pull away any drooping blades and any brown section near the root end and wash well. The flowering chives need only be trimmed at the bottom and washed.
CHINA
Shiu-Min Block’s
Stir-Fried Chinese Chives
Chow Juo Tsai
This dish of chives gives a wonderful accent to an Asian meal. Even though I used the flat variety of Chinese chives here, you may use the flowering variety, cutting them in half lengthwise.
¾ pound flat Chinese chives, cleaned and well washed as described previously.
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
2 thin slices of fresh ginger, cut into fine shreds
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon oriental sesame oil
Cut the chives crosswise into ½-inch segments, keeping the white sections separate.
Put the oil in a large frying pan or wok and set over high heat. When hot, put in the ginger and the white part of the chives. Stir for 10 seconds and then put in the green parts of the chives. Stir and add the salt. Stir for about 1½ minutes. Add the sesame oil and toss.
SERVES 3 TO 4
It is mainly fresh corn that I am concerned with here. (For dried corn and cornmeal, see
Grains.) The ears we get to eat in America are so hybridized that they require just a few minutes of cooking. We are so spoiled. For those of us who are by the sea in August or near farms, we have access to sweet corn that has just been picked that morning or afternoon. We take it home, shuck it, and put it into a covered pot of boiling water well before any sugar in the ears has converted to starch. Here it stays for a mere 5 minutes when it is rescued with tongs, slathered with sweet butter—and salt and pepper for those who desire it—and then eaten, in rows or in a circular pattern, as years of habit dictate. (I do without salt, pepper, or butter, maintaining that with a good ear of corn, nothing else is required.)
When I was growing up in India, the corn we ate was really young maize. During the rainy season little charcoal stoves mushroomed up along the roadsides. Our tougher corn was perfect for grilling. The ears were put on the glowing charcoal while the sellers squatted beside it, fanning the flames. Once done, the kernels would be golden brown, even black in spots. Some would pop and flower into popcorn. Salt, pepper, chili powder, and lime juice were rubbed all over. (I always liked mine plain.) Cars would pull up. Money would go out of a rolled-down window and the hot ears of corn would go in. Then the car would move on. How I loved this corn! I would remove each kernel and store them in my pocket like a squirrel. Then, for the rest of the day, I would eat the kernels, one by one, depleting my treasure as slowly as I could possibly manage.
I have looked in vain for maize in the farms around our country house. My local farmer used to grow multicolored “Indian” corn, the kind that is sold dried and tied in bunches in the autumn. He used to sell me some when it was young, though he never quite understood why I wanted it. That corn was excellent for grilling. But now, in order to preserve it for the months to come, the farmer needs to spray it early; so I have lost my source. A good edible product lost to decoration!
Our modern sweet corn may also be grilled, but in a different manner and with totally different results. It needs to be soaked whole and then grilled with its husk still on. See
Grilled Sweet Corn for a recipe.
Where we are in upstate New York, apart from the yellow sweet corn, there is Silver Queen, which has all white kernels, and Butter and Sugar, which has both white and yellow kernels. Just buy the freshest ears you can find, with pale green, damp stems, and try to eat them quickly. If you cannot, put them in the refrigerator bin immediately. If they do not fit—this happens to me so often—remove the husks, pull off the silk, and store in perforated plastic bags.
Shuck the corn as suggested. Stand the corn at a slight angle on a chopping board and, using a sharp knife and working from top to bottom, cut the kernels off in rows. Make sure you do not cut into the hard cob itself.
Out of season, I frequently use frozen corn kernels. While nothing like fresh corn, they are a good substitute in stews and soups. I had never bought canned corn until a year ago. A friend in England suggested that I try it for one of her recipes. “But,” she added, “get only Green Giant.” I followed her advice and was most pleasantly surprised, so I am passing this information on.
Grilled Sweet Corn
This is one of the traditional Native American ways of preparation, perfect for warm summer days when corn is in season and outdoor grills are smoking. Do not shuck the corn for this recipe, at least not until the corn is cooked.
As I have said before, I never put butter on my corn. But my husband, who puts butter on whatever he can, insists that the best way of buttering corn, a way he picked up along the route somewhere, is to tear off a piece of bread, dab a big chunk of butter on it, and then move it up and down the steaming-hot ear. Of course, he eats the bread when he is done buttering the corn!
8 ears of sweet corn with husks
Butter, salt, pepper, and cayenne (optional)
Soak the unhusked ears of corn in water for 2 to 3 hours.
Meanwhile, light your outdoor grill (or use your indoor broiler, with the tray set about 5 inches from the source of heat) and grill, turning the ears frequently for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the husks are charred and the kernels are cooked through. Peel away the husk and silk and serve with the butter and a light sprinkling of the seasonings, if desired.
SERVES 4 TO 8
Corn with Ginger
Here is a fine way to cook midseason corn. I make this with fresh ears of white Silver Queen corn but any corn kernels, even frozen ones that have been defrosted or good-quality drained canned ones, will do. If you wish to serve this hot, you will find it surprisingly good over a bowl of steaming polenta (corn over corn, yes, but very good) or stuffed into pita bread. It goes well with dried bean dishes and green vegetables. This corn may also be served cold, as a salad.
2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1½ cups (12 ounces) peeled and chopped very ripe tomatoes or canned tomatoes with a little of their juice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
3 cups (1 pound) corn kernels taken from 3 to 4 ears of freshly shucked corn (preferably Silver Queen), frozen defrosted corn kernels, or canned drained corn kernels
1 fresh hot green chile, finely chopped (optional)
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Put the oil in a medium frying pan or sauté pan and set over medium-high heat. When it is hot, put in the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds. Stir in the ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Put in the tomatoes and stir for 5 minutes, letting the tomatoes reduce slightly. Add the salt, sugar, corn, and optional green chile. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring now and then, for 5 minutes, or until the corn is just done. Finally, add the cilantro and toss to mix well. Serve hot, at room temperature, or chilled.
SERVES 4 TO 6
INDIA
Panna Thakrar’s
Corn Cooked in Yogurt
Dahi Valu Makai Nu Shaak
This is normally eaten with Indian breads but any flatbread would be suitable. I find it almost impossible to tackle the corn pieces with a knife and fork. As with all corn-on-the-cob dishes, it is best to eat this the Indian way, with the hands. It is slightly messy. Just keep some paper napkins handy!
4 ears of fresh sweet corn, husked
1 garlic clove, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 to 2 fresh hot green chiles, coarsely chopped
1 (1½-inch) cube of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 tablespoons plus 2 cups plain yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
4 tablespoons raw shelled and skinned peanuts
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
½ teaspoon whole brown or yellow mustard seeds
Generous pinch of ground asafetida, if available
10 fresh curry leaves (fresh basil leaves make an interesting alternative)
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
In a large pot, bring about 2 inches of water to a boil over high heat. Put in the corn, bring to a boil again, and cover. Boil about 3 minutes, or until the corn is just cooked. Drain. Scrape off all the kernels from 2 of the ears of corn. Cut the remaining 2 ears crosswise into 1-inch pieces.
Put the garlic, green chile, ginger, and 3 tablespoons yogurt into an electric blender. Blend, pushing down with a rubber spatula, if necessary, until you have a smooth paste. Add the salt and turmeric and blend to mix.
Put the 2 cups yogurt into a large bowl and mix with a fork until smooth and creamy. Empty the garlic paste into the same bowl. Add the corn kernels and the corn pieces, mix well, and leave to marinate for 4 to 8 hours.
The peanuts need to be crushed to the size of large mustard seeds. This may be done in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder, using the stop-and-start pulsing method, or with a pestle in a mortar. Set aside.
Put the oil in a large nonstick frying pan or wok and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, put in the asafetida and the curry leaves. Stir once, turn the heat down to low, and put in the peanuts. Stir and fry for a minute, or until the peanuts turn golden. Put in the corn and all the marinade in the bowl. Turn the heat to medium. Bring the contents of the pot to a simmer, stirring gently all the time. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and cook 10 minutes. Add the cilantro and stir. Serve hot.
SERVES 4
INDIA
Panna Thakrar’s
Corn with Cauliflower
Phulawar Makai Nu Shaak
This is a superb dish that may be served with breads, greens, and yogurt relishes. You may also serve it with a green salad and a crusty bread.
Panna, a Gujarati Indian who lives in London, cooks the dish year-round and uses canned corn that has been drained. You may use fresh cooked corn taken off the cob if you like or frozen cooked and drained corn kernels. You will need 1½ cups of cooked corn.
1 (¼-inch-thick) slice of peeled fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 fresh hot green chiles, finely chopped
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil, or
ghee1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 head of cauliflower (2 pounds), trimmed and cut into delicate
florets2 small onions (each about 2 ounces), peeled, quartered, and the layers separated
1 (15¼-ounce) can corn, drained (see recipe introduction)
⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
1¼ to 1½ teaspoons salt
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Put the ginger, green chiles, and 2 tablespoons of water in an electric blender. Blend to a puree, pushing down with a rubber spatula when necessary. Set the puree aside.
Put the oil in a large wok or frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the cumin seeds. Stir once and put in the cauliflower. Stir and fry the cauliflower for 2 minutes. Cover, turn the heat down to medium-low, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring now and then. Add the onions. Stir and cook, uncovered, on medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 2 minutes, stirring now and then. Uncover and add the corn, turmeric, and salt. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the ginger-chile paste, stir, and cook another minute. Add the cilantro and toss. Serve hot.
SERVES 6
INDIA
Panna Thakrar’s
Spicy Corn with Sesame Seeds and Tomatoes
Tamatar Varu Makai Nu Shaak
This spicy corn dish is excellent with breads. It may be rolled inside a tortilla or an Indian chapati or stuffed into a pita bread along with some Tahini Sauce. You may serve it with greens, beans, and tortillas. I often have leftovers on toast with a little green salad on the side.
It is very good. You may use fresh cooked corn taken off the cob or canned drained corn if you like or frozen cooked and drained corn kernels. You will need 1½ cups of cooked corn.
2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
½ teaspoon whole brown or yellow mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
Generous pinch of ground asafetida
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 fresh hot green chile, finely chopped
1½ tablespoons sesame seeds
1 smallish onion (3 ounces), peeled and finely chopped
½ large green bell pepper (about 3 ounces), cut into ½-inch dice
1 (15¼-ounce) can corn, drained (see recipe introduction)
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
4 to 5 canned plum tomatoes with some of their liquid, put in a blender and liquefied (enough to have 1 cup)
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Put the oil in a large nonstick frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the mustard and cumin seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, put in the asafetida. Stir once and put in the garlic and green chile. Stir once or twice and put in the sesame seeds. As soon as the sesame seeds turn golden and/or pop, a matter of seconds, put in the onion and green pepper. Stir and fry for 5 minutes. Add the drained corn, salt, and garam masala. Stir and cook for a minute. Add the turmeric, ground cumin, coriander, and paprika. Stir and cook for a minute. Add the liquefied tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Uncover, add the cilantro, and stir to mix. Serve hot.
SERVES 4
Known generally by its Japanese name, daikon, this long white radish can grow to more than a foot in length and become as wide as a man’s forearm. In Asia it is used for all manner of pickles but it is also used in soups, where it becomes beautifully translucent, or simmered slowly with soy sauce and sugar in the technique that the Chinese call “red-cooking,” which makes it delightfully succulent.
Daikon are sold mainly by East and South Asian grocers. Unless you need very thick radishes, look for those that have a diameter of about 2 inches and that look crisp and white. It is awful to end up with limp, dried-out, cottony ones. It is almost worth it to break one in half and look at the insides right in the store. As with red radishes, opaque white spots inside indicate dryness. You may have to buy the one you snapped but at least you will be
buying only one! Store in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Wash them off first and then peel them deeply with a peeler. There are almost two layers of skin, and you need to get through both. If a julienne of daikon is required, you may, of course, use one of those amazing Japanese mandolines that have razor-sharp teeth but are much lighter than their bulkier French counterparts. You could also use the East Asian method: First cut slices of the thickness you need. Now spread the slices in an overlapping row in front of you like a deck of cards. Using a cleaver or a large knife, start cutting the strips at one end and keep going until you have reached the other. Peeled radishes may also be grated, either to a pulp or coarsely, or
roll-cut or diced. As they contain a lot of water, they are often salted before they are pickled.
Shiu-Min Block’s
Stewed or “Red-Cooked” Daikon
Hung Shao Lo Bo
This is one of my most favorite ways of cooking the large, chunky daikon. Serve it with rice and greens. The daikon needs to be roll-cut. If you cannot manage that, just cut it into 1-inch chunks.
1 pound chunky daikon, about 2 inches in diameter
2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
2 scallions, cut into 1½-inch lengths (both white and green sections), white sections halved lengthwise as well
2 slices of peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled but left whole
1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
Peel the daikon and
roll-cut it. When you get to the top section, which is much thicker, you might need to halve some of the chunks.
Put the oil in a wide pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the scallions and ginger. Stir for 30 seconds. Now put in the daikon and stir once or twice. Add the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and ¾ cup of water. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and cook for 15 minutes, or until the daikon is tender. Stir now and then during this period. Uncover, turn up the heat, and boil away all but about 4 tablespoons of the liquid. Stir now and then during this period. Add the sesame oil and cilantro and stir to mix. Serve hot or at room temperature. The daikon may be reheated in its own liquid.
SERVES 4
Eggplants, which are thought to have originated in India, come in many sizes and colors. Tiny little green ones, the size of peas and quite raw, are floated on top of Thai curries, adding a certain in-your-face, wake-up astringency to each morsel. Larger green ones, the size of substantial pomegranates, sometimes with whitish stripes, are hollowed out and stuffed in South and Southeast Asia or else sliced and fried or used in stir-fries. In India, they are cut into small dice and cooked along with other vegetables, such as diced potatoes. White ones, some the shape and size of golf balls, others larger and slightly elongated, have their own pale and creamy taste. They have a fine texture and cook quite fast.
However, the two colors of eggplants most commonly seen in Western markets are purple and pinkish-mauve.
Most supermarkets tend to carry the large, plump, somewhat oval, purple eggplants that weigh approximately ¾ pound to 1½ pounds. Very small ones, the size and shape of eggs, may be found in Indian and sometimes Chinese markets. Larger long, slim, dark purple ones, often called Italian eggplants, are sold by Italian grocers and sometimes by supermarkets. These vary in length from 4 to 6 inches.
Sold in America as Japanese eggplants, these can be found in most South and East Asian markets and in many West Coast supermarkets. Slim and long—they range from 6 to 9 inches—these are delicate in both texture and flavor. They are perfect for poaching and steaming. In Japan they are often served with a miso sauce or else dipped in a tempura batter and deep-fried. If you cannot get them, look for the substitutes suggested in individual recipes.
Many people believe that eggplants help prevent cancer and that they also inhibit the growth of fatty deposits in the arteries. They are certainly low in calories, with a cupful of the cooked vegetable proudly weighing in with fewer than 40 calories. Unfortunately, oil is their natural partner. They turn slithery, satiny, attractively brown, and positively sensuous when stir-fried or, better still, deep-fried.
But the amount of oil their greedy bodies soak in can be controlled in various ways. One is by cutting the vegetable into segments and either salting it or letting it soak in salty water for at least 30 to 40 minutes. This draws out some of their natural liquid, making them less dry and spongelike.
Instead of deep-frying them before cooking with sauces and seasonings, I have also taken to rubbing slices lightly with oil and broiling them until they are lightly browned on both sides.
Of course, eggplants may also be steamed, poached, or roasted before they are dressed. There are dozens of recipes for them scattered throughout this book not only because I love them but because they are so versatile and provide the dark, meaty accents often missing in meatless meals.
Look for shiny smooth skins without brown spots. It is best if the sepals and stem are still attached. Cook as soon as possible and, if you need to store, keep in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator.
There are many recipes—from southern Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean—that require eggplants to be roasted before being made into salads, dips, and entrées.
Traditionally, much of this roasting used to be done in hot ashes. Eggplants, usually of the large variety, were buried in hot ashes and removed when they were
charred on the outside and soft inside. The skin was then peeled off and the pulp used as desired. This is still done in the villages of South Asia, the Middle East, and some of the Mediterranean. In Santorini, a Greek island, I witnessed another method.
I had gone some considerable distance to see a man considered to be the best local baker. I intended to watch, learn, and hopefully get some bread recipes. Well, no recipes were forthcoming. The man was cagey, fobbing the most dubious information off on me. Perhaps he thought I might open a competing Greek bakery in New York! However, the day was saved by two sightings. The first was a lovely green vine that cascaded down the baker’s house, a vine of the large Santorini capers with their nasturtium-like leaves, and the second was a large tray of big, fat eggplants—there must have been at least a dozen of them—all nicely browned and covered with ash, coming out of the bread oven. The baker used the still-heated oven to roast his own and his neighbor’s vegetables once the breads were done! An eggplant salad, the baker’s fresh bread, and some fava (yellow split peas here) would probably be dinner for much of the village.
Whichever method you wish to use for roasting eggplant, it is best to prick holes in them with a fork first so they do not split and splatter. They are done when they turn very soft and flabby. Once that happens, you should peel them. This will be very easy to do by hand; no knife will be required. Once peeled, you can cut off their stem ends. They are now ready to be finely chopped or mashed with a fork, pulled into shreds, or even put into the blender if that is what the recipe requires.
1. Top-of-the-stove method (for a gas range) This is my preferred way of roasting a single large or medium eggplant. If I have more than one, I use another method.
First of all, try and buy an eggplant with a stem. This helps in the handling. It is a good idea to line your burner with foil to protect it from drips.
A 1½-pound eggplant will take 35 to 40 minutes to cook this way. A smaller one may take a little less time and a bigger one more.
Prick the eggplant (about 12 times) with a fork and stand it over a low gas flame on the stove, stem end up. If it tends to topple over, hold it by the stem or with a pair of tongs. When the bottom has charred, lay it down. Move it as needed so as to char one side completely. Now turn the eggplant just a little bit and start to char the adjacent section. Keep doing this until the entire vegetable is charred and turns soft and pulpy. You will need to hold it by its stem end or it will come apart at this stage.
Remove the eggplant from the flame. Now peel the skin off and quickly wash the eggplant under running water to remove any clinging charred bits. Pat it dry with paper towels. You may now chop the flesh coarsely into pieces and proceed with the recipe.
A 1½-pound eggplant will yield 2 cups of chopped flesh.
2. Oven roasting method (good when there are many eggplants or when there is an electric range) Preheat the oven to 450° F. Prick the eggplants all over with a fork first and lie them down in a baking tray lined with foil. Bake, turning every 15 minutes. One pound of eggplants will take about an hour. They should flatten and turn very soft inside. Then peel the eggplants by hand, chop off the stem end, and chop or mash as needed.
3. Fireplace method (good for medium-large eggplants) In our country house, where we often make wood fires, another method I use is to stand the eggplants fairly close to the fire in the fireplace. Then, as I knit or read, I turn the eggplants every now and then with tongs to roast all sides evenly. Once they are charred thoroughly on the outside and pulpy inside, I peel them, sometimes washing off little bits of the charred skin under cold running water. I then pat these dry and cut off their stem ends. The eggplants may now be shredded or mashed. This method gives a nice smoky aroma to the flesh.
4. Electric or gas broiler method (good for all sizes and shapes) It is best to broil the eggplants slowly under the lowest heat you can manage. Prick them first and lay them on a foil-lined baking tray. Place under the broiler. As one side chars, turn the eggplants just a little bit. Keep doing this until all the skin has charred. Always hold the eggplant by its stem end, especially as it turns soft. Now peel and mash as in the fireplace method.
Some recipes, particularly some Chinese ones, require that vegetables such as eggplants daikon, zucchini, carrots, or cucumbers be roll-cut. This gives them a large cut, skinless surface that can absorb flavors easily and cook fast.
The technique for all is the same as described below. To roll-cut long, slim eggplants or any long vegetable, lay one eggplant in front of you so its stem end faces left and the bottom end faces right. Make the first cut about 1½ inches from the bottom end at a steep diagonal that goes to the right. Now roll the eggplant slowly toward you until the cut end faces up. Make another steep diagonal cut that goes to the left. The cuts should meet and form a V. Roll the eggplant toward you again until the last cut end faces up. Make another steep diagonal cut to the right. Keep doing this until you have cut the entire eggplant.
Cold Eggplants with a Soy Sauce Dressing
You may, if you like, make this dish with zucchini. It will need to steam for just 3 to 5 minutes. Serve as part of a Chinese meal or as a summer vegetable dish.
4 small Italian or Japanese eggplants (10 ounces), about 6 inches long
1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed to a pulp
1 scallion, cut crosswise into very fine rounds
1 (½ × ½-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and very finely chopped
1 Chinese celery stalk or ½ celery stalk, cut into very small dice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon Chinese light soy sauce
1 tablespoon oriental sesame oil
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons tomato ketchup
⅛ teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons finely diced fresh cilantro stems
Quarter the eggplants lengthwise and then cut them crosswise into 3-inch segments. Steam over high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender. (General steaming instructions are
here.)
Meanwhile, combine the garlic, scallion, ginger, celery, and cilantro leaves in a small bowl. Cover and set aside. In another bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, and vegetable stock or water. Stir to mix, then set aside.
When the eggplants are tender, gently lift them out and arrange them neatly in a single layer on a large platter. Empty the contents of the bowl that contains the garlic mixture into the bowl that contains the soy sauce mixture. Stir the sauce. Pour the sauce evenly over the eggplants. Sprinkle the cilantro stems over the top and serve at room temperature or chilled.
SERVES 2 TO 4
Deep-Fried Eggplants with a Soy Sauce Dressing
For dinner parties, instead of steaming the eggplants, I often deep-fry them. Then, while they are still hot, I douse them with the room-temperature sauce and serve them immediately. Have the sauce ready before you start the frying.
To deep-fry, cut the eggplants as suggested above. Sprinkle them lightly with salt and set aside for 30 to 40 minutes. Pat dry.
Meanwhile, pour oil into a wok or deep-frying pan to a depth of 2 to 3 inches. Set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in as many eggplant pieces as the pan will hold easily and fry, turning when needed, until the pieces are a rich medium-brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Fry all the eggplants this way, place them in a serving dish, and douse with the sauce.