Papaya, Avocado and Jerusalem Artichoke salad
Mar22

Papaya, Avocado and Jerusalem Artichoke salad

  The creaminess of papaya and avocado and crispness of Jerusalem artichokes are pleasantly set off by the sweetish coriander-lime vinaigrette. You may prefer mango instead of papaya, or celeriac instead of Jerusalem artichokes. Also called sun chokes, the peeled Jerusalem artichokes may be blanched before use or left raw, depending on your preference. This light salad goes well on any menu from lunch to late supper.  ...

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Sauteed Cauliflower and Green Peas
Mar21

Sauteed Cauliflower and Green Peas

  In all cauliflower dishes, the quality of the vegetable is paramount. Look for crisp, tightly packed white flowerets and bright green leaves. It is important to cut the flowerets into uniform pieces, but the success of the dish really lies in slow, gentle braising; the cauliflower cooks in its own juice and seasonings until the flowerets are butter-soft and the stems tender-crisp. Garden-fresh peas are in a class of their own,...

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Green beans with Water Chestnuts
Mar20

Green beans with Water Chestnuts

  The water chestnut is a floating water plant growing in lakes and ponds on several continents. The fruits are angular, with brown skins and a white, floury nut inside –refreshingly crisp and delicious. There are several kinds. Singhara nuts, grown in the lakes of Kashmir, are eaten as snacks or blanched, sliced, dried and ground into flour. Chinese water chestnuts, or pi-tsi, are not really nuts, but tubers, deriving...

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Pishima’s Stuffed Okra
Mar19

Pishima’s Stuffed Okra

  This is my favorite stuffed okra recipe, and I have stuck as close as possible to the original version I learned from my well-wishing Vaishnava teacher and cooking inspiration, Pishima.   Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 30 minutes Cooking time: 20-30 minutes   Ingredients • Tender okra, preferably 4-inch (10 cm) pods, washed and thoroughly dried – 1 ½ pounds (685 g)  •...

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Double-Dal Soup
Mar18

Double-Dal Soup

    Toor dal is also known as arhar or tuar dal and pigeon peas. The mildly seasoned combination of moong and toor dals in this recipe is popular in cool-weather months.   Dal soaking time: 3 hours for toovar dal, 5 hours for yellow split peas Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 10 minutes Cooking time: 1 ½ hours   Ingredients • Split moong dal, without skins – 1/3 cup (75 g)...

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