The 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of the East: 150 Asian-Inspired Recipes--from Soba Noodles to Summer Rolls (3 page)

Chefs’ Tips and Tricks

10 Keys to Success in a 30-Minute Kitchen: Guidelines for Quickness and Accuracy

 

Remember that food is an art. These tips will help you have great success in the kitchen and will enable you to enjoy yourself. If you’re having a good time, everyone will enjoy the results, no matter what.

1. Read each recipe thoroughly. Look up words and ingredients you are unfamiliar with in our glossary or a dictionary. Understand the process involved. Understand when multitasking is necessary rather than waiting for each step to be complete before moving on to the next step.

2. Before beginning any preparation, create a clean work area. Gather the ingredients in the recipe before you begin. This ensures that you have everything
you need, know what you will be using if a substitute is required, and eliminate time spent searching through cabinets. Gather your measuring spoons and cups, tools, and appliances. Preparing food in a clean and organized space is always easier.

3. Having the proper tools is essential to being able to whip food up quickly. Preparation time may be increased if you don’t have tools such as a garlic press, zester, citrus juicer, or blender. Work up to a fully stocked kitchen.

4. Though the recipes are designed to taste their best by following the exact measurements, approximations are often acceptable. At some point you will be able to look at ginger and know how much makes a tablespoon. In cases like these, don’t worry too much about measuring everything with ultimate precision. With baking, however, measurements need to be precise because leavening is involved.

5. Some herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, or fennel, don’t need to be plucked from the thin part of their stems before mincing or chopping. Just keep them bundled together and chop the whole bunch at once. The thin parts of the stems generally have the same flavor and, once minced, basically taste the same.

6. Cut stacks of veggies rather than each individual piece. Don’t separate celery stalks when you can cut into the whole bunch at once. Same goes for heads of lettuce and cabbage. Stack tomato, potato, or onion slices and cut them simultaneously.

7. The easiest way to sift flour is with a fine mesh strainer. For accuracy, always sift baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and any spices that have lumps.

8. You don’t need to peel carrots, cucumbers, potatoes, zucchini, or beets unless specified; just wash them well. This is not only quicker but also helps preserve the nutritional content of the food.

9. Most blenders have cup and fluid ounce measurements right on the pitcher; no need to dirty more measuring cups.

10. One of the most important tips to help cut down on preparation time is to set aside an hour or so on one of your least busy days for advance prepping. Having prepped ingredients on hand makes it easier to create meals on the go. You can cut vegetables and store them in a glass container in the fridge, and you can cook a squash, grain, or a pot of beans. These foods can then be used in recipes over the next few days. Consider preparing a pot of rice in the morning and using it for the evening meal.

The Asian Pantry: India

Asafetida:
Also referred to as hing, asafetida has a pungent and relatively unpleasant aroma when raw but imparts the taste of garlic and onion when added to cooked food. It is frequently used by those who avoid onion and garlic in their food. It is also used as a digestive aid.

 

Chutney:
The salsa of India, chutneys are a sauce or relish consisting of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and/or spices that is served as a condiment with Indian meals. Chutneys provide intense flavor. Many are sweet and sour, and spicy hot.

 

Curry Leaves:
Also called sweet neem leaves, curry leaves are used in South Indian cuisine in much the same way bay leaves are used in the West. Despite the name, curry leaves are not a substitute for powdered curry, nor are they generally included in a curry blend. The fresh leaves can be stored in the freezer. They also are available in dried form online and at Asian markets.

 

Curry Powder:
The trademark of the Indian kitchen, curry powder is a ground blend of spices that varies from region to region but generally includes cumin, coriander, and turmeric. It’s the turmeric that gives curry its yellow color. For our homemade curry powder recipe, please see page 44.

 

Dhal (also spelled Dal):
One of the most frequent terms you will come across in Indian cuisine,
dhal
refers to a preparation of pulses or legumes that removes the outer shell and splits the husk. It is also the name of the soup or stew that is created by using them, such as mung dhal, chana dhal, and urud dhal.

 

Garam Masala:
This term comes from the Hindi words
garam,
meaning “hot,” and
masala
, meaning “spices.” In this case the hot refers to pungency, and not necessarily hot as in spicy hot. The ingredients and quantities vary widely throughout different regions in India. Please see page 45 for our garam masala recipe.

 

Masala:
Used often in Indian cuisine,
masala
refers to a blend of spices, either in dried form or a paste.

 

Tamarind:
Indigenous to North Africa, tamarind has been growing in India for so long that it is believed by many to be of Indian origin. The tamarind tree produces a sour and sometimes slightly sweet pod that is used throughout the world in countless culinary ways, including chutneys, jams, sauces, and drinks. If you are unable to find tamarind, you can replace it with an equal amount of lime or lemon juice as well as a minute amount of sweetener. Please see page 13 for our Tamarind Sauce recipe.

 

Other spices
popular in Indian cuisine include cardamom, cumin, turmeric, clove, cinnamon, fennel, fenugreek, and mustard seed.

SERVES 8

 

2 tablespoons sesame oil
1½ teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup diced onion
3 large cloves garlic, pressed or minced
6 cups water or vegetable stock
(see page 228)
½ cup red lentils
¼ cup white basmati rice
1 small potato, diced (1½ cups)
1 medium apple, peeled and
chopped small (1¼ cups)
¾ cup diced celery
1 carrot, diced (¾ cup)
1½ cups soy creamer or coconut milk
2 teaspoons garam masala
Pinch cayenne, or to taste
1 teaspoon tamarind paste,
or 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed
lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce, optional
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Lemon wedges

• You can always add greens! Try adding 2 to 3 cups of kale, collard greens, or Swiss chard, sliced into ½-inch strips.

• Play around with other fresh herbs you may have on hand or in your garden. A quarter cup of minced fresh parsley, and a teaspoon of oregano, thyme, or marjoram would go great in this soup.

SERVES 6 TO 8

 

2 tablespoons sesame oil
1½ tablespoons cumin seeds
1½ tablespoons mustard seeds
1 tablespoon curry powder
3 tablespoons toor dhal or ground yellow split peas (see Chefs’ Tips below)
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
5 small tomatoes, chopped (3 cups)
4 cups water or vegetable stock (see page 228)
1 hot chile, seeded and diced, or 3 dried red chiles
1 to 2 teaspoons tamarind paste or freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1½ teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro