10 Min

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Cumin Wilted Greens

This is probably the simplest recipe in our collection but we hope it becomes one of your mainstays. Use spinach, kale, chard, cabbage, Belgian endive, watercress or any other green you fancy.

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Cook Time

10 Minutes

Serves

3

Directions

Step 1

Heat the olive oil and pop the cumin seeds.

Step 2

Turn the heat off and add the greens. No heat needs to be applied. The goal is to wilt, not cook. The vegetables should retain their bright color. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Notes & Variations

If using red or rainbow chard, chop the thicker stems very thin for even cooking.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

6 cups of sliced greens

Pinch of sea salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Step 1

Heat the olive oil and pop the cumin seeds.

Step 2

Turn the heat off and add the greens. No heat needs to be applied. The goal is to wilt, not cook. The vegetables should retain their bright color. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

6 cups of sliced greens

Pinch of sea salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Notes & Variations

If using red or rainbow chard, chop the thicker stems very thin for even cooking.

Tags:

10 Min

Tags:

10 Min

Let's make it a meal.

Here are some fish entrees we think will pair well with these greens!

SO DELICIOUS

Ocean Masala Roasted Fish Fillet

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Asparagus with Navy Beans

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25 Min

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Baby Butter Saag

Today, I bring you saag in its purest and simplest form. In an attempt to feed greens to the newest member of our family, Lion, I’ve arrived at a recipe with just six ingredients. Yes, this saag will remind you of baby food but if only babies ate this well, our world may be a better place!

15 Min

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Bitter Melon Salad

After eating this wonderful fresh salad, I’ll never think of bitter melon that same way again!

30 Min

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Braised Baby Bok Choy

A little more substantial than spinach yet light enough to pass off as a green, bok choy can also be eaten raw in a salad, in a stir-fry or steamed.

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Braised Ivy Gourd

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Braised Karela

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55 Min

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Broccolini with Orange & Sesame

Packed with nutrients, vital minerals, and plenty of dietary fiber, broccolini cooks quickly and lends itself well to Asian flavors. Rather than being overpowered by additional sugar, here is a recipe where fresh orange juice contributes to the natural sweetness of the dish.

30 Min

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Cardamom Roasted Broccolini

More so than other vegetables, broccoli or broccolini needs to be cooked just right to be served at its best. For example, okra or green beans may not look pretty when overcooked but tastes just fine. Broccoli is better slightly undercooked than overcooked because the later can result in a soggy dish devoid of flavor, which is why roasting or grilling it guarantees good results. It took me a few tries to realize that it was the strong brassica smell of the broccoli that my taste buds subconsciously objected to. Now, I always cook broccoli with something fragrant, least of all garlic but usually an aromatic spice like cardamom, nutmeg, or mace. A quick little grating of nutmeg at the end, or the spears tossed with cardamom, black pepper and olive oil can transform broccoli. A squeeze of lemon or orange juice at the end can add even more fragrance and a smear of yogurt on the bottom can add a creamy luxurious finish.

45 Min

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Coconut Braised Collard Greens

Braised in coconut oil and coconut milk gives them a touch of slight sweetness that balances the bitterness in the greens. Add a dash of lime for contrast and you have hearty plant-based greens that are rich and deeply flavorful.

90 Min

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Green Bean Casserole

Always striving for fresh and local, I retraced some of the steps of this classic with fresh braised onions and mushrooms peppered with cumin seeds, garlic and kari (curry) leaves and a creamy coconut and almond sauce.

50 Min

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Green Bean Sabzi

In India, vegetarians do not make a meatless meal look or taste like meat. The meal should be triumphantly vegetarian; hearty, appetizing, nutritionally well balanced and satisfying, with a flair of its own. No processed, lab-grown meat or chunks made to taste and look like a chicken in sight. Enter sabzi, a cooked, dry vegetable of sorts. Sabzi, dal (cooked spiced lentils) and rice or roti is perhaps the most common everyday meal in India. There are dozens and dozens of sabzis in every region of India, from potato, cauliflower, sautéed greens, bean, squash sabzis and so on. Here is a satisfying green bean and potato sabzi — enjoy it with roti, simple whole-wheat flatbread, and a simple dal made with yellow moong.

20 Min

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Grilled Moringa Drumsticks

Nicknamed the “tree of life” for its nutritional density, the moringa drumstick tree is native to tropical regions of Asia and India. The drumstick pods, an essential part of Ayurvedic regimens, are an incredible source of calcium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin C and antioxidants.

50 Min

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Grilled Nopales

This summer, try grilling nopales on your backyard grill and topping them with this simple tomato masala.

40 Min

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Haak Saag

In this recipe, we call for a reduction of pomegranate juice to balance out the bitterness and a quick final stir of the greens to keep the bright green color intact.

45 Min

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Karela Sweet Potato Sabzi

Bitter melon in particular is best eaten in small portions with caramelized onions, sweet potato or sweet corn to offset its bitterness.

30 Min

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Kerala Green Beans

Be it string beans, Chinese long beans or French haricot verts, the humble green bean is one winter vegetable that is universal throughout the world and prepared dozens of different ways.

30 Min

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Kerala Vegetable Stew

This vegetable stew is colorful and satisfying. It can be eaten on its own or with rice.

30 Min

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Masala Stuffed Roasted Okra

This okra stuffed with a potato masala makes a delicious side or main dish.

30 Min

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Mulukhiyah with Beans

Here is a simple recipe using beans and mulukhiyah inspired by how it is used in the Middle East. Use any kind of beans from small flageolets to the more common garbanzo. Eating vegetables is vital to our health.

5 Min

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Pan-Seared Shishito Peppers

Houston markets are filled with many varieties of peppers, the shishito being one of my favorites. This east Asian pepper is small, about 3 inches long, thin-walled and usually mild in heat. The recipe takes less than 5 minutes to make, the shishitos can be cooked stems and all, and they make a great light lunch - or snack with a martini.

60 Min

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Pea Stuffed Peppers

Bell peppers are in full bloom in Texas, filling farm table stands with their striking yellow, orange, red and purple hues. Mincing and tossing into scrambled eggs, a stew or in stir-fry, there are endless uses for peppers. Their skin is often discarded after roasting, as are their seeds and placenta; however, these are edible and can be incorporated into the cooking. The seeds can be bitter, but cooking mellows this out. At my restaurant, anywhere peppers are used, given their high vitamin C and fiber content, we use every part except the stem. These fresh green pea stuffed peppers are intensely flavored, which is balanced by the cooling saffron yogurt sauce. Make sure to soak the saffron threads in yogurt a day or two before; the flavor of saffron is best when it has had time to develop.

90 Min

GF

Ricotta & Pea Stuffed Karela

Once balanced and tempered with other seasonings, bitter melon transforms into a thing of beauty.

30 min

GF

Roasted Asparagus with Yogurt & Tomato

In the spring, there is no wrong way to eat asparagus. Raw, shaved, steamed, or roasted, which happens to be our favorite. Here is a dressed-up recipe with yogurt tinged with ginger and a sweetish hot tomato chutney.

45 Min

GF

V

Roasted Brussel Sprout Salad

Local brussels sprouts season here in Texas is glorious but short lived. The cabbage-like buds, which are native to the Mediterranean region, resemble nothing like you’ve ever seen at a supermarket. And there are infinite ways to enjoy them. I found this little beauty last week at the market – sliced it right down the middle and roasted it in the oven long and slow with a sprinkling of salt, pepper, and a generous drizzle of olive oil.

20 Min

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Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are essentially tiny cabbages. To me in many ways brussels sprouts are the perfect vegetable.

60 Min

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts on the Stalk with Mint Chutney

Roasted Brussels sprouts on the stalk make for a delicious and dramatic splash on the dinner table. Originating in Brussels, Belgium, these tiny cruciferous wild cabbages have gained tremendous popularity in the United States. I have prepared them a dozen different ways and continue playing with new ideas. Though standard restaurant fare is to deep-fry the sprouts and douse them with a spicy sweet sauce, roasting them with aromatic spices such as cumin or coriander and herbs such as mint or oregano is far easier and tastier.

120 Min

Roasted Karela

Karela, or the Indian bitter melon, is an acquired taste but once tempered with sweet flavors like sweet potato, jaggery, corn or paneer, that same bitterness becomes just another delicious layer of flavor added.

50 Min

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Roasted Napa Cabbage

Cabbage, despite its high nutritional content, often does not get the respect it deserves and can hold its own as a dramatic yet vegetable main course like say, an artichoke or a Romanesco.

30 Min

GF

Roasted Spring Vegetables with Yogurt Sauce

Peppers, asparagus and sugar snap peas are the epitome of spring. By roasting them lightly in the oven, they can be served at room temperature, cold or warm.

30 Min

GF

Roasted Zucchini

The mildly flavored zucchini, which grows voraciously in Texas’ humidity, may be pedestrian in pedigree but is a great canvas for flavor.

120 Min

GF

Sai Bhaji Stew

I am excited to introduce you to one of the most iconic yet humble dishes from my homeland. Sai Bhaji, which literally translates to green vegetable, is an age-old Sindhi lentil and vegetable stew. Sindh is a little-known province now in Pakistan where my parents grew up pre-partition. I have fond childhood memories of eating sai bhaji with rice for dinner when my mother had challenging days, or when we came back from a long road trip. Like most vegetable dishes in India, it was cooked for hours on end with the fragrance of cumin and fennel wafting through our home, until the lentils and vegetables came together. Sai bhaji is popular because of its ease of preparation — it’s a one-pot dish — in addition to its nutritional value because of the various green vegetables. During the summer, it can be made with tomatoes; in the winter, with lots of root vegetables. If using tomatoes, make sure to add them at the end or the acid in the tomatoes will slow down the lentils from cooking. Add the greens at very the end for maximum color and vitality.

30 Min

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Sayel Bhindi

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30 Min

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Sayel Okra

In Sindhi, sayel means a rustic onion-based preparation.

30 Min

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Sesame Bok Choy

Being in the brassica family, Bok Choy is filled with phytonutrient and fiber that our bodies need.

30 Min

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Sesame Brussel Sprouts

Brussels sprouts, the tiny cabbages that originated in Belgium have become an American favorite and pan roasting them is one the best ways to cook them quickly.

90 Min

GF

Spice-steamed Artichokes

Here is a simple recipe that turns the artichoke aromatic using whole spices, after which you get to eat it with yogurt as a dipping sauce.

40 Min

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V

Stuffed Gypsy Peppers

Serve these peppers alongside a bright green salad or as a side dish with a bit of plain yogurt on the side.

60 Min

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Stuffed Hatch Peppers

What adds to the appeal of the Hatch chile is that they pack just the right amount of heat and are neither too spicy nor too mild. They can be added raw to salads, turned into salsas or fire smoked and stuffed with everything from cheese to vegetables to meat fillings.

60 Min

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Stuffed Roasted Karela

A common staple in my kitchen — and one I have been trying to bring attention to for years — is the incredible bitter melon, aka karela. For the most part, folks hear the word “bitter” and shy away. I understand. For years as a kid, I did, too. In fact, I have memories of sitting at the dinner table trying to eat it with tears streaming down my eyes as my parents lectured me on why it was a necessary part of our diet. As an adult, I have come to love it, not just for its tremendous capacity to cleanse our blood sugar and keeping our skin glowing but also for its flavor. Karela holds up well to spices and pairs beautifully with naturally sweet vegetables such as butternut squash, sweet potato or corn. However, cooking it can be tricky if the bitterness is not balanced with a brine or a marinade. Don’t be afraid to use a generous amount of olive oil or another fat to bring out the flavor of this stuffed karela.

30 Min

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Tindora Sabzi

Emerging wisdom is indicating that to maintain a healthy gut flora, diversity of diet is just as important as what we eat. The sheer variety of produce in an Asian grocery store from half a dozen varieties of Bok choi to other leafy greens or a whole jackfruit may seem daunting. But this is when trips to stores from other cultures can become an exciting adventure and keep in mind, it’s only food. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it again. In Indian grocery stores, aside from the umpteen aromatic spices and lentils you can peruse through, varieties of intriguing squashes can be found that resemble neither zucchini nor butternut squash. One such tender squash with a delicate burst of flavor is the tindora, or the ivy gourd. They are size of your finger, need a quick light braise, and are packed with fiber and phytonutrients. This sabzi (which simply means cooked vegetable) is inspired by the cuisine of Gujarat. Enjoy it with dal, a lentil stew, and rice. Here is to starting the new year off with a fruit or vegetable you have not tried before…

35 Min

GF

Zucchini Kebabs

The humble zucchini is a vining herbaceous plant that is picked when immature. If the zucchini were allowed to grow and ripen, they could grow up to 1 meter in length with a hard shell. First bred in Milan, Italy, in the 19th century but now harvested around the world — including here in Texas — zucchini is the perfect vegetable to throw onto a grill this summer. Zucchini or pattypan squash can be cut into large chunks and is simple enough to absorb the aroma and flavor of herbs. Pair it with bell peppers and onions and with a slight smoky char on the edges, you have a delicious meal. Better still, make extra so the leftovers can be added to a stir-fry or a salad the next day.

25 Min

DF

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Zucchini Sabzi

The key to this sabzi is getting a good brown on the zucchini, that is when it’s flavor truly shines.

DF

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NF

Amchur Fish Roast

Time and again, I come back to one spice_ amchur, which can create magic with so many foods. The sun-dried green mango powder works best as a finishing spice — so add it to foods that cook quickly or at the end of cooking.

GF

NF

Jaggery Glazed Salmon

Farmed salmon is an unmitigated disaster both from an environmental perspective and health perspective. Go for the wild stuff.

15 Min

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NF

Ocean Masala Roasted Fish Fillet

The best part about the ocean masala is that you can directly slather it on fish with very little else and roast it in the oven.

30 min

DF

GF

NF

Roasted Flounder

Whole roasted fish may seem intimidating to make and messy to eat but leaving the bones in preserves most of the flavor beautifully.

30 Min

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GF

NF

Roasted Wild Salmon with Kalonji

Kalonji, aka nigella sativa seed, is a spice commonly used in India for topping rotis or naans. It transforms into a whole new flavor - hauntingly smoky, deeply savory and just delicious.

DF

GF

NF

Salmon Cakes

Salmon cakes are one of the most delicious ways to use up leftover roasted salmon. Or you could roast a piece of salmon just to make these cakes.

GF

NF

Yogurt Braised Fish

This fish will take less than 10 minutes to cook and may be prepared with red snapper, halibut or any other seasonal fish.

20 Min

DF

GF

V

Asparagus with Navy Beans

This dish is a nutritional powerhouse, packed with dietary fiber and many essential vitamins.

25 Min

GF

Baby Butter Saag

15 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Bitter Melon Salad

After eating this wonderful fresh salad, I’ll never think of bitter melon that same way again!

30 Min

DF

NF

V

Braised Baby Bok Choy

A little more substantial than spinach yet light enough to pass off as a green, bok choy can also be eaten raw in a salad, in a stir-fry or steamed.

20 Min

DF

GF

V

Braised Ivy Gourd

It is a delicate yet versatile vegetable, could be used in curries, braises and roasts. Here is a simple preparation inspired by the cuisine of Calcutta.

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