Dhal Bhat

"Dhal bhat power, 24 hours."

-- Nepali saying

Many cuisines are readily identifiable by one dish. For example, jollof rice would be cited for the cuisines of Ghana or Nigeria. Sushi could be identified for the cuisine of Japan, while pho could be identified for the cuisine of Vietnam. And, if one had to choose which dish could be representative of Nepali cuisine, that dish would be dhal bhat. 

The name translates literally into lentil soup and rice, which is a very good description of the dish. Yellow or red lentils are prepared with a variety of spices, like mustard, turmeric, coriander and cumin, to prepare a stew that is served alongside or with rice.

Yet, to Nepalis, dhal bhat is not just a dish or even a meal. It is a story as old as the people themselves. Nepali farmers have been cultivating both lentils and rice for centuries. Nepali cooks have take those two building blocks to prepare a dish that became the source of fuel or energy for farmers when they went back into the field. Hence the phrase, "dhal bhat power, 24 hours." Between 400 C.E. and 750 C.E., dhal bhat became more popular generally as both Buddhism and Hinduism, with their emphasis on vegetarian dishes, spread among the Nepali people. As time went on, especially during the thirteenth through eighteenth centuries,  dhal bhat went from representing fuel for farmers to a dish that meant hospitality and community. It was something that not only energized farmers in the fields, but also something that brought families together. Even today, when someone serves dhal bhat, it is a sign of regard and respect of the host toward guests. 

There are regional variations of dhal bhat within Nepal. If one travels the terai, which are the lowlands of western Nepal, they would most likely find a thinner dhal bhat prepared with mustard oil and chiles, making a spicer dish. If they headed into the Himalayan mountains, they would be served a thicker stew, with barley or millet serving as a substitute for the rice. 

I found a recipe for a dhal bhat prepared in connection with the Tibetan Nuns' Project, a charity that supports and educates nuns living in India. The dish caught my attention as part of my own Mindfulness Foodways, where I have been exploring healthier foods to prepare. A dish that could naturally provide power for twenty-four hours is far more preferable than western-style supplements. Although the source describes this dhal bhat as "Tibetan-style," it is very similar to the dishes prepared by Nepalis, whether in the Himalayas or the terai.

This dish challenged me in a few ways, but all of them are good. I have eaten lentil dishes in the past, but they are not a regular part of my culinary repetoire. This dish provided a compelling reason why they should be. Quite frankly, I should be preparing a huge pot of this at the beginning of the week and making a small bowl of this part of my breakfast for the day. That definitely provides me with something to think about. Until then ....

DHAL BHAT

Recipe from the Tibetan Nuns Project

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 small red onion, chopped in small dice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
• 1/2 teaspoon tumeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1/2 tablespoon butter or ghee
• 2 tablespoons cilantro and/or green onion, chopped. for garnish
• Water
• Basmati rice
• Indian chutney or pickle (achar) as accompaniment

Directions:

1. Prepare the lentils. Wash the lentils and rinse a couple of time. Be careful to remove any stones. If you have the time, soak the lentils in water as long as you can, up to overnight, before you cook. They can get very soft and can cook faster.

2. Prepare the rice. Prepare the rice according to its instructions. 

3. Prepare the base. Heat the oil in a pan for a minute or two. Add the ginger, garlic and onion and stir fry on high until the onion is a little brown on the edges, about a minute or two. Stir in the cumin seeds, salt, turmeric, mustard seed and coriander powder, turn down the heat to medium and cook for two minutes (stirring often). Add the tomatoes and butter. Stir and cover with the lid and cook for four minutes. 

4. Continue cooking the lentils. Stir in the lentils, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add one cup of water, cover the lid and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in 2 more cups of water, as the water will begin to decrease as you cook. Continue to cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. 

5. Finish the dish. Remove from the heat, garnish with the cilantro and/or green onions. Serve immediately with rice. 

PEACE.

Chicken Tikka Masala

As the story goes, it all began the Shish Mahal, which is currently located at the corners of West Prince's Street and Park Road. It was the 1970s, and, the owner of the restaurant - Ali Ahmed Aslam - was confronted by customers who complained that his tandoori chicken tikka was slightly dry. Chicken tikka, is actually a kebab of boneless chicken chunks cooked in a tandoor oven. Apparently, at the time, Aslam was perhaps cooking his kebabs a little too long. The complaints motivated the owner to respond by adding a creamy tomato sauce. The end result was the first serving of Chicken Tikka Masala. 

I have prepared Chicken Tikka in the past. However, until very recently, I have never went the additional step to add the creamy tomato sauce.  The recipe came from an unlikely place ... Ayurvedic cooking. I have always thought that Ayurvedic cuisine focused heavily on vegetables. That thought was reinforced by many of the recipes that I came across as I was researching ways to improve my cooking. Not that vegetables are a bad thing, I have quite a few Ayurvedic vegetable recipes that I want to make. But, I still remain an omnivore, and, protein (in some form) still remains a significant part of my diet. 

Yet, as I have learned, Ayurvedic cuisine does not completely take chicken off the table. The cuisine definitely promotes vegetarianism as it helps to promote higher consciousness. It does include chicken (and turkey) dishes because Ayurveda recognizes those proteins as something that has a range of chicken dishes in its repertoire. Chicken is considered nourishing and warming, something that can balance certain doshas (like Vata and Pitta). In taking an ayurvedic test, my results labeled me as Vata with some Kapha. As I searched for recipes that would fit this profile, I found one for Chicken Tikka Masala. 

The recipe has some modifications that make it healthier, such as the use of chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs. The one modification that specifically addresses a Vata dosha is the addition of four tablespoons of coconut milk. That also helps to add to the creaminess of the sauce. It also made this dish a little lighter than the Chicken Tikka Masala that I have gotten at restaurants, which is okay given the reason why I made it. And, why I will make it again ... and again. 

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Recipe from Tomas Yareda, et al., Eat Taste Heal, pg. 267

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 cup organic plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil or ghee
• 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
• 4 tablespoons organic tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chile powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 6 kari leaves, chopped or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 4 tablespoons coconut milk

Directions:

1. Prepare the chicken. Make several deep slits over the meaty side of each chicken breast. Put the chicken in a baking dish, bone down.

2. Prepare the sauce. In a mixing bowl, whisk the yogurt, sunflower oil (or ghee), lemon (or lime) juice, tomato paste, curry powder, salt, chile powder, paprika, garlic ginger, turmeric, coconut milk, and kari leaves (or fresh mint). Spread the yogurt mixture over the chicken evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. 

3. Bake the chicken. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Transfer chicken and marinade to a baking pan and cook until tender, about 25 minutes. 

PEACE.

Lamb Stir-Fry with Potatoes and Pine Nuts

Chinese dishes always catch my attention, especially when they involve the use of unusual ingredients or give nods to regional cuisine. This particular dish -- Lamb Stir-Fry with Potatoes and Pine Nuts -- checks off both boxes. 

First, there are the pine nuts. That happens to be an ingredient that I do not use very often in my cooking. It is also an ingredient that I did not associate with Chinese cuisine. I was wrong on that point. There are quite a few dishes across trhe various Chinese regions that incorporate pine nuts, including dishes from my favorite region, culinarily speaking, Sichuan. 

That brings me to the other ingredients featured in this lamb recipe, namely, Chinese chile oil and red Sichuan pepper oil. The reason why I love Sichuan cuisine is the use of peppers to create spicy dishes. Most of the Sichuan dishes that I have made to date -- from Qiatou Yi Nen to Jiaoma Jipian -- feature chicken. So, cooking with lamb was a nice change of pace. 

The oils presented some challenge, at least when it came to acquiring them. I had some difficulty finding in them in Asian markets, although the difficulty was greater when it came to the red Sichuan pepper oil.  I also spent some time looking online; however, my relative unfamiliarity with a lot of the websites and products made me a little reluctant to try to the oils. Eventually, I took a risk and I think the dish turned out well. 

In the end, this dish got me thinking about going back to some of my cookbooks, especially the one by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, Beyond the Great Wall. There may be more of those recipes to come. Only time will tell ....

LAMB STIR-FRY WITH POTATOES AND PINE NUTS

Recipe from Saveur

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 9 ounces boneless lamb leg, cut into 1 1/2inch by 1/4 inch strips
• 1 Yukon Gold potato, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons red Sichuan pepper oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• 2 scallions, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1-2 tablespoons Chinese chile oil (optional)
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• Chopped cilantro, for serving

Directions:

1. Prepare the lamb. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 1/2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, the Shaoxing wine, 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar and corn starch. Add the lamb and turn to coat, then cover and refrigerate for 40 minutes or up to 24 hours. 

2. Prepare the potato. In a medium pot, cook the potato until tender yet firm, about 2-3 minutes, then drain and set aside. 

3. Prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, stir together half of the Sichuan pepper oil, 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil, the oyster sauce, sesame oil and the remaining soy sauce and sugar. Set aside. 

4. Cook the dish. Place a large wok or skillet over high heat. When it is hot, add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and add the lamb and stir-fry until browned, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. To the empty wok, add the remaining vegetable oil, the garlic, ginger, and scallions and stir-fry until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Add the onion and cook until tender 3-4 minutes. Add the reserve potato and continue stir-frying until browned at the edges, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved lamb, leaving any juices in the bowl, and the Sichuan oil mixture and stir-fry to coat, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chile oil (if using), then transfer to a platter.

5. Finish the dish. Top with the remaining Sichuan pepper oil, pine nuts and cilantro. Serve hot with white rice. 

PEACE.

Sosaties

Admittedly, I have never been to South Africa. But, if I were to visit the country (and, hopefully, someday I will), I would like to find myself in a backyard of a friend's house, as charcoal smoke gently wafts from a grill, surrounded by family and friends, whose chatter competes with the sizzle of lamb and apricot skewers on the grill grate. 

Yes, if I had the chance, I would love to attend a braai in which, among other meats and sausages, the grillmaster was carefully watching the grilling of sosaties. These lamb and apricot skewers are among my most favorite kebabs, on the level with Persian barreh kebabs or Nigerian suya kebabs. Yet, what sets apart South African sosaties is the use of apricots alongside onions and lamb, as opposed to peppers, tomatoes or other ingredients. 

Sosaties originate with South Africa's Cape Malay community. Historically, the Cape Malay people are the descendents of Muslim slaves brought to southern Africa by colonizers, originally from the Dutch East Indies (present day Indonesia), but the group also includes individuals (both slaves and freed people) also from other parts of eastern and southern Asia, along with parts of Africa, like Madagascar. What united these people were their religion -- Islam -- and their decision to use Malay as a lingua franca. But, today, it is their religion that unites them, as many now speak Afrikaans and/or English.

These skewers are, in some ways, a reflection of multi-culturalism. Their ingredients, particularly the use of curry powders are echoes of an eastern or southern Asian past. The use of dried fruits, as well as the use of kebabs generally, provides hints of possible Persian influences. And, the cooking techniques, those could have originated with the European colonialists. 

Yet, sosaties are something that can bring together all South Africans. As one description set the scene: 

On Sundays in South Africa, you can smell these curried lamb skewers cooking over live fires throughout every neighborhood as families gather around the braai, an Afrikaans word that describes both the social event and the actual technique of grilling over a live fire.

That description comes from the Splendid Table, but the concept of people gathering together around a grill for, among other things, those kebabs can be found in many other accounts. It is yet another reminder of how food can unite different people within one country, and, perhaps, around the world. 

SOSATIES

Recipe from Cookies and Crumbs

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the marinade):

• 1 onion (some will be used for the marinade, some for the kebabs)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 4-6 slices of 1/2 inch ginger
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 cup apricot jam

Ingredients (for the kebabs);

• 2 pounds lamb (preferably leg or chops)
• 3/4 cup of dried apricots

Directions:

1. Prepare the onions. Cut the onion in half. With one half, cut strups vertically that will go onto the kebabs. You will need at least 20-25 vertical strips, perhaps more. Set aside and dice the remaining onion. 

2. Prepare the marinade. Warm the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. When it is warm, saute the diced onions until they are soft and transluscent. While the onions saute, cut the lamb into bite-sized pieces, as square as possible. Wehn the onions are soft, add all of the rest of the marinade ingredients except for the apricot jam. Mix together and cook for a few more mounites to release the flavors and let them meld together. Then add the jam and cover. 

3. Continue preparing the marinade. Heat the marinade until it starts bubbling, then turn down the heat. Let it simmer, covered, for a few more minutes to thicken. 

4. Prepare the lamb. When the marinade is ready, remove from heat and let cool. Add the lamb to a ziploc bag and then the cooled marinade. Mix to make sure that the marinade covers all of the meat. marinate for at least 4 hours, but ideally overnight in the refrigerator. 

5. Prepare the skewers. About an hour before grilling, remove the marinated lamb from the refrigerator. Add the onions and dried apricots. The apricots will need about an hour or two in the marinanadte to plump up. If they are not plump, add them to hot water for a few minutes. When you are ready to grill, assemble the kebabs by placing meat, dried apricots, and onion on the kebab sticks in whatever order you like. 

6. Grill the skewers. Place the skewers on a medium-high heat grill and turn frequently, about every minute or two. It will take only a few minutes on each side to cook through the bite-sized piees. You can check meat doneness by pressing on the piece of meat. If the liquid runs out pink, it is rare. If it is clear, it is medium. Do not overcoook the kebabs. 

PEACE.

Long Pepper Chicken

Historical recipes truly amaze me, especially the old ones. And, when I say, "old" I mean really old. This historical, culinary interest of mine can itself be dated back to a dish called Etruscan Chicken. That was the first time that I made a concerted effort to learn about the history of an ancient people, along with their cuisine and that dish. Since then, whenever I see a possible recipe that could serve as a springboard into some historical research, I jump at the opportunity. Sometimes, that effort may only involve going back a few hundred years. Other times, like the one that serves as the focus of this post, go back millennia.  

The subject is a recipe for Long Pepper Chicken. The recipe's history can be traced back to around 200 to 300 BCE. Historians found the recipe in the Arthashastra, which an ancient Sanskrit treatise written around that time. They believe that the reci[pe was written by Kautilya, who was an assistant to the first emperor, Chandragupta, of the Maurya Empire. Yet, the Arthashastra was not a cookbook; instead, the venerable tract primarily addressed economic policy, military strategy and the management of state affairs. Kautilya's work helped the emperor establish an empire that ruled over much of the Indian subcontinent at a time when the Ptolemies ruled over Egypt and there were still two republics -- the Roman Republic and the Carthaginian Republic -- in the central Mediterranean. 

While the Arthashastra dealt primarily with political, economic and military issues, Kautilya nevertheless included discussions about food. After all, no empire can survive, let alone thrive, unless all of its citizens are fed. To that end, Kautilya gave us a glimpse into what an average person ate during the third century B.C.E. A meal basically consisted of a kilogram of rice or grain, a quarter-litre of soup, 1/16 liter of ghee or oil and salt. That was a meal for an average male. Women received 3/4 of those amounts and children received only 1/2 of that amount. 

The Arthashastra also included discussions of how to cook meat. Typically, for one kilogram (or two pounds of meat), cooks would use fifty grams of salt, 50 grams of sugar, 10 grams of spices, whopping 1.25 kilograms of yogurt, and a small amount of ghee or oil. Of course, when one talks about spices, it was usually, among other things, ginger, cumin, mustard, coriander and long pepper. 

As for Long Pepper Chicken, Kautilya provided the recipe, but in terms of Mauryan measurements. One needed 20 balas of chicken meat and one kaduba of ghee or oil, along with curd, salt and spices, like ginger, mustard seeds and long peppers (apparently to be measured by one's own instinct or experience, like many modern chefs do today). 

And here is where we get another look into the history of food. The use of long pepper, which originated in the Indian subcontinent and southeastern Asia, goes back to the sixth or fifth century B.C.E.  We can trace this ingredient that far back because it is mentioned in the works of Hippocrates, although he referred to long pepper as a medicine, rather than a spice. Yet, cooks used long peppers because it provided a sweet and pungent flavor. It was the principal pepper used by cooks across Asia and Europe until it was ultimately displaced by the black peppercorn in the 14th century C.E. (which later faced its own competition from the chiles originating in the New World). 

So this recipe is not only one of the oldest known Indian recipes, but also a recipe that uses a venerable spice. Both the recipe and the long pepper seemed lost to history. Indeed, the Arthashastra was lost for a period of time, only to be rediscovered by researchers in 1905. The long pepper was also lost, pushed into obscurity by the black peppercorn and chiles (at least for me), until 2025, when I came across a bag of dried long peppers in a local Indian supermarket. Just as there are long peppers left in that bag, there are more stories to tell about the spice. Those will have to wait for future posts.... 

LONG PEPPER CHICKEN

Recipe from Indiaphile

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup ghee
• 3/4 cup yogurt
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 long peppers, split (roughly grind 5 peppers in a mortar and paste, leave 7 whole)
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste (grated with micro-plane)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

1. Marinate the chicken. Whisk the yogurt in a bowl to smooth it out. Add crushed long pepper, ginger and salt. Stir to combine. Add chicken and stir to coat. Cover and let marinate for at least 30 minutes to overnight.

2. Cook the chicken. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add mustard seeds and allow them to pop for a few seconds. Add whole peppers and let them cook for about 20 seconds. Add marinated chicken and let it brown, then turn the pieces and allow the other side to brown. It will take about 6 minutes on each side. 

3. Continue cooking the chicken. Add 1/4 cup of water to the marinade. Stir and pour over the chicken. Deglaze the pan by scraping it with a spatula. Cook the chicken in the sauce until it has reduced to half, about 6-8 minutes. Add water to adjust consistency. Finish with a squeeze of lemon. 

PEACE.

Chinese Grocery Roast Pork

The Mississippi delta has been described as a "haunted landscape," a beautiful backdrop of alluvial plains and coastal wetlands, marred by the brutal legacies of slavery and segregation. The history has been recorded in both the black and white of history books, but also in the colorful, yet melancholy, notes of delta blues musicians such as Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton and Son House. These musicians not only recorded the daily oppression, poverty and strugle of African Americans lives, but they also documented the resilience and strength of both the people and their communities. 

Yet, there are chapters of the delta's history that until, relatively recently, went largely untold. One such chapter revolves around the Chinese immigrants who settled in the Mississippi delta in the aftermath of the Civil War. These immigrants left their homes (primarily in the Guangdong and Canton provinces) in search of the Gam Sahn ("golden mountain"), akin to what we would call the "American dream." These Chinese immigrants ended up on the same cotton plantations previously worked by African-American slaves. They performed the same back-breaking work. The only difference was that the white owners had to pay the Chinese immigrants for their labor. But, the pay was not enough to justify the hard work, let alone support a family either in the United States or back home in China.  

Consequently, many Chinese laborers left the cotton fields, looking for work elsewhere. They made their way to nearby cities, where they established themselves in the community by opening grocery stores. The first such stores began to appear in the 1870s. The work continued to be hard, with early mornings and late nights, but these Chinese-Americans took control of their economic lives. They also relied upon hui, their relatives, to open additional grocery stores. Soon, Chinese-owned grocery stores proliferated across the Mississippi Delta. In the city of Greenville, Mississippi -- an important transit point for transportation between New Orleans, Louisiana and points north -- had 40,000 residents and 50 Chinese-owned grocery stores.  

One of the first Chinese-owned grocery stores in Greenville, MS, at the corner of Washington
Avenue and Walnut Street, photo taken  in 1939 by Farm Security Admin. photographer
Marion Post Wolcott, available at the Library of Congress (Source: KPBS)

The successful exertion by Chinese-Americans of their economic independence had its limits in the racially structured, white supremacist society. The Chinese were not "White" or "Colored," falling into a third category. The Chinese-Americans did not suffer the extreme violence suffered by African-Americans, but they nevertheless suffered from discrimination and segregation. It was in this space that the Delta Chinese soon found that they too had limited opportunities. the only employment available to them involved owning or working in these grocery stores. 

Chinese-Americans navigated within this space. And they did so in a very historically significant way. The Chinese-American owned grocery stores served as critical lifelines for the most oppressed people in the Mississippi delta: the African-American community. The same white supremacist racial and economic order that confined the Chinese to owning and/or working in grocery stores made it difficult, if not impossible for African-Americans to go to white-owned grocery stores.  

Chinese store owners purchased goods from white-owned wholesalers. They then stocked the shelves with foodstuffs (like flour, sugar, canned goods), clothing, farms tools, and much more. However, these grocery stores provided more than a place for African-Americans to purchase what they needed. The stores provided a social environment where African Americans were respected: they could walk through the front door of a store (rather than through the back door) and would be treated with civility. The Chinese-American grocery store owners would offer lower prices and were the only ones to extend credit to African-American sharecroppers, who were paid only once or twice per year.  The two communities -- Chinese and African-American -- worked together in solidarity as they struggled to survive the racist economy, government and society that operated violently along the Mississippi River and across the delta.

(As an aside, immigrant communities in other cities -- like the Italians in Birmingham, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana -- also operated grocery stores that served the African-American community.)

Picture exhibited in 2023 at the Mississippi Delta Chinese Heritage Museum,
located at the Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi

The grocery stores were not only the business of the Chinese-American communities, they were also their homes. Because of the racist Chinese Exclusion Act, Chinese-Americans could not own land. They usually lived in the back of their stores or in adjacent structures. Many of the memories of Chinese-American children revolve around food, which also served as the focal point of gatherings among their community.

After learning about the Chinese-American community in the Mississippi delta, as well as their relationship with their African-American neighbors, I wanted to prepare a dish in recognitionof and to honor that history. I found a recipe for Chinese Grocery Roast Pork. This recipe was perfect: it took a traditional Chinese recipe -- Char Siu, which is usually prepared with pork belly -- but used a cut of pork that is synonymous with the iconic southern barbecue: the pork butt.

CHINESE GROCERY ROAST PORK (MISSISSIPPI STYLE CHAR SIU)

Recipe adapted from James Beard Organization 

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 cup dark soy sauce
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar (preferably red)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 star anise
• 2-inch piece cinnamon stick
• 1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
• 1 3-pound shoulder of pork (Boston butt)

Directions:

1.  Prepare the sauce. Heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large Dutch oven or roasting pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, sherry, vinegar, honey, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, anise, cinnamon and five-spice powder. Simmer for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat under the pan so that the mixture simmers. 

2. Roast the pork. Loosen the skin from the meat in several places, but do not remove it. Place the meat in the liquid, turning several times to coat it with the sauce. Transfer the pot to the oven. Cook for 30 minutes undisturbed, then baste with the cooking liquid and continue to baste every 20 minutes until the internal temperature of the meat is between 170 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit, about 4 to 4 1/2 hours. 

3. Finish the dish.  Remove the pork to a cutting board or serving platter and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice thinly and pour the pan juices over the meat, removing the star anise and cinnamon. 

*     *     *

Postscript: To learn more about the experience of Chinese-Americans in the Mississippi Delta, I recommend watching The Untold Story of America's Southern Chinese. Part 2 of the series focuses upon the Chinese in the Mississippi Delta and their history in the region. 

I also recommend the movie, Far East Deep South. Written and directed by Larissa, Lam, the movie follows the story of the Chiu family as they learn more about their family's history and roots in the Mississippi delta. It is availalbe on Tubi. I watrched the movie. Not only is it very informative, it was truly moving to watch and learn alongside the family. 

 PEACE.

Quick-Pickled Radish Threads (Son Labu)

One of my favorite cookbooks is Beyond the Great Wall, a book written by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. Both Alford and Duguid explore Chinese cuisine, but not the typical cuisine that most people know and eat. Instead, they explore the cuisines of the many minorities who live throughout China.  One of those minorities is the Tibetans, whose cuisine I too have expllored from time to time.  

Alford and Duguid provide several Tibetan recipes in their cookbook. However, this particular recipe -- Tenzin's Quick-Pickled Radish Threads -- caught my attention. It may have been the reference to Tenzin, as I was watching The Legend of Korra at the time. (The show has a character named Tenzin.) It may have also been the pickled radish threads. 

Radishes -- or labu as they are referred to in Tibetan -- are grown on the Tibetan plateau. Tibetan cooks use radishes in a variety of dishes, such as stews like Labsa and soups like Thukpa. 

But the root vegetable has a very special place on the Tibetan table, as a condiment. It's known as Son Labu or Son Labhu. The Tibetans use large, long white radishes, which resemble the daikon radish. Typically, the radish is thinly sliced, combined with other ingredients (which, as with many recipes, depends upon the cook), and then submerged in rice wine vinegar for the pickle.  

The picked radish recipe found in Beyond the Great Wall differs in that it calls for grating the radish, rather than slicing it. The recipe also caught my attention for another reason: namely, the use of Sichuan peppercorns. I have used this ingredient in the past, such as to make Togarashi, Jioma Jipian, and Qiatou Yi Nen.  The numbing properties of the peppercorns adds an unusual experience with dishes, which is something that I like when I am cooking and eating. The recipe calls not only for the use of Sichuan peppercorns, but also onions, scallions, garlic and ginger, all of which provide additional flavors to the pickled radish threads. 

Son Labu is an interplay between spicy, sour and salty. As with radishes generally, this condiment can be eaten by itself as a little snack or added to dishes, like a cold noodle soup or a stir fry beef. 

Finally, this particular quick-picked radish thread recipe comes with a story from Alford and Duguid about a Tibetan named Tenzin, who prepared this recipe for the authors. For that story, you will need to buy the book. 

QUICK PICKLED RADISH THREADS (SON LABU)

Recipe from James Alford and Naomi Daguid, Beyond the Great Wall at pg. 25

Ingredients:

• 1 pound daikon radish, peeled and coarsely grated or thinly sliced
• 2 medium scallions
• 1/2 small onion, cut into thin slices
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 to 2 tablespoons minced garlic (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dry roasted Sichuan peppercorns, ground (optional)
• About 3 cups rice vinegar

Directions:

1. Prepare the radish. Place the radish, scallions, onions and ginger in a large bowl and toss to mix them well. Stuff half of the mixture in a sterilized 4 quart jar and add 1 tablespoon of the salt and garlic and/or Sichuan peppercorn if you wish. Add the remaining radish mixture and the second tablespoon of salt and pour on the vinegar, which should cover the mixture completely. Seal and shake the jar to distribute the vinegar well. 

2. Store the jar. Place in a sunny spot by the window for 2 to 4 days, giving the jar a shake occasionally to help blend the flavors. It is now ready to use. The pickle will keep indefinitely if well sealed and refrigerated.

3. Finish the dish. To serve, use a clean spoon or fork or chopsticks to lift out a clump of radish strands and place them in a condiment bowl. 

PEACE.

Akotonshi

Living in the Chesapeake Bay region, I often find myself having a parochial view about blue crabs. I know that blue crabs can be found around the world (see my post about their invasion of Italian waters), but I admittedly think very regionally about blue crabs when it comes to cooking. Bury them in Old Bay or XO and steam them. The only true crabcakes are Maryland crabcakes. It becomes ingrained in a person the longer they live in the area.

Yet, there is so much more to blue crab dishes. I previously posted about a crab dish from Ghana -- Ghanian Crab Stew -- but I spent more time talking about rice than I did blue crab. As it turns out, the crusteacean has quite the place in Ghanaian cuisine and culture. So, it seems appropriate to return to Ghana when I was looking to prepare a crab dish based upon a cuisine far beyond the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. My efforts would take me to the brackish waters in southern Ghana, such as the estuary of the Volta River, where the river waters meet the Atlantic Ocean, and the various lagoons that are parallel to that ocean.

At one point in time, there was an abundance of blue crabs, shrimp, shellfish, and fin fish in these brackish waters. These populations benefitted from mangroves, which sprouted up in various areas along the lagoons and deltas, and which provide protected areas for crabs, shellfish and fish. They also supported fisheries across southern Ghana. Those fisheries, in turn, provided incomes that sustained families from Agbletokwei to Kpotitsekopre. 

However, those fisheries have faced a range of issues in recent years. Much of the mangroves have been cut down, causing a loss of habitat for crustaceans like the blue crab. Overfishing generally, and the rise of industrial fishing and illegal fishing, have also contributed to the loss of populations, as has the increased amount of pollution from industrialization. As the populations of crab, shrimp and fish decline, so does the ability of small-scale fishermen and women to make a living and provide for their families. 

There have been efforts to try to support small scale, local fishing. For example, back in 2021, the U.S. Agency for International Development provided millions to help restore Ghanian fisheries. That program focused on sardines, mackerel and anchovies, which meant more of a focus on the Atlantic Ocean (which is still needed), than the brackish coastal waters. (The current Trump administration is trying to destroy USAID, depriving the entire world -- including the U.S. -- of the benefits from international development assistance.) More recently, in July 2025, the Ghanian government passed the Fisheries and Aquaculture Law, which helps protect small scale fishers who use traditional canoes from illegal fishing vessels. This law is also focused on the ocean, rather than the lagoons and rivers of the country. 

I hope that a more wholistic approach may be pursued, one that recognizes the interconnectedness of the rivers, lagoons and oceans, thereby addressing all of it. This effort would also require a focus not only on the water, but also the land, such as restoring the mangroves and the habitats for aquatic species, which is happening in certain parts of Ghana, like in the Keta Lagoon. These efforts have seen positive results, For an overview of what is being done in that lagoon, check out this video from Terraformation:

We have the power to undo the damage we have done, but it takes commitment and, most importantly, time.  With more mangroves come more aquatic species, like blue crabs. And, with more blue crabs come dishes like Akotonshi.

AKONTOSHI

Recipe adapted from African Food Network

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 8 whole crabs or 1 pound of cooked crab meat
• 2 large fresh ginger pieces
• 2 cloves
• 4 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 large onions, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 3-4 large tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 large green bell peppers, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons grains of paradise, growned to a powder (optiona0l)
• 4 medium minced African bird peppers (or hot Thai peppers)
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup dried shrimp
• Plain bread crumbs
• Parsley
• Salt 

Directions:

1. Prepare the crabs or crab meat. If cooking whole crabs, clean them and bring a large pot of water to a bowl. Add the ginbger cloves and crab and cook for 15 minutes. Remvoe crabs and meat, keep shells for plating. If using crab meat, mix crab meat with 1/4 cup of water that has been boiled with ginger piece and cloves for 15 minutes.  Drain the water, flake the meat and set aside.

2. Saute the onions, tomatoes and spices. In a heavy pot, heat the oil to medium and add the other ingredients in the following sequence, stirring for a minute for so between each ingredient: onions, ground ginger, tomatoes, tomato paste, green pepper, cumin, nutmeg, thyme, grains of paradise (if using), paprika, masked peppers and dried shrump. Reduce heat and simmer for about 4-5 minutes, stirting constantly until vegetables are cooked.

3. Add the crab meat. Then add the crab meat and stir for another couple of minutes to heat it through. 

4. Finish the dish. Remove from heat, and spoon the crab mixture into the crab shells or ramekins if you began with crab meat. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of each serving and toast under an oven broiler for a couple of minutes. Be careful not to let the crumbs scorch. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately. 

PEACE.

Around the World in 80 Dishes: South Africa

I have gotten to where I am in life not because of something I brought to the world but through something I found - the wealth of African culture. 

-- Hugh Masakela 

When reading these words, they sound like the notes emanating from the trump of the famous South African jazz musician. "The Father of South African jazz, Masakela was known for his anti-apartheid songs, such as Soweto Blues and Bring Him Back Home." His music encouraged and inspired South Africans in their struggle to end the racist system of apartheid. That struggle eventually prevailed on May 4, 1990, when an agreement was reached to establish a democratic government -- of all the people and by all of the people -- by 1994. And, in that year, South Africa held its first fully democratic election, in which the Rainbow Nation (a term originated with Archbishop Desmond Tutu) elected Nelson Mandela as its first black President.

South Africa has always interested me, as it represents one of the best examples of how a diverse people can tear down a racist system and replace it with one based on equality and freedom. To be sure, South Africa has its issues, particularly economic issues which have perpetuated and, in some respects, worsened the economic divides amongst its people. But, there is a wealth of South African culture, one that transcends dollars and cents, or Rands. One that is truly invaluable.

My Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge invites me to learn more about this wealth. The Rainbow Nation, South Africa, is truly a diverse one, as evidenced by the fact that it has eleven official languages (Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xhosa, Xitsonga and Zulu). This diversity presents a lot of potential dishes for a main course. There are, of course, many dishes from the various African nations who live in South Africa, along with dishes from other significant ethnic groups, such as curry dishes from India and Malaysia, who were brought or made their way during the colonial period. And, there are, of course, the dishes of the colonizers themselves, such as the English and the Afrikaans. There are so many options that it took a very long time to decide. And, in the end, the decision was made not by myself but, interestingly enough, by Chef Gordon Ramsay. 

While I was preparing a meal one afternoon, I happened to have Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted on the television in the background. The show chronicles Chef Ramsay's travels to various parts of the world, where he spends a week learning about the people, their culture, and their food, all tied together by a challenge to prepare a meal at the end. This particular episode followed Chef Ramsay as he learned about South African cuisine in the KwaZulu-Natal province, with a particular emphasis on the Zulu cuisine, but a recognition of other influences. He prepared a whole fish on the braai, learned how to make Ushatini and Chakalaka, and discovered the importance of pelepele or piri piri. 

Ramsay's adventures provided a roadmap for this particular challenge. I am going to make the principal dishes from that Uncharted show: whole fish on the Braai, which will satisfy the challenge, along with the sides of ushatini and chakalaka. I will even make pelepele (or peri peri).   

MAIN DISH

For the culinary challenge, I prepared a whole fish for the braai. Gordon Ramsay's preparation of this dish was very simple, basically just some salt on the fish before placing it on the grill. My recipe involves a little more preparation and ingredients. 

WHOLE FISH ON THE BRAAI

Recipe from Fish Wife

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 whole fish (such as Red Roman, red snapper)
• 1 red onion
• 1 handful of cilantro
• 2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced chiles
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 lemon

Directions:

1. Prepare the fish. Score both sides of the fish.  Chop the red onion and the cilantro and stuff into the cavity of the fish. Grate some lemon rind and add to the cavity. Mix together the garlic, chiles, ginger and soy sauce. Spread one-half of the sauce over both sides of the fish. Keep the remaining half for basting the fish. Place the fish on a fish basket that can be flipped.

2. Grill the fish. Heat a charcoal or gas grill over high heat. Cook the fish over the heat for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping over 3 to 5 minutes. Using a basting brush, paint the fish with the marinade with every flip. When the fish is done, remove from the heat and allow to rest for a few minutes. 

SIDE DISH

Chakalaka is a South African side dish that is often served with the braai. Its origins lie in the townships around Johnannesberg, where Mozambican mineworkers lived and worked. These mineworkers would combine tinned food, like beans and tomatoes, with chiles to create a dish that they could eat with pap (porridge). Chakalaka represents an effort to take something that was brought to the region by colonialists (tinned food) and making it into something indigenous. 

CHAKALAKA

Recipe from Cooking Channel

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 green Thai Bird's eye chiles, seeded and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 ounces ginger, finely grated
• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
• 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 5 large carrots, scrubbed, topped, tailed and grated
• 14 ounces canned chopped tomatoes
• 12 ounces tomato paste
• 14 ounces canned baked beans
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper 

Directions:

1. Saute ingredients. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions until soft and translucent. Add the chiles, garlic and half of the ginger (reserve the other half to add right at the end). Add the curry powder and stir to combine. Add the bell peppers and cook for another two minutes. Add the carrots and stir to make sure they are well combined with the other ingredients and coated in the curry powder. Add in the tomatoes and tomato paste and stir. Cook until the mixture is well combined and slightly thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes. 

2. Finish the dish. Remove from the heat and add the baked beans, thyme and remaining ginger. Stir to combine; season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or cold. 

RELISH

Ushatini is a South African version of a salad or relish that I have seen around the world. In the Americas, it resembles salsa or pico de gallo, with tomatoes, onions and chiles. In the Middle East, it is halfway to a salad e-shirazi (all it needs is cucumbers). Yet, ushatini is South African with its use of the piri-piri chiles (or, in my case, Thai green chiles). It is a great accompaniment to the Braai, as it should be spooned over the grilled meat or seafood.  

USHATINI

Recipe from Cookpad

Ingredients:

• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 big tomatoes, diced
• 3 chiles, minced
• Vinegar, to taste
• Salt, to taste 

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. 

CONDIMENT

The final part of the Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge involves the preparation of peri-peri sauce, or what was referred to in Uncharted as "pele pele" sauce. This condiment was made possible by the Portuguese, who brought chiles to South Africa (as they did around the world), which served as the basis for the sauce. This is a very spicy sauce given the types of chiles used. 

SOUTH AFRICAN PERI PERI

Recipe from African Bites

Ingredients:

• 10 hot chiles (habanero, scotch bonnet or Thai chiles)
• 1 medium onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons bouillon powder or Maggi cubes
• 2 basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 1-3 roma tomatoes
• 1/2 to 1 cup vegetable oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper 

Directions:

1. Prepare the sauce. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and onions and discard the pepper stems. Then puree the tomatoes, onions, garlic, pepper, parsley, basil, and bouillon powder in a food processor with as much oil as needed to make a thick-ish puree. 

2. "Cook" the sauce. Pour the pepper mixture into a small saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and slowly simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Adjust seasoning with salts.

 3. Finish the dish. Let it cool, pour into a mason jar or a container with a lid, and store it in a fridge for up to a week. For the pepper sauce to last longer, fully cover it with oil. 

*     *     *

In the end, I think these dishes turned out well, even if they may not have reached the standards of either Gordon Ramsey or his hosts when he visited South Africa. The dishes enabled me to participate in an endeavor to learn more about South African cuisine, especially the dishes of the indigenous peoples. This challenge was a success and motivates me to my next one. Stay tuned for more....

PEACE.

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Nepal

For many, the mention of Nepal conjures images of Mount Everest. Known locally as Sagarmatha or Qomolangma, Mount Everest boasts of the highest point above sea level. The thought of the mountain also conjures up images of intrepid mountain climbers moving from base camp to base camp, with their sherpas. Indeed, the mountain casts a long shadow, one that often obscures the tens of millions of Nepali who live not just in the mountains and the valleys, but also the plains below. 

I find the stories of the Nepali people far more interesting and compelling than those any person -- such as Sir Edmund Hillary or  George Mallory -- who ascended Mount Everest. Their stories told by the Nepalis are ones of struggle, resilience, and hope. Unlike those of Hillary or Mallory, these stories recount lived experiences that span three hundred and sixty-five days per year, each and every year.  

Many of those stories can be found on a website, Stories of Nepal. The website curates the short stories of everyday Nepalis by subject and by cmmunity. The subjects that got my attention had names such as A Right to Earn a Living, Of Hope and Resilience, Strive Struggle Trive, and The Future I Want. I also browsed the stories by communities, looking at the stories from each of Nepal's three ecological regions: the mountains, the hills and the terai (or plains). 

As I read through these stories, I began to notice the common threads: the poverty at home, the desire to have a better life, the paths that they took to achieve that goal, and the obstacles that they had to overcome. There are two measures of poverty: income poverty and human poverty. The former measures whether a person has enough income to meet basic needs, while the latter has a broader focus on whether a person has access to essential resources and opportunities necessary for a decent life. Significant portions of Nepalis across all regions suffer from both types of poverty: in the mountains, 38% suffer from human poverty and 42 percent suffer from income poverty; in the hills, 24% suffer from human poverty while 29% suffer from income poverty; and, in the terai, 33% suffer from human poverty while only 23% suffer from income poverty.

But, as they say, numbers don't tell the whole story. That is where the Nepalis themselves come in. Their contribution demonstrates the hard work that they endure, but the hope that they have for either themselves or their children. For example, Beyond these Mountains tells the story of one Nepali woman, Bhomo Karto Tamang, in Gatang, which is high up in the mountains. She was born in a relatively well-to-do family whose father herded 18 yaks, 200 sheep, and, in her words, "I did not count the goats." She talked about how strong her mother was and how she helped her mother prepare the barley flour. That flour was payment to her father's shepherds. When she grew up, she got married and her life continued much like her mother. However, unlike her mother, this woman decided with her husband to send their children to school. She wanted her children to experience what lies beyond the mountains, something that she never had.

Then there is the story of Hiralel Rai, who lives in Khotang, which is firmly nestled in the hills of Nepal. Rai loved to sing and dance as a kid. His conduct was frowned upon in school, as it was deemed the type of activity inappropriate for boys. That led to corporal punishment by teachers. Rai persevered and, eventually, became a teacher himself. In his own words: 

I am aware that the choices I make as a teacher, inside the classroom, will have a great impact on the lives of these children. Of what they will do and who they will become. So I am always careful as to what I do and what I say in class. I am not a strict teacher who only disciplines students. We all know we get bored in class so I make things fun. I tell stories. While I teach English, I also dance with them. I also sing with them. And everyone sings and dances with me. Freely, without any fear.

There are many more stories that are illuminating and inspiring about how people overcome their circumstances for the betterment of not just themselves but others. When one can see that in people, they are seeing the innate dignity that lies within all of us and that we all deserve. 

I strongly recommend reading Stories of Nepal, where the above stories and pictures come from. They provide a very good starting point to learn about the people. Now, it is time to learn about their cuisine, which is the focus of my personal culinary challenge, Around the World in 80 Dishes. The main course, Bhuketo Maso, and the side dish, Piro Alu Dum, have their own stories to tell.

MAIN COURSE

My love for eating goat meat has made its appearance in my culinary challenge on more than one occasion, with Goat Curry from Guyana and two dishes -- Chichinga and Jollof Rice with Goat -- from Ghana. In preparing those dishes, I only tangentially touched, at best, or completely missed, at worst, an important subject: the role that goats play to help lift the poor out of poverty. That subject is harder to miss when one looks at Nepal, because quite a few non-governmental organizations have pursued initiatives to introduce goat farming to those who have little, and researchers followed behind to measure the impact. 

Goats are often referred to as the "poor man's cow." Like cows, goats produce milk and meat, but at a cheaper price to purchase and at a lower cost to maintain. One study estimated that a person could maintain four goats at the same cost as one cow. In addition, one can raise goats in areas where, due to lack of substantial vegetation, it would be harder to raise cows or other animals.  

There are many organizations that have worked to provide goats to poor Nepalis, to provide them with a means through which they can earn money through the sale of goat milk, or, over time, goat meat. Those programs were, in turn, monitored through research, including efforts that were funded by the United States Agency of International Development or USAID. One such research effort found that the provision of goats by Heifer International to poor Nepali women, along with training in animal husbandry, had positive outcomes on the living standards of those women. (I had to look for sources other than those of USAID because the current American administration has taken down EVERYTHING that USAID has done to help the poor around the world.)

For my main challenge, I decided to prepare Bhuketo Maso, which is a dry curry. The dish could be prepared with any kind of protein, such as chicken or lamb. However, I decided to use goat as a nod to the importance that this particular protein has in lifting many Nepalis of poverty. 

BHUKETO MASO

Recipe from Nepali Tummy

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound goat meat (clean and cut in 2 inch cubes)
• 1/2 tablespoon of cumin seeds or 1/2 tablespoon cumin powder
• 1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds or 1/2 tablespoon coriander powder
• 1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon powder
• 3-4 dried red chiles or 1/2 tablespoon red chile powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• Salt
• 4 tablespoons oil

Directions:

1. Prepare the spice mix. Add the cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and dried red chiles in a spice grinder. (If you are using ground spices, just combine). Grind until the spices are a powder. Remove to a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of water to make a thick paste.

2. Boil the meat. In a deep pan, add the meat, water (to cover) and 2 pinches of salt. Boil the meat until it is cooked, approximately 20 minutes.  Be careful not to overcook. 

3. Finish the dish. Heart the oil in a separate pan. Add the boiled meat and the spice paste, stir over medium heat and cook for 10-12 minutes. 

SIDE DISH

While Bhuketo Maso may be a dry curry, I prepared a side dish that did have a curry-like sauce. Piro alu dum is a potato curry that has a tomato base.  This provided a little contrast to the overall meal. 

Potatoes were actually introduced into Nepal back in the mid-19th century, when a British naturalist, Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, during an expedition to that country. While Hooker ultimately left, the tubers remained and became a vital crop across the country. They have an adaptability that works well in a country with differing regions, soils and climates. Nepalis are able to grow potatoes in areas where other crops could not thrive, thereby enabling them to produce a commodity that has taken a featured spot in their cuisine.

PIRO ALU DUM

Recipe from Cookpad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 4 medium sized potatoes, cut into 4 pieces
• 10 cloves garlic
• 2 whole red chiles
• 1 medium sized tomato paste
• Salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chile powder
• 3 tablespoons mustard oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kalonji
• 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 2 tablespoons cilantro (coriander leaves)

Directions:

1. Boil the potatoes. Peel the potatoes. Heat a pot of water to boiling. Add potatoes and boil until tender. Remove from heat and drain the potatoes. While the potatoes are boiling, mince the garlic cloves and chiles, and then combine the two into a paste. 

2. Prepare the tomato-spice paste. In a bowl, add the garlic-chile paste, tomato paste, salt, turmeric powder and Kashmiri chile powder. Mix well. 

3. Finish the dish. Heat the oil in the pan on medium heat. Add kalonji and fenugreek seeds. Add potatoes and stir, mixing well. Add the tomato-spice paste and mix well. Add hot water and continue to cook, while the sauce thickens. Once the sauce is at the desired consistency, add coriander leaves and serve hot. 

*    *    *

In the end, I am grateful for having the opportunity to prepare this meal. I am much more grateful for taking the time to learn about the roles that the primary ingredients -- goat meat and potatoes -- has had in Nepali life and cuisine. Not everything that I read is reflected in this post. But, I wanted to make sure one thing is prominently set forth here ... the importance of development programs to help the poor lift themselves out of their poverty, and the critical work of those who oversee and implement those programs. Their work takes on moral and ethical obligations, which are gravely under threat. That is best saved for another post. Until then ... 

PEACE.