KITCHEN TABLE
RECIPES FROM COAST TO COAST
Padma Lakshmi uses food as a lens to present a road map to the cuisines that give America its vibrant palate in Padma’s All American Cookbook (Alfred A Knopf, $54)
PLUM CHAAT
Image credit: Padma’s All American Cookbook by Padma Lakshmi.
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp amchur
1/2 tsp Kashmiri chile powder
4 each firm red plums and black plums, pitted and sliced or cut into bite-size pieces (about 2 cups each)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves
1. Heat a small pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and toast until just smoking and fragrant, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and grind into a powder. Measure out ½ teaspoon and add it to a small bowl.
2. Add the salt, amchur, and Kashmiri chile to the bowl and mix well.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the plums, lime juice, mint leaves, and 2 teaspoons of the masala.
4. Taste and add additional reserved dry-roasted cumin powder, and/or more salt to taste. Serve at room temperature or cold.
CALABAZA CON MOJO
Image credit: Padma’s All American Cookbook by Padma Lakshmi.
1 calabaza (2 pounds), also known as West Indian pumpkin, unpeeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch-thick wedges.
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced (about 3 tablespoons)
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced into crescents
Grated zest of 1/2 lime
Grated zest of 1/2 orange
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, coarsely chopped, plus a few more whole leaves for garnish
1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. On a large baking sheet, drizzle the squash wedges with ¼ cup of the olive oil, and season with pinches of kosher salt and black pepper on both sides. Roast until caramelized and fork-tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter.
3. Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, and about ¼ teaspoon black pepper to form a paste.
4. In a large skillet, heat ¼ cup of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 1 minute, then add a pinch of kosher salt and cook until the onions soften and become glassy, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic paste and mix well, mashing the garlic into the onions and stirring constantly for 1 minute.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ¼ cup olive oil, the lime zest, orange zest, lime juice, orange juice, oregano, and smoked paprika.
Taste and add kosher salt, if desired. Drizzle as much sauce as you like over the squash and serve the rest in a bowl at the table.
PAD THAI FISH
Image credit: Padma’s All American Cookbook by Padma Lakshmi.
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
2/3 cup fish sauce
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup tamarind concentrate
6 scallions, white and green parts, chopped (about 1 cup)
4 cod fillets (8 ounces each)
5 ounces spinach leaves
Handful of chopped cilantro leaves (optional)
Steamed rice, for serving
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, fish sauce, sugar, and tamarind.
2. Pour the sauce into a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add ¼ cup of the scallions and stir until the sauce bubbles, about 1 minute. Gently place the cod in the sauce (be careful, as cod breaks easily) and spoon the sauce over the fish. Cover and steam until the fish is firm and opaque and flakes easily, 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish.
3. Remove from the heat and immediately throw in the spinach leaves, the remaining ¼ cup scallions, and the cilantro. Spoon some sauce over the top and cover to let the greens wilt for a few minutes. Serve over steamed rice.
KHAO NIAO MAMUANG
Image credit: Padma’s All American Cookbook by Padma Lakshmi.
1-1/2 cups Thai glutinous (sticky) rice, rinsed until the water runs clear
1 (13.5-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk, preferably full-fat
1/2 cup sugar, preferably turbinado
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 mangoes, chopped (about 2 cups)
In a large bowl, combine the rinsed rice and cold water to cover by at least 1 inch. Cover the bowl and soak the rice overnight at room temperature.
In a medium pot, bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a simmer over medium heat. Drain the rice in a heatproof fine-mesh sieve and rinse. Set the sieve of rice on top of the pot, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the sieve. Wet a paper towel and place over the rice in the sieve, folding the edges if needed so it doesn’t stick out. Cover the pot and sieve with a tight-fitting lid. Steam the rice until tender and cooked through, periodically checking and adding more water if the pot runs dry, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the coconut milk, sugar, and ¾ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the almond extract. Cover to keep warm
Transfer the cooked rice to a large bowl. Stir in two-thirds of the coconut milk mixture, reserving the rest. Cover the bowl and let the rice stand until it has absorbed all the liquid, about 30 minutes.
Divide the rice among four serving bowls and drizzle with the remaining coconut milk mixture. Top each serving with the mango.
Padma’s All American Cookbook by Padma Lakshmi is published by Alfred A Knopf, $54.