plonq | Curry

One of the things we have changed since the start of the pandemic is that we waste far less food. It's not that we have some kind of renewed appreciation for food, but that we're eating at home much more than we used to (no dining out), so we tend to use things before they get a chance to spoil. Also, since we don't just go shopping on a whim now, we are more prone to using that last bit of stale bread rather than binning it when we pick up a fresh loaf.

Obviously, I have never considered throwing away the inedible parts of food to be waste. I typically don't eat apple cores and banana peels.

Note my use of the word "typically"...

I was watching a British cooking channel on YouTube recently where one of the chefs created a curry using banana peels for the base. Prior to that video, the thought of banana peels belonging anywhere but the compost bin had never crossed my mind. The recipe they used seemed a bit fiddly, so I found a simpler one and replicated their technique. I tossed the peels into a pot of water along with a good helping of turmeric, brought it too a boil and then let it slowly cool for about an hour before I removed the peels, pared them to about 3cm lengths and then cut them into strips.

I threw them into a wok along with some sliced onions and other fixings of a curry, serving the result over rice that I had coloured with turmeric.

It was really good. A bit spicier than I had intended, but I'll adjust that on my next try. Both the flavour and texture were quite pleasant. If I hadn't known what went into this curry, I'd never have guessed that it was a tasty vegetarian curry of some kind, but I'd never have figured out what was being used as the base. This is on my list of things to try again.

Also on the subject of experimental foods that I am going to make again...

I've been itching to try making vegan pulled-pork ever since I learned that it was a thing. I've had mixed luck with vegan recipes in the past, so I approached this with tempered expectations.

The result was astounding. If I hadn't known what went into this, one could have fooled me if they served this to me as the real thing. As a bonus, it was no more work than making the genuine product.

There was still a bit left in the fridge this morning, so I tossed a bagel in the toaster and used the last of the "pork" to make a breakfast sandwich.

This recipe shared a thing in common with the banana-peel curry in that it was hotter than I'd intended. The recipe called for cayenne, but I substituted an equal amount of hot paprika. It turns out that the latter is hotter than the former would have been, and this stuff packs a bite. Since it could have used a hint more smoke anyway, the next time I make it, I will substitute smoked paprika for the cayenne. More smoke, less fire.