Don't throw that out....

[rajsuman]

Things that normally get thrown away but in fact taste pretty good:

Cauliflower stalks (the outer green ones): My mom puts them in Ghashis (Konkani curries), although they do have to be cooked properly. Undercooked they taste like cowfeed, overcooked they taste really horrible.

Cauliflower stalks(The inner white ones ):My mom fries some jeera, green chillies, haldi, add the chopped stalks and fries them until tender, but not too soft. She then adds coriander leaves and lemon juice. It should be hot and sour.

My friend from Andhra makes a chutney with it (I love the way they make chutneys with any vegetable imaginable)- she lightly fries them and grind them with chillies, roasted gram and tamarind and then adds a tadka of garlic and urad dal. Wonderful!

Yellow cucumber peel upkari: In our family this is known as koira upkari, which translated means a stir-fry of kachra (rubbish). But that is such a misnomer, because it is a lovely and nutritious way to use up all the yellow melon peels. Heat ghee, add mustard and crushed red chillies, then add the finely chopped peels and fry until done.

Ridge-gourd peel chutney: jeera, green chillies, coconut, tamarind and roasted ridge-gourd peels. I've also heard of chutney being made out of okra trimmings.

Tamarind seeds: I've seen them being roasted, shelled and chewed on like supari. It is sometimes soaked in yogurt to soften it and add flavour.

Kharbooj seeds: Charmagaz is one, but we love them washed, dried, roasted in a bit of oil, then seasoned with salt and chilli powder. Goes very well with any good book.

That's my list - now let's hear yours!

Suman

[Edward]

I always put the cauliflower leaves and stalks into whatever cauliflower dish I am making, like gobhi ki bhaji. In fact that is dinner tonight.

Many people throw away broccoli stems, but I like them more than the florets. I peel them and cut them into thick fingers and cook them with a little kalonji and green chilies fried in mustard oil. Then I add a little water and when halfway done I add a paste of mustard seeds or a paste of half mustard and half white poppy seeds. This is cooked until the stems are tender and the paste is thick. Yum.

[Monica Bhide]

Nice thread!

I really liked the dish my aunt used to make from the skins of peas.. I must remember to ask her for a recipe.. it was many moons ago

[chromedome]

I always use the broccoli stems. Sometimes in casseroles, sometimes in soups, sometimes in broccoli salads, but most of all in stirfries.

At work I'm becoming recognized as the king of utilization. Overshipped on tomatoes? No problem: I printed Suvir's tomato chutney recipe and brought it in (had to bring a few ingredients from home, but what the heck). Cherries getting tired? Bald guy pits them and makes cherry pie filling for the bakery to make tarts with. Zucchini and summer squash starting to look like your granny's neck? Shred 'em in the RoboCoupe and bake 'em into the coffee cake. Stock boy put two cases of cabbage on top of the flat of raspberries? No problem! Raspberry coulis for the bread puddings I'll soon be making with the leftover bread...

On Tuesday, when I go back to work (it's a holiday here in Canada tomorrow) I've got some beef ribs to work with. We had a catering contract involving prime rib for 250 people this weekend, and the meatcutter put aside the ribs for me to do something with.

It all appeals to that "east-coast frugality gene" I've inherited from my various grandparents, I think.

[gingerly]

always wanted to do something with banana peels...

[mongo_jones]

always wanted to do something with banana peels...

cows and goats seem to like them. does it count if you cook a cow or goat that's just eaten a banana peel?

[rajsuman]

Yes, I use the broccoli stems too. Prefer them to the florets in fact. There is a supermarket here where you can chop off extra-long stems of broccoli into a container. People who own rabbits can take the stems home free for their pets. Naturally, every now and then I pretend to own a rabbit or two.

Monica I know the dish you're talking about. It's delicious. I think it's called Kutter or something. I have the recipe for it somewhere.

Gingerly, my mom's friend makes these bhajiyas (fritters) with the peel of the raw banana. I haven't tasted it, but my mom said they were very nice.

Suman

[gingerly]

cows and goats seem to like them. does it count if you cook a cow or goat that's just eaten a banana peel?

i was thinking something in the dhungar style mongo..

just sunday silliness Suman-there are lots of really interesting recipes in my south canara cook book,including one for plantain skin palya.one of these days i might just get around to trying it.

[Edward]

I always put the cauliflower leaves and stalks into whatever cauliflower dish I am making, like gobhi ki bhaji. In fact that is dinner tonight.

So, last nights gobhi ki bhaji is this mornings gobhi ki omlette. I had about 1 1/2 cups of the sabzi left. Chopped it up, added more cilantro and a little salt before folding it into beaten eggs. A Yummy thin omlette served ever so elegantly with Maggi's Hot and Sweet sauce.

[Spiceroute]

Chutney with bottle or ridge gourd peels , by roasting them in a little oil with urad dal , channa dal , mustard , jeera , methi , hing , red chillies , tamarind and grinding them all together.

I remember my mother making fritters with the cut off ends of bitter gourd by soaking them in salt and haldi water and drying them out in the sun, ( should confirm this though)

Jackfruit seeds , boiled and peeled can eaten plain salted , stir fried with jeera , haldi and chilli powder , or grinded into a paste for a sweet halwa/ phirni.

Edited August 4, 2004 by Spiceroute (log)

[Rushina]

Okay here is something that my mom in law would probably flip out on hearing but while I lived in Chandigarh (about two years) we always got the freshest produce. I could neve bring myself to throw away green Kaddu peels, Green pea pods and the like, I used to boil them into a stock that I served as clear soup in the winter and /or used to thin gravies or cook rice.

Rushina