Upward mobility has brought many good things through the front door but has chased common sense and healthy frugality out the kitchen window. We think we know our vegetables. But unless you have a compost heap, chances are you’re throwing away large parts of still edible, even fun bits. Just as in the west, gourmet chefs are thoroughly exploring the nose-to-tail, no-wastage eating of the whole animal — there is a need to re-explore the whole vegetable. I realised this when a foodie friend picked large bunches of discarded beet leaves from the bottom of farmers’ table at the market clucking disapprovingly. It brought back memories of pea-pod purees. The unwieldy bits: carrot stumps left from the grater, the coarser stalks of the mushrooms, the last handful of French beans, the squishier tomatoes… These would be tamed and used to infuse colour and flavour into pulaos and soups and sauces.
If you’re out of practice, it’s easiest to start with herbs. Look for healthy coriander sold still on the root. Don’t be put off by the clumps of clay still sticking as long as the root is not discoloured and feels crisp. Fennel (dill), lemon grass, garlic... these can all be used from root to tip. Talk to the older women (or men) in the house and rediscover the old ways. In the meanwhile — here is a selection of things you can do with roots, shoots and leaves.

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Seared Veggies with
Green garlic aioli
A simple side or a fancy starter — the key to this recipe is the green garlic infused mayonnaise. For a funky version, try mixing wasabi into the mayonnaise and searing edamame and peas in their pods instead. You can make the aioli from scratch, if you have access to great, fresh, organic eggs or just buy good quality mayo. This works with all vegetables but the fennel bulb, roasted, is sweet and a lovely contrast to the garlic.

Ingredients:
2 fennel bulbs
20 asparagus shoots
Leeks, beets (optional)

For aioli:
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped green garlic* or garlic chives
Salt to taste
¾ cup mayonnaise, divided
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
* If you can’t get green garlic, take a regular pod and dunk it in boiling water for 5 minutes to take the bite out of the garlic.
Method:
Separate the leaves of the fennel bulb by slicing off the bottom to release each one. You will have to slice a couple of times at least in the process to release the inner leaves.
Trim the extra dill off and using a sharp knife, slice along the length of the leaf, trying to get a stalk and a part of the bulb. Brush lightly with olive oil and put to roast on a tava on low for about 20 minutes, until they brown gently. Wash the asparagus, snap the woody bits off, brush with olive oil and roast until lightly browned as well. Do the same with the leeks and beets if using.
Alternatively, brush a roasting pan with oil and roast in the oven for about 10 to 20 minutes. Chop the green garlic as finely as you can — don’t process because it will make the herb squishy and gross.
Mix briskly into the mayo with the olive oil and season with lemon juice. Let stand in the fridge for at least one hour before serving.

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Ginger Coriander Carrot Soup
This is a simple, delicious soup that works both cold and warm. Use yellow carrots because they turn pulpy and make a great puree. The ‘redder’ carrots are more fibrous and filled with water — great for salads. The julienned chillies and ginger are reminiscent of the tadka they put on haleem but here they just elevate the carrot. From Niloufer Ichanporia’s book, My Bombay Kitchen, this recipe is of ‘no fixed address’ but will find a home in your kitchen, for sure.

ingredients:
8 large yellow carrots
Sugar 1 tsp
1 cup chopped coriander stems and leaves
2 tbs chopped chives (optional)
2 fresh green chillies
½ inch ginger root
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs olive oil
Salt to taste
Yoghurt for garnish

Method:
Peel and slice the carrots and set them to simmer in salted water until they are tender. Using a sieve, drain them but save the water in another pan. Process the carrots until they are a smooth pulp. Empty the pulp into a bowl and add the warm cooking water until you reach a thick but soupy consistency. Season now with lemon juice, salt and sugar. Wash and dry the coriander and chop it finely. Julienne the ginger and de-seed the chillies and slice those lengthwise too. Heat olive oil in a small pan and quickly sear the ginger and chillies until just coloured but not browned. Mix the coriander into the soup.
Serve in individual bowls. Garnish with a small dollop of yoghurt, then pile on some ginger and chilli and drizzle a drop or two of the oil. Serve immediately or even cold.

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AMarinated Beet Salad
This recipe uses classic Jewish beetroot salad seasoning but leaves the beets uncooked, though marinated — leaving them crisp but tender. The Parsis have a version in which they marinate the beets in Worcestshire sauce but I found that slightly overpowering.
This is very fresh tasting and would work well with anything from bland, crunchy iceberg or robust rocket and baby spinach. You could also throw some feta cheese on if you like.

Ingredients:
2 large beetroots
2 teaspoons cumin powder
½ tsp whole cumin seed (jeera)
Juice of 2 lemons
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Handful of salad greens
1 spring onion

Method:
Peel the beets and slice them finely into rings and then slice the rings finely into sticks. Toss with jeera powder and lemon juice and leave covered, in a bowl in the fridge overnight. When ready to serve, wash and dry salad greens. Toast the whole cumin on a pan and roughly crush. Pile the beets on, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sliced spring onion and crushed cumin.

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Lemongrass infused Beef Salad
Tender slivers of beef piled on top of lots of crunchy vegetables, drizzled with the simplest of dressings served steaming hot on noo,dles or eaten cold for a quick lunch the next day.
You can’t go wrong with this weather-proof salad and, the good news is, you can use the ingredients for a quick stir-fry. Just follow the recipe but, stir-fry the beef and mushrooms together, then the carrot, then the papaya and throw in the cucumber last before turning off the heat.
Ingredients:
250 gms beef
1 onion
6 cloves garlic
4 tbs oyster sauce
6 tbs soy sauce
100 gms shiitake mushrooms
Handful of coriander plant
½ cup raw papaya julienned
½ cup cucumber julienned
½ cup carrot julienned
½ cup moong sprouts
Juice of 2 lemons
2 tsp sesame oil
½ tsp fish sauce (optional)
2 bulbs of lemongrass with blades attached
Salt to taste

Method:
Sliver the beef and cut it into ½ cm strips. (see tip) Separate the lemongrass — bulb and leaves. Chop the bulb up as finely as possible. Separate the coriander roots and stalks and leaves. Chop the stalks and leaves up and chop the roots separately.
Chop the onion and garlic cloves, mix with 2 tbs oyster sauce and 4 tbs soy sauce, lemongrass bulb, coriander roots, a pinch of salt and toss with the beef. Leave to stand for upto 2 hours.
Boil the lemongrass leaves until you have a pale green liquid. Blanch the moong sprouts in it and drain. Reserve the water. Now throw in the shiitake mushrooms and leave them for 10 minutes. Squeeze the mushrooms, remove the stalks and cut into fine slices.
Heat 1 tsp sesame oil in a hot, non-stick pan and sauté the beef until it starts to lose water. Throw in the mushrooms and 2 tbs soy sauce.
Keep stirring briskly. When the liquid dries up, the beef will begin to colour. You want a deep colour. Turn off the heat. Pile the cucumber, papaya, carrots, sprouts and then the beef and mushrooms. Mix sesame oil, fish sauce (if using) and oyster sauce with the lemon juice.
Toss the coriander leaves in with the dressing and serve immediately.