Flying into Delhi in the middle of the night is disorienting. We arrived at our hotel only after weaving through freeways, on-ramps and off-ramps, and darkened tree-lined side streets, eventually resting our heads after 2 am.
The morning brought masala dosa and lassi for breakfast, and we decided to dive into Old Delhi’s chaotic Chandni Chowk straight away—a sea of people, rickshaws, and sidewalk rubble, and an assault of signage. We sought out feathery layered and stuffed parathas for lunch at a stall where you sit on a bench facing the narrow, ancient alleyways before you.
And after, we made our way to the spice market, where I saw a cluster of women in electric green and pink saris crouched in a strip of dirt between spice vendors. They were sorting pistachios—nut from shell. One was eating a simple bowl of rice topped with a smear of what looked like an Indian harissa paste and edged by a peanut-corn vegetable medley of sorts. It was beautiful and simple and you knew at a glance it tasted good. Here’s my version. You can enjoy it over rice, over lentils, or on its own as a side dish.
This recipe is best with fresh corn—although you can use frozen corn that has thawed. Even better, swap in chopped asparagus, broccoli, or another vegetable when corn isn’t in season.
Per serving:
Use a mortar and pestle or food processor to smash the chili peppers, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and salt into a paste.
In skillet over medium-high, heat butter. Add mustard seeds, and once they have begun to pop, stir in corn. Cook, stirring gently but constantly for a minute or so; then add peanuts, half the cilantro, and half the prepared chili paste. Cook for another minute or so; taste, and add the rest of the paste if you donu2019t find the dish too spicy, and a good squeeze or two of lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Serve topped with the remaining cilantro, sesame seeds, and remaining lemon wedges.
While sablefish’s texture and fat content stand up admirably to the heat of the grill, this firm fish is also delicious poached. For this recipe, sablefish’s luxurious taste is combined with a light fragrant broth of lemongrass and ginger punctuated with the heat of Thai chili. Sustainability status Sablefish, also known as butterfish or black cod, is a rich and satisfying fish, plentiful in omega-3s and sourced sustainably from the Pacific Northwest. Skin and bones Sablefish has large pin bones. Ideally, your fishmonger will remove them, but if not, before you begin, locate them along the fish’s centreline and, using a pair of needle nose pliers, grasp them firmly to remove. You can leave the skin on for this recipe, which may help the fish hold together a little better while cooking, but it can be tricky to peel the skin away from the cooked fish and discard before plating. I opted to remove the skin first and simply keep a close eye on the cooking time, being careful to remove the fish from the poaching liquid before it flakes apart.
These mildly spiced salmon tacos served with sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds will bring a party together. Make a small quantity of salmon go further when you pair it with a fresh red cabbage slaw featuring citrus and cilantro. Drizzled with some bright lime yogurt, the flavours come together perfectly. Sustainability status Wild salmon from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska are considered among the most sustainable, as the fishery is subject to limited harvests. With salmon stocks in decline, supporting managed fisheries such as these can help maintain populations into the future. That may also mean eating salmon less often than we do now. Salmon is a favourite Salmon is the most popular variety of fish in Canada and the second most popular in the US.
B12-rich mussels are a very good and economical source of protein and iron. Steamed mussels are a classic way to enjoy seafood—and so is this rich, aromatic broth of tomato, fennel, and saffron. Be sure to allow saffron to fully infuse to get the full flavour benefit, and finish off the dish with the fragrant fennel fronds. Sustainability status Farmed mussels are considered highly sustainable due to their low impacts on the environment. They are easy to harvest, require no fertilizer or fresh water, and don’t need to be fed externally, as they get all their nutritional requirements from their marine environment. Mussel prep Selection: Look for mussels with shiny, tightly closed shells that smell of the sea. If shells are slightly open, give them a tap. Live mussels will close immediately. Storage: Keep mussels in the fridge in a shallow pan laid on top of ice. Keep them out of water and cover with a damp cloth. Ideally, consume on the day you buy them, but within two days. They need to breathe, so never keep them in a sealed plastic bag. Cleanup: In addition to being sustainable, farmed mussels tend to require less cleaning than wild mussels. Most of the fibrous “beards” that mussels use to grip solid surfaces will have been removed before sale. But if a few remain, they’re easily dispatched: grasp the beard with your thumb and forefinger and pull it toward the hinge of the mussel and give it a tug. Afterward, give mussels a quick rinse and scrub away any areas of mud or seaweed, which, with farmed mussels, will require minimal work.
The delicate flavour of shrimp is highlighted with just a touch of lemon and a hint of mustard, while radish and celery give some fresh crunch to this dish. Eat it in lettuce cups, on top of greens, or served on whole grain bread for a filling snack. Sustainability status Both wild and farmed shrimp can be sustainable depending on where they’re caught and how they’re raised. See our article “Sea Change” for more information about choosing ethical shrimp.