Heavenly Fragrance. Carol Selva Selva Rajah
plant grows only to the height of a small bush in equatorial Malaya, but can grow much taller in more temperate regions. I remember being quite confused as a child when I read about explorers traveling through the forests of north India. Their elephants reached up to chew on some aromatic branches which filled the forest with the perfume of curry, lime and pepper. It was difficult to imagine this as our curry leaf plant at home in tropical Malaysia barely reached 2 feet (60 cm)! It was only when I grew a curry leaf plant in my backyard in Sydney that I realized the plant positively thrives in temperate climates, perfuming the surrounding area with its seductive aroma.
There are different ways to use the curry leaves to vary their aroma and flavor. Dried curry leaves have very little flavor compared to fresh leaves, and should only be used when fresh leaves are unavailable. Reconstitute the dried leaves by soaking them in warm water, then add them to curries, omelets and salads. Another way to heighten the flavor is through the Indian trick of heating some oil and frying the curry leaves very quickly so they crisp and infuse the oil with flavor. When they are shallow-fried with onions and added to omelets and other dishes, they release a different flavor, which is just as effective, yet lighter in aroma.
Purchasing: Fresh almond-shaped leaves are generally sold on the stem, and are sometimes picked and packed in plastic bags. Look for green and firm, fresh-looking leaves.
Culinary uses: Curry leaves may be chopped or ground into a simple pesto (page 30) and are used in many traditional Southeast Asian and Indian dishes. To enhance the flavor of curry leaves, cover them with 2 teaspoons of oil and microwave or fry for 2 minutes until crisp. These crispy-fried leaves are ideal as a garnish for curries, salads and Indian dal recipes.
Preparation: Wash and dry the sprigs, then pull the leaves off the stems before using.
Storing: Wrap in several layers of damp paper towels and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 weeks. Freeze in the same way as coriander leaves.
Substitutes: Dried curry leaves, though not as fragrant, can be used, or substitute fresh coriander leaves instead.
Garlic chives ~
Also known as Chinese or Asian chives, this vegetable is indigenous to Siberia, Mongolia and northern China. As its name implies, garlic chives have a strong garlicky aroma and flavor. Regular garlic chives resemble coarse, flat blades of dark green grass. An exception to this is flowering chives, which have an unopened flower or bud at the tip of their long, slender stalks.
Sliced garlic chives, with a hint of garlic and grassy flavors with a peppery edge, are the perfect addition to any noodle dish. For an awesome aromatic hit, uncover noodles which have “sweated” in a wok full of garlic chives, and you will be struck by a wave of grassy garlic and crisp-frying onion aromas.
My favorites are the dark-green, flat-stemmed garlic chives, which are quite unlike the tiny, round-stemmed chives common in Western cooking. Their garlicky aroma, the main ingredient in the Malaysian char kway teow noodle dish and Chili Crabs, makes this an invaluable herb in my vegetable garden. Light green garlic chives are cultivated by covering the plant with black plastic bags to prevent the sunlight from reaching them. This reduces the chlorophyll in the plant and produces a lighter color, but does not affect the flavor.
Garlic chives can be domestically cultivated in large pots if you find yourself as addicted to the herb as I do. The chives may be used instead of green onions in any dish. I use them finely chopped in omelets instead of fried garlic and onion. Garlic chives also form the aromatic basis for many Chinese dim sums such as pork dumplings, which are commonly found in yum cha trolleys, and in the chive pancakes cooked in northern China.
Purchasing: Garlic chives are normally sold in bunches. Look for bright green ones. They should be firm and dry, with crisp lower ends that snap if bent. Avoid any that have rotted and become “slimy.”
Culinary uses: Garlic chives are used mainly in Chinese and Korean cooking. They have a strong flavor when raw but become more delicate after cooking. The pale, golden type called yellow chives, are prized for their delicate flavor. They are often added to soups, noodles and stir-fries, or minced and added to dumpling fillings. Flower chives are stir-fried and used as a garnish because of their decorative appearance.
Preparation: Take the whole bunch apart and look at each stem. Discard any stems that are brown or wilted. Rinse well and drain. Trim the hard bottom portions of the stems and use the rest as instructed in the recipes.
Storing: Store garlic chives in the refrigerator for 1–2 days, wrapped in paper towels or sealed in plastic bags or in airtight containers to prevent their strong garlic aroma from impregnating other foods.
Substitutes: Green onions or Western chives can be substituted for garlic chives but they will not give the same distinctive garlicky aroma and flavor.
Ginger flower ~ bunga kantan
This edible flower bud is an amazingly perfumed herb— statuesque, beautifully colored and well-proportioned, with exquisite aromas of floral ginger and lemony rose and a musk-and-strawberry sweetness. With its startling pink, red-edged leaves reaching up to a sharp point with yellow flame-like streaks, it is not only one of the most attractive of Asian herbs but the most aromatic as well, with a perfume that remains even when it is chopped into salads or ground into a curry paste.
The ginger flower has a stem as thick as a man’s thumb with leaves pointing to the sky like a pair of folded, praying hands. And the aroma? Think of ginger ale, lemony rosewater from the sharbat drinks of Persia, and a whiff of jasmine as you breathe in deeper. This spectacular flower is very uncommon in countries outside the tropics, although it has been growing sucessfully in sub-tropical Darwin and Queensland (Australia) for several years. It flowers along with the other gingers used in Queensland for desserts and pickling, although this particular ginger is not used in Western food. The Thais, Malaysians and Laotians use it quite a lot—ground up into curries and chopped up in salads—where the aroma is unmistakable in its fresh form. It seems almost a desecration to chop up something so beautiful, if the ginger flower arrives fully-formed in the kitchen, although by the time they have arrived at the markets of Asia, you will find some of the petals marked, damaged and blackened through rough handling. Sometimes soaking them in a solution of sugar water helps restore the shape and the quality of the flower. However, for eating, it does not matter if the flower reaches you slighty damaged, as it is either going to be chopped up or processed.
The torch ginger plant is one of the many varieties of ginger flowering plants. It produces the pink flower in the midst of long, thin sheaths. The entire plant can grow up to 16 feet (5 meters) in height, so expect to find large ginger flowers up to about 8–12 in (20–30 cm) long and 3 in (8 cm) thick. You may find smaller ginger flowers in the market, but treat them all in the same way. Scratch the surface of the flower and sniff it—if you get a strong, perfumed gingery aroma, you are on the right track.
Purchasing: Look for this flower in Asian markets. I was surprised to find it in that Ali Baba’s cave of shopping, the Ka De Wa in Berlin, sitting alongside fresh lemongrass stems, galangal roots and a durian, of all things. Choose fresh-looking buds without too much wilting or browning at the edges.
Culinary uses: This flower is an essential ingredient for many Malaysian and Nonya salads, curries, rojak and laksa, and also for the Thai nam prik mixture (a spicy dip) and many Vietnamese dishes. It is best to add chopped ginger flower at the end of cooking, so its flavor and aroma are retained.
Preparation: Wash the buds and in between each of the stems that make up the central core, then halve and slice each bud finely, discarding the stems.
Storing: The ginger flower has a shelf life of about a week. Wrap it in several layers of paper towels and store in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. You can freeze the flower, but bring it to room temperature naturally, not in a microwave. However,