Radish Greens with Potatoes



Apero time with a bunch of French Breakfast radishes, washed and eaten raw with a pinch of sea salt. Not one to waste food, I hung on to the radish greens and used them to make a wholesome veggy dish such as 'Saag-Aloo' (spinach and potatoes), except I substituted the Saag for the left-over radish greens.

When choosing radishes, go for the firm-to-the-touch and blemish-free ones. The greens should look fresh (avoid wilting and soggy leaves). Since I didn't use the greens right-away, I stored them in a perforated plastic bag put in the bottom drawer of the fridge for 2 days. When I did get round to cooking with them, I thoroughly washed, drained and patted the leaves dry with a kitchen towel before chopping them roughly. I kept some of the leaves whole which curled up in the frying pan; I liked this touch to the finished dish.

Final note: the addition of fresh coriander here took the sharp edge off this dish and the potatoes contrasted nicely with the bitterness of the radish greens, softening the overall taste.

The Recipe serves two as a side dish

Ingredients:

A bunch of radish greens (chopped roughly)
Handful of coriander (chopped roughly)
1 tbsp of canola oil
Half an onion diced finely (I used pink roscoff onions for a milder taste)
2 garlic cloves
2cm ginger
2 medium potatoes (the floury kind- boiled, peeled and cut into small chunks)
Tsp of cumin seeds
Tsp of turmeric
1/2 tsp of chilli powder (use a full tsp for more heat)
Tsp of garam masala
Pinch of Hing (optional)
Salt to taste
Sprinkling of poppy seeds (to garnish)

Method
1. Wash, drain and dry the radish greens and coriander.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan, and fry the cumin seeds for 20 seconds before adding the onions.
3. When onions have browned slightly, add and fry the garlic and ginger for a few minutes.
4. Next add the turmeric, chilli powder, hing and salt. Stir and cook the spices for a couple of minutes.
5. Now add the radish greens first and fry. After 5 minutes of cooking, throw in the coriander along with the potatoes. Salt to taste and stir well to combine all the ingredients. Continue cooking on a low heat for ten minutes.
6. Remove from the stove and sprinkle poppy seeds on top to garnish.