namahatta.org - Congregational Development Ministry

My working year formally commenced last weekend with my first cookery class of 2010, held at Govinda's in Darlinghurst. It was a fabulously successful event. There are vacancies for my next class there to be held in June. I've reminded Pratapana to post the booking details for that class, which will be happening forthwith. Tallyho!

And while we are on the subject, I've got a swag of classes coming up around this big brown (and green and wet) land.

I'd love to cook with you somewhere, sometime, someplace. Here's what's on for the first half of this year. Come join me at:

Sticky Rice Cooking School,
Stirling, Adelaide Hills, South Australia,
Cookery Workshops,
Sat 13, Sunday 14 March 2010,
Bookings - call Claire 08 8339 1314.

The Company Farm, Wauchope NSW,
Cookery Workshops,
Saturday 10, Sunday 11 April 2010,
Bookings - call Lyn 02 6585 6495.

Gopal's Vegetarian Restaurant,
Swanston Street, Melbourne, Victoria,
Morning Cookery Workshop,
Sunday 18 April 2010,
Bookings - call Mary 03 8555 0361.

Satyananda Yoga Ashram,
Mangrove Mountain NSW,
Anna Yoga Weekend Cookery Retreat,
Saturday 24, Sunday 25 April 2010,
Details - call reception 02 4377 1171.

Gopal's Vegetarian Restaurant,
Swanston Street, Melbourne, VIC,
Morning Cookery Workshop,
Sunday 2 May 2010,
Bookings - call Mary 03 8555 0361.

Cooking Co-ordinates Cookery School,
Belconnen, Canberra ACT,
Morning Cookery Workshop,
Saturday 8 May 2010,
Bookings - call 02 6253 5133.

La Trobe University,
Bundoora Campus,
Morning Cookery Workshop,
Saturday 29 May,
Details - contact Manoj ojsc@rediffmail.com.

La Trobe University,
Bendigo Campus,
Morning Cookery Workshop,
Sunday 30 May,
Details - contact Manoj ojsc@rediffmail.com.

Govinda's, Darlinghurst, NSW,
Morning Cookery Workshop ,
Saturday 5 June 2010,
Details and Bookings.

Cherry Top & Eagle Park,
Lilydale near Launceston, Tasmania,
Winter Spice Retreat with Kurma Dasa,
Saturday, Sunday 19, 20 June 2010,
Bookings - contact Lesley @ cherrytop@bigpond.com.

Fremantle, Perth WA,
Full-day Vegan Cookery Workshop, Sunday 4 July,
Email Cruelty Free WA (info@crueltyfreewa.com.au),
or call James/Jess on (08) 9335 7039 11:30am and 6:00pm Tue-Sun,
More information available online.

Upper Crust Cooking Class,
West Perth, WA,
Two Evening Workshops,
Tues 6, Wednesday 7 July,
Bookings - 08 94814149 ,
Contact - gabriel@uppercrust.com.au.

Aspenz Cooking School,
Bunbury, Western Australia,
Two Evening Workshops,
Tuesday, Wednesday 13, 14 July 2010,
Bookings - 08 97217400,
Contact - aspenzk@westnet.com.au.

Gopal's Vegetarian Restaurant,
Swanston Street, Melbourne, VIC,
Morning Cookery Workshop,
Sunday 25 July 2010,
Bookings - call Mary 03 8555 0361.

Radhanuga from Hillsborough, NC, USA wrote:

"I'm having some problem finding a good non-dairy calcium source. My nails are starting to look whitish and soft".

My reply: There are lots of non-dairy sources of calcium...

Blackstrap molasses, Collard greens, Soy or ricemilk, Commercial soy yogurt, Turnip greens, Tofu, Tempeh, Kale, Okra, Bok choy, Mustard greens, Tahini, Almonds, Almond butter, Soy milk, etc

Sesame is brimming with calcium. In the form of tahini it is great. Combined with chickpeas in hummous, or on toast with honey...mmm...!!!

Here's LOTS of information about non-dairy calcium sources, go to:

Madan Mohan Mohini Dasi from Sandy Ridge, North Carolina, USA writes:

'I was reading through one of your cookbooks and came upon a recipe with spinach. I just thought I'd let you in on an old secret about cleaning greens.

You fill your (kitchen-size) sink with water and add salt (maybe a handful or so) and clean your greens in that. (I suppose if you were to use a much larger sink, you would use more salt.) Anyway, it takes all the dirt off.

I do this all the time - even with muddy spinach right out of the garden. You don't even have to do a second rinsing; however, just to play safe I do a second rinsing in clean water (without salt). This really works well and saves a lot of time.'

I guess if we changed our diet every time a new scientific report came out, we'd go mad, or at least become a little demented. Here's some news from the BBC. It's not 'new news', but hey, this is a Blog Re-run.

Tofu 'may raise risk of dementia'

"Tofu is a widely eaten soy product. Eating high levels of some soy products - including tofu - may raise the risk of memory loss, research suggests.

The study focused on 719 elderly Indonesians living in urban and rural regions of Java. The researchers found high tofu consumption - at least once a day - was associated with worse memory, particularly among the over-68s.

The Loughborough University-led study features in the journal Dementias and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders." Read the whole article....

Despite the inclement meteorological conditions here in Australia, it doesn't feel like soup weather yet. But I am sure it does in the Northern Hemisphere.

Before I proceed with this blog, a word about pumpkin. In Australia, the word pumpkin is a rather generic term, and can refer to a variety of members of the squash family. Here we have Butternuts, Queensland Blues, Japs, and a number of others.

In the USA, what they call pumpkin usually refer to the big fellas they carve for Halloween. They also have Butternut Squash, Acorn Squash, Summer Squash, etc etc. To conclude: Any variety of orange squash/pumpkin can be used to make the following recipe.

Sapna from Los Angeles writes:

"My family and I like to eat at Govinda's Restaurant adjoining the Hare Krishna Temple in Los Angeles. We visited the restaurant yesterday and on the menu there was butternut squash soup which my son and I liked very much. If possible can you please provide me the recipe of the soup."

Here's my recipe:

Old Fashioned Cream of Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin soup is a great winter favourite. Milk and a simple seasoning of black pepper and nutmeg allow the pumpkin flavour to predominate.

Preparation & cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 persons

3 cups water
1½ cups milk
90g (3 ounces) butter
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups, 1 kg (2.2 pounds) pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon light cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Melt half the butter in a 6-litre/quart saucepan over moderate heat. Add the nutmeg, black pepper, and pumpkin cubes and saute for 10 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil, cooking until the pumpkin is very tender.

Empty the contents of the saucepan into a blender and add half the milk. Puree the mixture carefully. Remove and set aside. Rinse the saucepan.

Heat the remaining butter in the saucepan over moderate heat. Stir the flour into the butter. Return the pumpkin puree to the saucepan along with the remaining milk, stirring constantly until the soup is well blended. Bring to a boil, simmer for a few minutes, and season with salt.

Serve the hot soup in individual pre-warmed soup bowls, garnished with light cream and chopped parsley.

Remember I published a request on my blog for eggless lemon curd and eggless custard tarts?

Here's a recipe for Lemon Curd from Maharani Dasi. Thank you!!

Lemon Curd

Maharani writes: "I have had good success making lemon "curd" filling for lemon bars (the kind with shortbread crust, lemon curd, and streusel topping) with confectioner's (icing) sugar and a little extra cornstarch to thicken it. I'm not sure how it would hold up in a full-sized pie, but it is very good in mini-tarts, cookies, and that sort of thing. The recipe I use is this one:

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest,
1/2 cup fresh strained lemon juice,
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar (icing sugar with cornstarch/cornflour added),
6 tablespoons unsalted butter,
optional 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in a little cold water.

In a heavy saucepan bring to a boil the lemon juice, zest, and butter.

Whisk in the confectioner's sugar, and reduce to a simmer, whisking and watching for it to thicken. If it doesn't seem to be reaching the desired consistency, this is when you add the cornstarch in water. With a little more cooking, it should thicken up. If not, add a few more spoons of confectioner's sugar. It will thicken more on standing, so don't add any more cornstarch than absolutely necessary, because otherwise it will taste starchy.

When the lemon curd is thickened (clings to the whisk) transfer to a bowl. If you're not using it right away, you should cover it with a piece of plastic wrap touching the surface of the curd to prevent it getting a skin on top as it cools."

Give it a try, readers, and let me know how it worked out.

A. M. from Chennai wrote me:

"Can you please tell me what are these called in kannada/tamil:

1. Water chestnut (singhada/singhoda in hindi) flour

2. Amaranth seed (Amaranthus) (rajgira in marathi) flour

3. Buckwheat (kuttu in hindi) flour

Any ideas, dear readers?

Rohini from South Africa wrote asking for a recipe for Upma

Here's my Upma recipe:

Breakfast-time Cashew-Studded Upma

Upma is a traditional grain dish much loved all over India. It consists of roasted semolina (sooji) and sauteed spices, with added vegetables and nuts combined with water to form a moist, savoury pudding. Though upma's texture resembles Italian polenta or North African couscous, its flavour is unique. Served with fresh lemon juice and a little yogurt, it makes a delicious breakfast. Serves 6 - 8 persons.

1½ cups coarse-grain semolina,
¼ cup ghee or oil,
1½ teaspoons black mustard seeds,
2 teaspoons split urad dal,
1½ teaspoons cumin seeds,
2 hot green chilies, seeded and minced,
2 cups cabbage, finely shredded,
1 red pepper, seeded and diced,
1 cup peeled potatoes, cubed,
1 cup orange-fleshed sweet potato,
½ teaspoon turmeric,
3 cups hot water,
1 cup green peas, cooked if fresh, thawed if frozen,
1½ teaspoons salt,
1 cup roasted cashew pieces,
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves,
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice,
Toast, yogurt, lemon wedges, or chutney to accompany (optional).

Dry-roast the semolina in a large, heavy dry frying pan over moderate heat for 6 - 8 minutes or until the grains darken a few shades. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Heat the ghee or oil in a heavy 4 or 5-litre/quart saucepan over moderately high heat. Saute the black mustard seeds in the hot oil until they crackle. Add the urad dal and cumin seeds and saute them until they darken; add the chilies and, stirring, add the cabbage, peppers, zucchini, potatoes, and turmeric. Stir-fry for 2 or 3 minutes.

Reduce the heat to moderate and continue to cook for another 4 or 5 minutes or until the vegetables are limp and partly cooked. Carefully add the hot water and bring to the boil. Add the cooked fresh peas or thawed frozen peas. Add the semolina, stirring continuously. Add the salt; reduce the heat to very low, and half-cover with a lid, stirring often until the upma becomes a light, fluffy pudding (about 5 minutes). If the upma appears too dry, add a little warm water.

Remove the upma from the heat, stir in the cashew nuts, lemon juice and fresh coriander leaves, and serve hot with suggested accompaniments.

Not permanantly, but just for 2 weeks, 3-15 July.

If you live in that glorious part of Australia and would like to organise a group of friends, I can share a hands-on cookery extravaganza and banquet in your home.

Or perhaps you would just like to attend a class.

Here's what's on so far. Hope to see you soon!

Cooking with Kurma,
Fremantle, WA,
Full-day Hands-on Vegan Cookery Workshop,
Sunday 4 July 2010,
Email Cruelty Free WA (info@crueltyfreewa.com.au),
Bookings: call James/Jess on (08) 9335 7039 between 11:30am - 6:00pm Tuesday to Sunday),
More information available online at www.crueltyfreewa.com.au

Cooking with Kurma,
West Perth, WA,
Two evening Vegetarian Cookery Classes,
Tuesday 6, Wednesday 7 July 2010,
Upper Crust Cooking School,
Shop 1, 77 Colin Street,
WEST PERTH WA 6005,
For Bookings, contact: Gabriel Zahra,
Ph/Fx 08 94814149,
gabriel@uppercrust.com.au,
www.uppercrust.com.au

Cooking with Kurma,
Bunbury, Western Australia,
Aspenz Cooking School,
Two Evening Cookery Classes,
Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14 July 2010,
Bookings 08 97217400,
Contact aspenzk@westnet.com.au

I know I've re-blogged this a few times, but everyone loves a fart joke. Not.

Sam Stewart from Australia's Gold Coast wrote:

"What is it about beans that cause so much gas? What can be done to make them less volatile"

My reply:

Though beans are nutitionally excellent, they have the unfortunate side effect of causing the formation of gas in the lower digestive tract. This digestive dilemma can be mollified by adopting some or all of the following practices:

Discard the soaking water prior to cooking

Some nutrition (in the form of minerals) is lost, but you are getting rid of up to 80% of the oligosaccharides that cause flatulence. The standard way is to soak the raw, unsoaked beans in cold water overnight (in a cool place to avoid fermentation) then drain them, throw away the soak water and cook in fresh water.

Some cooks suggest that an even better way to remove the oligosaccharides is to bring the unsoaked beans to a boil for 3 minutes, remove from the heat, cover, and allow to soak for 4 hours, then drain and cook in fresh water.

Cook the beans thoroughly

You should be able to easily mash the cooked beans with a fork. Thorough cooking softens starch and fibers, making digestion more efficient, the main reason why refried beans are easier on the digestive system than whole beans.

Give your body time to adjust

If you don't eat beans often, your body never fully adapts to the extra work required to digest the complex sugars in beans. Beginning with small amounts, try eating beans at least 3 times a week while gradually increasing quantity.

Choose beans that are easier to digest

A general rule is that the sweeter the bean, the easier it is to digest. Adzuki, Anasazi, Black-eyed Peas, Lentils, and Mung beans top the list. The most difficult beans to digest include Navy, Limas, and whole cooked Soybeans.

Cook beans with a bay leaf, cumin, epazote, or kombu

Certain herbs have gas-reducing properties, with epazote being one of the most effective. Add 2 teaspoons dry or 6 fresh leaves to a pot of beans before cooking. Kombu sea vegetable also works well and has the added advantage of replenishing some of the minerals lost in soaking. Add a two-inch strip per one cup of dried beans during cooking. A couple of bay leaves simmered with cooked beans is also excellent. Asafetida, ginger and cumin are also excellent additions later in the cooking process, when the beans are seasoned, to counter the oligosaccharides.

Avoid beans that are cooked with added sweeteners, or come in a can.

Some people who easily digest most freshly cooked beans have trouble with canned or sweetened beans due to the way they are prepared and due to added carbohydrates. The famous baked beans are navy beans (hard to digest for a start) that have been cooked without discarding the soaking water AND with extra sweetener added - a very explosive combination.

Click here for more on the status of flatus.

A friend wrote me the other day asking if I had heard of a particular vegetarian restaurant in Dallas. I replied that I had not, and that the only restaurant I was familiar with in that city was the famous Kalachandji's.

Here's Lisa and Jessica from The Veronica's on a recent visit to Kalachandji's.

Check out Kalachandji's website, and when next in Dallas, be sure to visit.

Marcylene from Fort Erie, Ontario writes:

"Dear Kurma, Would you please forward me a recipe for Homemade Soup Stock. I used to buy the vegetarian soup base and I find it way too salty. I am not supposed to have salt plus I am a vegetarian as well. Thansk a million."

My reply:

Hello Marcylene, Here's some stock recipes from my first cookbook 'Great Vegetarian Dishes".

Below are recipes for various vegetable broths: Green Vegetable Stock, Root Vegetable Stock, Brown Vegetable Stock, and Chinese Vegetable Stock. These recipes, however, should act only as a guide. Whenever you can, save vegetable peelings, stalks, leaves, and any water used to boil vegetables. Broths can serve as a natural flavour enhancer for soups, rice dishes, dals and stews.

Green Vegetable Stock

COOKING TIME: 2 hours,
YIELD: 3 - 4 cups (750 ml - 1 litre).

2 tablespoons butter,
6 cups chopped fresh green vegetables,
1.5 cups chopped fresh herbs, chopped celery stalks, beans, pea pods, etc,
8 cups (2 litres) water,
2 teaspoons salt,
2 bay leaves,
3 cloves,
1/4 teaspoon yellow asafoetida powder.

Melt the butter in a heavy 6-litre/quart saucepan or stockpot and saute the vegetables for 20 minutes over moderate heat. Turn off the heat and allow the vegetables to "sweat" with a lid on for 10 minutes.

Add the water and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil; then simmer for 1 1/2 hours with a tight-fitting lid. Strain. Refrigerate the stock and use as needed.

Root Vegetable Stock

COOKING TIME: 2 hours,
YIELD: about 3 cups. (750 ml)

2 tablespoons butter,
1/2 large potato, diced,
1 cup squash or pumpkin, diced,
2 medium celery stalks, chopped,
2 carrots, diced,
8 cups (2 litres) water
1 bay leaf,
1/4 teaspoon yellow asafoetida powder,
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns,
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger,
2 whole cloves,
2 tomatoes, chopped,
2 teaspoons salt.

Melt the butter in a heavy 6-litre/quart saucepan or stockpot and saute the vegetables for 20 minutes over moderate heat. Turn off the heat and allow the vegetables to "sweat" with a lid on for 10 minutes.

Add the water and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil; then simmer for 1 1/2 hours with a tight-fitting lid. Strain. Refrigerate the stock and use as needed.

Brown Vegetable Stock

BEAN SOAKING TIME: overnight,
COOKING TIME: 2 hours,
YIELD: about 2 litres/quarts.

2 cups dried beans (cannelini, lima, borlotti, kidney), soaked in water overnight,
3 litres/quarts water,
3 tablespoons butter,
2 celery stalks, chopped,
1 cup squash or pumpkin, diced,
2 small carrots, diced,
2 cloves,
1/2 teaspoon yellow asafoetida powder,
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger,
1 bay leaf,
1 tablespoon (20 ml) salt.

Drain the beans. Boil the beans in two litres/quarts of water in a heavy saucepan. Simmer until the beans are soft (about 1 hour).

Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over low heat. Saute the vegetables in butter for 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat cover it with a lid, and allow the vegetables to "sweat" with a lid on for 10 minutes.

Add the remaining water and set aside. When the beans have been cooking for 1 hour, add the vegetables and water with the spices and salt to the beans and bean water and boil for another 1 hour. Strain. Refrigerate the stock and use as required.

Chinese Vegetable Stock

COOKING TIME: 1 hour,
YIELD: 6 cups (1 1/2 litres).

1 1/4 cups mung bean shoots
1 cup Chinese cabbage, chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon yellow asafoetida powder
1 teaspoon Chinese sesame oil
10 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt.

Wash the bean shoots and place them in a heavy 4-litre/quart saucepan or stockpot with all the other ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for one hour. Strain and use as required.

Michelle from Australia's Gold Coast wrote:

"Dear Kurma, I would like to request if you could do me a favour. I am cooking your wonderful Vegie Nut Burgers for 300 people! Are you able to provide me with quantities for 300?

I love this recipe and have been feeding my family these burgers for years. However this recipe is in mls....oh a little tricky to convert. Much blessings from a hopeful recipient..."

My Reply:

My original recipe makes 16 burgers. 300 divided by 16 = 18.75. Rounding up, you'll need to multiply the recipe by 20 to cover it. The recipe multiplies exactly. So that's:

20 cups cooked short-grain rice (it should be sticky) ,
30 cups cooked brown lentils, thoroughly drained ,
10 cups carrots, coarsely shredded ,
30 cups bread crumbs ,
10 cups peanut butter ,
800ml soy sauce (3 cups + 2 tablespoons) ,
100ml Chinese sesame oil (scant half cup) ,
3/4 cup dried basil ,
1 1/4 cups dried oregano ,
20 teaspoons salt (heaped 1/4 cup - careful) ,
heaped 1/4 cup yellow asafoetida powder ,
10 cups chopped fresh parsley ,
heaped 1/4 cup sweet paprika .

Proceed as per the recipe. Best wishes, Kurma.

Yadvah from India asks:

"Many people would argue that we do not eat meat because we believe in the 'ahimsa' (non-violence) principle, i.e we should not kill any living things. Then why do we eat plants, they too are living things and we kill them when we uproot them, don't we?

I know Lord Krishna has said in the Geeta that He will accept plants and fruits and water offered to him, but is there any scripturally related scientific reason as to why we may 'kill' (eat) plants? Is it something to do with the different elements they're made up of versus the five elements that animals and human beings are made up of? I would appreciate if you could kindly share your thoughts on this sir."

My answer:

"Well, I don't think the answer has got anything to do with the elements that plants and animals share in common. Rather, you answered your own question in quoting from the Gita verse. I can add that out of plants, fruits and water, of course, water and fruits are pain free. Although if you want to get picky, there are millions of microscopic creatures killed when we drink water and even breathe air.

But since you mention vegies, I would like to make a distinction: in the non-violent, pain-free category would be the eggplants, tomatoes, chilies, broccoli, cauliflowers, cabbages etc etc etc - the list is vast - where the plant is not killed by plucking the vegetables. These vegetables are botanically the fruits of these plants, and these plants continue to live after we pluck their offspring. Just like I have a kumquat tree growing in my garden, and the tree happily (well I guess it's happy) allows me to pick the fruits, then gives more next year. Same with my lemon tree, my strawberries, my chilies, and all my herbs.

That just leaves things that are killed actually, like potatoes, grains, carrots, greens that are pulled out by the roots, killing the plant and releasing the soul that resides there. And, I might add, if we wanted to get botanically correct, potato plants, and most other root vegetables, and many if not all grain- and legume- plants actually die off before we take the harvest. And of course tree nuts are a yearly gracious gift of trees that live for decades.

So my perspective is this: There is a Sanskrit aphorism which states "Jivo Jivasya Jivanam", which means that by nature's arrangement one living being is food for another.

If we wish to tread more lightly on Mother Earth, and in doing so also create as little karmic debt as possible, we should kill as little as possible, and if we have to kill, then only kill those creatures that have the least developed nervous systems, and that hence feel very little pain, like the vegetables. And to be excused even for that killing, one should offer all his food to God first, before eating and by doing so he will be relieved of even the residual offense in killing the vegetables.

Bhanu from UK writes: 'How to make potato chips at home that are crisp on the outside?'

My reply: Here's the step-by-step process:

Step One Begin by choosing the right kind of potatoes. This is the most important step. In different countries the ideal chip potato has different names. The best potato for chips should be neither too watery nor too high in sugar, which respectively give it a crispy texture and a light golden colour. In Australia, many feel Bintjes are the best, in UK it's King Edward. Not sure about USA. You get the picture. Whatever the name, choose a floury potato.

Step Two Peel the potatoes, slice, and cut the slices into even batons. In different countries, the preferred chips can be thin or thick. Again, it's a matter of taste.

Step Three Once you have cut the chips you should rinse them thoroughly to remove the excess starch. Pat them dry with a clean tea towel or paper towel. Some even soak them in water first, before rinsing. Either way, they must be completely dried.

Step Four This step is called blanching; the chips are fried at 160°C (some prefer 170°C) for 4-6 minutes and lifted out just as they start to colour. Make sure you use clean oil to fry in (sunflower is good as it has a high smoking point). Personally, I like ghee. It has an even higher smoking point, and tastes divine. Not cheap, but the very, very best, taste-wise. To assure the correct oil temperature: if you do not have a mini deep-fryer at home it's worth investing in a thermometer to take out the guesswork.

Step Five So we're frying the chips in batches, allowing the oil to recover its heat before submerging the next batch. Don't overcrowd. The chips will be cooked on the inside but not crisp. Crisping comes next.

Step Seven After the initial batches of chips are all fried and set aside, increase the oil temperature to 180-190°C.

Step Eight Cook the chips a second time, again in batches, allowing the oil to recover its heat in between batches.

Step Nine Continue to fry until the chips have a nice crispy golden exterior.

Step Ten Drain on some paper towel, lightly season with sea salt and serve immediately.

Relax, I'm not about to tell you one of those risque jokes about the panda with the sub-machine gun who walked into a bar. This is a serious posting ('yeah, sure', I hear you say).

No, I mean it.

Archana from Singapore wrote me this morning:

"I just bought fresh bamboo shoots from the supermarket. How do I cook it? I heard some contain cyanide and have to be leached out? Can you please explain how this is done."

My reply:

Yes, you are correct about the cyanide. Here's some information from the Australian Department of Public Health:

"What are bamboo shoots? - Bamboo shoots are a traditional component of Asian cuisine. Fresh bamboo shoots are cut, the outer leaves are peeled away and any fibrous tissue at the base is trimmed. They are sourced from the underground stems of the bamboo plant. There are many species of bamboo, of which only a small number are used as food.

Where do bamboo shoots come from? - Most of the bamboo shoots imported into Australia and New Zealand come from China, Taiwan, Thailand and other South East Asian countries.

Are raw or fresh bamboo shoots safe to eat? - Bamboo shoots are safe to eat providing that they are prepared properly.

Fresh bamboo shoots that have not undergone any processing can be a potential public health and safety risk due to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides. This can lead to hydrogen cyanide exposure and its related toxicity.

How do I make bamboo shoots safe to eat? - Fresh bamboo shoots should be sliced in half lengthwise, the outer leaves peeled away and any fibrous tissue at the base trimmed. It should then be thinly sliced into strips and boiled in lightly salted water for eight to ten minutes.

The most common preparation involves boiling the shoots in stocks, soups or salted water for use in assorted dishes."