Whenever my husband and I visit Great Britain, we like to dine in Indian restaurants. We love the vibrant flavors of this cuisine, the delicious breads, the piquant chutneys, the tandoor dishes and much more! So, last month when we arrived in Edinburgh, we headed for our first meal to Dishoom, part of a highly respected chain of Indian restaurants throughout Scotland and England. We were not disappointed!
We ordered only four dishes—two appetizers including crispy fried okra and samosas plus a large “chilli” (their spelling) broccoli salad and garlic naan. Everything was tempting , but it was the unusual broccoli salad that caught my attention. Diced broccoli was paired with crushed pistachios, minced chili pepper, and chopped dates along with cilantro and mint. This mélange was then tossed in a spicy “chilli” lime dressing. Garnishes included a generous sprinkle of roasted pumpkin seeds as well as lime wedges.
The salad boasted hot notes from the chilies and from fresh ginger in the dressing. Dates provided a sweet boost while lime juice and rice vinegar, both in the dressing, added bracing sour accents. The pistachios and pumpkin seeds offered a tempting crunch and the herbs contributed another verdant hue. A single recipe yields two large main course servings or four smaller ones. Our waiter shared that this salad was one of the restaurant’s most popular offerings. It’s easy to understand why!
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Dishoom’s Chilli Broccoli Salad
Salad
8-oz package broccoli florets
Generous 1/2 cup pistachios, roasted and unsalted (See cooking tip.)
Small mild red chili such as Fresno, halved lengthwise, seeds and membranes removed and discarded, and pepper finely diced to yield 1/12 tablespoons (See cooking tip.)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1 tbsp torn mint leaves
2 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds
4 medium pitted Medjool dates
Kosher salt
1 lime cut into wedges for garnish
Lime and Chilli Dressing
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
1 small to medium green jalapeno pepper halved lengthwise, seeds and membranes removed and discarded, diced to yield 1 1/2 tablespoons
1/2 tsp fine sea salt such as fleur de sel
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
5 tbsp olive oil
Mint leaves for garnish, optional
1.Wash the broccoli, dry, and then chop into small pieces. Crush the pistachios very lightly, using a mortar and pestle or by placing nuts in a self-seal bag and pounding lightly with a meat pounder or rolling pin. Place these ingredients plus diced red pepper, cilantro, and mint in a large nonreactive bowl. Mix well.
2.Cut 3 of the dates into 1/2-inch dice and add them to the bowl with other ingredients. Season with kosher salt to taste. Cut the remaining date lengthwise into 6 julienne slices and save for the garnish.
3.For the lime and chilli dressing, place lime juice, ginger, diced jalapeno pepper, sea salt, sugar, and rice vinegar, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Process until well blended several seconds.
4.Pour the dressing over the bowl of ingredients and toss well to combine. Divide the salad between two shallow bowls and garnish each serving with roasted pumpkin seeds, lime wedges, and julienned dates. Squeeze lime over the salad.
Serves 2 as a large course or 4 with smaller portions
To roast pistachios: Place nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to a 350 degree F preheated oven. Roast about 6 minutes or more until very lightly browned. Watch carefully. Remove from oven and cool.
Cooking tip: When slicing chili peppers, it’s helpful to wear disposable rubber gloves. If you rub your eyes, nose, mouth with your pepper-coated hands after cutting the chilis you can feel a burning sensation.
Recipe adapted from one published online by Dishoom.
