MY PROTEST SALAD

Many years ago vegetarianism was not a concept that was understood well, outside of India.

Go to most restaurants even today and you will get a plate of salad and if you say that you are really hungry you would get a blank look and then would be offered a basket of bread and may be some blue cheese which is again considered non-vegetarian as it contains Rennet- an enzyme from the stomach lining of a cow. They never do offer the few vegetarian cheeses.

Worst still, if you happen to go to a gourmet restaurant you will be served 2 tiny pieces of beetroot or carrot cooked in some wine or some exotic ingredient, that would empty your wallet and keep your stomach empty too.

Though, I have through various hilarious experiences come to the conclusion that there is no such person as a true carnivore.
It is just mind-play.

To prove my point let me tell you a story- two experiments that I repeated for some authenticity.

In one experiment I invited a large group of self-declared-carnivores and didn't tell them what kind of food I was going to serve.
At every bite, one and all said they loved the fish, or the chicken or the pork that they were eating.
I smiled and let them enjoy and basked in the glory.
At the end of the meal I announced that they had just eaten a totally vegetarian meal.

There was a two minute open-mouthed silence.

Then they started talking all at once, saying that was not possible.

To prove that it was not a freak incident I repeated the experiment with three other large groups of people, again with the same result.

In my second experiment, many years ago, I served to groups of people a particular vegetarian preparation Parthi's jackfruit and told them it was Veal/Mutton. Even though they were aware that I am a vegetarian and do not bring meat inside my house, they believed me.
Enjoying the meal thoroughly they thanked me for getting the meat into the house and cooking it for them.
When I laughed and told them that it was a vegetable they had been savouring, they did not believe me.
Some telephoned me well after midnight to ask me if it was pork.

Vegetables have great flavours and when combined with pulses and legumes they can give any carnivorous meal a run for the money.

I have been served so many leaves over the years at restaurants that I call salads my PROTEST meal.
I accept a plate or a bowl of salad absolutely under protest.

 I refuse to even eat any mayonnaise at such places(though I am an Eggitarian- an Indian term for an Ovo-Lacto vegetarian).

Another vegetarian woe is the oil used for frying.
A vegetarian nose can detect if the oil used for frying the tempura, has been used to fry meat, as the oil takes the flavour of the food product fried in it. So when I order my fries or tempura I make sure that they use a fresh clean pan with fresh oil.


my protest salad


Well, now I am going to share my favourite salad recipe, the one I serve on my own dining table- the one I truly enjoy.
I stuff this one in my pitta bread or in a focaccia sandwich or just eat it in a large quantity before a particularly favourite meal, usually rich in calories. This definitely fills my stomach up with a lot of roughage and prevents me from eating that favourite meal like a glutton.


MY PROTEST SALAD
serves 4

Ingredients:
For the Orange-Lime dressing:

.Lime juice....................................2 tsp.
.Orange juice.................................2 Tbsp.
.White vinegar...............................1/2 tsp.
.Honey...........................................1Tbsp.
.Extra virgin olive oil....................2 Tbsp.
.Garlic...........................................1 large cloves
.Salt...............................................to taste(approx.1 tsp.)
.Black pepper powder...................1/2 tsp.
.Red chili flakes............................2 pinches
.Dried basil leaves........................1 pinch
.Dried oregano leaves....................1 pinch
.Raisin............................................2 Tbsp.


For the salad:
.Iceberg lettuce leaves..................1/4th cup, tightly packed
.Buttercup lettuce leaves...............1/4th cup, tightly packed
.Purple-leafed lettuce leaves........1/4th cup, tightly packed
.Basil leaves.................................6
.Mint leaves..................................10
.Arugula leaves(rocket leaves).....1/4th cup, tightly packed
.Cherry tomatoes...........................1/4th cup, roughly chopped or cherry tomatoes halved
.Yellow Zucchini..........................1/4th cup, cut into 1 cm dice
.Red and yellow bell peppers.......1/4th cup, cut into 1 cm. dice
.Red onion....................................1/4th cup, thinly sliced
.Asparagus.....................................2, cut into 1 inch pieces
.Walnut.........................................2 Tbsp. roughly chopped
.Pumpkin seeds.............................1 Tbsp. lightly roasted
.Baby raddish...............................4, thinly sliced
.Black olives................................6 (4 thinly sliced and 2 for garnish)
.Olive oil......................................1 tsp.
.Salt...............................................1 pinch


Method:
For the Orange-Lime salad dressing:
.Crush the garlic clove with salt in a mortar and pestle.
.Add the extra virgin olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, black pepper powder, red chili flakes,
 dried oregano leaves, dried basil leaves, honey and raisins.
.Set aside in the mortar and pestle for 5 minutes.
.Crush the raisins coarsely.
.Store in a glass bottle in a refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
.Add to salad or use as a dip for freshly baked bread.

For the salad:
.Wash and squeeze dry all the leaves.
.Roughly tear the lettuce leaves and set aside all the leaves.

salad with the salad dressing in the centre

.Heat oil in a flat pan and add the asparagus, zucchini, red and yellow bell peppers and a pinch of salt.
.When slightly cooled mix together with all the leaves, red onion, 4 olives sliced thinly, baby radish
  sliced thinly, tomatoes, walnut and pumpkin seeds.
.Add the dressing to the salad just before serving.


Note:
.A salad leaf mixture available in super markets does well as there are various types of leaves such as
 baby spinach, red chard, oak leaf, endive and many more all together in one box.