Cooking Together: the work of Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff

February, 2019 – Food pioneer and author Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff joined us Around the Table last month for a cooking demo and book reading. If you missed the event, you can find Shanta’s cookbooks on the shelves at Driver’s Market.

Shanta taught us to make two different chutneys — spiced condiments that play an important role in an Indian menu. “Valentine’s Day is associated with flowers and chocolates filled with sugar and fat –certainly not a recipe for a healthy heart,” said Shanta. “So, this year give your Valentine some heart-healthy food.”

Red Hot Goji Berry and Cranberry Chutney

Shanta’s note: When I grew up in India, I had not eaten cranberries. But in the US, cranberries are essential — especially for a Thanksgiving dinner. I decided to jazz up cranberry sauce by making spicy cranberry chutney. But in February, fresh cranberries are unavailable. So I invented this chutney using dried cranberries and Goji berries.

 

½ cup dried Goji berries
1 cup dried cranberries
2 cups of hot water
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
¼ teaspoon (or more for hotter version) cayenne powder
½ teaspoon or to taste salt

Soak the berries in hot water to cover for 30 minutes to an hour. Next, place all of the ingredients into a jar of a food processor including most of the water the berries were soaked in (reserving some water). Process mixture into a puree, adding more of the reserved water, as needed. Serve one or two tablespoons per person.

Cashew Chutney

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in a cup of hot water for 30 minutes
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, stems removed
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
1 small, fresh hot jalapeno chilies, seeds and veins removed
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt

Place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend them for a few minutes like the texture of crunchy peanut butter. Allow the chutney to stand in the processor for 15 minutes before serving.

 

(Copyrights (c)Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff; 2017. )

 

Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff is the author of 4 books including Cooking Together: A Vegetarian Co-op Cookbook and Other Avenues Are Possible; Legacy of the Peoples Food System. She is a founding member of the food cooperative Other Avenues in the Outer Sunset. She lives in San Francisco.