By Lakshmi:

On a recent Sunday morning in the UK, reading through the pages of the Guardian, I discovered a chef named Ottolenghi.

Yotam Ottolenghi as I discovered later is a Israeli born, European trained chef who writes a weekly column entitled The New Vegetarian for The Guardian. He owns several successful restaurants in London and is a bastion of bringing fresh flavors and foods together to create simple, healthy concoctions that please the palate and are good to the body.

On this occasion, he was waxing eloquence on the addition of coconut, “I must point out that the chewy texture of the freshly grated flakes contrasts brilliantly with the more yielding beans.”  The dish being prepared was Sprouted Broccoli and Edamame Salad with Curry Leaves and Lime.  Suffice it is to say that I wanted to eat the salad right there, but had none of the ingredients on hand.

Tonight, back home in the US, I recreated his vision in my kitchen.  The fresh tender spears of broccolini complimented the crunchiness of the Edamame.  The coconut, mustard seeds, red chilly, curry leaves and lime added zip and zang to an incredible fusion of beauty and flavors.  The outcome was a dish that looked absolutely beautiful (see the picture above and tell me if you agree) and tasted like something you would be served in a tropical paradise many miles away.

If you can’t wait to get your hands on the recipe, just scroll towards the middle of the page on this link to bypass the chicken recipe and get to this one.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/mar/22/fresh-coconut-recipes-chicken-broccoli

If you give the recipe a try, do drop us a line and let us know your experience.  Stay tuned for more posts on awesome salads we’ve discovered as we continue to nurture the seeds of love for Ottolenghi.