'Root to stalk' is the latest global food movement

Every once in a while comes along a fantastic trend that takes the food world by storm—graduating to a long-term movement. 'Root to stalk' is one such concept that's redefining the food industry as we know it.

Michelin-star chef Atul Kochhar, explains, "Root-to-stalk cooking is where we utilise most, if not all, of a plant in our dishes, similar to nose-to-tail cooking where chefs use the whole animal." And besides the fact that the entire vegetable is used—husk, skin, core, stem, seed and rind—to its full potential for maximum benefit, chef Shipra Khanna believes it's gaining popularity also because, "the flavours are so different and unique!"
Simply put, it's all about creating wonders from what is otherwise considered 'waste' in the world of food—from cucumber peels to the cauliflower's core, and carrot tops to potato skin and more. The benefits are many. For chef and author Saransh Goila it's about "sustainability in a world that's increasingly starving due to the rising population and depletion of resources."

In kitchens of the world

To say that 'root to stalk' is a new concept is far from the truth. Like any new food trend, it has a lot to do with repackaging the past. Chef Manu Chandra, Partner at Monkey Bar and The Fatty Bao, shares, "Root to stalk was a norm in the old days, when nothing was wasted; the very opposite of today's vanity-driven fruits and vegetables with an emphasis on perfect shapes sans stems or roots. With 'natural' being the buzzword of the hour, this is yet another natural trend returning to entice the diner." Truly, millions of pounds of perfectly edible fruits and vegetables are trashed every year because their size, shape or colour doesn't match the industry's stringent cosmetic standards.

Chef Kochhar tells us, "A global community WastED is working to re-conceive waste that occurs at every link in the food chain, by creating delicious recipes around it. It's definitely something chefs are taking into consideration for menus."

Leading this trend are iconic restaurants across the world.At 'Benares', Kochhar's Michelin-starred restaurant in London, the signature root-to-stalk dish 'Kamal, kakdi aur paneer korma' is a twist to the traditional Indian practice of consuming the lotus root. At New York's Park Avenue Spring, the hanger steak comes with 'nose-to-tail beets'. At Dabbous in London, ruby chard-stem chutney accompanies the cheese plate. Chefs are making entire menus from leftover meat and vegetable bits. Cookbooks are being written too, notably Tara Duggan's Root-to-Stalk Cooking: The Art of Using the Whole Vegetable.

What's cooking in India?

As Indians have always been frugal, root-to-stalk cooking isn't entirely unknown to us. The good old cauliflower had a leading role—Executive Chef of Sofitel BKC, Manav Koul, remembers how his "grandmother's recipe of cauliflower stalks tempered with cumin and asafoetida was a household favourite." Indigo Deli's Chef Jaydeep Mukherjee, who uses a lot of his mother's methods in his kitchen also learnt to use "every part of simple vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli". So at Indigo, the stalks transform into delicious purees or are sautéed al dente and served alongside fish.

Banana peels, which we seldom think of eating, have an interesting cooking history with us in banana fritters (well-loved in Kerala) as well as green banana-peel curry. Indigenous recipes put leftover vegetable bits in a handi for mixed vegetable dish; even pickles and jams were made using entire fruits or veggies.

Exciting new experiments

These connoisseurs are now pushing boundaries than merely making the most of waste. Chef's Koul's favourite is pickled watermelon peel. "We pair it with crab cake as it goes best with seafood." The method is simple: boil the skin with salt and water and then combine it with vinegar, sugar and pickling spices in a reserved saucepan. Chef Goila has a radish-based recommendation. "Pickle the peel with lemon and ginger, make radish-leaves chutney and serve with a radish dumpling. To make a pesto sauce, chef Paul Kinny of Bellona Hospitality uses coriander stalk and says, "Finely sliced, pungent coriander roots give a lovely depth of flavour to Thai cooking." For parties, chef Mukherjee's idea could come handy. "Use the leaves, tender fronds and the stalks of carrots, radishes and fennel to makes lovely dips. We often go to the extent of simmering corn cobs (shaved off the kernels) for sweet corn stock."

You can push the envelope further by making 'pasta' from fibrous cauliflower core, hummus of pureed chard stems to replace chickpeas and pea pods to infuse cream for a savory custard.

Signing off, chef Kochhar warns, "Not all parts of plants are edible—potato leaves and parts of the rhubarb are poisonous. So be sure to do your research first."