British

Lime & Poppy Seed Slaw With Curry Leaf Oil From Ottolenghi Test Kitchen

by:
January 11, 2022
4.8
4 Ratings
Photo by Elena Heatherwick
  • Prep time 25 minutes
  • Cook time 40 minutes
  • Serves 6 as a side
Author Notes

Eat this zingy slaw al fresco, with a spicy vindaloo alongside—though it’s also just as great on its own. Doubling up the turmeric cashews won’t hurt either; they’re super-duper special and will keep for up to a week in a sealed container (though we doubt they’ll last that long).

Make it your own:
– Play with the nuts. Blanched peanuts or almonds would work just as well here!
– Make the slaw with different cabbages, kohlrabi, and other crunchy veggies.
– Leave out the curry leaves if you can't find them and stir some fresh herbs into the oil instead. —Food52

Test Kitchen Notes

Recipe excerpted with permission from Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love by Noor Murad and Yotam Ottolenghi, published by Clarkson Potter © 2021. —The Editors

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Ingredients
  • Slaw
  • 1 green cabbage (1 pound, 14 ounces / 850 grams), core removed and head finely sliced (73/4 cups/700g)
  • 1 to 2 carrots (6 1/3 ounces / 180 grams), peeled, halved crosswise, then thinly sliced and julienned
  • 1 red onion (4 1/2 ounces / 120 grams), halved and very thinly sliced
  • 3/4 cup (15 grams) cilantro leaves, with some stems attached
  • 1/4 cup (5 grams) mint leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Turmeric Cashews, Curry Leaf Oil & Lime Dressing
  • Turmeric Cashews
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 1/3 cups (200 grams) roasted and salted cashews
  • 2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
  • Curry Leaf Oil
  • 1 thinly sliced Fresno chile (2 tablespoons / 10 grams)
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 20 fresh curry leaves (from about 2 sprigs)
  • Lime Dressing
  • 5 tablespoons (70 milliliters) freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 4 limes)
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Make the turmeric cashews. Put the sugar, oil, turmeric, and 2 tablespoons of water into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring often, then add the cashews and cumin. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the seeds and nuts are coated in a sticky glaze. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, using a spatula to spread the nuts out. Bake for 14 minutes, stirring once halfway, until golden. Set aside to cool completely.
  3. Make the curry leaf oil by putting the chile and oil into a small frying pan. Place it on medium heat and cook for 7 minutes, or until the chile starts to develop a shine, then add the curry leaves and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring often, until the leaves turn translucent. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
  4. Make the dressing by putting the lime juice, mustard, garlic, poppy seeds, and ¼ teaspoon of salt into a small bowl and whisking to combine. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking continuously until incorporated.
  5. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, onion, ½ teaspoon of salt, and a good grind of pepper. Pour in the dressing, mixing well to combine, and let soften slightly, about 15 minutes. Fold in the cilantro and mint, then transfer to a large serving platter. Drizzle the curry leaf oil all over and sprinkle with a handful of the turmeric cashews, serving the rest in a bowl alongside, to munch on.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

2 Reviews

Hilary G. December 26, 2023
Each of the components (nuts, slaw, dressing, oil) are quite tasty on their own and spectacular together. A really nice, new slaw to have in the mix. Tons of flavor without being bold, if that makes sense.
Hope C. January 11, 2022
Adding turmeric fried tofu to this slaw, like he does in the video, sounds good to me.