808 root recipes

Silky Chinese eggplant braised with chili bean sauce, garlic, and ginger in a savory-sweet soy glaze. Ready in 45 minutes with just a wok and a handful of pantry staples.

Ginger beef stir fry with sirloin, water chestnuts, carrots, and lettuce in a sweet soy-marmalade sauce. A fast weeknight dinner ready in 30 minutes.

Egg white-battered chicken chunks fried crisp in peanut oil, tossed with roasted peanuts in a spicy sauce of garlic, ginger, dark soy, sesame oil, and red vinegar. Sichuan-inspired heat at home.

A whole chicken gently poached in an aromatic Thai broth of lemongrass, galangal, garlic, shallots, and chilies, finished with lime juice, cilantro, and fresh basil. Fall-off-the-bone comfort.

Crisp, colorful Chinese pickled vegetables in sweet-sour brine. Carrots, radish, cucumber, and peppers ferment for a week to create the perfect tangy condiment.

This tasty dish has a yellow sauce made from red chili peppers, lemon grass and galangal.

Seared sea scallops with fresh pineapple, ginger, basil, and soy sauce in a light cornstarch glaze. A quick, healthy stir-fry served over jasmine rice.

Indian chilled carrot salad (Sonf Gazar Subji) with cumin, turmeric, asafetida, and fresh dill, tossed with brown rice and eggless mayo. A spiced, cold vegetarian side dish.

Mutton dry curry with lamb rubbed in a ground paste of onions, garlic, ginger, cardamom, and curry powder, then slowly fried until the oil rises. A concentrated, saucy-not-soupy Indian curry.

Practically fat-free York gingerbread bars made with pureed carrots, buttermilk, fresh ginger, and molasses. No butter, no oil. Moist crumb with bright orange zest and a cinnamon-sugar top.

Hint of ginger marinade combines soy sauce, dry sherry, fresh ginger, garlic, and lemon zest for poultry, pork, and fish. A fast Asian-leaning marinade ready in 5 minutes, no cooking required.

Shrimp porcupines: large shrimp wrapped in shaggy kataifi pastry threads and fried golden, served on a bed of bright purple cabbage-mayonnaise sauce. A showstopping appetizer with serious crunch.

Chinese whole crab wok-fried with fresh ginger, scallions, and red pepper in a glossy sherry-soy sauce thickened with cornstarch. Messy, hands-on, and absolutely worth it.

Home-style Indian vegetable curry with potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, and tomatoes simmered in a blooming spice base of mustard seeds, cumin, coriander, cardamom, and turmeric. A satisfying vegetarian main over rice.

Chinese-style roasted spare ribs (Pei Quot) braised in black bean, soy, honey, and hoisin sauce, then roasted or grilled until sticky and dry. Spicy, sweet, and glazed.

Asian-style chicken salad with ginger-poached whole chicken, rice noodles, blanched celery and carrots, and a soy-lime dressing. Cold-platter main-course salad that makes the most of a tender poached bird.