Organic recipes: Skin crispies, Coriander pesto, Broccoli stalk soup

What if we told you organic wastes are exotic ingredients in disguise?
While go-green film stars tell you to switch off lights once you are out of the room, a chef will say, the biggest recycling sin you can commit is to discard vegetable waste. Chef Paul Kinny from InterContinental, Marine Drive, tells you what to do with peels and stalks.
Root vegetable skins
Chef speak: Since root vegetables like potato, turnip and sweet potato are kitchen staples, most of us have a regular supply of their peels.The best way to use them is by frying them until crispy. This helps enhance the crunchy texture, and tones down the bitterness. Season with a sprinkling of thyme or any dry herb of your choice, and enjoy with a creamy dip.
The waste: Sweet potato skin
Turn it into: Skin crispies
Ingredients
100 gm sweet potato skin
20 gm refined flour
5 gm chat masala
5 gm dry mango powder (amchur)
5 gm cumin powder
10 gm onions (finely chopped)
10 gm tomatoes (finely chopped)
10 gm coriander (finely chopped)
Oil to fry
Method: Wash and scrub the sweet potato skins under cold water, and pat dry. Dust with refined flour and deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. In a bowl, mix cumin, chat masala, dry mango powder, onions and tomatoes. Add the skins and toss well before garnishing with chopped coriander. Serve with a cold yogurt dip.
Herb roots
Chef speak: Coriander, parsley and basil stalks are steeped in flavour, and more potent than the leaves. Use them raw to flavour stocks, and garnish your mains or fold them into dips.
The waste: Coriander stalks
Turn it into: Coriander pesto
Ingredients
50 gm coriander stalks
20 gm onions (finely chopped)
15 gm garlic (finely chopped)
10 gm olive oil
20 gm parmesan cheese (grated)
Salt and pepper to taste
Method: Wash and dry coriander stalks and chop finely. In a pan, heat olive oil and sauté onion and garlic until golden brown. Add the stalks and parmesan cheese. Mix well and season with salt and pepper. You can serve the pesto with baguette slices, lavash sticks or vegetable crudités.
Vegetable stalks
Chef speak: Stalks of mushrooms, asparagus, celery and broccoli are high in flavour and nutrition. They can be churned into delicious soups. While working with stalks, make sure you boil them longer than the parent vegetable, and strain the final broth. This is to give you a smooth, non-bitter result.
The waste: Broccoli stalk
Turn it into: Broccoli stalk soup
Ingredients
100 gm broccoli stalk (finely chopped)
20 gm onion (finely chopped)
10 gm garlic
100 ml milk
50 ml water
20 gm butter
10 gm refined flour
10 ml fresh cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Method: Boil broccoli stalks until tender, and blend them in a mixer to make a fine paste. In a pan, heat butter and sauté the onions and garlic until golden brown. Add refined flour, stir, and cook the mixture till it appears crumbly. Pour milk and cook the mixture for two minutes. Add the broccoli puree and mix well. Adjust the consistency with water, and season with salt and pepper. Strain the soup and garnish with a drizzle of fresh cream. Serve hot with bread croutons.
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