Green Garlic Sautéed with Shrimp, Potatoes & Grated Coconut
Bengali Style with Mustard Seeds & Grated Coconut
Since spring came around, I’ve been making more frequent trips to the farmers market. The Union Square Greenmarket in Manhattan (which I’m lucky to live walking distance from) is an absolute pleasure to explore — the breadth and quality of produce, flowers, and interesting food items is remarkable. I was thrilled to come across green garlic at several stalls over the past couple of weeks. So excited that I bought not just a bunch from the first stall I saw them in, but from two other stalls as well, since the bulbs were in various stages of growth. I decided to sauté them with shrimp, potatoes, grated coconut, and mustard seeds — Bengali style.
What is Green Garlic?
This is young, immature garlic — essentially the teenage version of garlic. Farmers plant garlic in autumn, and by spring the plant is starting to form bulbs and has tall, slender stalks. Before they mature into full bulbs with hardened stalks, some of these are removed by farmers so that the remaining garlic has space to grow and thrive. The culled garlic is sold as green garlic. The window of availability is short, so if you’re lucky enough to find some at your local farmers market, I recommend picking up a bunch to try. (Later in the season, garlic scapes will become available — these are the curly, artistic-looking stalks of the hard-necked garlic plant, also delicious, as I’ve written in another post.)
Green garlic looks similar to green onions (aka scallions), but the stalks are sturdier. Do a sniff test — they’ll have a delicate garlic smell, which makes them delicious when sautéed. Pay attention to the shape of the white base, as that’s an indicator of the growth stage the plant is in and will determine the taste and texture. I prefer the younger plant, which are nearly straight from the white base to the green tops — see my first photo of the bunches. These are tender, cook very quickly, almost melt while retaining some crunch, and have a subtle garlic flavor. The older plant, with more pronounced white bulbs at the bottom (see my second photo of the bunches), have a more intense garlic taste. The stalks will be tougher and more fibrous, and you’ll need to cook them longer.
You can sauté green garlic quickly in olive oil. I like cooking it Bengali style, adding bright yellow mustard seeds to the hot oil at the beginning — the seeds pop merrily when they hit the oil. After a few seconds, I add the stalks, sliced into one-inch-long pieces (including both white and green parts). I then add previously sautéed sliced baby potatoes and shrimp, give it all a quick stir, and finish off with a generous sprinkling of finely grated coconut. These flavors come together superbly — the soft creamy baby potatoes, firm sautéed shrimp, the light garlicky crunch of bright green garlic, the zing of mustard seeds, and the subtle sweetness of grated coconut. There’s a burst of flavor and texture in every bite — a lovely balance of salty, savory, and sweet. I actually ate three-quarters of what I made right after taking the photos — I couldn’t stop eating, it was that good!
Green Garlic Sautéed with Shrimp, Potatoes & Grated Coconut – Bengali Style
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS
- 1 bunch green garlic (approx. 10 stalks), white and green parts
- ½ pound shrimp, approx. 12 pieces (if you want to make this vegetarian or vegan, omit the shrimp)
- 6-8 small white potatoes, peeled and quartered lengthwise
- 2 teaspoons yellow (or black) mustard seeds
- 2 heaped teaspoons unsweetened grated or shredded coconut
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 whole bird’s eye green chilies (optional)
METHOD
- Rinse the green garlic stalks under cold water. Pat dry (otherwise the dish will be soggy when you cook). Cut them into 1-inch-long strips (include the entire plant, except for the stringy roots) and set aside.
- Remove any shell and tails from the shrimp and rinse under cold water for a couple of minutes. Then pat dry the shrimp (otherwise water will ooze out while cooking), add to a bowl, sprinkle with turmeric and salt, mix well and let it sit.
- Peel the potatoes and quarter them as follows: cut in half lengthwise, and then cut the halves in half lengthwise again.
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a wok and heat on medium high heat. Add the quartered potatoes and stir fry until golden brown. Remove from oil and set aside.
- To the same wok, add 1 tablespoon of oil. When hot, add shrimp and sauté each side for about 2 minutes. When cooked and reddish in color, remove from oil and set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok and when hot, add mustard seeds. Let sizzle for 30 seconds.
- Add all the cut stalks (and whole green chilies, if you’re using) and stir fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes (you may need to sauté for more or less time depending on the maturity and firmness).
- Add ½ teaspoon salt and the cooked potatoes. Stir fry for a minute.
- Add shrimp and sprinkle with grated coconut. Stir fry for a minute.
- Remove from heat and serve right away, preferably with plain white rice.
