Aarti Paarti Ep. 12: Massaged Kale Salad with Mango & Pepitas!
Posted by Aarti on May 12th, 2009 . Filed under: Uncategorized .
It has come to my attention that I have a thing for greens: Kale Frittata, Crazy Bastard Greens, Lion’s Den Methi (Fresh Fenugreek Leaves), the Ugly Duckling Salad…
Perhaps it’s because eating greens just makes you feel better about yourself and life in general. Heck, we know what spinach did for Popeye: not only did a can of the slimy stuff make his muscles blow up, they helped him get/keep his girl! Just imagine what greens could do for you!!
This might be my favorite way to prepare kale because it is a total surprise, flavour-wise. That hearty, masculine kale that we all know and love, pulls up its skirts and reveals its decidedly feminine side; it tastes positively SWEET! Isn’t that wild? I love it!
And since I love bullet points too, here’s some other reasons I love this salad:
- It’s cheap (I made enough to last a couple of days for about $7)
- It’s a snap to make, especially because there’s no cooking involved
- Since there’s no cooking involved, that means no turning on the stove, handy for the hot days ahead of us
- It lasts for days in the fridge and only gets better as it soaks up more dressing
- It goes with practically anything
- It’s great to bring to cookouts because it can sit out, and not wilt.
Oh, and did I mention that’s it GORGEOUS?! Dark, lush green, bright yellow and orange, the bright green of the cilantro… it’s certainly impressive.
Plus, you get to say that you massaged your kale. And no that’s not a double entendre.
Although, if you go through all the atmosphere-setting steps I went through before I massaged my bowl of kale, people *might* think you’re a weirdo. Don’t know what I mean? Watch! Giggle! Get hungry and make it!! Repeat!
(Oh and make sure to click “HQ” if your computer can handle watching it in higher quality; it looks and sounds so much better).
-x-
aarti
May 13th, 2009 at 7:40 am
I was at the dinner party where this salad was served. It was fantastic and I JUST finished off the last of the leftovers (like she said, the salad lasts a while in the fridge)… MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
I’m going to find some stressed out Kale.
May 13th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
you really rolled the ‘heck’ out of that lemon! Ha ha! Kale looks like a lot of fun once it has relaxed a bit.
xo
May 18th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
first of all…you are so cute!
second of all…love the contrast of the colors…
third of all…i totally am going to try this i have never tasted kale
fourth of all…what was the name of that song????
xxxxx
May 18th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
thanks laura! i try to put all the song info on the youtube page in the description box. it’s “love you” by the bees! (bren’s selection of course).
-x-
July 25th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
I think this might be the craziest thing I ever made!! Didn’t take the kale to bed, but I did massage for 5 minutes and the results were so good I almost forgot to put the finale dressing on! Am having tonight with your Let my people go lamb chops and roasted cauliflower steaks while we watch food network and root for you. You go, girl!!
August 10th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
I know it has been over a year since you posted this so it is certainly off you radar and not even connected with the currently airing NFNS shows (which I only know about through YOU, not Food Network.) Oh, babe, I hope you are it! Anyway, I digress. Oh, wait, not so much. When I watched this episode I really melted when you said that some people hate cilantro and so don’t use it. I’m a real foodie and can enjoy just about anything but I can’t deal with cilantro (cut to scene of me in an Asian or Mexican restaurant picking it out of my dinner.) Sigh. But this dislike of cilantro is universal in my family and I understand now it is genetic. Why I bring this up is that some years ago (when I still had TV) Bobby Flay said on his show that if you didn’t like cilantro something was wrong with you and you needed to get over it. That was the last show of his I watched I I resent him to this day. You seem to understand that while you like the herb, not all do. It is just another thing I love about your so very down to earth way of approaching food, relationships, and life. I just love your sophisticated and yet grounded approach to food. In additions you are a woman of Spirit and, hey, a Burner. I want you to win the show and realize your dream of being a Food Network star. I also want you to keep being Aarti when you do. I hope it is not too much to ask. I want to think in the future that someone HUMAN is in that position of power that a network star can leverage.
August 23rd, 2010 at 7:01 am
Thank you Aarti for refreshing my recipe surfing–I love Indian food, but your approach can go with good food anywhere. I cook once a week for thirty people and salads are greatly appreciated. I was super enthused by your massaged kale salad with mango and pepitas. So glad you will be with the food network. I’ve been rather bored until now.
August 24th, 2010 at 8:14 am
After watching your first episode on FN, I was determined to make this recipe. For the past 48 hours, massaged kale has been running through my head and this morning, I marched to the grocery store, waited around till they unloaded the “we just got in kale” truck and grabbed my ingredients. Off I go to make this salad! So far, I’ve only made kale soup and kale chips (kale tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and baked in the oven for about 15 min..delicious!). Can’t wait to try this out – Thanks Aarti
August 27th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
Hey Aarti !!!! Was absolutely THRILLED when you won NFNS..
Yaaaayyyy Have been religiously trying out all your recipes ever since -well, only the vegetarian ones, actually
Thanks Aarti 
I tried your South Indian Quinoa recipe yesterday (me & the hubby first time tasting Quinoa), and this recipe just blew our minds !! It was phenomenal.
I usually tweak recipes, just following broad guidelines… but something about you made me trust you implicitly- and I followed your recipe to the T.
It was perfect, I say !!!!!!!! I paired it with your Massaged kale salad, and OMG- it was one of our BEST dinners ever
Don’t even get me started on your Kale salad- It was so good !! Me and hubby ate our meals in complete silence, simply gobbling up every little morsel
September 3rd, 2010 at 5:33 pm
We made this salad the other night at our cottage and it was surprisingly delicious! Our mom even loved it and she usually doesn’t go near leafy greens. Thanks Aarti! Oh and here’s a picture!…
http://sketch-freeveganeating.blogspot.com/2010/09/aartis-massaged-kale-salad-vegan-gf.html
September 6th, 2010 at 8:33 am
So enthused about your cooking videos–somehow a written recipe does not have the soul of a video. I was so glad to see you tempering spices and even using hing–my non Indian family smelled the bottle and then refused to eat it (my family is rather insufferable) For me, it ties together all the other spices. You also put a lid over the hopping seeds—I didn’t do that in time and most of them jumped out of the pan. So, so glad to have found you–I made a large tub of massaged kale salad for my Lunch Bunch people (your recipe time four–it made a huge amount but it all got scoffed up or taken home) It was truly delicious! Thank you so much–just for being you.
October 30th, 2010 at 8:41 am
10/23/10 Have been trying to find you on the food network. Aside from the first showing on Saturday, and an episode with Guy Fieri have not seen you. There are so many dumb food tv “hosts” whom I could easily eliminate so you could have an hour every day. I guess that’s not practical, but I really would like to see you there more often.