Step 1: Preparing the Almond Sauce
- 1/2 cup almond butter, raw preferred
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
- 3 tbsp tamarind paste (if not available, blend soaked raisins and splash of lime juice for a similar flavor profile)
- 6 dates, pitted
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3 tbsp tamari
- 1/2 serrano chile (seeded for a less spicy sauce)
- 1/2 cup water to thin out the sauce
First, gather and prepare your mise en place for the entire dish.
To prepare the sauce, in high–speed blender, combine the almond butter, ginger, tamarind, dates, garlic, sea salt, tamari, serrano chile and water until smooth. Set aside.
Step 2: Preparing the Noodles
- 2 zucchini, sliced paper thin on mandolin lengthwise, stacked and sliced into 1/8–inch noodle width
- 1 cup young thai coconut, sliced into thin noodles (if not available, use 1 more cup of zucchini noodles)
- 1/4 cup carrot, julienne very thin (using a mandolin is best)
- 1/4 cup broccoli, in small florets
- 1/4 cup snow peas, julienne very thin (using a mandolin is best)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- almond sauce (from above)
- lime wedges, for garnish
- fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
- thinly sliced chile, for garnish
- Curried Cashews, for garnish
To prepare the noodles, cut as directed and set aside.
Just before serving, in a mixing bowl gently toss the zucchini and coconut noodles and the remaining vegetables—carrots, broccoli, snow peas and cilantro—with the olive oil to give the vegetables a bit of shine. Next, add a generous drizzle of the almond sauce, toss the noodles and plate the dish.
Garnish the noodles with sliced lime wedge, cilantro leaves, sliced chile and Curried Cashews.