Healthy Food: Ethnic Origin Ingredient Substitute

Ethnic: Origin Ingredient Substitute

Americas~~~
Cactus pads (nopales)--> Green beans, okra.
Chayote squash--> Yellow or green pattypan squash or zucchini.
Masa flour--> Mix corn flour with lime juice.
Poblano or Anaheim chilies--> Minced jalapeno chili and green bell pepper.
Posole (dried hominy)--> Canned white hominy.

Asian~~~
Bok choy (Chinese white cabbage)--> Beet greens, kale and Swiss chard
Chinese cooking wine--> Dry sherry.
Chinese five-spice powder--> Anise seed or star anise, fennel seed, cinnamon, black peppercorns and whole cloves. (If you have a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder, use whole spices, otherwise use ground dry spices.).
Galangal (Thai ginger)--> Fresh ginger.
Lemon grass--> Lemon zest.
Lotus root--> Jicama or water chestnuts.
Mirin (Japanese rice wine)--> Sweet white wine.
Nam pla (Thai fish sauce)--> Soy sauce and lime juice.
Rice wine vinegar--> Cider vinegar, white wine vinegar.
Sesame oil--> 1 Tbsp sesame seeds fried in 1/2 cup vegetable oil.
Thai basil--> Italian basil.
Water chestnuts--> Jicama.

Indian~~~
Atta (chapati flour)--> 1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour plus 1/2 cup sifted whole wheat flour.
Chana dal--> Split yellow peas.
Curry powder--> Mix together to taste ground ginger, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, turmeric and fennel.
Garam masala (mixed spices)--> 1 tsp. cardamom seeds, 1 Tbs. cumin seed, 1 Tbs. coriander seed, 2 tsp. black peppercorns, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. cloves, 1 tsp nutmeg. (If you have a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder, use whole spices, or mix together ground dry spices.)
Jaggery (coarse palm sugar)--> Date sugar or brown sugar.
Toor dal, urad dal, mung dal--> Red lentils.

Mediterranean~~~
Broccoli rabe (rapini)--> Broccoli plus arugula or dandelion greens.
Cannellini beans--> Great Northern beans, navy beans, red kidney beans.
Fava beans, dried--> Butter beans.
Fava beans, fresh--> Fresh or frozen lima beans.
Fennel--> Celery plus some fennel or anise seeds.
Parmesan cheese--> Any hard, aged grating cheese such as Asiago or Romano or aged Monterey jack.
Pine nuts--> Walnuts or a mixture of walnuts and almonds.