Avatar: The Last Airbender Official Cookbook: Recipes from the Four Nations
AIR NOMADS In the time since the Hundred Year War the four nations have been learning how to coexist in peace again finding ways to connect despite great differences As the Avatar I'm pretty good at bringing people together helping people it's what I do but a hundred years of war have left scars of division on everyone and it hasn't been easy One thing I know for sure is that everyone loves to eat just ask Sokka To help the four nations come together in harmony and friendship my friends and I have collected delicious recipes from all over the world What better way for the nations to learn about each other than through eating Food for the Air Nomads was not just about sustenance it was about having fun with our airbending ingredients and with each other I'll never forget the good times I had at the Southern Air Temple where I watched the monks prepare all kinds of treats with expert airbending Because so many of our traditions were lost during the Hundred Year War I've been doing my best to carry on the philosophies of Air Nomad cooking by learning to make dishes I ate as a child and poking around in our archives for recipes I didn't learn to prepare before the war Sadly many of the special vegetables and fruits that once grew in abundance among each temple's cloudy peaks are now gone so I've been recreating recreating certain items with the best substitutes available in the Earth and Fire nations Since I've become such great friends with Katara Sokka Zuko and Toph I've learned a lot about the foods of their cultures and what they like to eat No matter the difference in ingredients and flavors the most important part is always love As the monks always taught me you can't construct a tasty meal with ingredients that haven't been properly loved and taken care of Cooking starts from the seed all the way until the food ends up on our plates Many Air Nation foods involve well air so with Toph's reluctant help I've also been revitalizing our stone ovens to bring back some of Monk Gyatso's most famous treats Practicing airbending for culinary purposes takes time When baking make sure you're always checking the strength of your oven's airflow and its temperature for the best cakes and tarts When steaming keep the water-and-air circulation steady so your results are tender and evenly done I can't wait to see what everyone cooks up Aang
9 MUNG BEAN TOFU CURRY Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Yield Serves 6 Katara says I can't eat Air Nation desserts for every meal so I've been learning how to make this Mung Bean Tofu Curry by examining old scrolls I discovered in the Southern Air Temple After such a long war and so with many temples in shambles many of these recipes are nearly illegible With everyone gone I can't ask for help so this pressure of legacy rests on me This version is the closest I've been able to get to the curries I remember I hope it does my past airbenders justice Aang 2 tablespoons neutral oil ½ yellow onion peeled and sliced 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced 1-inch knob fresh ginger peeled and minced 2 bird's eye chilies stemmed and minced 1 red bell pepper stemmed cored and sliced 1 green bell pepper stemmed cored and sliced One 14-ounce block extra firm tofu drained pressed cubed pan-fried 2 cups cooked green mung beans 2 tablespoons soy sauce plus more to taste 2 roma tomatoes diced 1 cup unsalted vegetable stock 2 tablespoons cornstarch ¼ cup chopped cilantro Heat oil in a large rondeau over medium heat until slick and shiny Add onion and sauté 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant Add garlic ginger and chilies and sauté 2 to 3 minutes until ginger has softened Add red bell pepper and green bell pepper and sauté 1 minute Add tofu and mung beans with soy sauce and sauté 3 to 4 minutes Add tomatoes and sauté 1 to 2 minutes or until tomato liquid has been mostly absorbed Whisk together vegetable stock with cornstarch until smooth Pour mixture into pot and bring to a light boil to activate the starch The whole gravy should have now thickened considerably Mix all ingredients thoroughly to combine then remove from heat Garnish with cilantro
