Primal asian seasonings page

[astronmr20]

Just recently started going primal. Before, I could cook some mean asian cuisine. Thai peanut noodles, Stir Fry, sweet ginger chicken, etc. All from scratch and damn good (just ask my wife).

But of course, peanuts (for the thai stuff) are out, as well as Honey-

But the big one is Soy Sauce! I used a lot in my asian cooking nights. The first two ingredients are wheat (gulp!) and soy (oh no!).

So how do I get that asian "flavor? I use ginger and garlic paste already. Thinking I might need to simply rely more on coconut flavored stuff...

Is soy sauce ok in severe "moderation?"

Suggestions?

[peril]

Tamari is wheat free soya sauce. As it is fermented than the worst aspects of soya are mitigated

Fish sauce is usually safe, although different brands have differing amounts of sugar.

Choose coconut cream/milk carefully. Some have nothing but coconut and water. Others have lots of crap added

Minced chilli can also be a minefield. I make my own but have bought some that are just chilli, vinegar and salt. Most have sugar

It is easy to make your own curry pastes to get authentic thai curries without nasty ingredients

I avoid most of the bottled sauces (hoi sin, black bean, oyster, kecap manis etc) because they are laden with sugar and other carbs

I use a range of cooking fats - ghee, coconut oil, reduced coconut cream, red palm oil (not authentically asian but yummy) according to taste. Will sometimes use peanut oil sparingly when a neutral flavour is required

[jammies]

I use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. It's actually a pretty decent substitute. For special things I will occasionally use a little wheat free soy as peril suggested.

I think cashew butter makes a pretty decent substitute for peanut. I still use sesame oil and small amounts honey.

[Doddibot]

Soy sauce gives umami (meatiness) and saltiness. Salt is easy - add some sea salt of your choosing. Umami isn't that hard either: fish sauce, coconut aminos, anchovies, dashi (shiitake, kombu or katsuobushi) or make an extra-concentrated meat stock if the dish is a soup.

Honey is primal so I still use that, and palm sugar.

[astronmr20]

Great stuff.

Are you sure honey is primal, though? I seem to remember reading in Mark's book that it is not...

[Doddibot]

It's primal/paleo in the sense that it was eaten by paleolithic humans. Of course, I'd never have very much of it, just like Grok wouldn't.

[tommyho1]

check out this video and then tell me that honey isn't primal! - YouTube - Facing angry bees 40 metres high and unattached for honey - Human Planet: Jungles, preview - BBC One

[Ajax]

I believe Mark has said miso is OK as it's fermented. You can make your own dashi using dried fish and seaweed.
Wheat-free tamari sauce is a great substitute for soy sauce.
To be honest I still use soy sauce when I make stir-fries - I'm not gluten intolerant and I don't use it more than once a week. Once the huge bottle I bought two weeks before going primal runs out I'll switch to tamari though. My bigger issue with the Chinese stir-fries is cornstarch, which is used to thicken all the sauces. Not sure what would be a primal alternative to that

[lil_earthmomma]

I still use a drizzle of sesame oil to finish a stirfry. It's just so delicious!!!

Anchovies/anchovie paste is used in a lot of authentic chinese recipes to add umami. I find a splash of beef broth, a drizzle of vinegar and tamari with fresh ginger and garlic and chinese five spice does the trick when I don't want to use a full amount of tamari that the recipe calls for.