Quick Courgette Patties

This recipe is a light snack that you can have with either some tomato ketchup, or natural yoghurt. Courgettes have a very high water content so you need to make sure that you squeeze all the water out of the grated courgettes before adding the remaining ingredients. You do this by adding a teaspoon of salt to the grated courgettes, and then leave for about 3 minutes. You will then see all the water oozing out of the grated courgettes. Then just get a handful of courgettes at a time and squeeze out all the water.

Ingredients

Serves 2 Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 20 mins

2 large courgettes; grated 

1 cube of ginger; peeled and finely grated

1/2 a green chilli; finely chopped

3 tbsp of gram flour (besan/chick pea flour)

Some oil for frying

Method

1. Grate the courgette add a teaspoon of salt and leave for 3-5 minutes. Squeeze all of the water from the courgette and transfer to a bowl. Add the ginger, chilli and gram flour and mix really well. 

2. Shape the courgette into patties and then heat some oil in a large frying pan, and lightly fry the patties for around 15-20 minutes or until cooked, turning every 5 minutes. 

3. Serve with a some tomato ketchup, or some natural yoghurt.

Turmeric - The Super Spice

Turmeric is truly a super spice. It has healing qualities that I am still finding out about.

I was first introduced to the magic of turmeric growing up in Southend. As a child whenever my brother played rugby at school he would always come home with a sprained ankle or wrist. When he did my Mum didn't rush to the medicine cupboard to get some painkillers, instead she rushed to her masala box to make some turmeric paste. She would mix turmeric with some water and then heat it up until it became paste like. She would then rub this all over my brothers ankle/wrist and wrap it up in a bandage. My brother would then smell of turmeric for the rest of the evening and then go to school the next day with a yellow ankle/wrist.

But the turmeric paste did its job and healed his sprain. As a natural anti-inflammatory it helped with the swelling and as a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent it helped with any cuts and bruises he might have had.


Cut to twenty years later, and the American Vegetarian falls off her bike injuring her knee quite badly. We go to the hospital and luckily nothing is broken, all we need to do is rest the leg and keep it raised so the swelling goes down. When we get home the first thing I do is not rush to the sofa and make a contraption with all the pillows so her knee stays raised but rush to my masala box to make some miracle turmeric paste. The swelling goes down rapidly.

Another way I use turmeric is in a glass of hot milk. Hot milk with turmeric is a great way to blast away the signs of a cold. Not only is it quite soothing, but the turmeric really does help in getting rid of any coughs and sniffles. 


Hot milk and turmeric also cured my Mum's asthma. My Mum is in her seventies and developed asthma a few years ago. Earlier this year she began to add turmeric in her nightly cup of hot milk. When she next went to the doctors, he had told her her asthma had gone. She puts this down to the turmeric, and I believe her. 

I'm no doctor or nutritional expert but I do know that turmeric is good for you. So if you feel a cold coming on try having a glass of warm milk with a 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric mixed in. It'll work wonders.

Spicy Polenta

What to do with polenta? I like polenta but I've never really known what to do with it. I know the Italians use it a lot, but most of the recipes I've seen require a lot of stirring and also require you to stir it for around 30 mins. So when my Mum showed me how to make spicy polenta in under 10 minutes I was all ears and eyes.

I've tried this at home, and have to say its a lovely little dish to have as a lunch or tasty snack. Add some salad or some grilled veg on the side, and you have a wonderful dinner.

This recipe is tasty, quick and simple.

Spicy Polenta

Ingredients

1 tbspn. of vegetable/sunflower oil
1/4 tsp. of mustard seeds
5 curry leaves
Large pinch of asafoetida (hing)
13 fl oz of water (you need double the amount of polenta, so two cups of water to 1 cup of polenta)
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. of chilli powder
3/4 tsp. of salt
1 cup/130gr. of Polenta (coarse cornmeal)
2 tbsp of yoghurt

Method

Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. Once they begin to pop add the curry leaves and the hing. Then add the water and all the spices. Allow the water to come to boil. Once it starts to boil add the polenta and yoghurt and stir so it all comes together and there are no lumps of polenta left. Stir for about 3-4 minutes.

Serve with a salad, some grilled vegetables, or just have on its own...like I do.

Bermondsey Farmers Market

On Saturday morning the American Vegetarian and I cycled down to our local farmers market to buy some seasonal veg.

Bermondsey Farmers Market is a small yet quaint market that sells vegetables, cheeses, bread, chutneys and some non veg produce as well. It's set in a square surrounded by two very nice cafes, an independent cinema and opposite the delightful Bermondsey Street.

The market is small so if you are looking for a bigger bolder market then Borough market is not too far away. But for local residents this is perfect. We cycled the very short 10 minutes to the market and wandered around the stalls. All the veg looked great, and I had to stop myself from buying more than we could eat. After trying some wonderful bread, cheeses and chutneys, we ended up buying some jerusalem artichokes, beetroot, carrots, ruby kale, and spinach as well as some real bread. And all of it costing less then it would have done in a chain supermarket.

The best thing I love about buying produce from farmers market is that once I get the food home I do very little cooking to the vegetables themselves, as the taste is all there. I spend more time washing the vegetables then I do cooking them.

I made a beetroot and carrot salad, and cooked the spinach in some Olive oil, lemon juice and then allowed it to steam in its own heat. Sliced and toasted the bread, and before you know it you have a very nice, organic healthy lunch in front of you..oh and don't forget the Saturday papers and a cup of coffee. Total weekend bliss.

Simple Spinach

Ingredients

1 bunch of spinach; thoroughly washed
Some olive oil
1 tbsp. of lemon juice
2 tbsp. of water
Salt and pepper to season

Method

Heat the oil in a pan, then add the rest of the ingredients and cover so it all cooks in its own heat for about 3-4 mins. Serve with some toasted bread.

Beetroot and Carrot salad

Ingredients

1 large beetroot; washed and peeled
1 carrot; washed
Some olive oil
A spoonful of honey (optional)
Salt & Pepper to season.
A handful of loosely crushed walnuts

Method

Grate both the beetroot and the carrots in a food processor. Then transfer to a large bowl and add the olive oil, and salt and pepper. Taste and add the honey if you feel it needs sweetening. Then top it off with the walnuts and mix well. I added the honey as the beetroot that I had tasted slightly bitter, so I needed to sweeten the taste out. The crushed walnuts add a lovely crunch to the salad as well.

Bermondsey Farmers Market, Bermondsey Square, SE1 3UN. Saturday from 10am-2pm

Baked Beans Curry

Now I know the title may not sound too appetising, but I assure you this is great comfort food territory.

Turning a can of baked beans into a curry was my very first attempt at making a curry. This was of course years and years ago, when I was a student and realising that I should have never taken my Mums food for granted. In fact, it was even the American Vegetarian's first attempt at making a curry. I feel it is like the first initiation. If you can turn a can of baked beans into a curry then you’re on the right road.

Last week I just had a craving for it, so thought I would share the wonderful simple and yet very comforting dish of baked beans curry with you. 

Ingredients

1 can of baked beans

Half an onion

5 curry leaves

1/4 tsp. of mustard seeds

1/2 tsp. of cumin seeds

1/4 tsp. of turmeric

1/2 tsp. of chilli powder (or a bit less if you don't like it too spicy)

1 3/4 tsp. of ground coriander

Some salt

1 tbsp. of oil

Method

Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard and cumin seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to pop, add the curry leaves, and then add the onion. Stir and cook until the onions soften. Then add the can of baked beans and the rest of the spices. Now because there is already salt in the can of beans check the seasoning before you add the salt in. You will need some salt, just not an entire teaspoon of it. Let it cook together for around 5 minutes, then serve on either toast, or a jacket potato or however you like your baked beans.

De-lish.

Vegetarian Tapas

I love tapas, and I love Italian food. So on Saturday I decided to make an Italian tapas for dinner. There is little else more satisfying then snacking on food with a bottle of wine. I absolutely love the combination of tomatoes, olive oil, bread and cheese. Just writing it makes my mouth water.

So here are the six recipes of my vegetarian tapas, and it can all be done in 45 mins or less.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

4 large mushrooms
1 ciabatta loaf; torn into chunks
1 clove of garlic; finely chopped
1 onion; sliced
A big bunch of flat leaf parsely; finely chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Butter for greasing

Method

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion off for around 15 minutes until soft and sweet, stir occasionally. Meanwhile rub the mushrooms with a paper towel to get excess dirt off and remove the stalks from the mushrooms, set aside. Place the mushrooms in an oven dish which has been lightly greased with some butter. Take the torn ciabatta and blitz them in a food processor so they become breadcrumbs ( I add the stalks from the mushrooms to the breadcrumbs so nothing goes to waste.) The onions should be done by now, so add the garlic and after about 30 seconds add the breadcrumbs, parsley and season with salt and pepper, mix well. Transfer this mixture into each mushroom, and then place in the oven for around 20 mins.

Broad bean and pea hummus

Ingredients

200g of frozen broad beans
250g of frozen peas
3 tbspn of Extra virgin olive oil
Good pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
Juice of half a lemon

Method

Boil the peas and broad beans in some boiling water for around 3-4 mins until cooked. Drain then add to a food processor. Blitz for 10 seconds. Then add the remaining ingredients and blitz for another 30 seconds. Check and adjust the seasoning and transfer to a bowl.

Wilted kale with garlic

Ingredients

150g Kale
1 clove of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Some water

Method

Heat the water in a pan, you'll need around an inch of water. Then add the kale so it wilts down. Then add the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with oilve oil.

Tomatoes & Basil

Ingredients

Fresh tomatoes (you decide how many)
A good bunch of basil
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

Slice the tomatoes and transfer onto a plate. Then drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper, and place a torn piece of basil on each tomato. Set aside.

Garlic Tomato bread

Ingredients

1 loaf of sourdough baguette
1 or 2 coves of garlic
1 fresh tomato; cut in half and de seeded
Extra Virgin olive oil

Method

Slice the bread and grill both sides so they are lightly toasted. Once you take them off the grill, rub the garlic clove on each slice, then take one half of the tomato and rub each slice with the tomato. Drizzle with some olive oil.

Halloumi

Ingredients

Halloumi

Method

Slice the halloumi and dry fry them on both sides until cooked.

Serve all the above with a lovely bottle of wine. Share eat drink and enjoy.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

It's snowing and what better way to warm up then a hot bowl of this flavoursome soup. This is a great way to eat butternut squash. It's a fantastic vegetable with a whole load of goodness, full of potassium, vitamin C and a great source of fibre.

This recipe gives you a soup with a creamy texture as the butternut, once roasted has a dense and soft texture. I use chilli to add some heat, and I also cook the onions on a medium heat for a good twenty minutes. This adds a sweetness without adding any sugar. I guarantee that this soup will melt the snow away, and make you feel warm from the inside.

Ingredients

1 Butternut Squash
1 onion; sliced
1 clove of garlic; finely chopped
1/2 a red chilli; finely chopped
1 cube of ginger; peeled and grated
800 ml of vegetable stock (I use Marigold Swiss vegetable vegan bouillon)
Some oil
Salt & pepper

Method

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Peel the butternut squash deseed it and cut it into cubes. You'll need a sharp peeler and knife for this. Season with salt and pepper and coat with some olive oil. Place on an oven sheet and roast for about 35-40 mins until soft. Set aside. Meanwhile heat some oil in a pan and on a medium heat cook the onions for a good 20 minutes. The longer you cook the onions the sweeter they become. Keep stirring the onions so they don't stick. After twenty minutes, add the chopped garlic and chilli and ginger. I love this bit as a lovely aroma emanates from the pan now. Then add the roasted butternut squash. Stir and add the vegetable stock. Cook with the lid on for another twenty minutes, so the stock has a chance to cook and blend with the squash.

Once cooked, blend in a food processor and serve with warm bread.

Beetroot & Walnut Hummus

Technically this is not hummus as hummus means chick peas and there are no chick peas in this. So in actual fact it's a beetroot and walnut dip. Basically if you like beetroot (I do) and walnuts ( I do) then this is the dip for you. And in fact even if you don't like beetroot, this is the dip that will change your mind....forever.


I found this delicious recipe in the fantastic Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall 'River Cottage Veg Every Day'. I really really like this book, its got some great vegetarian recipes in it that will have your stomach dying of hunger by just looking at the pages. Seriously, I first looked at this book after eating dinner. I sit down to read the book, and within minutes my stomach is crying out for food, and I feel like I haven't eaten in days. 


If you love your veg, then I highly recommend getting this book. In the meantime here is one of my favourite recipes from the book. I like this because its simple and quick to make, plus it is full of flavour, packs a punch with taste and I guarantee will convert even the most die hard beetroot haters.


Ingredients


50g walnuts
1 tbsp cumin seeds
25g stale bread, crusts removed
200g cooked beetroot (not pickled), cut into cubes
1 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 large garlic clove, crushed
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A little olive or rapeseed oil (optional)

Method

Put the walnuts on a baking tray and toast in an oven preheated to 180°C/Gas Mark 4 for 5-7 minutes, until fragrant. Leave to cool.

Warm a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and dry-fry them, shaking the pan almost constantly, until they start to darken and release their aroma - this should take less than a minute, so be careful not to burn them. Crush the seeds with a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder.

Break the bread into small chunks, put in a food processor or blender with the walnuts and blitz until fine. Add the beetroot, tahini, most of the garlic, a good pinch of the cumin, half the lemon juice, a little salt and a good grind of pepper, then blend to a thick paste.

Taste the mixture and adjust it by adding a little more cumin, garlic, lemon, salt and/or pepper, blending again until you are happy with it. Loosen with a dash of oil if you think it needs it. Refrigerate until required but bring back to room temperature to serve.


Recipe from 'River Cottage Veg Every Day' by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. 

Courgette & Tomato Soup (aka Zucchini & TomaYto soup)

Happy New Year!! I've been sunning myself in the Caribbean over Christmas, so coming back to the January grey, wet and very windy weather is not very pleasing. When the weather is this dire there is only one thing that truly comforts and warms me up; a big bowl of hearty soup.

I love tomatoes, and courgettes can always do with a helping hand, so putting them together in this glorious soup is perfect after returning home from the dark wet windy weather.

I find soup quite therapeutic to make. It's not too difficult or time consuming and at the end of it is a great bowl of warmth that will really make you glow. So here is a winter warmer of a dinner that will truly warm you up from the inside out.

Courgette & Tomato Soup (aka Zucchini & TomaYto soup)

Ingredients

4 courgettes (around 600g); cut into chunks
1 onion, sliced
1 clove of garlic; chopped
Half a green chilli; chopped
1 400g (14oz) can of peeled plum tomatoes
750ml of vegetable stock
Some oil

Method

Heat some oil in a pan (you can use any oil, olive, sunflower, vegetable, I used vegetable) and gently saute the onions on a medium heat for around 15 minutes. They should soften and caramelise a little. You want the onions to become sweet to add sweetness to the dish. Then add the chopped garlic and chilli, and stir. It should become quite aromatic now. Then add the chunky courgettes and stir well. Cook with lid half on for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the can of plum tomatoes, and the vegetable stock. Stir and cook for a good 15-20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper or maybe some sugar. Once you are happy with the flavour, scoop a few ladles of soup in a blender/food processor at a time and blend.

Serve with warm crusty bread.

Green Bean Casserole

We had our annual Thanksgiving feast a few weekends ago, and all the usual suspects were served to our friends; nut roast, sweet potato casserole, mashed potato, corn on the cob, stuffing and of course green bean casserole.

Green bean casserole is a classic American Thanksgiving dish, which I had never heard of before meeting the American Vegetarian. She described it as green beans with mushroom sauce and fried onions. It didn't sound particularly appetising and when I looked on line to get some recipe ideas, the ones I found seemed even more unappetising (have a google yourself and you'll see what I mean). Recipes that entailed mixing canned cooked green beans with fried onions and milk before baking in the oven for 30 minutes!!!

So I thought I would create my own version of the classic American dish of green bean casserole. I think my version is good, and all who have tasted it have always asked for seconds....and thirds.

Ingredients (Serves 8)

600 grams of fresh green beans.
300 grams chestnut mushrooms.
1 can of condensed mushroom soup.
400 grams of crispy fried onions.
a good handful of fresh parsley; chopped.
a knob of butter.
salt & pepper.

Method

Wash, trim and cut the green beans in thirds, boil them for two minutes only in boiling water and then drain and place in iced water so they stop cooking, set aside. Next wipe the mushrooms clean with a cloth. Because mushrooms soak up water it is best not to wash them. Just wipe the mushrooms and then slice them. In a pan melt the butter and then add the mushrooms, and saute for about 5-10 minutes, until the mushrooms have released their juices and cooked. Instead of letting the water cook off, I just pour it away. Next add about 3/4 of the can of condensed mushroom soup, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the parsley and the green beans to the mushroom mix and season and mix well. Add this mixture to an oven dish. I use one which is just under 2 inches deep. Cover with foil. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes at 180 Celsius. Thirty minutes into the cooking time take the dish out and add the fried onions to the dish, recover with the foil and place back in the oven for the final 10 minutes. You don't want to add the onions at the beginning as they will burn. So adding them to the final 10 minutes of cooking is just fine.

I always prepare the dish early in the day so when the guests arrive all that is left to do is cover with foil and bake.

Serve with a thanksgiving meal or as a side dish to any other meal, any time of the year.

Perfect Pizza Dough

Even if I do say so myself. I've been making pizzas at home for a few years now, but I've always used the 'just add water' mix to make my pizza dough. NOT ANY MORE. Whilst I was in Sorrento I learnt how to make pizza dough, and at the weekend I made it for the first time and I have to say it was a-ma-zing.

It was so good that I made some more dough the following morning so I could have a marinara pizza for lunch. So here are the recipes for the pizza dough and the marinara topping. I got the thumbs up from the American Vegetarian and after abstaining from Italian food since we got back it was a wonderful reminder of the beauty of Italian food.

Pizza Dough (Makes one large pizza, enough for 2-3)

Ingredients 

250grams of strong white flour.
1 tspn of dried active yeast (the one which you activate in water first.)
1 tbspn of extra virgin olive oil.
Good pinch of salt.
Small glass of warm water.

Method

Activate the yeast in some warm water. Mix the flour with the salt and extra virgin olive oil. Then add the activated yeast and mix well. Slowly add the warm water until you have a dough. If you add too much water don't worry, just add some more flour until its not sticky and you have a nice dough. Need for around 5 mins. Whilst needing if the dough becomes sticky to your hand add some more flour or a small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. This will prevent further sticking and also help with the needing process. Once you have a smooth dough, cover with a damp cloth and place somewhere warm for about one hour or until it has risen.

After a good hour take the dough, and on a well floured surface roll the dough out to the size you require.

Go to my post Italian Tomato Sauce, to see how I make my pizza sauce.

Once you have your sauce and base, try this simple and delightful marinara topping. I love this topping for a pizza as it has no cheese!

Marinara Topping

Ingredients

Dried oregano.
1 clove of garlic finely sliced.
Extra virgin olive oil.

Method

After you have rolled out your pizza and topped it with the pizza sauce, sprinkle over the dried oregano, and add the sliced garlic. Cook in an pre heated oven (180 degrees Celsius) for 15 mins or until pizza is cooked. Once done drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy.

Farari bateta nu shaak (Potato curry with coriander and cashew nuts)

Its festival season in the Hindu/Gujarati calender, which means lots of nice food and family time. Some people fast on some days during this time and this dish is a dish my Mum would make when we fasted.

I didn't mind fasting as a child. Fasting didn't mean you couldn't eat all day until the evening but that you couldn't eat certain types of foods. I always felt a bit special when I fasted. I remember going to school and instead of having school dinners I would have some roasted and salted peanuts that Mum would have made me. I also just looked forward to the amazing dinner Mum would make when I got home.

The food that Mum made on the days we fasted was different to the every day 'dhal bhaat shaak n rotli (dhal, rice, curry 'n' rotli). It was special fancier food, well at least I thought so anyway. This potato curry is one of my all time favourites, and one you will not see in your every day high street Indian. It hasn't got a heavy tomato sauce but is light, fragrant with cashew nuts and coriander and delicious served with just some natural yoghurt.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

8 medium sized red potatoes; boiled and cubed.
A cube of ginger peeled and grated.
Half a green chilli.
1 tspn of salt.
1 tspn of sugar.
Big handful of cashew nuts; loosely broken.
Big handful of fresh coriander; chopped.
1 tspn of cumin seeds.
1 tbspn of sunflower/vegetable oil.
A splash of lemon juice.

Method

Once you have boiled your potatoes allow them to cool down and then peel the skin off and cut them into cubes and place on a dish. The potatoes should be at room temperature. Add the grated ginger, the chopped green chilli, salt, sugar and the coriander onto the potatoes. Heat some oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds and cashew nuts. Once they smell aromatic add the seasoned potatoes and toss it all together. The way I toss the potatoes is by holding the pan and doing a flip action rather then using a spoon. Using a spoon will crush the potatoes. So mix well by tossing the actual pan. Add a splash of lemon juice and cook on a low heat for around 5 mins.

Serve with natural yoghurt.

Italian Tomato Sauce

I've been in the Amalfi Coast, which explains the absence of posts of late.

I love Italian food, and the Amalfi Coast had a lot to offer for food lovers. Tomatoes that tasted of the sun, figs that were ripe and juicy and the biggest lemons you have ever seen. As well as visiting many amazing restaurants (and one really bad one) and trying pizza marinara fresh from a wood fired over I also loved going to the local supermarket and buying a big bag of tomatoes, figs and some basil. Fixing up a great salad, and heading down to the beach. Summer on a plate, and all for under 3 Euros. I was in tomato heaven.

After Indian my favourite cuisine is Italian. I love them both for the opposite reasons. Italian food is best because of its simplicity; simple ingredients married together to make fantastic dishes. Indian food I love because of the complexity of many spices that makes a great taste.

So while I was in Sorrento I decided to check out a cooking class. Sorrento Cooking School, offered a three hour class making four dishes; a pizzette, ravioli, a fish course and tiramasu. Two courses; the pizzette and fish course, the chef demonstrated how to make and then the other two; ravioli and tiramasu, we got to make. Personally I really enjoy getting my hands dirty and want to make everything, so for me this class didn't offer me enough hands on cooking. But I have picked up some great tips and will defiantly be making the ravioli and pizzette and tweaking my tomato sauce to how Mina the chef makes it. However this is a great class for novice cooks.

The pizzette was something new for me. Its a small pizza topped with tomato sauce, basil and parmesan cheese. Its different from a pizza as the dough is rolled out into a small circle and then fried in peanut oil rather than baked in an oven. After the chef made the dough, we then got to each have a portion of dough and make our own pizzette. Now you would think that they would be slightly greasy once cooked. But they weren't, they were soft, light and extremely tasty. We got to have these with a glass of prosecco sitting underneath an orange tree. Bliss.

The ravioli was also surprisingly simple to make. We all got to make our own ravioli dough, roll it out and make cheese ravioli. I haven't made any of the recipes at home yet, but once I do, I will post the recipes. In the meantime here is Mina's tomato sauce.

Mina's Tomato Sauce

Two bottles of passata
1 clove of garlic; peeled,
Some salt
3-4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
A good handful of basil

Method

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a big pan. Get the garlic and squash with your hand or the back of a knife so it breaks a little. Add this to the pan, then fry until the garlic goes golden on both sides, but make sure it doesn't burn. Take the garlic out. (Mina said that once the oil has flavoured itself with the garlic you don't need it anymore). Add the two bottles of passata. (Top Tip: Do not rinse out the bottles with water and then add this to the pan. Passata is concentrated tomatoes and by adding water to it you are defeating its purpose.).

Cook with the lid on, on a high heat for 10 mins, and then turn the heat down to medium heat and cook for another 10mins. Add the basil, taste, adjust seasoning and use either as a base for pizza, or on pasta. Tomato sauce done.

Spicy left over rice (Vagherla Bhat)

Growing up there was always left over rice in the kitchen, and this recipe is a great way to make plain boiled rice into an exciting dish with attitude (as Jaime would say).

Ingredients

1 cup of left over cooked rice.
1/2 tsp of chilli powder
1/2 tsp of turmeric
3/4 tsp of salt
3/4 tsp of mustard seeds
3/4 tsp of cumin seeds
Some vegetable oil.

Method

Put the rice on a plate and add the chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Heat some oil in a frying pan, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they start to pop and smell aromatic add the rice and mix well. Keep mixing until all the rice is covered with the spices and everything is cooked through.

I love this dish, and I don't know anyone who doesn't. Its great with some yoghurt or just as is.

Coriander Mashed Potato

So I thought tonight's dinner was going to be a simple case of classic corn on the cob with mashed potato and a salad. Classic American food. Even though both the American Vegetarian and I both adore Indian food the American Vegetarian sometimes just says "can't we have something plain". So tonight was going to be the 'can't we have something plain' night, with mashed potato.

On an evening when I know I'm making dinner, I really enjoy stepping into my kitchen, turning on the radio, and having a bit of 'me' time. I find it therapeutic and quite meditative. Its just me in my kitchen and I really enjoy my space. So tonight, as I was listening to Eddie Nester on BBC London I began prepping our dinner, and then the American Vegetarian comes in, starts washing and peeling the potatoes. 


"Mmm, so you're helping me make dinner then?". I thought.

We learnt early on that cooking together didn't really work out, I ended up going in to 'control freak' mode and well...you can imagine the rest, it wasn't great. So I was a bit surprised that she wanted to help. (I also just wanted the kitchen to myself). Anyway after she put the potatoes onto boil, she added 1 teaspoon of turmeric. 


"Er what you doing?" I asked,

 She said that she found a recipe that she wanted to try. So I looked at it and it was full of Indian delights, coriander seeds, cumin, green chilli, even the 'only ever used on extremely special occasaions' GHEE was there. Wow, this is the polar opposite of  'something plain', but who am I to argue.

So I make the recipe and find to my amazement that its a Vivek Singh recipe for Coriander Mash. I love Vivek Singh's food. We went to The Cinnamon Kitchen once, and what he does with Indian flavours blew my palate. So I was pleasantly surprised that not only did the American Vegetarian wanted to have this for dinner but that it was actually very simple to make. So here is my version of Vivek Singh's recipe for Coriander Mash. I've adapted a bit to show you what I did. It's simple, uncomplicated and very very tasty.


Ingredients


4 or 5 medium to large floury potatoes, peeled and cut into halves
1tsp ground turmeric
1tsp salt
25g butter
1tbsp ghee or clarified butter
1½ tsp coriander seeds, roasted in a dry frying pan and then crushed
½tsp cumin seeds, roasted in a dry frying pan and then crushed
½tsp red chilli flakes
2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated
half a red chilli, chopped
Big handful fresh coriander, chopped
Juice of ½ lemon

Method

Cook the potatoes in boiling water with the turmeric and salt until tender. Drain and mash the potato with the butter until smooth. Heat the ghee or clarified butter in a frying pan and add the crushed coriander seeds, cumin seeds and red chilli flakes. When they release their aroma, add the ginger and red chilli. 

Add the mashed potatoes and stir to mix well. Sprinkle in the coriander and lemon juice, mix well and serve. 

Sag Paneer by Savera Dairy

As I mentioned in my previous post I've had the pleasure lately of trying out some brand new Indian dairy products by Savera Dairy. In this post I'm trying out their paneer and raitu.

Now to be honest I'm not that fussed when it comes to paneer. I can take it or leave it. Mum never cooked spinach curry with paneer in it so sag panner is not a dish I crave from childhood. My cousin does an amazing chilli paneer but she has yet to give me the recipe. So paneer is not a regular feature in my shopping basket or a dish I would opt when going out.

But that I think is all changing, thanks to Savera Dairy. When I opened the packet of paneer I was pleasantly surprised at its appearance. It was pure white and resembled feta cheese. Whenever I've bought paneer from the shops I always thought it looked rubbery and with a tinge of yellow in its colour.

So on first appearance it was thumbs up. I then cut the paneer into small chunks. I decided to make Sag Paneer (spinach curry with paneer) as I had a bag of spinach delivered in my veg box this week as well. Upon cutting the paneer it stayed strong and had a lovely texture to it, again much like feta cheese but not as crumbly as feta, which is another positive as you don't want the paneer crumbling away in a curry.

Once the paneer was cooked in the curry, it stayed whole and had a great texture and flavour. It soaked up the flavours really well and kept its shape. It even got the thumbs up from the American Vegetarian who has never been a great fan of paneer. So all in all I have to say Savera dairy paneer is great. It's much better than the paneer that I've found in the shops currently. It doesn't look rubbery, hasn't got a tinge of yellow and has a flavour.

Now on to the raitu. Raitu is a yoghurt dip with cucumber and herbs. What I really like about the Savera raitu is the convenience. I just peeled back the lid and immediately was hit by a waft of mint. It had a good balance of mint, coriander, and cucumber. Its cool, refreshing and great as a dip or accompaniment with the main meal. Also fantastic for barbecues and picnics.

So here is my recipe for Sag Paneer

Ingredients

1 pack of Savera dairy paneer; cut into chunks
1 big bag of spinach; washed and chopped
Some vegetable oil
1/4 tsp of mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
a pinch of asafoetida (hing, optional)
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp of chilli powder
2 tsp of ground coriander
3/4 tsp of salt
3/4 tsp of sugar

Method

Heat some oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds once they start to pop and become aromatic, add the hing if using, then add the spinach and paneer. Add the turmeric, chilli powder, ground coriander, salt and sugar and mix well. Cover and simmer on a medium heat for around 20 minutes. After 20 minutes check and adjust flavour. If you find it slightly bitter, add some sugar to sweeten it up. Add some water as well if all the water has cooked away. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes and then serve with rice, or rotli (Indian bread). You can garnish with coriander if you wish.

De-lish!
http://saveradairy.co.uk/

Lassi from Savera Dairy

I've had the pleasure of trying out some new Indian dairy products courtesy of Savera Dairy. They are not available in the shops yet, so I'll do my best to describe how delicious Savera lassis are.

Refreshing, tasty, thirst quenching and gorgeous.

There are two lassies available in the Savera diary range; mango and cardamom (picture on the left) and sweet lassi. They both have a thick consistency and a great full flavour.

I didn't expect this but the mango and cardamom lassi gave me a food memory from my childhood. The mango and cardamon took me back to the days when my parents would invite all my aunts, uncles and cousins over for food and instead of making a full on Indian meal, we'd have fried puri's with cold mango juice. It may sound like an odd combination but it's quite popular to make this when you're cooking for over twenty people. The combination of the hot puri with the cold mango tasted great. The food memory I instantly got from Savera Diary mango and cardamon lassi was a lovely reminder of a cherished past.

These products are great for a mid morning or mid afternoon drink, when you're in between meals and feeling a bit peckish. They remind me of a smoothie and have a similar filling feeling.

The sweet lassi is just as good. A lovely thick consistency with a delicate aromatic cardamon flavour. A very pleasing drink and unlike anything else on the market that I have seen. I look forward to seeing them on the shelves in my local supermarket.

www.saveradairy.co.uk

@SaveraDairy

Raw Mango Salad

I love a mango,. Ripe mangoes, raw mangoes, I just love a mango. Ripe mangoes are juicy and fleshy, and raw mangoes are quite sour. Raw mangoes are usually used in chutney and pickles. I got some raw mango the other day, and this is a very simple salad. Very nice to have alongside a spicy curry. It will give you a nice fresh accompaniment. I peeled my mango, but you don't have to if you don't want to.

Ingredients

1 raw mango; finely sliced
1/4 tsp of chilli powder
1/4 tsp of salt
1/4 ts of ground cumin powder
A splash of lemon juice
Some sugar (optional; only add if you find the mango too sour)

Mix all the above ingredients together and enjoy.

Cooking like Mum

The other weekend I went home and asked my Mum, to show me how to make Fenugreek curry (Methi nu shaak). Fenugreek is a green leaf which is also known as Greek Hay and Wild Clover. It has immense health benefits and  many papers recently saying that it is a "fix-all elixir". All I know is that growing up this was one of my favourite dishes, and I wanted to make it like Mum does.


I may have mentioned before that my Mum isn't the most patient person with me when it comes to teaching me how to cook. Whenever I asked her how something was made, she would just reel off the following expecting me to listen and take it in "Just do the vagar, add the masala, and let it cook" all in Gujarati of course. So that's what I've been doing, and its been working. I make very nice currys but they don't taste like my Mums and I've always put that down to the fact that I'M making it and not my Mum. "Its a different hand" my Mum would say, (and now I do as well). You can follow a Jaime recipe, but I guarantee that it won't taste the same as if Jaime made it. So I've always taken for granted that my food will never taste exactly like my Mums because its my hand and not my Mums. That is until last weekend when I asked Mum to show me how to make Methi nu Shaak, and she responded with a "Haa ok", (Yes ok). After my amazement at not getting the usual response but something more positive I followed Mum into the kitchen. I watched and took a mental and written note of everything. I wrote down the times and didn't take my eyes off her for one second. (She got annoyed after a while, but I was on a mission)

Then a few days later I decided to make the curry myself. I was a bit nervous because I wanted it to taste just like Mums but in my heart knew that it wouldn't.  I followed Mums recipe and as I was cooking the American Vegetarian came home and said that the flat smelt like my Mums house. I was like "really", and she was like "yea".


Once it was ready we sat down and I took a piece of home made rotli, and scooped up some shaak (curry). As I ate it I was amazed and delighted that it tasted exactly like Mums. I was so happy. It actually tasted exactly the same. Even the American Vegetarian agreed that it could have been made by Mum. So here is the recipe for you try. It probably won't taste like my Mums as you haven't seen her cook it, but it'll be a very close contender.


Ingredients


Two big bunches of Fenugreek leaves; chopped and washed
Some oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp of asafoetida/hing(optional)
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp of ground coriander
3/4 tsp of salt 
1 tsp of sugar
3 small hand fulls of gram flour
Some water.


Method

Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they start to pop add the asafoetida if using then add the fenugreek leaves. Add the remainder of the spices and the salt and sugar, then add water until it covers the leaves to a level. Place a lid on the pan and cook on a medium heat for around 10 mins. After 10 mins add a little more water then add the gram flour on top of the leaves and put the lid back on for another 10 mins. DO NOT STIR the flour once you put it in. After another 10 - 12 mins check the flour is cooking. It should turn a slightly different colour, some of the flour will still look the same colour but that's ok because now you can give it a stir and allow the water to cook the rest of the flour. Once stirred, turn off the heat, cover with the lid again, and let it rest in its own steam



Serve with rotli and yoghurt. De-Lish! 

I love a good wedgie

Of the potato variety I might add. The American Vegetarian loves potatoes, in any shape or form, mashed, boiled, roasted, baked, well in fact who doesn't? The potato made in any way is just really comforting and tasty. I love potato wedges. They are really simple and quick to prepare and a great way to eat potatoes. They go with absolutely anything which makes them the ultimate in side dishes. I like them with a great big dollop of kethcup.

Ingredients

4 large baking potatoes

Good glug of olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste
3 cloves of  unpeeled garlic

Method

Pre heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas mark 6. Wash the potatoes and keep them unpeeled. Cut them in half and then cut the halves into wedges and then place into a nice big bowl. Add a good glug of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Mix it up really well so all the potatoes are covered with the oil and seasoning. Transfer to a baking tray and add three unpeeled cloves of garlic, and roast for around 40 minutes or until golden brown and cooked all the way through. I give them a bit of a mix half way as well.

Serve straight from the oven (without the garlic) with almost anything!