by Cyrus Todiwala from Simple Spice: 120 easy Indian recipes with just 10 spices (Mitchell Beazley)
In this simple baked dish, you can use any seasonal vegetables such as broccoli, squash, aubergine – whatever you fancy or have to hand. No flour is used in the sauce to thicken it, but you can do so if you wish. Serve with pasta or rice.
Serves 4 as a main or 6-8 as a side
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 45 mins
Ingredients
Cauliflower 1 small, cut into small florets, stalks chopped separately into small pieces
Carrots 2, diced
Potato 1, peeled & diced
Onion 1, coarsely chopped
Fresh Green Chillies 2 finger-type, coarsely chopped
Garlic 2 Cloves, roughly chopped
Fresh Root Ginger 5cm (2in) piece, peeled & roughly chopped, peelings reserved
Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil 2 tbsp
Paneer 150-200g (5½ - 7oz), diced
Green Pepper 1 small, cored deseeded & diced
Fresh Red Chilli 1 small, diced
Chickpeas 1 x 400g (14oz) can, drained & rinsed
Chopped Fresh Coriander 2 tbsp
Tomato Sauce (see below) to serve
Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
For the Spice Paste
Ground Cumin 1 tsp
Ground Coriander 2 tsp
Ground Turmeric ½ tsp
Red Chilli Powder 1 tsp
For the Crumble Topping
Raw Cashew Nuts 100g (3½ oz)
Cumin Seeds 1 tsp, toasted (in a heavy based frying pan over a low heat until brown & aromatic)
Coriander Seeds 1tsp
Quinoa 3-4 tbsp, uncooked
Fresh Green Chilli 1, deseeded
Olive Oil, 1 tsp
Butter 15g (½ oz), at room temp
Method
1. First make the spice paste by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl with a few tbsps of water. Cover & set aside until needed.
2. Cook the cauliflower florets for about 5 mins in a pan of boiling salted water. They should be slightly firm; certainly not soft. Strain, reserving the cooking water, & immediately refresh in cold water.
3. Return the cooking water to the pan & cook the carrots for 3-4 mins, again until just done. Strain, reserving the cooking water, & immediately refresh in cold water.
4. Return the cooking water to the pan & cook the potato for about 6-8 mins, until tender. Strain, reserving the cooking water, & immediately refresh in cold water.
5. Return the cooking water to the pan & cook the cauliflower stalks with the ginger peelings for 15-20 mins, until soft. Set the pan aside to cool.
6. Preheat the oven to 190C/ 375F/ Gas Mark 5.
7. Put the onion, green chillies, garlic & ginger into a blender, add the vegetable water & its contents & purée to a smooth liquid.
8. Heat the oil in a deep non-stick pan or flameproof casserole dish. When hot, add the paneer & cook for 1-2 mins, turning so that it browns nicely on all sides. Add the green pepper & the fresh red chilli & sauté for 1 min, then add the spice paste. Cook for anther 1-2 mins until the oil starts to be released. Pour in the puréed mixture & cook for 4-5 mins, until gently bubbling but not spluttering.
9. Stir in the cooked cauliflower, carrots & potato plus the chickpeas & mix well, adding some water if the mixture seems too thick. Cover & simmer for 5-6 mins, then taste & season. Stir in the fresh coriander & transfer to a baking dish.
10. To make the crumble, put the cashews, seeds, quinoa & fresh chilli into a blender & whiz to the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. Add the olive oil & softened butter & whiz again.
11. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the vegetables & bake in the oven for 12-15 mins, until the top is golden & crispy.
12. Serve with homemade Tomato Sauce on the side (see recipe below).
For the Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil 1 tbsp
Cinnamon Stick 2 x 10cm (4in) pieces
Dried Red Chillies 4, each broken into 3 pieces & deseeded
Fresh Green Chillies 3-4, slit lengthways into 4 pieces
Onions 2, finely chopped
Malt Vinegar, 1 tbsp
Raw Cane or Muscovado Sugar 2 tsp
Fresh or Canned Tomatoes 400g (14oz), chopped
Method
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan or flameproof casserole dish. When hot, add the cinnamon stick & sauté for a few seconds, before adding the dried red chillies. As soon as the chillies darken, add the fresh green chillies & onions. Sauté until the onions are soft.
2. Add the vinegar & sugar & simmer for a few mins, then add the tomatoes. Cook gently until the mixture thickens slightly. Season with salt & pepper & set aside.
Buttermilk Chaas
Come summertime when the heat rises, Indians love to cool down by drinking buttermilk. The basic recipe below is very simple, but you can enliven it with fresh mint leaves and crushed fresh root ginger, or even add a little garlic and green chilli along with fresh coriander and mint.
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
Thick Greek Yoghurt 200ml (7fl oz)
Water 500ml (18fl oz)
Cumin seeds ¼ tsp toasted and ground
Salt a pinch
Ice Cubes (optional)
Put the yoghurt and measured water into a bowl and beat thoroughly until completely smooth. Add the cumin and salt, mix well and pour into glasses, adding ice cubes if you wish.
Drinks tasted on air, alongside the dish.
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