indian

creamy pineapple pachardi

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This is the ultimate Indian sweet and sour dish and I like the idea of fruit being used as if they were vegetables. This quick and easy recipe would be fab served with other Indian dishes, like tandoori chicken or any meat dish or just with basmati rice and a salad. I converted it to vegan, by replacing the curd in the traditional recipe with creamy coconut milk and I think it tastes just as good. About to get my friends Louise and Nicola to test try it for dinner tonight and will get back to you with their verdict.
They loved it and couldn’t get enough of it. I served it with plain boiled basmati rice, poppadums, garlicky raita, homemade onion bhajis (recipe coming soon) and salad.

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Georgia O’Keeffe’s potato curry

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I went to the Georgia O’Keeffe exhibition at the Tate last year which was great but I am fascinated by her lifestyle more than I am by her paintings. I would love to go to her house Ghost Ranch in Mexico and I pore through the book I have about it. I love her style, aesthetic and of course her kitchen and larder. A few weeks ago some friends took me to an amazing book shop in Piccadilly called Assouline, and there I got a cookbook with her favourite recipes in it called Dinner with Georgia O’Keeffe. It’s a lovely book with great pictures and lots of recipes that she cooked at Ghost Ranch. I feel theres something that brings you closer to people through recipes. You can almost feel them there with you. So I thought I’d share my favourites from that book with you, because it’s evocative of her history and lifestyle. Apparently she kept a stack of cookbooks as bedside reading. A woman after my own heart.

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sweet and sour okra

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This okra recipe is taken from my first ever Madhur Jaffrey cookbook my then boyfriend was given by someone he worked with because he loved curries and he loved cooking. We often used to argue about who cooked the dinner because we both loved to cook so much. Which led me to realise that theres’s room for only one domestic goddess in a relationship. The book has inspired me ever since then although I change the recipes to contain much less oil, and I use coconut oil instead of ghee. It is one of the most delicious ways to eat okra because it’s full of flavours which are sweet and fragrant and it has the gentle perfume of cumin and coriander. I also replace the sugar in her recipes with maple syrup, but you can use sugar if you prefer. I often serve it with other Indian dishes like dhal or just with plain basmati rice and an Indian pickle. One of reasons Indian food lends itself to vegetarian and vegan cooking so well is because it’s very, very tasty and has great textures and colours. I usually cook Indian food if I’m having my friends over for a vegetarian feast as I know everyone loves it.

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beetroot pachadi

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I think beetroot rocks and this is my take on beetroot pachadi, a creamy Indian curry dish which is normally served puréed. I prefer it chunky but with the same great flavours, I also love the popping texture of the mustard seeds in your mouth when you eat it. I have added crunchy coconut chips as a garnish, to add even more texture. It’s a great Indian sweet and sour dish which can be a stand alone dish, but is delicious with other curries too, including meat ones, and perfect served with basmati rice and a salad or a paratha. My friends have tested this recipe out for me and they all think it’s brilliant. Thanks friends.

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creamy fish curry

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I love this delicious Madur Jaffrey dairy free creamy fish curry recipe and have been cooking it for ever. It’s perfect for Friday night dinner, a dinner party or as an antidote to all the Christmas fare at Christmas. It’s great served with a wedge of lime and fantastic to serve on Christmas eve to guests as a simple supper with basmati rice or with whatever you fancy.

Recipe

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
A thumb size piece of ginger
3 green chillies
7 cloves of peeled garlic
400ml can of coconut milk
250ml carton of coconut cream
4 tablespoons of coconut oil or olive
3 medium onions finely chopped
8 small tomatoes halved
800g of white skinless fish (haddock, cod, monkfish), cut into big chunks
¾ teaspoon of turmeric
¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
A handful of coconut chips, toasted in a dry pan (optional)
A bunch of finely chopped coriander (optional)
Salt to taste

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prawn and coconut curry

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This creamy dairy free coconutty curry is a brilliant dinner party dish served with basmati rice and a salad… or make half the quantity for dinner for two.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
A thumb sized piece of ginger
1-2 green chillies depending on how hot you want it
7 cloves garlic
400 ml can of coconut milk
250 ml coconut cream
4 tablespoons of coconut oil or olive oil
3 medium onions finely sliced
8 small tomatoes halved
400-500g of large raw shelled prawns (I use king prawns)
1 ½ teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
A handful of toasted coconut chips (optional)
A bunch of coriander finely chopped
Salt to taste
1 lime

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aloo gobi

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This is my own version of the Leon Aloo Gobi. Even though it’s got a lot of ingredients, it’s worth making as a stand alone veggie dish. It’s perfect for a vegan or vegetarian dinner party served with basmati rice or a paratha. It has all the righ flavours and textures. Sweet and savoury and  very creamy. Everyone loves it, including die hard carnivores. It has been wheeled out for many a dinner party and vegetarian dinner à deux.

Recipe

Serves 3-4.

Ingredients:
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 carrots thickly sliced
2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
1 red chilli
2 thumb sized pieces of fresh ginger
5 cloves peeled garlic
1 heaped teaspoon madras curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon black onion seeds
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 a cauliflower broken into florets
1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
1 cup frozen peas (thawed)
Juice of half a lemon
A handful of sultanas
Finely chopped parsley or coriander
A handful of desiccated coconut (and some optional coconut chips to sprinkle on top)

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