Roasted cauliflower with flaked almonds

I'm a big fan of Dan Toombs aka The Curry Guy. He is well known for perfecting the art of a homecooked curry. His books, blog and Youtube channel are a true inspiration.

Last week I was browsing The Book People, looking for Emma Carroll's books to read with Eddie, but of course, I got diverted into the cook books section and just had to buy The Curry Guy Easy - at £4.99 it's a steal.
I've been bookmarking lots of delicious-looking recipes.

The first one I fancied trying was a recipe for Stir-Fried Cauliflower with Almonds and Coconut (<--- click on the link for the full recipe).

I have adapted the recipe, as I didn't have some of the ingredients, and slightly changed the method, as I first quickly pan-fried it and then finished by roasting in the oven.
All my supposedly non-stick frying pans get sticky despite me being careful with them, using only wooden spoons inside, not scratching, not using the dishwasher etc, so frying cauliflower with lots of bits and bobs until it's cooked through wouldn't work on my pans.
I also added a natural yogurt and swapped some of the spices, but otherwise, it is Dan's recipe, and I'm thankful for the inspiration.

In fact I liked it so much that I cooked it twice in just a matter of days. The second time I have pre-blanched the cauli, so it would take less time to cook. And the 2nd time I added a fresh chilli rather than paprika which I used in the first batch.

Roasted cauliflower with flaked almonds
Ingredients:
3tbsp coconut oil with turmeric
1tsp black mustard seeds
1tsp cumin seeds
1/2 big red onion, sliced finely
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1tsp chilli infused oil (leftover from Domino's takeaway)
1/2 tsp paprika or finely chopped fresh chilli
2tsp garam masala spice mix
4tbsp flaked almonds
3tbps dessicated coconut
1tsp turmeric
1 cauliflower, broken into florets, with the green parts chopped into chunks)
125g coconut yogurt (or natural yogurt)
sea salt

I never throw cauliflower's leaves, and in this recipe I used both florets and leaves. Just chop off the most ungainly-looking bruised bits, and chop the rest.
I was surprised to read in one of the Guardian Feast issues back in summer that "it's only now, with the alarm around food waste, that we are discovering how remarkably tasty its [cauliflower's] leaves are". Who says, we are only just discovering it now? I've been doing it for as long as I remember.

Melt the coconut oil in a large frying pan, when hot, add the mustard seeds and fry till they start to pop. Lower the heat, add the cumin seeds and finely chopped red onion. Fry for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and all the spices.
Add the almond flakes and dessicated coconut, stir together and add the cauliflower, cut into florets (and leaves, if using). Stir fry for about 3 minutes, add the yogurt, then transfer the contents of the pan to the roasting ceramic dish and put it in the oven preheated to 180C.

Cook for about half and hour. You might want to cover the cauli with a foil, so that coconut and flakes don't get burnt. If you pre-cook cauliflower in the steamer, then roasting time will reduce a lot.
I like the cauliflower soft and melty, not mushy, when it still holds shape, but not crunchy either, so it's up to your personal taste how long you will want to cook it.

This dish will make a tasty side dish, or just have it on its own, with a good chunk of bread.
I used a coconut yogurt, so this dish is an accidental vegan meal.

I love cauliflower in most dishes, and Dan's idea of cooking it with almond flakes and coconut is a great one. When I say "most dishes", I mean savoury. I tried a cake once at the food fair, it was made with mashed cauliflower, and believe me, it was very unpleasant. It might make the cake moist, but surely you can achieve that with a variety of other, more suitable ingredients.

Adding this post to #KitchenClearout linky hosted by Cheryl at Madhouse Family Reviews, as I used the leftover oil from Domino's as well as some of the dessicated coconut which needs using (still have some left).

Fruity aubergine and chickpea curry

It was the hottest day of the year yesterday (so far), and I was cooking a curry for dinner, rather than having a light salad and an iced tea. I had two aubergines in a bowl on the kitchen window, and quite a few tins in the pantry to choose from. This is a variation on a curry I cook quite often, changing and swapping some ingredients, like a dairy-free coconut yogurt (or just coconut-flavoured dairy yogurt) instead of coconut milk, adding flaked almonds or cashews, raisins or tinned peaches etc, so it's a very much flexible recipe, depending on what you have and like.
It could be either vegetarian (if you use milk-based yogurt) or vegan, or if you can't live without meat, chicken would be really nice in this curry too.

Fruity aubergine and chickpea curry
Ingredients:
2 red onions
6tbsp olive oil
1 red chilli
2 cloves of garlic
1tsp mustard seeds
2 aubergines
2tsp Sri Lankan masala
1tsp turmeric
a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
about 100g soft dried peaches and mango
1 tin of chopped tomatoes (Polpa finely chopped tomatoes)
1 tin (400ml) light coconut milk
1 tin (400g) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Start by frying finely chopped onions in 2 tbsp of olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add the mustard seeds, garlic and chilli, as well as aubergines. Slice aubergines in half, then in half again lengthways, and then chop into chunks. As these aubergines are young, I didn't peel the skin.
Add more oil, and season well with sea salt, then sprinkle with all spices. Cook stirring for another 5 minutes, until the aubergines chunks are coated with the spices, oil and onion mix.
Next add the halved cherry tomatoes and chopped dried peaches and mango slices. After cooking for another couple of minutes, pour in the contents of tinned tomatoes and coconut cream.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas before adding to the curry. Bring to boil, then lower the heat and cook, simmering, for about half an hour, stirring from time to time. The aubergine chunks should be very soft, but still hold the shape.

Serve hot, with rice or without (I'm trying to cut down in carbs, so ate my curry without any rice).

This is a delicious, melt-in-the-mouth curry, not too hot, but very fragrant and flavourful.

I didn't specifically plan for this meal to be vegan, it just happened that the products I used were all vegetables and the cream is plant-based too.
I used the last of the Sri Lankan Masala curry mix from Steenbergs in this recipe, but any good masala mix will work. Next week I'm planning to go to the garden centre, where they have a lovely food shop, and I've seen Steenbergs' products there. If I can't find it there, then I'll have to order it online. Love the fruity flavours and aroma of this curry mix.

Mutti Polpa (Finely Chopped tomatoes) is one of the products from the latest Degustabox. This is a new Italian brand for me. Usually I buy Cirio tomato products. Mutti are winners of a prestigious Great Taste Award. Tinned chopped tomatoes were sweet and ripe, and worked beautifully in a vegetarian curry.

As I've finished the delicious curry mix, I'm adding this recipe to #KitchenClearout at Madhouse Family Reviews, hosted by lovely Cheryl.

Aubergine curry

I so admire people who plan their meals a week in advance, and know exactly what and when they would be cooking. I'm rather disorganised when it comes to dinners.
Often I have a vague idea of what I might be cooking, but it would depend on my mood and what I might find on offer. I suppose it doesn't help that I go grocery shopping every day.
I don't drive, and there is so much I can carry home, plus we do love freshly baked bread.
And I do often have a change of plans when I see something tempting.

The other day, while looking for some greens in Waitrose, I came across a big pile of aubergines at a reduced price (29p each) and grabbed three. One of them I used to make a pasta sauce.

Today I cooked an accidentally vegan dinner. I didn't plan for it to be vegan, but it just happened that way.
This recipe is a variation of an Indian recipe for aubergine curry (Baingan bharta).

Aubergine curry
Ingredients:
1 medium carrot
5tbsp+ olive oil
1 big red onion
1 chilli
2 cloves of garlic
1tbsp turmeric
1tsp Sri Lankan Masala
1tbsp ginger paste
2 aubergines, skinned and cubed
350ml tomato sauce (e.g. Cirio Cuor di Pelato)
a handful of raisins
170g coconut yogurt (e.g. The Coconut Collaborative coconut milk dessert)
flat leaf parsley

Peel and chop a carrot, and finely chop an onion. Heat 2tbsp oil in a big frying pan. Fry the onion and carrot for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the chopped and deseeded red chilli and garlic, as well as all spices.
Peel and cube the aubergines. Add them to the frying onion, carrot etc. Stir well, so that the aubergines are well coated. Add more oil, and a dash of water.
Pour in the tomato sauce.
I used a bottle of Cirio Cuor di Pelato tomato sauce with vegetables, which was one of the products in the latest Degustabox food box.
If you don't have this particular product, any good quality tomato sauce, or passata will work, or just tinned tomatoes.
Add a handful of raisins and cook simmering on low for about half an hour. For an extra creamy taste add a small pot of coconut yogurt.
You might need to add a little bit of water, if the sauce becomes too thick.

Serve hot with basmati rice. I added a tablespoon of dried barberries to rice.

Aloo egg curry

It's been raining all day on Thursday. We even had a bit of a hail in the afternoon. Then the sun poked out for a bit before going back behind the rain clouds. My boys and I stayed at home all day. Eddie insisted on having fusilli with ketchup for dinner, Sash had his own usual meal. I fancied a meat-free dinner. Having rummaged in the kitchen, I came up with a plan of cooking a potato and egg curry.

Potato and egg curry
Ingredients:
3 eggs, hard-boiled
2 big potatoes, parboiled
2tbsp olive oil
1 medium leek, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced thinly
1/2tsp ground cumin
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1/2tsp ground ginger
1tsp garam masala powder
salt and black pepper
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
160ml coconut cream

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water. Drain potatoes, let them cool before cutting into big cubes.
Cook the eggs to hard-boiled, once cooked, peel the eggs and quarter them.
In a deep frying pan fry the celery and leek in the olive oil, with the added garlic and spices. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chopped tomatoes, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring.
Add the cubed potatoes and coconut cream, mix well with the curry sauce, cook for a couple of minutes, finally add the eggs, and stir for a minute.
Serve hot.

It's a quick and easy vegetarian dish.

A curry night with Schwartz Authentic Indian Recipe Mix Range

Biryani

“There are three things, and three things only, that can lift the pain of mortality and ease the ravages of life,” said Spider. “These things are wine, women and song"...
"Curry’s nice too" pointed out Fat Charlie” (Neil Gaiman, Anansi Boys)

We rarely have "proper" takeaways, as I prefer to cook our meals myself. But I do love my culinary shortcuts, especially on a week day. Grinding my own spices for a curry night might be very gratifying if you have lots of spare time. If you're a busy parent, a jar of a sauce or a packet will do nicely, especially if a recipe mix comes from such experts as Schwartz. I have reviewed Schwartz products many times on my blog (if you fancy reading any of my older reviews, just click on the label Schwartz on the left), and was pleased to extend my cooking repertoire with a new Schwartz Authentic Indian Recipe Mix Range.
Available in four rich and aromatic flavours, this range will appeal to curry lovers. Each recipe mix packet allows you to have a cooked meal in 25-30 minutes, and has 4 servings.
We have tried three out of four flavours: Korma, Balti and Biryani.

Korma is my favourite curry, and this was the first dish I have prepared, using a Schwartz Authentic Indian Mix Range. This is the mildest curry from the range. A 222g serving made according to the recipe printed on the packet, contains 223kcal (which was a surprise for me, as I expected a korma to have more calories).

Korma

This recipe mix is ideal with chicken or prawns. It so happened that all the curries I cooked with this range were with chicken. Korma is a creamy and mildly-spiced dish, made with coconut, cardamom and cumin. Looking at the list of ingredients, it includes sugar, onion powder, salt, cumin, garlic powder, ground coriander seed, chilli powder, ground ginger, cream powder, coconut milk powder, ground cinnamon, cardamom, paprika, turmeric etc.
I followed the recipe suggested on the packet. The list of ingredients is pretty short, you need 1tbsp of oil, 1 onion, finely chopped, about 450g diced boneless chicken and 300ml semi-skimmed milk. The milk keeps the sauce rather light, but of course, you can add some single cream for a richer version. I have also added a carrot to bulk up the curry and a handful of ground and flaked almonds. I served it with rice and a bit of chopped spring onions. It was a tasty korma, which both my husband and I enjoyed (my young men don't eat curries).

Korma

Balti is a medium-heat recipe mix. Ingredients include ground coriander seed, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, sugar and salt, black onion seed, ground ginger, ground fenugreek, dried crushed chillies, ground cinnamon, turmeric, coriander leaf, rapeseed oil etc.

Balti

The recipe on the packet asks for oil, onion, chicken, tomato puree and a tin of chopped tomatoes, plus a sweet pepper. The Balti looked very colourful and bright. I found it a bit too spicy (and so did my husband). For those curry lovers who love to breathe fire, that might be not hot enough,  but we are weaklings when it comes to hot spicy food. 

Balti

Biryani is another medium hot curry from the range. This curry is bursting with flavours, and would work with both chicken or lamb. You will need an onion, butter, chicken, tinned chopped tomatoes and frozen peas. The main ingredients in this mix are dried onion, salt, ground coriander seed, ground cumin, brown mustard seed, ginger, dried garlic, ground fennel seed, bay leaves, turmeric, black pepper, dried crushed chillies, cinnamon and more.
From these three lovely curries Korma was our favourite, but all of them taste authentic. And if you make your own Indian "takeaway", it will definitely be less expensive, plus you will know what goes in your curry.

Biryani

All of these spice mix flavours contain no hydrogenated fat, artificial colours or flavourings, added preservatives or MSG.

Disclosure: I received a selection of Schwartz products for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.

Machli ka salan (and a new #ReadCookEat)

"I made my contented way home... But somewhere down the middle of the sloping lane of Rue Mouffetard, I stopped in my tracks. I was not quite sure at first, not quite trusting my senses. I again sniffed the moist midnight air. Could it be? But there it was, the unmistakable aroma of my youth, joyously coming down a cobblestone side passage to greet me, the smell of machli ka salan, the fish curry of home, from so long ago" (The Hundred Foot Journey, Richard C.Morais)

I bought The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C.Morais long before it was adapted to a feature film. The story follows Hassan Haji from his grandparents' modest restaurant in Mumbai to the highest echelons of French haute cuisine. The book narrative is bursting with colours and flavours.
His family is boisterous and overbearing, the kind that would suffocate you with love and affection, and feed you until you burst. They find their home in the most unlikely of locations, a small village Lumiere in the French Alps. And that's where the complete transformation begins. Hassan becomes apprenticed to Madame Mallory, an illustrious chef who sacrificed everything in her life to achieve those elusive Michelin stars. From there on, all the roads are open to Hassam...
I expected to like this book more than I did. I love the mix of food and fiction, but there was too much carnage in this book, which made me quesy, and I'm not even a vegetarian. What Hassam found fascinating, was way too grisly. I couldn't relate to all the gourmand food descriptions.
I found it truly fascinating, but it also left me quite antagonised. I realised that I don't like convoluted cooking. All that perfection for feeding a few with a deep pocket. I am not a gourmet enough to appreciate the intricacies of cooking a Siberian ptarmigan, with the moss extracted from his stomach being added to the final dish.

The book is full of food descriptions and references, you would have thought a paradise for a foodie linky like ReadCookEat, yet almost none of the foods mentioned appealed to me.
In one of the final scenes the hero travels in the early hours, when the pungent smell of an Indian dish machli ka salan takes him back to his childhood.
I was curious to find our the recipe. Having searched online, I came across a lovely recipe for Machli ka salan on Mayaz's Food Recipes blog. I have slightly adapted the recipe to suit the ingredients I had and also the quantities.

Machli Ka Salan (Fish curry)
Ingredients:
700g+ haddock
60ml olive oil
2tsp mustard seeds
1 onion, chopped finely
450g plain yogurt
2tbsp smooth peanut butter, heaped
3tbsp coconut milk powder (I used Maggi)
1tsp ground cardamom
3tsp ginger and garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric, ground
1/2tsp chilli paste
30g tamarind paste
2tsp curry powder (or more)
1tsp zeera or cumin, ground
water

Add the oil to the deep frying pan and once it is very hot, add the mustard seeds and chopped onion, cook stirring for a few minutes. Mayaz cooks her cardamoms at the same time, but as I didn't have whole cardamoms, I added some ground cardamom to the yogurt curry paste later. Add the pieces of haddock and fry on both sides until slightly golden.
In the meantime mix together yogurt with the peanut butter, coconut milk powder, ground cardamom, ginger and garlic paste, turmeric, chilli, tamarind, curry powder and cumin. Pour over the fish, cover the pan with the lid and cook for 20+ minutes. Keep adding some water, a bit at a time, so that your curry sauce has not gone all too thick.

Serve with rice, either pure basmati or basmati and quinoa mix. Garnish with a bit of chopped fresh coriander or parsley. It was a lovely fragrant curry. It didn't have the same glorious yellow colour like Mayaz cooked, but then I didn't have whole cardamoms. I would love to make it again, following the original recipe more closely.

I bought both the ginger and garlic paste and tamarind paste from Tesco, but I think all the major supermarkets would have their own versions.

I haven't done the link for the last two months, as I'm afraid life took over. This doesn't mean I gave up on the idea. In fact in the last months I have read so many books with food descriptions that I could cook up a whole encyclopedia.

Have you read a book recently which inspired you to run to the kitchen and cook to your heart's content?

Chris from Cooking Round the World and I are inviting you to recreate a meal, inspired by books and join in our #ReadCookEat challenge.

The idea is to choose a book, either a world classic or modern fiction, or even memoirs and pick up a dish mentioned or described in that book and then recreate it in a recipe. Please say a few lines about your chosen book, and maybe even do a quote from the book.

If you decide to take part, please add the badge to your post and link up back to Chris and me, and either use a link-up tool or add the url of your post as a comment. Alternatively, email me with the link to your post (my email is sasha1703 at yahoo dot com).

I promise to Pin all blogs posts taking part in this challenge, as well as RT and Google+

An InLinkz Link-up

Purple sprouting broccoli salad with eggs and garam masala

I am forever cutting out the recipes from the weekend magazines like The Guardian Weekend and The Observer, with a good intention of going through them one day, they are cluttering the kitchen shelves and actually could be found anywhere in the house. One of the vegetarian recipes that caught my eye was from a tiny booklet written by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall "Three good things on a plate": eggs, purple sprouting broccoli and garam masala. As much as I love Hugh, this dish seemed a tiny bit boring, and I love adding crunchy bits to my salads, so that's exactly what I did, added some sourdough bread croutons and lots of seeds.

Purple sprouting broccoli salad with eggs and garam masala (for 2)
Ingredients:
2 eggs
250g purple sprouting broccoli
1tbsp olive oil (+ more for the bread croutons)
1 garlic clove
2 tsp garam masala
a handful of seeds (sunflower, pumpkin and pine nuts), toasted
2 big slices of sourdough bread

Toast the seeds and pine nuts, and make the sourdough bread croutons (in the oven on a tray, slightly sprayed with the olive oil, I used the Filippo Berio olive oil spray).
Cook the eggs the way you like (Hugh suggests cooking the soft boiled eggs, but there is no way my guys would even touch it, so hard boiled for us).
Steam the broccoli until just tender for about 2-5 minutes.
In the frying pan fry the chopped garlic clove with the garam masala for about 2 minutes, put the broccoli in and mix well.
Place the broccoli on a plate, add the egg sliced in half and pour some of the olive oil with garam masala on the eggs. Season well, add the croutons and seeds.

This salad makes a light lunch or dinner.