Dukkah

Dukkah, what can I say, one of my favourite ingredients for so many things!

On its own with bread and olive oil, as a crust for chicken and fish, spooned over salads, sprinkled over rice, popped into soups, sprinkled over a mashed avocado, added to an egg for breakfast and even sprinkled over the top of barbecued meat.

This is a totally non traditional recipe, no hazelnuts and no roasting of spices but it works for us and keeps in a jar for a couple of weeks so this is the minimum quantity that I make.

Ingredients

60g macadamia nuts

50g pistachio nuts

4 teaspoons sesame seeds

3 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

a pinch of ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons nigella seeds

a really good grinding of fresh ly ground pepper

salt to taste

Method

In a frying pan, toast the nuts until just beginning to colour. Tip onto a plate to cool.

In a large mortar and pestle, crush the nuts so that it’s mostly powdery with a few bigger pieces, don’t over do it or it will be oily and stick.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Taste and add a little more salt if needed.

Store in an airtight container.

Pumpkin And Garam Masala Soup

Comfort food in a bowl.

I was given some wonderful Mauritian garam masala by my lovely neighbours and this is a great way to let it shine.

As with most of my soups, I like to make a big batch and freeze half for another day.

Served with some naan or parathas this fills the boys up!

Serves 12.

Ingredients

30-45mls olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

1kg pumpkin, peeled and roughly chopped

400g carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons garam masala

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 litres vegetable or chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon nigella seeds to finish or freshly ground pepper

Method

In a large soup pan or stock pot, heat the oil.

Add the onion, garlic and carrots and cook gently until the onion is soft.

Add the garam masala, cumin, coriander, chilli and turmeric and stir through, cook until fragrant.

Add the pumpkin and stock and bring up to a gentle simmer.

Simmer, covered for 30minutes until all of the vegetables are soft.

Remove from the heat and liquidise, I use a stick blender.

Check for seasoning.

Reheat gently to serve, spoon into bowls and sprinkle over some nigella seeds of freshly ground pepper.

Roasted Moong Dal

I love dal/dhal.

This is one of the easiest dals to make and packs a real flavour hit. I tend to make this dal in the morning to let the flavour develop through the day, leftovers are fantastic the next day, I often have them for breakfast, and I also freeze some with cooked rice for quick and easy meals in the future.

For the vegetarian or dairy free options use coconut oil or a vegetable based oil.

Ingredients

360g moong dhal/dal

1.5l water

2 pinches saffron

1 tablespoon salt

75g ghee or coconut oil

2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds

2 teaspoons nigella / koolanji seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes, crushed chilli

Method

In a large heavy based pan, warm the dry dal over a medium heat until slightly browning and smelling nutty.

Pour the dal into a sieve and wash under running water.

Return the dal to the pan with the water and saffron.

Bring up to the boil and cook over medium to low heat for 40mins, skimming off the foam as it rises to the surface and stirring regularly. Towards the end it will want to burn to the bottom of your pan!

Once the dal is cooked, take a small frying pan, over high heat, heat the ghee, until very hot, add the spices, as soon as the mustard starts popping, turn off and add to the dal, it will spit as the ghee hits the dal! Stir well in and set aside.

Reheat gently to serve.

Indian Inspired Cauliflower

For ages the boys would only eat cauliflower in the form acauliflower cheese and to be honest some days I cannot be bothered making three stage recipes, lazy, I know!

This recipe came about after trying the Moroccan Cauliflower Salad in the fantastic cook book, “The Feast Goes On” by The  Monday Morning Cooking Club.

The boys loved it so it was time to experiment!

We eat a lot of Indian inspired food so this is my version of what is a delicious vegetarian dish, tonnes of flavour and served with dhal and rice a filling and gluten free dinner.

Ingredients

1 cauliflower head

2 cloves garlic, grated

2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger

4 tablespoons oil

3 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon Kashmiri ground chilli

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

3 teaspoons nigella, (koolanji), seeds

salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 180degrees Centigrade.

Remove the leaves from the cauliflower and discard, or feed to the chooks if you have some!

Cut the cauliflower in half and break into small forets.

Place  half the florets in a roasting tin.

Place the stalks in the food processor and process until they resemble couscous, pour into the roasting tin.

Process the remaining florets, add to the the roasting tin.

In  a frying pan, warm the oil and add the ginger and garlic, cook for 1 minute without browning.

Pour oil with ginger and garlic onto the cauliflower mix.

Add all of the dried  ingredients, mix very well.

Roast for 35-45 mins until golden brown. Stir half way through for even colouring and cooking.

Delicious served with rice and dhal.