As I gear up to post a brand new recipe this weekend, I’d just like to share an amazing opportunity with you. You can get your very own recipe published in a book!

If you have a baking recipe you’d like to see alongside the likes of Ina Garten, Nigella Lawson and Delia Smith, you need to submit it today.

It’s also worth noting that the book is in aid of The Ben Kinsella Trust, a charity working to raise awareness of knife crime and fighting to eradicate it and its devastating consequences. My lovely readers, this is truly your chance to shine and also show your support for a great cause.

A couple of years ago I had my recipe for Melt in the Mouth Paneer Kofta published in the Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook; it was an incredible feeling and also great motivation for my career in food writing. Seeing your little work of art in print alongside great food writers is such a privilege and also pretty damn exciting. Plus, you get bragging rights which is always a great ego booster.

So if you’ve always wanted to experience what it feels like to have your fifteen minutes of fame, here’s your chance.

Enter now

If you need a bit of inspiration, take a look at my five tips for writing a great recipe.

Good luck – I look forward to seeing your name in print!

There’s nothing more comforting than meltingly-soft potatoes enveloped in creamy, spicy-sweet sauce – even when it’s dinner for one at the Modha residence.

Nobody likes cooking for one, do they? For me, it’s a tedious task knowing I’m the only one who will get to sample my efforts. I’m a feeder – I come from a long line of feeders who taught one another to feed others until they could eat no more. Like my mum, I’ll make dinner by the bucket load regardless of whether I’m feeding one mouth or ten. It’s most definitely in our blood.

I understand this is the case for lots of Indian girls who are told from a young age that finding the perfect husband involves filling his belly with spicy food, carbs and sugar. Either it’s the way to a heart or the way to heart problems – I forget which one.

That’s not to say I started cooking to find a fella. Hell, I started cooking because I was an eight-year old chubster with a penchant for pasta. It just so happened that the future Mr K.O (yes, I got engaged!) loves eating as much as I do. In fact, Kashmiri Dum Aloo was one of the first dishes we shared together in my favourite Indian restaurant. And anyone who knows how to feed me, the Feeder, is a keeper.

Enough about me, more about the food

This dish should be slow-cooked with a lid on. An old school trick to stop any steam escaping is to seal the lid with a ring of wheat flour dough. This type of cooking is known as dum cooking. Dum simply means ‘warm breath’ to connote the steam inside the pot. Once cooked, the dough seal is broken and the beautiful aromas are released – of course, the bread is eaten along with the curry. However, if you don’t fancy doing that, you can use a cartouche to lock in any moisture. A cartouche is just a round lid made of greaseproof paper that’s placed directly on top of the food in the pot to slow down the reduction of moisture in cooking.

The balance of spices in this dish will depend on your taste and varies from recipe to recipe. My version mainly uses dried red Kashmiri chillies, ground fennel seeds, ground ginger and green and black cardamom. This deep combination of spices is balanced by the use of tomato purée and either single cream or yoghurt. Don’t hold back on seasoning this with plenty of salt and sugar – they truly bring the spices to life.

Kashmiri Dum Aloo

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

450g new potatoes (I used Jersey Royals), leave the skin on
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp concentrated tomato purée
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
270ml water
1 tbsp grated ginger
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
3 tsp sugar
3 tsp salt
300ml single cream or whisked plain yoghurt
2 tsp honey

Oil to deep fry the potatoes

For the spices:

½ tsp green cardamom seeds, ground
2 tsp fennel seeds, ground, plus 1 extra tsp for adding at the end
4 dried red Kashmiri chillies, ground (don’t bother soaking them)
½ tsp black cardamom seeds, ground
½ tsp cumin seeds, ground
1 tsp coriander seeds, ground
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon

Chopped coriander, ground fennel and Kashmiri chilli flakes to garnish

Method

1. Wash and soak the potatoes in cold, salted water for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

2. Heat enough oil to deep fry the potatoes in a large wok to around 180°C. Fry the potatoes until golden all over. Don’t worry about cooking them all the way through at this point. Drain on a piece of kitchen paper and set aside.

3. In a large casserole dish, Dutch oven or pan with a tight-fitting lid, gently heat 1 tbsp oil. Add all of the ground spices, concentrated tomato purée, fresh ginger and garlic. Cook on a medium/low heat for around 5 minutes, stirring all the time. If you find it’s sticking, add a little hot water and continue to cook until the water has evaporated away and the spices are aromatic.

4. Add the tin of chopped tomatoes, 270ml hot water, salt and sugar. Stir. Add the potatoes and mix again.

5. Make a cartouche or cut a round of greaseproof paper to the size of the inside of your pan. Sit it directly on top of the curry and put a lid on top of the pan.

6. Turn the heat down to the lowest it can go and cook for at least 30 minutes or until the potatoes are meltingly tender.

7. Once the potatoes are cooked, remove the lid and cartouche. Turn the heat off and allow the curry to cool for 10 minutes. Add the honey and cream or yoghurt, stirring quickly and all the time until it’s fully combined. Stir in the extra 1 tsp ground fennel seeds.

8. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander, ground fennel and Kashmiri chilli flakes.

I like to serve this with Saffron Golden Sella Basmati Rice (I’ll post a recipe soon!) and either Peshwari Naan or chapattis.

This is great if you’re planning on satisfying and impressing lots of hungry tummies, or in need of comfort when cooking for one (scoff any leftovers the next day).

Before I go further, I’d like to stress that I’m not a professional photographer, nor have I had any formal training in photography (I did go on a lovely day-long workshop two weeks ago) but the fact of the matter is, I’ve still got a lot to learn. But what I do have is a huge passion for great-looking, great-tasting food. Most people with similar experiences and passion to myself started out (like me) with an ambition to make humble homecooked dishes look delicious enough to convince their readers, friends and family to have a go at cooking them aswell. Sound familiar? I know that’s exactly what most of my blogger friends and blog readers try to achieve – and they do a bloody great job of it.

The main body of the article is on the Food Network UK website and as ever, I’d be incomplete if I didn’t share the food love with my wonderful K.O Rasoi buddies. I want it to be a resource for food photography beginners, bloggers and anyone who just so happens to enjoy taking a snap of their dinner before they dig in. I wanted to write something I’d have wanted to have read when I first started photographing and blogging about food. All in all, I hope it’s a simple, jargon-less read with achievable results every time.

If you do have any questions, please leave a comment and I’ll do my best to answer as fully as possible.

Here are my 7 steps to the sexiest food photography – every time:

1. Make sure the food looks gorgeous

Ever felt the desperate urge to quickly snap an image at the moment a dish appears in front of you; perky frosting atop a cupcake, trickling sauce almost kissing a plate? Me, too.

Sometimes it’s completely natural – either you’re in a restaurant where the food looks impeccable, or your hearty home-cooked stew just happens to look irresistible.

Other times, you might have to fake it – I’m not referring to myths about cotton wool ice cream and acrylic ice cubes. Keep it as natural as possible and let the beautifully-plated dish be the star.

However, if it just so happens to be the case that a pair of tweezers or a paintbrush is just the thing you need, I won’t tell anyone. After all, a little meticulousness never hurt anyone.

Here are a few basic food styling tips to bear in mind:

Read more >>

There are some ingredients in Indian cooking which attract gasps and sighs whenever they’re mentioned. Take ghee for example; no, it’s not good for you – but is a tablespoon of ghee in a curry for four really much worse than a dollop of butter on a jacket potato for lunch, or pouring cream over a freshly-baked crumble for dessert?

Taboo ingredients like ghee receive bad press even in Indian households, and with good reason. Although I do have one rule: both biryani and paratha are not complete without ghee. Just don’t eat them every day.

Gettin’ jaggery with it

Jaggery (gor/unrefined cane sugar) is another one of these ingredients. Just like putting too many sugars in your tea, using jaggery in everyday cooking isn’t advisable. However when those hunger pangs hit, the deep, caramel flavour of this sugar is just.so.satisfying and an exciting treat once in a while.

If you can’t find jaggery in the shops, you can substitute it with palm sugar or dark brown sugar. However, if possible, try to bag yourself a block of jaggery – it lasts for ages when wrapped up tightly in cling film.

Have I justified my use of jaggery in this recipe by making a salad dressing out of it? I’m going to say yes, and so will you once you’ve tried this combination of flavours for yourself.

Let me describe it to you. Ribbons of slightly sweet, slightly sour mango and crunchy yellow courgette, a scattering of red onions, fresh coriander and red chillies make up the body of the salad. Next comes the warm sweet and sour jaggery-lime dressing, spiked with black kalonji seeds for a deep, peppery flavour. Toss it all together for a crisp, juicy salad with an Indian twist.

Mango and Courgette Salad with Jaggery-Lime Dressing
Serves 2 as a side

Ingredients:

1 green mango, peeled
1 large yellow courgette
½ red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
1 red chilli or 1/2 scotch bonnet, chopped

For the jaggery dressing:

80g jaggery, grated
Juice of 1 lime
½ tsp kalonji seeds (nigella)
Pinch sea salt

Method:

1. Using a vegetable peeler, shave ribbons from both the mango and the courgette. Add the finely chopped onion, fresh coriander and chilli. Toss together.

2. In a small saucepan, lightly toast the kalonji seeds until aromatic. Next, add the grated jaggery, lime juice and salt. Whisk with a fork until smooth and heated through. Allow to cool slightly.

3. Dress the salad just before serving.

Serve with Tandoori Paneer Kebabs and naan. Even if you’re not vegetarian, I promise this will make a unique and exciting side to other barbecued/grilled main dishes.

Stuffing baby vegetables with spicy, nutty masala can be a beautiful thing. It’s nothing new, Gujaratis have been popping a tray of them onto their dinner party tables for years. Stuffed vegetables are, and always have been the ultimate show-off dish – the more extensive the variety of veggies you manage to wangle into the dish, the more fabulous you are.

I remember when I was little it was just aubergines, potatoes and onions in our family kitchen. As I grew, we became more and more adventurous with what we put in; it all began with bananas (my granddad used to add these back in Mombasa), then we added peas to the sauce, stuffed baby courgettes, okra, paneer (you didn’t really think I’d miss that one out did you?) and no matter what it was, it still tasted amazing. Go ahead, be fabulous and experiment with your stuffed veggie curry.

Today I’m downsizing. Not because I can’t be bothered, but because I know these fresh baby aubergines I got from the market (no lie, I actually went to a market) can hold their own against the aromatic masala stuffing.

To tell you the truth I used to hate aubergines. I thought they were slimy and seedy and as a child, I wanted nothing more than to hide them under my brother’s mattress for the time he put Cherry Tunes in my hair whilst I was asleep.

The great aubergine loophole

A couple of years ago I realised that the only reason I didn’t like aubergines was because of the seeds. Then I found out about the great aubergine loophole.

To cut a long story short, like almost every beautiful living thing in the world, aubergines are either male or female. Females, being their wonderful selves, contain lots of bitter eggs to help create more diddy aubergines whilst warding off any predators, which is what makes them less delicious – but not any less beautiful!

To tell the difference between male and female aubergines, take a look at the shape. Usually females are rounder. So next time you’re shopping, keep your eyes peeled for skinnier aubergines, the shinier the better.

With baby aubergines it’s much harder to tell between male and female but take your time and pick carefully – it makes all the difference to your finished dish.

Baby Aubergines Stuffed with Peanut Masala

Ingredients

12-15 baby aubergines

For the peanut stuffing:

110g redskin peanuts (I don’t bother removing the skins)
2 tbsp gram flour, toasted in a non-stick pan until aromatic
1 tbsp ground coriander seeds
1 tbsp ground cumin seeds
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp ginger, grated
½ tsp red chilli powder
Handful fresh coriander, chopped finely
1 tbsp concentrated tomato paste
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp sunflower oil
1/8 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the tomato sauce:

1 tbsp sunflower oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp asafoetida
1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
5-6 curry leaves
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp red chilli powder
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp sugar

Method

1. Combine all of the ingredients for the stuffing except for the oil in a blender. Pulse 5-10 times until roughly ground. Place in a glass bowl.

2. Heat three tablespoons of oil in a small saucepan until hot and shimmering. Slowly and carefully pour the oil onto the peanut mix and combine. Set aside to cool.

3. Trim the tops of the aubergines. I like to leave a little stalk for pretty presentation. Slit the aubergines crosswise from the bottom, almost all the way through – leave the stalk area uncut. Stuff each aubergine with the peanut masala – don’t be afraid to use clean hands to do this; just get right in there. You should have a little bit of the stuffing left over – keep it aside.

4. Place the aubergines in single rows in a microwave and oven-safe dish. Cover the dish with cling film (plastic wrap) and make a hole in the top. Microwave on full power for seven minutes. Remove the cling film and allow to cool.

5. Meanwhile, to make the sauce, heat one tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan. Add the mustard seeds and wait for them to pop. Add the cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, tomatoes and then the rest of the ingredients. Allow to simmer for a few minutes. When bubbling, add the leftover stuffing mix and combine.

6. Pour the sauce over the aubergines and bake in a preheated oven at 190°C for 35 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh coriander.

Serve with crispy paratha and plain yoghurt, or for a Gujarati feast, serve with Gujarati Daal, fluffy rice, chapattis and a glass of Salted Lassi.

Served in paper cones with fried green chillies for that ‘bhajia on the beach’ feel

I’ve always been a sucker for ordering too many starters in restaurants, especially when it involves Crispy Potato Bhajia (paper-thin potato slices coated in a bespoke spice blend), Hara Bara Kebabs (pea and cauliflower cakes) and Daal Kachori (spiced daal in semolina pastry). I’m told my eyes are bigger than my belly and I’ve never been one to argue with legitimate allegations.

Although I love eating out as much as I love home cooking, there’s always one question lingering on my lips as I attempt to make a choice of which restaurant to spend my Friday evening in  – do they serve decent starters?

In all honesty, I think I can judge an Indian restaurant menu by the starters they have to offer. If the vegetarian appetisers are limited to samosas and onion bhajis (to this day, I still don’t understand onion bhajis – what are they and where did they come from?) I know I’m not going to be dazzled by their selection of mains. This is something I’ve learnt from eating out far more than I can afford to.

With other cuisines, I’m rubbish at menu guessing but I’m often just delighted if the vegetarian options stray from tired goat’s cheese salads or baked aubergine mush. In any case, I’m often at my happiest when there are three gorgeous starters I can get stuck into whilst everyone else enjoys their mains.

An Ode to Bhajia

One of my favourite restaurants to do this at is the revered Maru’s Bhajia House in Wembley, London. With its humble green sign and modest dining area, the café is nothing elaborate but with a shining reputation going back decades, I guarantee you’ll never get a better bhajiyu (vegetables, often potatoes, deep fried in a spicy batter). Their signature bhajia have a closely-guarded recipe, brought to the UK from Nairobi by a family who must have loved seeing people’s smiling faces when they dug into a plate of these beauties. For East African Indians, Crispy Bhajia were the cupcake of their time. To some extent, they probably still are.

Many have tried to create the original version in their own homes – whether they were successful or not is probably kept as much a secret as the Maru’s Bhajia House recipe itself.

Here’s my version of the classic. Share this dish with family and friends; I’ve known many a chap risk stinking out entire London buses to get home and share Crispy Potato Bhajiya with their loved ones. Now that’s what I call dedication.

Crispy Potato Bhajia with Hot and Sour Cucumber Chutney

For the bhajia:

400g unpeeled potatoes, sliced thinly (I used a mandolin)
150g chickpea flour
60g rice flour
1/2 tsp cornflour
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
6-8 green chillies (or to taste), pounded into a paste
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
6 heaped tbsp fresh coriander, chopped very finely
½ tsp carom seeds
2 ½ tsp turmeric
1 ½ tsp sugar

Oil to deep fry

For the cucumber chutney:

200g cucumber
200g fresh tomatoes
140g carrot
1 clove garlic
8-10 tbsp fresh coriander
6 green chillies (or to taste)
Juice of two lemons
200ml water
1 ½ tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt

Method

1. Place the sliced potatoes in a bowl of iced water.

2. Mix all of the other ingredients for the bhajia. A blend of different flours will give the bhajia a beautifully crisp finish.

3. Drain the potatoes but do not dry them. Immediately toss the potatoes in the flour mixture. The mixture should stick to the potatoes. If it seems dry, add just enough cold water to make the flour coat the potato slices. Allow to stand whilst you make the chutney.

4. Blend together all of the ingredients for the chutney until coarsely puréed. Place into serving bowls.

5. In a large wok, heat the oil to around 190°C and slowly place 1/3 of the potato slices into the pan. Allow to become golden all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Serve alongside the chutney immediately for optimal crunch. I like to serve my bhajia in paper cones for that ‘bhajia on the beach’ feel but maybe I’m just being finicky. Sprinkle with rock salt and chilli flakes if your guests are that way inclined.  

Velvety, bitter chocolate cream cheese sits on top of a crisp base of almonds and ground ginger biscuits. Top with nuggets of crunchy almond and fennel seed-studded praline and drizzle with luxurious homemade caramel sauce. 

Have we died and gone to cheesecake heaven? Maybe.

The fact of the matter is, once you’ve tasted chocolate and fennel seeds together, you’ll never look back.

My love affair with the delicious duo all started as a curious fourteen year old when my family were dreaming up desserts to take to our temple for Diwali. My mum made chocolate cupcakes topped with chocolate and fennel ganache and that was all it took; I’d found my first love.

Ever since that sweet little Diwali, I’ve been stuck in a little bubble experimenting with chocolate and fennel desserts. This is my most delicious creation so far. Are you ready?

My original baked cheesecake recipe is adapted from Kurma Dasa’s Great Vegetarian Dishes. This book helped inspire my love for cooking and I doubt my passion would have grown the way it did without it. In this version I’ve strayed significantly from the recipe in the book, but the basis remains the same.

If you’re throwing a dinner party, celebrating a special occasion or just feeling a little bit indulgent, this cheesecake is the perfect way to show off. With its balance of truffle-like, aromatic and sweet flavours and smooth and crunchy textures, one slice just isn’t enough.

Spoil yourself.

Eggless Dark Chocolate Truffle and Fennel Seed Cheesecake with Almond Fennel Seed Pralines and Caramel Sauce
(Serves 12)

Ingredients

For the almond biscuit base:

300g ginger biscuits, ground finely
125g melted butter
100g ground almonds

For the dark chocolate truffle and fennel seed filling:

1kg cream cheese
510ml double cream
375g sugar
135g cocoa powder
85ml lemon juice
1 tbsp cornflour
2 tsp ground fennel seeds

For the almond fennel seed praline:

260g sugar
60ml water
80g skinless almonds, roughly chopped
1 tsp whole fennel seeds

For the caramel sauce:

350g sugar
100ml water
240ml cream, warmed
40g salted butter

Method

1. For the almond biscuit base: combine the biscuits, almonds and melted butter. Press firmly into the bottom of a greased 12-inch springform tin. Dust the sides with ground almonds if you have any left over. Refrigerate whilst you get on with the filling.

2. For the dark chocolate truffle and fennel seed filling: in a large bowl, beat together all of the ingredients until it has thickened. Do not overmix.

3. Pour the mix on top of the chilled biscuit base and smooth the top with a wet spoon.

4. Place the cheesecake in a preheated oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 1 ¼ hours or until firm and golden. If you find that the top of the cheesecake is going too brown, cover with foil and continue to bake.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Refrigerate for 8-10 hours.

6. For the almond fennel seed praline: combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook until copper coloured. Add the almonds and fennel seeds stir through. Quickly pour onto a greased baking sheet on top of a baking tray. Spread out and allow to harden at room temperature. Once completely cooled, break up into small pieces using a toffee hammer, pestle or rolling pin.

7. For the caramel sauce: heat together the sugar and water in a large. Bring to the boil and cook until copper coloured. Turn the heat off. Quickly and carefully pour in the hot cream, whisking all the time. This will bubble and spit (which is why a large pan is necessary) so be very careful. Whisk in the butter. For an extra glossy sauce, finish with a few whizzes from a hand-held blender. Pour into a sterilised jar or cream pourer.

8. Make some holes in the cooled cheesecake with a bamboo skewer and pour 6 tablespoons of caramel sauce on top. Leave to soak in for 30 minutes. Scatter over the crushed pralines. Cut and serve drizzled with caramel sauce.

Love cheesecake? Check out these other delicious versions:

Eggless Saffron & Lemon Srikhand Cheesecake
Eggless Blueberry and White Chocolate Baked Cheesecake
Eggless Cardamom and Chocolate Cheesecake

It’s the simple pleasures in life I’ve always appreciated the most; chapattis with mango pickle, paratha dipped in raita and from time to time, maybe peanut butter and banana sandwiches (let’s keep that one between us).

From sitting on a Mombasa beach nibbling on maize, smothered with lemon and red chilli powder, to scoffing cassava fries doused in citrus hot sauce in university halls, these flavours are an integral part of my food memories.

I think it reason this combination works so well is because the chilli heat is mellowed out with the sharp acidity of fragrant lemon. Indeed, it’s not only Indian and East African dishes which take full advantage of this mouth-watering duo – just think about your favourite Mexican salsas and Thai salads made with the native lime.

I never remove seeds or membrane from fresh chillies – I don’t see the point. However, if you prefer to remove them for a mild flavour then remember to adjust your use of lemon accordingly. A general rule of thumb is that the hotter the chilli, the more the lemon will be able to stand up to it. If your chillies are milder, add less lemon to ensure its flavour doesn’t become overpowering. If, by chance it does, a pinch of sugar should help.

For a speedy side or snack, this sautéed cauliflower tossed with fresh green chillies, mustard seeds, turmeric and lemon juice is the perfect dish. Serve it alone, in a lunchtime wrap with falafel and yogurt, or as part of a larger meal with your favourite curries and Indian breads.

Tip: in most dishes, a pinch of sugar and salt balance the chilli and lemon combination perfectly.

Chilli and Lemon Cauliflower
(Serves 2-4)

Ingredients

500g cauliflower, broken into bite-sized florets and boiled until al dente
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp asafoetida
½ tsp turmeric
3 green chillies, sliced finely (or to taste)
Juice of ½ lemon
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp salt or to taste

Method

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds have popped, add the asafoetida, turmeric, chillies, sugar and salt.

2. Quickly add in the parboiled cauliflower and sauté on a high heat for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Keep them moving to avoid the spices from burning.

3. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and garnish with chopped coriander.

I stuffed myself with Palak Paneer last night. I feel terrible about it and actually had a bit of trouble sleeping. I think it’s time to give that beautiful cheese a break (at least for a little while, anyway).

On The Rebound

What’s a girl to do when she’s decided to cut the one true love out of her life?

Then it dawned on me; I’m going to replace paneer with something similar, something I won’t feel as guilty about. Hi tofu, remember me? We used to have a healthy relationship before I lost all my inhibitions to full-fat Indian cottage cheese.

Simple Infusions

If you ever asked me what my favourite spice was, I think I’d probably cry. There are so many to choose from and limitless possibilities in terms of creating breathtaking new flavours.

Cardamom is one of those spices that’s never really at the forefront of a curry. Well let me tell you something, it really should be given the chance. A combination of both green and black cardamoms impart musky flavours that are so characteristic of the spice, to a simple curry. They are the shining stars of this dish.

Somewhat unconventionally, I adopted the western method of infusing single cream with the spices to get out of them, the most subtle flavours possible. I then strained the lightly crushed spices out of the cream with a tea strainer, leaving behind a perfectly smooth cardamom-scented cream to add to my luxurious tomato sauce.

Balance

Everyone knows tofu can’t be classed as real food unless it’s drowned in something mouth-wateringly flavourful (sorry, it’s true). In this curry, intense black cardamoms impart a smoky base flavour to hold up the fragrant menthol notes of the more liberally used green cardamoms. Equilibrium. Is. Everything.

I thought about adding vegetables to this but why ruin a perfectly balanced dish with something that would only be there for the sake of it. Forget it; all this mild, creamy, tangy tofu curry needs is the crunch of finely sliced, sweet spring onions to bring it to life.

You won’t even miss the paneer.

Cardamom Tofu Curry

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

600g firm tofu, pressed to remove water and deep fried until golden
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 small onion, chopped very finely
1 clove garlic, minced
2 green chillies, chopped finely
1-inch piece ginger, minced
4 tbsp concentrated tomato paste
250ml water
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp sugar
2 spring onions, trimmed and sliced finely at an angle
4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

For the cream infusion:

300ml single cream
9 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
2 black cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 dried red Kashmiri chilli, lightly crushed

Method

1. For the cream infusion, pour the single cream into a small saucepan and add the lightly crushed green and black cardamom pods and Kashmiri chilli. Gently bring the mixture to the boil and then remove from the heat. Allow to cool completely and then pass through a tea strainer to remove the cardamoms and chilli. Set the infused cream aside.
 

2. Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan and add the onions, chilli, garlic and ginger. Sauté until aromatic, about five minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for a further 4 minutes, stirring all the time. Pour in 250ml hot water, garam masala, salt and sugar and stir through. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook on a medium heat for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
 

3. Remove the lid from the pan and quickly whisk in the infused cream mixture, ensuring it does not separate. Add the tofu, spring onions and chopped coriander. Stir for a final time and serve hot with pilau rice and naan.

The prospect of an Indian breakfast is sometimes just the kick I need to pull myself from my cosy bed. This usually only ever takes place on weekends or during time-off from the day job, so it’s always a welcome treat.

Along with a spicy breakfast, there’s nothing more satisfying than using up leftovers. This recipe for Dudhi Na Muthyia hits both of those spots. They’re made using grated bottlegourd (doodhi/lauki), cold leftover rice, chickpea flour and a medley of subtle spices. The dumplings are then formed into log-shapes and gently steamed to lock in plenty of flavour and moisture. Once cooled, the cooked muthiya are quickly sautéed with sesame seeds and curry leaves to add that final dimension of flavour and a gorgeously crisp, golden texture.

So many people prefer them straight from the steamer without sautéing them first – perhaps a consequence of impatience more than anything else. I have been known to finish them off before I actually finish off the recipe, not that I should actually be admitting to this.

I add coarse semolina to these steamed dumplings as it gives them a softer texture in the middle and once they’re sautéed, a better crisp on the outside.

Don’t have bottlegourd? Muthiya taste just as good when they’re made with courgettes, cabbage, carrots or even fenugreek. Use your imagination and don’t be afraid to play with your food.

My favourite way of enjoying muthiya is with a steaming cuppa sweet masala chai and absolutely nothing else.

Dudhi Na Muthiya
Serves 4-6

 For the dumplings:

1 bottlegourd, grated (about 400g)
260g chickpea flour
1 ½ tbsp coarse semolina
400g cold cooked rice or khichdi
140g plain flour
4 green chillies, minced (or to taste)
2 ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp turmeric
90ml oil, plus more for greasing
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 ½ tsp sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

To temper:

2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp sesame seeds
6-8 curry leaves
¼ tsp asafoetida
1 tbsp chopped coriander to garnish

Method

1. In a large, deep pan (one that comes with a steaming basket), boil 1-2L water. Grease the basket with 1 tbsp oil and pop it into the pan so it suspends above the water but doesn’t touch it.

2. Take a large mixing bowl and combine all of the ingredients for the dumplings. Do not add water as the bottlegourd will release plenty as you mix. Keep going, gently squeezing the mixture until you get a batter.

3. One by one, roll into seven logs and place them into the steaming basket. You may need to do them in two batches if your steamer is small. Place a lid on and simmer on a medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer poked into the middle of one comes out clean. Remove the basket from the steamer and allow to cool completely.

4. Remove the logs from the steaming basket and cut each log into 2cm pieces. Set aside.

5. To temper the spices and sauté the muthia: in a large non-stick pan, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. Wait for them to pop, then add the sesame seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida. Add the dumplings and sauté on a high heat for 5 minutes or so, turning every so often – make sure you don’t break them when turning. When golden, remove from the heat and garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot. Note: Dudhi Na Muthiya can be kept in the fridge for up to three days, but I doubt these will last that long.