Moringa Leaf and Drumstick Soup

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I have just returned from the most relaxing trip to north Kerala, staying at Neeleshwar Hermitage, a stunning Ayurvedic 18 cottage hotel sitting on the shores of the Arabian sea. It was so peaceful, with huge pool overlooking a beach that stretches as far as the eye can see, with only the occasional local going for a stroll. It was without doubt the perfect place to unwind after the very busy months I have had since ‘Seven Kitchens: A Journey Through India’s Culinary Heritage’ came out in November.

We got to spent some time with the friendly locals, as well as joining in with the new year Malayalam ceremonies that happened to fall over our stay. Lighting 100,000 candles as part of the Lakshadeepam ceremony, was truly mesmerising and an experience we will never forget.

We spent an afternoon on the hotel’s stunning houseboat ‘The Lotus’ where were slowly cruised along the backwaters – slightly wider than the narrower backwaters in the south. We watched life play out in front of us as we sailed by and ate a delicious tea prepared by the onboard chef. You can stay on the boat for up to a couple of nights too, but this time we opted for an afternoon cruise instead.

One afternoon I spent some time with Head Chef Deepu going through recipes that I wanted to cook with him. One was a delicious, tasty and super healthy soup made with moringa leaves and drumstick pods, which are from the same tree. Back in the UK I already make dishes with both the leaves and the pods, but I had a soup one evening that was so tasty and light that I wanted to make it as part of my cooking afternoon with Chef Deepu.

Now for those who have either of my cookbooks ‘Chilli & Mint: Indian Home Cooking from a British Kitchen‘ or ‘Seven Kitchens: A Journey Through India’s Culinary Heritage‘ (thank you if you do ;o – Please leave a review on Amazon – it really helps others to hear about the books!) you will notice that I have purposely not used vegetables that are not easily found in the UK. So my recipes include vegetables with courgette, beetroot, white cabbage, potato, aubergine, for example, that are easy to find, instead of karela (bitter melon), turiya (ridge gourd), banana stem and flower, bottle gourd etc which need a little bit of time to seek out and are likely not available everywhere.

The moringa leaf and drumstick from the Moringa oleifera tree, most commonly called the Miracle Tree or Tree of Life, are not available in the supermarkets in the UK, BUT are available at many Indian/Asian grocers. If you live in South West London, both ‘Sharon Fruit and Veg’ on 311-313 Mitcham Rd and Bhavins 193-197 Upper Tooting Rd both sell them, as well as many of the Sri Lankan grocers opposite Sainsbury’s near Tooting Broadway. So this recipe is for those who want to try something new and delicious, which does require a bit of ingredient seeking out. You have probably all heard of moringa, as it is a superfood and can be found in tablet/capsule form at a number of the health food shops. It is immunity boosting and nutrient-dense and packed with iron, calcium, potassium, and essential amino acids.

The long slender pods, known as drumstick, are also a nutrient dense vegetable, rich in vitamins A and C, calcium, as well as fibre. Commonly used in South Indian sambar, avail, curries, and stir-fries, the pods have a fibrous exterior and soft interior similar to softened celery. If you have had drumstick in sambar, for example you chew the drumstick to extract the softened centre and then you are left with the fibrous part, which you leave to one side.

This soup is so light and refreshing. I personally love the taste of both the pulp of the drumstick and the moringa leaf. Next time you see them when you visit an Indian/Asian grocers do pick some up and give this a go.

Let me know if you would like me to show you a few more of the recipes I learnt whilst I was out there.

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Moringa Leaf and Drumstick Soup

Keralan moringa leaf and drumstick soup – light, refreshing and packed full of goodnesss
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients Method Video

Ingredients
  

  • 2-3 drumsticks, cut in half
  • 100 g butternut squash or pumpkin, peeled and cubed
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds I did not add these in the video
  • 3 banana shallots, thinly sliced
  • 10 fresh curry leaves
  • 1-2 fresh green chillies, slit
  • 1 tsp ginger, grated or finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • 900 ml water or vegetable stock use the water that you boiled the drumstick and squash
  • 3 tbsp coconut milk
  • 4 tbsp fresh moringa leaves, stems removed
  • 2 tbsp spinach, chopped
  • 1/2 lemon or lime, juice only
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt, to taste

Method
 

  1. Bring a pan of water to the boil and then add the drumstick, which you have broken into thirds and the peeled and cubed butternut squash or pumpkin. Leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the squash is soft when pierced with a knife.
  2. Whilst the squash and drumstick are softening, prepare your shallots, garlic and ginger.
  3. Once the squash is soft, remove and place in a blitzer and blitz until smooth.
  4. Using a sharp knife slice the drumstick down the centre and scrap out the pulp. Discard the fibrous outer part.
  5. Heat a medium sized pan on a medium heat and add the coconut oil. Add the cumin seeds, followed by the shallots, finely chopped garlic, ginger, sliced chillies and curry leaves. Stir intermittently until golden, this will take around 5 minutes.
  6. Stir in the drumstick pulp, butternut squash puree, ground turmeric, black pepper and salt followed by the water or vegetable stock. Simmer and then and then add the moringa leaves and spinach.
  7. Add the coconut milk and simmer for a few more minutes. Check the seasoning and then serve with a squeeze of lemon or lime.

Video

My Go-To Breakfast Choice…..at the moment

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I definitely gravitate towards a savoury breakfast pre or post my cold water swim and sauna. As a side note, I am so pleased that the sauna revolution is growing from strength to strength the length and breadth of the UK. It is so good for you and with a cold water plunge or swim is a mood uplifter. Even in the dreary rainy days it is transformational. Trust me – give it go.

Anyway back to savoury breakfasts…..It was only during my first pregnancy that I gave pain au chocolate a look in and really craved them most days. Typically though give me masala dosa, dim appam/egg hopper with chutneys or perhaps idli and sambar, Vietnamese pho or eggs in any form with some miso sesame toast (yes that is a thing from the wonderful August Bakery) with marmite on the side.

At the moment, however I am gravitating towards an oat congee type affair. Congee, for the uninitiated, is a popular Asian rice porridge which is broken down to become a smooth-ish, thick-ish, comforting soup. Typically the rice is cooked slowly over an hour or two (1:8 or 1:10 rice/water ratio) when the grains break down and burst and the dish becomes creamy and soft. You can make it with white or brown rice, the latter naturally offering a fibre packed meal. It has all manner of toppings – sometimes chicken, pork or fish is added. In Japan it is known as ‘kayu’, in Korea as ‘jus’, in Myanmar ‘hsan pyoke’, in Indonesia ‘bubur’, Thailand ‘jok’ and in the Philippines it is known as ‘lugaw’.

With the dark winter days, coupled with rains and general gloom we are having in the UK, my version of congee will definitely lift the spirits and put a spring in your step. It uses porridge oats instead of rice and uses no oil or butter and literally takes 7-8 minutes to make – the time it takes to boil an egg.

My favourite sprinkle condiment at the moment is known as ‘Kyoto Kyo-Ra-Yu Furikake’ and I love to sprinkle this over the finished dish. I first had it in Japan when I visited in 2023 and 2024 and I am completely hooked, regularly asking friends to bring it back with them when they visit Japan. I have found it online here in the UK – not cheap, but use it sparingly and you won’t be disappointed. It is crunchy with sesame seeds, chilli, garlic and fried Kujo leeks.

So to the recipe itself. I would love to hear what breakfasts/brunches are getting you through these winter months. Comment below and let me know.

Oat Congee with Fresh Turmeric, Black Pepper, Ginger and Garlic

a couple of handfuls of porridge oats (as much as you want to eat)

1/2 tsp fresh or ground turmeric, skin removed

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp heaped fresh ginger, finely grated

1 tsp garlic, finely grated

1/2 tsp salt, to taste

1 tbsp soy sauce, dark or light

water to cover

3 spring onions, cut in half and sliced lengthways

1 egg

1 tbsp fresh coriander, leaves and stalks, finely chopped

a sprinkling of Kyoto Kyo-Ra-Yu Furikake or chilli oil or seasoning of your choice

 

  1. Bring water to the boil in a small saucepan and then gently lower your egg into the water. If you want it soft boiled aim for 6-7 minutes.
  2. In a medium sized pan add the oats – I have purposely not given a precise amount – just use as much as you would use to make porridge. A couple of handfuls should be sufficient.
  3. Finely grate the fresh turmeric (ground turmeric is fine too), ginger and garlic and add these to the oats along with the freshly ground black pepper and salt.
  4. Cover with boiling water so that it is just above the oats and stir well. Add a little soy sauce to taste. Add a little more water to loosen as required. It should only take a few minutes. Turn off the heat when it has softened.
  5. Meanwhile heat a small frying pan and add the spring onions and allow to wilt and lightly char then remove from the heat and keep to one side.
  6. After 7 minutes drain the egg and rinse under cold water. Gently use a teaspoon to break the shell from the egg and remove.
  7. Now to plate up. In a bowl add the porridge/congee and then add the charred and wilted spring onions, freshly chopped coriander (leaves and stalks), gently cut the egg lengthways and lay on top of the porridge/congee. Add a splash more soy sauce if required. Finally sprinkle some Kyoto Kyo-Ra-Yu Furikake or your favourite condiment on top.
  8. Devour and enjoy.

Additions: Instead of spring onions you could add tender stem broccoli, sugar snaps, green beans, mange tout – simply add them in the boiling water with the egg for a minute then slice lengthways (for the tender stem). Sometimes I like to add wilted spinach which I place in a small pan with a splash (literally) of water to help wilt.

PS: It is important to add black pepper with the turmeric, as the piperine compound in the black pepper helps with the absorption of curcumin in the turmeric by 2000%, which boosts its anti-inflammatory effects.

Let me know how you get on. I hope you will love it as much as I do.

Best

Torie

Mexican White Beans with Courgette and Tomato

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How have you all been? I’ve been rather busy in the lockdown whirl and my blog has been taken a bit of a backseat recently. I wanted to rectify that with my fabulous speedy white beans recipe that is jammed packed full of flavour, takes about 15 minutes to whip together, is nutritious and super reasonable. Whilst everything is pretty readily available, there is one little caveat and that is Mexican arbol chillies. I often have a ready supply of Mexican chillies as they are great in so many dishes, adding a deep smokey and piquant edge to a dish. I often put an order into Mextrade who have a great selection of Mexican goods. Do go check them out.

The chilli arbol are often referred to a ‘birds beak chilli’ or a ‘rat’s tail chilli’ and look similar to a slightly larger  dried Thai red chilli. They are fiery and hot so you only need a couple in this dish. I soak them first in a bowl of boiling water for 10 minutes before finely chopping them for this recipe. You can decide whether you want to keep the seeds in or not.  Of course use any chilli you have to hand, but I like the smokiness that this Mexican chilli brings to the dish. One of my other favourite Mexican chillies is a chipotle, and they are perhaps easy to come by in supermarkets, so opt for that if you can’t find the arbol, although I would only add a couple as they are a lot larger to the arbol, although less fiery hot.

The other key ingredient here is the white beans. I am a huge believer that the white beans in the jars taste so much better than the tinned. The beans themselves are haricot beans and I always pick up jars of them when I see them. You can find them all over the place from Spanish and Italian delis to Turkish and Asian grocers so do look out for them.

This recipes is a great, speedy lunch or filling supper option and tone down or up the Mexican chillies depending on your audience. To serve I added a few Gosh Falefel on the side, which I am a huge fan of, although it is more than filling without them.

 

Mexican White Beans with Courgette and Tomato

serves 4

3 Mexican chilli arbol, soaked for 10 mins in boiling water and then finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, finely diced or sliced

1/2 tsp salt

2 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

1 courgettes, peeled and diced

pinch of freshly ground black pepper

5 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

1x vegetable stock cube + 100ml boiling water

1x 570g jar of white haricot beans, drained

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

200ml boiling water

 

  1. First cover the chilli arbol in boiling water and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
  2. Next heat the oil in a large, wide pan and then add the onions and salt. Allow to soften for 5 minutes before adding the garlic and bay leaves.
  3. Remove the chillies from the water and remove the stalks and finely chop. Remove the seeds if you like it less hot.
  4. Add them to the pan and then add the courgettes, black pepper. Allow the courgette to begin to bronze before adding the freshly chopped tomatoes. Allow to simmer gently.
  5. Now add the vegetable stock and boiling water and place a lid on the pan and increase the heat for a couple of minutes.
  6. Now add the white beans and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for a further few minutes and add more water to loosen if required. If you require the sauce to thicken then place a lid on the pan and increase the heat for a couple of minutes.
  7. Check the seasoning and add a little more salt if required.
  8. Ladle into bowls and serve.

 

 

 

 

Fennel and Preserved Lemon Soup

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As those who have been following this blog for a while will know, I absolutely ADORE soups. I’m happy to eat them all year round for breakfast (yes, in Vietnam you eat pho – which is their version of a soup/broth – for breakfast), lunch or supper. I am always trying to think of new pairings that might work well and since I had some fennel in my fridge that needed to be eaten I thought I would use that as the star ingredient and built up a few other ingredients around them.

I always have preserved lemons in my fridge so I decided to use them along with a leek. My other go to ingredient, which completely elevates dishes and which I do go on about a lot on my instatories, is my garlic confit. Seriously it takes very little effort to make a batch, stores in the fridge for ages, and really adds huge flavour to a host of dishes. In fact, it would make a great Christmas gift for any foodie friends or family. It shows thought and I bet the receiver would love you forever (although I am sure they already do ;o) anyway I digress.

The other ingredients are vegetable stock – I literally just used a stock cube, water, pepper and salt. I decided to top each soup with a parmesan crips and some of the fennel fronds to add a bit of umami to the dish (coming from the parmesan). If you are on instagram go to my stories and you can watch me cooking the dish on my instastories.

I think this soup would be a good one over the Christmas season if you are cooking for large groups. We always have a starter at each meal when the whole family gets together, so I will be definitely adding this one to my repertoire over Christmas.

 

Fennel and Preserved Lemon Soup

Serves 4-6

3 tbsp garlic confit including around 5 garlic cloves from the confit

2 fennel, finely chopped (fronds removed and placed to one side)

1 leek, finely sliced

1-2 preserved lemons, finely chopped

1.2 litres water

1 vegetable stock cube

salt and pepper

 

Parmasan Crisps

will make 6

50g parmesan, finely grated

freshly ground black pepper

 

 

  1. Finely cut the fennel, removing the fronds and placing them to one side – you can use these later when serving the soup.
  2. Finely cut the leeks.
  3. Heat a large deep pan an add the garlic confit – oil and a few of the garlic cloves. This is what will really give the soup flavour and depth. Move around the pan and then add the fennel, leeks and a little salt and allow them to sweat and soften for 5-6 minutes.
  4. Add the preserved lemon. Add one to begin with, you can easily add one more later if you want it more lemony.
  5. Add the vegetable stock and boiling water and allow to simmer gently for 10 minutes.
  6. Using a hand blender, blend the soup so that it is completely smooth. You many need to add more water if you want it less thick in consistency. Taste test and then add a little more salt and freshly ground pepper. Also check on how lemony the soup is. If you would like it more so, add one more preserved lemon. It’s really down to personal preference so taste test and see what you think. Personally I like to add two.
  7. To make the parmesan crisps, preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
  8. Finely grate the parmesan and then place them in round piles and flatten to approx 2 inches in diameter on the greaseproof paper. Space them out as they will spread slightly. Add a little freshly ground black pepper on top.
  9. Heat in the oven for 6-8 minutes, so that they begin to lightly bronze, then remove and allow to cool.
  10. When serving the soup place a couple of ladles in each bowl and then add a parmesan crisp, some fennel fronds and sound freshly ground pepper.

Delicious. I hope you agree.

 

Indian Sprout and Carrot Curry – perfect for this time of year

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This recipe I posted way back in 2012 (yes my blog has been running for that long!), but unless you scroll my recipe library you are unlikely to know it is even there. Quite frankly, it’s fab and will win over even the non-sprout lover amongst us. Seriously. Basically, by adding a touch of spice, it elevates the humble sprout. We are beginning to see them in the shops so I urge you to give this recipe a whirl when you are next mulling over what to cook. Give it to your family, flat mates, friends and don’t tell them what it is and I can bet you they will love it and ask for more. Mention the word ‘sprout’ however and then they may not even give the dish a chance.

My mother-in-law originally taught me this many years ago and now it’s a firm favourite in my Indian culinary repertoire.  If you cook it alongside a dal it makes a perfect vegan meal. I suggest my go to ‘Bengali Red Split Lentil Dal’ would be the perfect accompaniment. Both dishes can be prepared and cooked within 30 mins and  are very affordable, healthy and tasty. It’s a win win win.

Indian Sprout and Carrot Curry

Serves 4

325g sprouts, finely sliced

300g carrots, grated

1 green chilli, finely sliced (optional)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 level tsp turmeric

1 tsp nigella seeds (kalo jeera)

1 tsp salt

100ml water

1. Finely slice the sprouts, grate the carrots and, if using, finely chop the chilli. I tend to leave the seeds in, but to make it less spicy just remove the seeds.

2. Heat a pan with oil and add the nigella seeds. After 10 seconds add the chilli and turmeric and stir in together for a further 10 seconds.

3. Add the sprouts and carrots and stir well with the other ingredients. Continue to stir continuously on a medium heat so that the carrots and sprouts soften and do not burn. Use a wooden spoon to press down on the ingredients as you gently stir.

4. After a few minutes of stirring add 50ml of water and stir into the curry. You may find that you do not need to use the remaining 50ml of water if the sprouts and carrots are sufficiently softened. Add the salt to taste. Continue stirring for a further 5-7 minutes and the dish will be done.

Nigella seeds (above)

10 Minute Vegetable Noodle Broth

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Earlier this week I popped the photo above onto my instagram feed. It was a last minute speedy photo, not really styled, but a quick snap before I dived in. I hadn’t given it much attention but thought I would pop it up on my feed. It was simply a quick broth that I had thrown together in 10 minutes one lunch time. I hadn’t made the broth from scratch by boiling up the bones/veg, it was a quick fix that hit the spot and fast.

It had such a positive response with a number of people asking me for the recipe that I thought I would pop it up on my blog so you can all see how quick and easy it is to prepare.

In fact I have popped up very similar recipes on my blog to this one over the last few years. Check out the following. All equally delicious and pretty simple to make as you will see.

 

Fragrant Lemongrass and Ginger Salmon Broth

Chiang Mai Noodle Broth

Miso Chilli Vegetable Noodle Broth

King Prawn Noodle Broth

 

So for the one I made earlier this week the magic ingredient is my garlic confit. Have you tried making it? I popped it up on a post in the summer and all I can say is that it is now my fridge staple.

Before
After
 

If you haven’t made a batch then simple add olive oil and add 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped. Let me know how you get on if you make it and tag me #chilliandmint @chilliandmint on your instagram feeds. Happy lunch time eating all. Life’s too short to rely on sandwiches and salads every lunch.

10 Minute Vegetable Noodle Broth

serves 2

2 tbsp of garlic confit oil or regular olive oil if you have not made my recipe above

4 garlic confit cloves or 4 regular garlic cloves, chopped

2 inch piece of fresh ginger, skin removed and finely chopped into batons

3 spring onions, sliced at an angle

1 red or green chilli, finely chopped, optional

1 heaped tbsp of white miso paste

1 pint boiling water

1 tbsp light soy sauce

8 broccoli florets, chopped in half

2 large handfuls of fresh spinach

2 packets of udon noodles

2 eggs

10 cherry tomatoes, chopped in half

handful of fresh coriander

sprinkling of Japanese togarashi

 

  1. Gently lower the eggs into a pan of boiling water. If you want soft boiled eggs leave for 6 minutes max and if you want hard leave them for 8 minutes.
  2. In another pan, heat the garlic confit oil and garlic in a pan. If you have not made a batch of garlic confit – do seriously – you won’t look back after you have made one batch. Otherwise use olive oil and some fresh garlic roughly chopped. Move around the pan for a few minutes.
  3. Add almost all the  ginger batons, spring onions and chilli (if adding) followed by the miso paste and light soy sauce. Move around the pan for 20 seconds and then add the boiling water. I never actually measure out the water so add a pint and if you think it needs more, which it may well do add a little more.
  4. Add the udon noodles and broccoli and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes.
  5. Add the tomatoes, spinach and leave for 1 minute before turning off the heat. Taste test the broth and add more miso paste, soy sauce, boiling water to your liking.
  6. Remove the eggs from the pan and run under cold water whilst you remove the shell – you will find it easier to remove the shell this way. Cut them in half lengthways.
  7. Ladle the broth and noodles into deep bowls then add a good handful of fresh coriander, the remaining fresh ginger batons and place the eggs on top. Sprinkle some Japanese togarashi on top.

I often like to add a little Sriracha on top.

So easy and great for lunch or supper whether you are on your own or with company.

Slurping compulsory. Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roasted Fennel with Orange and Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

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Friends from California came and stayed at the weekend and gave me the Gjelina cookbook, which I have been cooking from ever since. My goodness it is good. Having received it on Saturday I have since cooked 4 recipes:

garlic confit

roasted yams/butternut squash with honey, red pepper flakes and lime yoghurt

roasted cauliflower with garlic, parsley and vinegar

roasted fennel with orange and crushed red pepper flakes)

I plan to cook a 5th (grilled squash with mint-pomegranate pesto, which is on the front cover below) tonight, so I guess you could say I’m rather smitten with the book.

For those of you in the dark, Gjelina just so happens to be one of my favourite restaurants in LA. As it says in the book cover: “In Southern California, there’s no restaurant that better expresses the energy and cool excitement of Venice Beach than Gjelina” and I couldn’t agree more. It epitomises grain and vegetable centric, globally inspired cuisine, which suits me down to the ground. It has echo’s of Ottolenghi’s tomes – think za’atar and pomegranate molasses infused dishes – but the thing I automatically liked about it is that the recipes are those you actually want to cook and share with friends and family, also they are dead easy and if you don’t have an ingredient you can ad lib and make your own additions. The photos and props are also definitely the style that I love.

I have a large pot of garlic confit sitting in my fridge now, like the one above. I can’t wait to make their version of mushroom toast – I mean how divine does it look?. This would definitely appeal to my father who also has a deep fondness to mushrooms, like myself.

So last night I made the ‘roasted fennel with orange and crushed red pepper flakes’. I couldn’t find any blood oranges so I used a regular orange. I also played around with the measurements here and there to suit me. The final dish was delicious and is perfect with a roast chicken, fish or perhaps some other vegetable dishes. Great for summer gatherings. Give it a whirl and let me know what you think.

 

Roasted Fennel with Orange & Crushed Red Pepper Flakes 

2 fennel bulbs, cut into wedges and the stem into thin slices, reserve the fronds

1 large orange, peeled and cut into segments

60ml extra-virgin olive oil

flaked sea salt

80ml fresh orange juice

30ml masala wine (they use 60ml of white wine but I none to hand)

60ml of vegetable stock (I used my homemade poussin stock which is so flavoursome)

pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

freshly ground black pepper

  1. Prepare the fennel bulbs and then in a large frying pan warm the olive oil. When it is hot add the fennel wedges so that the cut sides are against the bottom of the pan to get a good sear.
  2. Cook until the fennel is caramelised, which takes about 3 minutes. Turn over, using tongs, and caramelise the other side for a further 3 minutes.
  3. Season with salt and toss in the fennel stems and continue to cook for another 2 minutes so the stems are well-browned.
  4. Now add the orange juice, wine and stock and let reduce do that the sauce thickens and the fennel is seared and starting to softened – this should only take a couple of minutes.
  5. Add the red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper.
  6. Pour onto a serving platter and garnish with the fennel fronds, orange segments.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Super easy and super delicious. I hope you agree.

 

 

 

Spiced Chickpea and Pineapple Salad

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As we have been treated to some bright sunny days recently I thought that it would be super helpful to share some tasty and easy ‘salads’ over the coming weeks so that you can be ready for when the sun shines and you want to throw open the back door and eat ‘al fresco’. I like interesting combinations that work and I think this one will tick that box in spades.

 

 

Spiced Chickpea and Pineapple Salad

Serves 6 

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp chilli flakes

2 stems of curry leaves, leaves removed and finely sliced

1 large whole pineapple, skin removed and cut into small bite sized cubes

2x400g tins/jars of chickpeas, strained

1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

2 limes, zest and juice

2 tbsp freshly grated coconut

generous pinch of chaat masala

handful of fresh coriander to scatter on top

 

  1. Place the fresh coconut in the freezer for 30-60 minutes before using. Reason for this is that the outer shell comes away easier if it has been placed somewhere cold. To remove the outer shell use a rolling pin and bash the shell and it will crack allowing the outer shell to be removed. It will then be far easier to grate.
  2. Prepare the pineapple into bite sized cubes and place to one side.
  3. In a large wide pan heat the oil on a medium heat and then add the black mustard seeds. They will begin to fizzle almost immediately.
  4. Add the chilli flakes and the finely sliced curry leaves. They will begin to splutter so you may need to remove it from the heat for a second.
  5. Move around the pan and then add the pineapple, chickpeas and salt and cover in the mustard seeds, curry leaves and chilli flakes.
  6. Pour into a large serving platter and sprinkle with the grated coconut, lime zest and juice and chaat masala.
  7. Before serving scatter with some fresh coriander.

 

I accompanied it with my Bang Bang Chicken Salad which you can find here.

 

 

 

 

 

Wild Garlic Recipes Ideas

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It’s that time of year again when a woodland walk will be interspersed by the smell of wild garlic on the wind. Follow the scent and you will find wild garlic growing – often near a stream – ready for picking. Over the years I have shown a number of wild garlic recipes on my blog so I thought it may be helpful to point them out.

If this is your first foray into foraging wild garlic may I suggest you start by making wild garlic pesto as it is very straight forward, tastes delicious and freezes really well (so much so I have enough to last me over the winter months and until the season starts again).

You can find the recipe here. When picking wild garlic simply break off the leaf, leaving the root and stem intact.

Wild garlic scones are great fun to make and a delicious treat after a spring walk – perfect for Easter gatherings.

You can find the recipe here.

Perhaps you are into soups – like me – then you might like making my wild garlic, courgette and lemon soup with a poached egg and panko breadcrumbs.

You can find the recipe here.

Or you can simply spread on hot butter toast, which is the favourite option of my eldest daughter and sister.

How do you like to eat wild garlic?  Have you ever eaten it? Any other new suggestions welcome in the comments section below. Happy Easter everyone.

Green Jackfruit Curry

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Back in December, when I was in Kolkata, I was at a family gathering and was given a curry that tasted absolutely delicious. Deep in conversation I ate the curry, pausing after a few mouthfuls to ask what ‘meat’ it was as I couldn’t quite work it out and thought perhaps it was pork. The answer was ‘green jack fruit’. Somewhat surprised but delighted that such a fruit could taste so ‘meat-like’ in structure. It was substantial, filling and utterly delicious. In the photo below it is the curry bottom right.

Fast forward a few months and I’m down in Tooting taking some clients on a spice tour before heading back to my house to teach some Indian recipes. One of my shopkeeper friends – Rohit – delighted us all by giving us a plate of his delicious jackfruit curry that he had just made – it tasted divine and prompted one of my clients to immediately buy a fresh green jackfruit to take home to replicate the curry. I love enthusiastic foodies.

I returned a few days later to continue the conversation of his curry and how he made it exactly and to buy one myself so I can share it here with you. This is Rohit’s recipe and it works a treat. They are in season now (in India and Africa) so if you see one when you are next in your local Asian grocers be brave and pick one up and try making this recipe. Please note the yellow jackfruit is sweet and not used in savoury curries – you want to buy the green jackfruit.

An important point to note:

  1. Once you cut into the jackfruit – cut into rounds and then use a serrated knife to cut away the tough outer skin – it is VERY sticky. Place a little oil on your hand that will touch the jackfruit to prevent the stickiness from covering your hand.

 

If you are keen to join me on a spice tour of Tooting followed by an Indian cooking class at my house- send me an email chilliandmint@gmail.com for details.

 

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Jack Fruit Curry

kindly given to me by Rohit – my friendly Asian grocer in Tooting

2 tbsp vegetable oil (you can use mustard too)

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 dried red chilli, broken in two

5 fresh garlic, roughly chopped

2 inches of fresh ginger, skin removed and finely grated, chopped also fine

1/4 tsp asafoetida/hing

2 fresh green chillies, finely sliced

2 or 3 large white onions, finely chopped

salt, to taste

1tsp coriander powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1x 400g tin of tomatoes OR 3 or 4 large tomatoes diced

200ml water

1 small green jackfruit, cut into rounds and then skin removed and then cut into 2 inch pieces

1 tsp garam masala

 

  1. First cut and peel the jackfruit and then cut into 2 inch pieces and place in a pan of boiling water so that it covers the jackfruit completely. Allow to boil for 20 minutes so that the jackfruit softens. It will never be soft, like potato for example, but when you place a sharp knife into one piece it will go in easily. Drain and keep to one side.
  2. In a different pan, heat the oil and when it is hot add the black mustard seeds, cumin seeds and dried red chilli. Move around the pan for 20 seconds and then add the chopped garlic and ginger and move around the pan for a minute.
  3. Now add the asafoetida/hing and fresh green chillies. Stir.
  4. Add the chopped white onion and some salt (to speed up the cooking time for the onion)and move around the pan, mixing all the ingredients together. Allow the onions to pick up some colour – lightly bronzed. This will take 10-12 minutes.
  5. Add the coriander, cumin and turmeric powders and stir once again.
  6. Add the tomatoes and mix together before adding the cooked green jackfruit. Stir gently into the sauce and add the water. Add the garam masala and cook for a further 5-10 minutes. Checking the salt and add more if necessary.

Serve with spiced rice or Indian naan or flat breads.

Do YOU have any spectacular green jack fruit curries that you would like to share? Please do so in the comments box below.