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2 May 12
Alphonso mango with passion fruit and yogurt Peel and chop and an alphonso mango (or use half a regular-sized mango) and place in a bottom of a sundae dish. Sprinkle with finely chopped mint and lime zest. Top with passion fruit jam*. Add a layer of Greek yogurt or more decadently, extra thick Jersey cream, and then sprinkle on dried coconut flakes and chopped pistachio. Serves 1. * Passion fruit jam:  Scoop out the pulp of around 10 passion fruits into a small saucepan. Add 150g sugar and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the consistency thickens (think honey). Pour into a jam jar and refrigerate. This will keep for some time.

Alphonso mango with passion fruit and yogurt

Peel and chop and an alphonso mango (or use half a regular-sized mango) and place in a bottom of a sundae dish. Sprinkle with finely chopped mint and lime zest. Top with passion fruit jam*. Add a layer of Greek yogurt or more decadently, extra thick Jersey cream, and then sprinkle on dried coconut flakes and chopped pistachio.

Serves 1.

* Passion fruit jam:  Scoop out the pulp of around 10 passion fruits into a small saucepan. Add 150g sugar and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the consistency thickens (think honey). Pour into a jam jar and refrigerate. This will keep for some time.

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21 May 11
Spicy mango fruit salad The incredibly fragrant Alphonso mango from Indian is in season for a very short time from this month, so grab some while you can.  Take a ripe Alphonso mango and place on a board standing up. Run a sharp down the centre till you feel the kernel (about an inch down) and then follow it along to the right. Do the same on the other side. You will now have three pieces; the two meaty sides and the kernel in the middle. Discard the kernel and then cut slashes along the inside of the meaty pieces on two diagonals (but not all the way through the skin) and then flip back to reveal the cubes (as per the photo above). Here are some video demonstrations. Place the mango pieces on a plate and drizzle on some passion fruit jam or simply some passion fruit pulp, a sprinkling of chopped mint and fresh red chili. Place a few raspberries alongside and dust on a little icing sugar to serve.

Spicy mango fruit salad

The incredibly fragrant Alphonso mango from Indian is in season for a very short time from this month, so grab some while you can. 

Take a ripe Alphonso mango and place on a board standing up. Run a sharp down the centre till you feel the kernel (about an inch down) and then follow it along to the right. Do the same on the other side. You will now have three pieces; the two meaty sides and the kernel in the middle. Discard the kernel and then cut slashes along the inside of the meaty pieces on two diagonals (but not all the way through the skin) and then flip back to reveal the cubes (as per the photo above). Here are some video demonstrations.

Place the mango pieces on a plate and drizzle on some passion fruit jam or simply some passion fruit pulp, a sprinkling of chopped mint and fresh red chili. Place a few raspberries alongside and dust on a little icing sugar to serve.

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6 November 10

When in Soho - Mooli’s Rotis

Fresh and healthy Indian street food in the form of roti wraps (meat or veggie versions) made fresh in a little cafe in the heart of London’s Soho (on Frith St).

You may also be interested in:

SCOOP SOHO >

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5 November 10
Curry Nights: Indian Nut Pulao In a large pan heat 1 tbs rapeseed oil and fry 1 onion and 1 garlic clove, finely chopped with 1 large carrot, grated. After about 3-5 minutes stir in 1 cup basmati rice (brown or white), 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp ground coriander, 2 tsp black mustard seeds, 4 green cardamom pods and 1 bay leaf. Add 2 cups vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and cardamom pods and stir in 3/4 cup toasted cashew nuts, and season with sea salt and pepper. Notes: If using white basmati rice it helps to soak the grains in water for 20-30 minutes before cooking. This is a mild curried rice so feel free to add some fresh, chopped red chili peppers to taste. Serve as a side dish or as a vegetarian main course along with some raita or natural yogurt, some nan bread, and a mango chutney on the side. You may also be interested in: KEDGEREE >

Curry Nights: Indian Nut Pulao

In a large pan heat 1 tbs rapeseed oil and fry 1 onion and 1 garlic clove, finely chopped with 1 large carrot, grated. After about 3-5 minutes stir in 1 cup basmati rice (brown or white), 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp ground coriander, 2 tsp black mustard seeds, 4 green cardamom pods and 1 bay leaf. Add 2 cups vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and cardamom pods and stir in 3/4 cup toasted cashew nuts, and season with sea salt and pepper.

Notes:

If using white basmati rice it helps to soak the grains in water for 20-30 minutes before cooking.

This is a mild curried rice so feel free to add some fresh, chopped red chili peppers to taste.

Serve as a side dish or as a vegetarian main course along with some raita or natural yogurt, some nan bread, and a mango chutney on the side.

You may also be interested in:

KEDGEREE >

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24 June 10

Crab Pilau with coconut milk

Heat 1tbs rapeseed oil in a pot with 1tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp white mustard seeds, 1tsp coriander seeds and stir for 1 minute till the seeds start to pop. Now add 1 finely chopped shallot (large) or onion (small) 1 garlic clove finely chopped and 1 tsp of grated ginger, and stir over medium heat till softened. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1 cup (175g) basmati rice (I like to use brown basmati) and stir for a minute or so. Add 150ml low fat coconut milk, 1 fresh green (or red) chili finely chopped, and 1/2 tsp salt and top up with about 350ml water. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. About 8 minutes in add a large handful of green veggies (chopped asparagus, frozen peas, baby spinach). Turn off heat and leave to steam for another 10 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed (brown rice might take a little longer). Fluff with a fork and stir in one can of crab meat (120g drained) and some chopped chives. 

You may also be interested in:

MONKFISH CURRY >

BOLLYWOOD DREAMS COCKTAIL >

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11 April 10

Alphonso Mangoes with Mini-Madeleine Cakes


The exquisitely fragrant Indian Alphonso Mango season is cruelly short: April-May. This means that outside of this time period I barely give a second glance at a mango fruit. Go out and find one today (Indian supermarkets, fancy supermarkets) and then you’ll see what I mean. Do not delay, otherwise you will miss another year of these incredible fruits that melt in your mouth, dense and sweet in flavour. I buy them by the box, wrapped like jewels in tissue paper, and eat them every day. Simplest is best of course, but if you want to fancy it up why not serve it with a dollop of clotted cream sprinkled with chopped pistachio and the most delicate of French cakes, the shell-shaped Madeleine. Recipe below.

In an electric mixer whisk together three eggs and 200g sugar till pale and ribbony (this may take a few minutes). With the beater on now add the zest of 1 lemon (or lime), a pinch of salt, 1tsp vanilla and 70ml milk. Sift together 280g flour and 2tsp baking powder and gradually add to the bowl. Gradually add 150g very soft unsalted butter (even slightly melted is fine). Once well mixed together, transfer to a plastic container and leave in the fridge for an hour. Using a couple of spoons half-fill madeleine molds (I like the silicon variety as they do not need to be buttered and floured to make them non-stick). Bake at 180c for between 12-15 minutes (till golden). The dough keeps well in the fridge for a few days (ready for a fix).

Madeleine should be eaten straight from the oven (like risotto, they wait for no one).

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Themed by Hunson.