Vegetarian – Page 4

Dal Makhani

11.24.2014 by georgie // 20 Comments

India is my total happy place. If I could jump on a plane right now and go anywhere, it would be India – it is beautiful, colourful, fascinating and most of all delicious. (Also with Christmas looming I could really do with not being in this country for a bit). It is the only country in the world I have spent a significant amount of time in and not got bored of the cuisine. Curry for breakfast, lunch AND dinner? Yes. Please.

Rewind a few years and I was lucky enough to go to the opening week of a trendy new London eatery – Dishoom. A dear friend of mine is the brains behind the incredible menu, and invited us along. It blew us away. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times we have been back since, but if there were a loyalty card system I would be platinum by now. There are so many delicious treats on the menu it is unreal. I try and mix it up every time we go but there is one constant and that is the black dal. Black dal and if I am feeling really naught a side of cheesy naan. Washed down with chai, lots of chai.

I’ve cooked various versions of this recipe, however today I have finally settled on a worthy Dishoom substitute. I know the Dishoom dal is cooked for a whole day, so in comparison my 6 hour version is a quick cook meal! And it is totally delicious. This is what I would consider real healing food – in the cooking sense and the meal itself. It is wholesome, warming and meditative. For long lazy days at home and bowls of deliciousness.

DAL MAKHANI

Serves 8 – 10 (you can easily halve this recipe but for the time and effort it is definitely worth making a larger batch and then freezing any extra dal for a rainy day)

500g urad dal
50g butter
2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
12 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
A large thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 heaped teaspoon mild chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
A heaped tablespoon of tomato puree
A tin of good quality plum tomatoes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
500ml organic whole milk
Double cream or Greek yoghurt, to serve (optional)

Soak the urad dal in plenty of water the night before you want to cook it.

The next day place the soaked dal in a large saucepan and cover with plenty of fresh water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 40 minutes until the dal is soft (scooping off any scum that comes to the surface). While the dal is cooking saute the veg. Melt the butter in a large non stick saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and soften for 10 – 15 minutes so it is cooked down and soft but not coloured: you want gorgeous sticky onions. Add the cumin and chilli powder to the pan and cook for a couple more minutes before adding the tomato puree. Cook for a few more minutes and then add the tinned tomatoes. Gently crush the tomatoes, breaking them down and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes and season generously.

When the dal is cooked, drain and add to the pan with the veg. Pour in the milk and top with enough water to just cover the dal. Bring the mixture to the boil, giving everything a good stir and then reduce the heat to low, so it is gently simmering away. This is where you need time. You could cook this for 1 – 2 hours and it would be ok. But don’t settle for that, you want crazy delicious dal and for that you need to cook it for at least 4 hours. 5 if you can. 6 would be amazing. You could keep going…

Leave the dal ticking away uncovered, giving it a stir every now and then. If it looks like it is getting too dry top it up with a bit more milk, or a bit more water, alternating the two. After a few hours you’ll notice it start to darken, this is great, let it get darker and thicker (try not to drown it in too much liquid) and keep stirring.

Check the seasoning, it is a vast amount of dal so don’t be surprised if it needs more salt and pepper. And serve with poppadoms, rice, naan, chutney, a swirl of cream or yoghurt, or however you fancy. I just like it straight up, it is that good.

Chocolate, cranberry and cinnamon cookies

11.24.2014 by georgie // 5 Comments

Last week I got to hang out with a dear friend, who I met as a result of losing Archie. Her and her husband lost their little girl last year and reached out to Pete and I when they heard our news. They’re a wonderful and inspiring couple and I’m so glad our babies have brought us together. Our meet up was an extra special one because my lovely friend was heavily pregnant and 6 days away from having their 2nd little girl. I can’t even imagine how terrifying it must be to go through pregnancy again, not knowing, expecting the worst… So fraught with anxiety and fear, but my friend was honest and open and coping incredibly and it was a real honour to spend time with her.

I didn’t know what to take, as I knew she wouldn’t want things for the baby. I didn’t want any gifts for Archie before I had him, and that was before I knew how our story would end. I was superstitious and have never felt it was right to buy babies things before they are born. I figured she’d get lots of pampering treats, as thats the next obvious (but heavenly!) choice, so settled on food (obviously!). Home cooked food for the freezer. I made a slow cooked ragu, and packaged it in little foil containers, and also a few logs of cookie dough. Everyone needs a sweet treat now and then, and this way she can make a whole load or just a few, whenever she needs a sweet hit.

And for the rest of us? Well these are perfect for the Christmas period, when unexpected visitors drop by. And even though they don’t look like much they’re bloomin’ delicious.

Cranberry chocolate and cinnamon cookie — Chocolate, cranberry and cinnamon cookie

CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY AND CINNAMON COOKIES

Makes around 30 (if you want them as freezer cookies, just pop the well wrapped cookie logs into the freezer and slice off discs of the dough when you need them)

100g dried cranberries, chopped
150ml orange juice
175g plain flour
2 heaped tablespoons of oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
150g butter, at room temperature
Finely grated zest of an orange
1 large egg, free range or organic
50g dark chocolate chips
125g light soft brown sugar
60g granulated sugar

If you have time, or remember, leave the cranberries to soak in orange juice over night. Alternatively place both in a small pan, simmer until they just start to bubble and then remove from the heat and leave to one side for 20 minutes, or until cooled down.

In a bowl mix together the flour, oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt and leave to one side.

In a freestanding mixer (or by hand if you don’t have one) beat the butter for a couple of minutes until creamy and then add the orange zest and both types of sugar. Beat for a few minutes on a medium speed, until pale and smooth, and then add the egg. Mix in half of the dry ingredients, scraping the sides in between, then add the cranberries and chocolate chips followed by the remaining flour mix. Beat so that everything is just combined, you don’t want to over work the dough.

Tear three sheets of cling film and lay them out. Divide the mixture between the three sheets, spooning it into a log shape down the centre. You are aiming for 3 logs of cookie dough, each around 4cm diameter and about 15cm long. Don’t worry too much if they are not perfect, use the cling film to help mould the dough into a compact log and roll it up. Twist the ends and pop in the fridge for an hour to firm up. Alternatively, make sure the dough is well covered and pop in the freezer.

When you are ready to bake them just slice off a 1.5cm disc of dough and pop onto a lined baking tray. Leave a few centimetres between the biscuits, as they will spread, and bake in a preheated oven at 180/ gas mark 4 for 11-12 minutes, or until golden. If baking from frozen give them an extra minute.

When they are ready leave the cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes to set before transferring to a cooling rack. Perfect wintery Christmas treats.

Sweet potato, chickpea and spinach soup

11.09.2014 by georgie // Leave a Comment

This bowl of goodness was created for Ma and Pa Socratous. On a recent trip up north they ate something similar and have been trying to find a recipe for it ever since. With no such luck I decided to write one for them based on what I know: that it had sweet potato, chickpeas, spinach and a generous amount of cumin. And that they both loved it. (I can only hope that this soup does the original one justice, as it is pretty rare for my folks to like the same thing!)

With its natural sweetness and creamy texture sweet potato makes a fantastic base for soups. And it works incredibly well with the rest of these ingredients creating a hearty yet wholesome soup, with a North African/ Middle Eastern feel. It’s wheat/ gluten and dairy free, and a great fertility boosting dish. Heck its a great everything boosting dish!

If you like your soup a little chunky, try mashing it with a potato masher, or only blitzing it a little.

SWEET POTATO, CHICKPEA AND SPINACH SOUP

Serves 6

2 onions, peeled and chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
Olive oil
1.5 teaspoons of ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 – 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
A tin of chickpeas, drained
A tin of reduced fat coconut milk
800ml vegetable stock
Around 800g sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
150g spinach, washed well
A handful of coriander, washed
A juicy lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place a large non-stick saucepan on a medium-low heat and add a lug of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute for around 10 – 12 minutes until soft and sticky, but not coloured. Add the cumin, coriander and chilli and fry for a further 3-4 minutes. Pour in the stock and coconut milk, and add the chickpeas and chopped sweet potatoes. Gently bring everything to the boil, season well, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for around 15 minutes, or until your potatoes are soft and completely cooked through. Add the spinach and coriander and cook for a couple more minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and using a stick blender, blitz the soup until smooth. If the soup is a little on the thick side add a little more stock or water until you get to the texture and thickness that you like. Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir through. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve.