Onion and Spinach Chilli Bites

In the Uk, these are known as Onion Bhajis. In South Africa they are usually just referred to as Chilli Bites, but are also called Bhajias. There are all types, some just with vegetables, but some also with meat of some kind. Onion Bhajis are perhaps the simplest Chilli Bites to make, and probably the best know to the British diner.

Ingredients:
25g spinach
1/2 inch of root ginger, peeled
1 clove garlic
1 green chilli, deseeded
1 large white onion, cut in half and sliced
100ml gram flour
2ml ground coriander
2ml salt
2ml chilli powder
2ml turmeric

Method:

In a mini blender, blend the spinach, ginger, garlic and chilli with about 50ml water to a rough paste. Put all the rest of the ingredients into a bowl and add the paste. If necessary, add more water to form a thick batter.

In a wide frying pan, heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil. To test if the oil is hot enough, drop in a nib of the mixture - it should sizzle to the surface quickly when the oil is hot enough. Reduce the heat and gently drop desert-spoonfuls of the mixture into the oil. Fry in batches until golden in colour, then remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper.

When all the mixture has been fried, increase the heat and return the cooked chilli bites to the pan. Fry for a second time until crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oil, drain on kitchen paper and serve.

Lamb and Cashew Nut Curry

Cashew nuts, yoghurt and saffron make this a delicious dish for a special occasion. Served with rice, dumplings or Indian breads, it makes a substantial meal.

Ingredients:
1-2 inch piece of root ginger, peeled and chopped
3-4 garlic cloves
2 green chillies
50g unsalted cashew nuts
60ml water
4 whole cloves
6 cardamom pods, bruised
15ml coriander seeds
15ml white poppy seeds
50g ghee
2 onions, finely chopped
1kg lamb, cubed
300ml yoghurt
a pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 30ml boiling water
5ml salt
juice and zest of a quarter of a lemon
30ml chopped coriander leaves
3/4 of a lemon, sliced

Method:
Put the ginger, garlic, chillies and cashew nuts in a blender with half the water. Blend to a smooth paste. Add the cloves, cardamom, coriander and poppy seeds and the remaining water and blend. Transfer the puree to a bowl.

Melt the ghee in a large saucepan. Add the onions and fry over medium heat until the onions are golden brown. Stir in the prepared puree and fry for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the lamb cubes and fry until they are evenly browned.

Mix the yoghurt with the soaked saffron, including the liquid. Add the salt and stir this mixture into the meat in the pan. Increase the heat and bring your curry to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and sprinkle over the chopped coriander leaves. Cover and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the lamb is tender.

Transfer to a warmed serving dish garnished with lemon slices.

Kabli Chana - Chick Pea Curry

For many people in the Indian subcontinent, especially those who are vegetarians, chick peas are a staple in the diet. Being rather bland in flavour they need spicing up. Kabli Chana is a standard recipe for serving this legume.

Ingredients:
225g chick peas
water for soaking
600ml water for cooking
5ml salt
50ml vegetable oil
2 medium onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 inch root ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
5ml turmeric
5ml ground cumin
10ml ground coriander
4 green chillies, slit lengthwise
1 large tomato or 2 small tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
juice and zest of 1 lemon
5ml garam masala
30ml chopped fresh coriander leaves

Method:
Soak the chick peas in water overnight. Drain the chick peas and put into a saucepan with 600ml water and 1ml salt. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer over low heat for an hour and a half, or until the peas are tender. Drain, reserving 300ml of the cooking liquid.

Heat the oil in a frying pan. When the oil is hot, add the onions and fry over medium heat until the onions are golden brown. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for about a minute before adding the turmeric, cumin and coriander mixed with 30ml water. Continue to fry for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chillies, tomato and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.

Stir in the chick peas and cook for 5-10 minutes, then add the reserved cooking liquid, the remaining salt and the lemon juice and zest. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes over low heat. Now remove the lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes to reduce the liquid.

Mix in the garam masala and transfer to a warmed serving dish. Sprinkle over the chopped coriander before serving.

Lentil Wari

Wari are a type of dumpling made from lentils, beans or rice. Any one of these staple ingredients is soaked in water till soft, then ground, spiced and formed into little cakes, like scones, cone-shapes or balls. Of course they can be made fresh and used immediately, but more often these are made in large batches and dried for later use. They can then be stored away in airtight containers and used when required. When adding them to a stew or curry it is advisable to add extra water to the dish so that there is sufficient gravy to cook them in.

Ingredients:
1kg yellow split peas (chana dhal), Chinese mung beans (moong dhal), or puy lentils
1 bunch of spring onions
1 head of garlic, peeled
500g green beans
10ml ground turmeric
5ml ground coriander
10ml ground cumin
2 bunches of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
250g green chillies, minced
30ml vegetable oil
salt to taste
5-10ml garam masala

Method:
Preheat the oven to 120-150C.
Soak the lentils over night. In the morning, put them in a blend them to a thick paste. Ad the onions, garlic and green beans to the blender and blend them into the lentil paste. Add the spices, coriander leaves, minced chillies, vegetable oil and salt to taste. Mix well.

Prepare baking trays, lined with baking paper. Shape tablespoonfuls of mixture into flattened balls or cone-shapes and place them on the baking trays with a little space between each. Place the trays in the oven for 1-2 hours to dry. If they begin to brown, your oven is too hot. Once the cakes are dry and hard, remove them from the oven and allow to cool before packing in airtight containers for use in curries or stews as required.

Chilli Fish and Prawn Curry

This seafood curry may be hot for some, but is delicious if accompanied by refreshing side dishes. Serve it with rice steamed with a couple of cardamom pods and a few cloves along with small dishes of grated fresh coconut, thinly sliced onion, sliced banana sprinkled with lemon juice and diced cucumber in white wine vinegar. For those who find the sauce too hot, provide a little plain yoghurt, which is not only cooling, but also helps the digestion of spicy foods.

Ingredients:
30g unsalted butter
15ml curry powder
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
5ml chilli powder or tandoori masala
30ml tomato paste
15ml golden syrup
zest and juice of 1 lemon
500ml fish or chicken stock
1 star anise
100g shelled cooked prawns
250g cooked firm fish fillets, diced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

Method:
In a heavy-based saucepan, melt the butter and fry the curry powder and chilli powder over low heat for about a minute. Add the onions and garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato paste, golden syrup, lemon zest and juice and gradually stir in the stock. Add the star anise and simmer, covered, for about an hour. The sauce should now be quite thick.

Remove the star anise. Carefully stir in the prawns and fish, ensuring that they are covered with sauce and cook, uncovered, over gentle heat for about 10 minutes. Season to taste and transfer to a heated serving dish.

Beef and Grapefruit Curry with Rice Wari

This is a rendition of a northern Indian dish in which they use a fruit called the shatkora, which is a citrus fruit similar to grapefruit. As grapefruit are easier for most people to obtain and gives a pleasant result, I have recommended them in this recipe. When buying your stewing steak, look for meat that has a bit of fat on it as this gives a more sumptuous texture to the resultant dish. I like to serve this with wari, a type of dumpling, as a meal in one dish.

Ingredients:
For the Curry
500g chuck or stewing steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
50-60ml vegetable oil
5ml mustard seeds
4-5 cloves
3 pieces of cassia bark
4-5 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2ml ground turmeric
5ml chilli powder or tandoori spice
7.5ml freshly ground cumin seeds
7.5ml freshly ground coriander seeds
10ml salt
15ml tomato paste
15ml brown sugar
30-50g ghee
200ml boiling water
1 pink grapefruit
2ml freshly ground black pepper
2ml garam masala

For the Wari
250ml cooked and cooled rice (left over rice is preferable)
10ml coriander leaves, finely chopped
15ml vegetable oil
2ml ground cumin
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
30ml melted ghee for braising

Method:
Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, cloves, cassia and cardamom pods and allow them to sizzle for a few seconds. Add the onion and cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring from time to time, until they are soft and lightly browned.

Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, chilli powder, ground cumin, ground coriander and salt and fry for 1 minute. Add the beef and cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and then to turn the meat n the spices and onion. Add the tomato paste, sugar and ghee and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the boiling water, cover and simmer for an hour and a half or until the beef is almost tender.

Meanwhile, prepare the grapefruit. Cut it in half and squeeze out the juice. Cut one half into 2 quarters. Remove the residual membranes from one quarter, leaving the zest, which can be cut into thin strips.

To prepare the wari, mic the rice and other ingredients, except the ghee, and put the mixture through a mincer or blend them in a food processor. Form the dough into small balls about the size of a walnut. Melt the ghee in a frying pan and braise about 12 wari balls for 4-5 minutes, browning on all sides.

When the curry has had its hour and a half cooking time, add the prepared grapefruit zest and the squeezed juice, mixing into the curry. If the curry looks a bit dry at this point, add about half a cup of water and mix it in. Add the wari on the top and cook uncovered for a further 20-30 minutes or until the beef is tender, the gravy has reduced and thickened and the wari have cooked through. Add the black pepper, garam masala and salt if required. Serve piping hot with chutney and sliced banana.

Roti

Roti is a flat unleavened bread that is thought to have its origins in the Indus Valley culture of some 5000 years past. Archaeological evidence has shown that wheat was first cultivated in Mesopotamia, but it was very soon transported to the Indus Valley civilisation, where the people developed a simple dough made with roughly milled wheat by mixed with water. This grainy stiff dough was then cooked over a hot stone heated by fire.

Not much has changed as today the same bread is made almost as it was back in ancient times, but now it is baked over what is called a tawa (or tava), a large flat or convex disc-shaped metal griddle, or it is put on the side of a tandoor, an extremely hot clay oven heated with wood or charcoal. Lacking one of these traditional cooking methods, these flat breads can be dry-fried in a heavy-based frying pan.

The dough mixed today may have the addition of a little oil and salt and the flour used can vary from wheat flour, to millet flour, to channa or gram flour made from split dried chick peas, to cornmeal, or a combination of any of these; even whole cooked lentils, vegetables or herbs may be added and spices like turmeric or whole seed spices like cumin and fennel, for example, are often included in the mixture. In South Africa mealie meal, a course flour made from white maize, is also used in the mix.

Roti have been taken all over the world by the peoples of the Indians subcontinent, even to places like the Caribbean, where there is a large population of Indian descendants in Trinidad and Roti is proclaimed the national dish. In Durban, South Africa, I remember you could get roti from an Indian take-away rolled up into an envelope and filled with either chicken, mutton, keema, bean or lentil curry. Delicious!

As there are so many ways of making this simple bread, I will be sharing a number of recipes and you can choose how simple or complicated you want to make it.

Wholemeal Wheat Roti
Ingredients:
125g wholemeal flour
75ml warm water
5ml ghee or vegetable oil

Method:
Mix the flour with the warm water. Add the ghee or vegetable oil and knead thoroughly for about 7-8 minutes until a soft, smooth texture is achieved. Cover and set aside for 1 hour to rest. Shape the dough into golf ball sized balls and roll each out into a thin flat circle, about 6 inches in diameter. Cook each individually in a hot dry frying pan for about 2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Serve warm, brushed with butter. Makes 4-5 Roti.

Tandoori Roti
Ingredients:
350g fine white bread flour or wholemeal flour
5ml salt
2ml hot chilli powder or tandoori masala
250ml water
30-45ml melted ghee or butter for brushing

Method:
Sift the flour, salt and chilli powder into a large bowl. Add the water and mix to a soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 3-4 minutes until smooth. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rest for an hour.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 6 pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Press into a larger round with the palm of your hand. cover with lightly oiled cling film and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 230C. Place 3 baking sheets in the oven to heat. Roll the roti into 6 inch circles and place 2 on each baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. The roti are ready when light brown bubbles appear on the surface of the bread. Brush with ghee or butter and serve warm.

If you don't want heat in your roti, you could replace the chilli with garam masala, ground cinnamon or ground cardamom.

White Roti
Ingredients:
60ml mealie meal
15ml ghee
250ml boiling water
30ml double cream
5ml salt
500ml all purpose white flour
melted ghee for brushing

Method:

Pour the boiling water over the mealie meal and allow it to cool. Add the cream, ghee and salt and mix well. Add the flour and knead to a soft dough. Cover with cling film and set aside for an hour.

Divide the dough into 4 sections and roll each out to a circle 8-9 inches in diameter. Brush with melted ghee and put on a hot griddle, turning over several times until the roti is lightly freckled. Brush again with melted ghee and cook a little longer on both sides until the roti has golden brown freckles dotting evenly against a light background. Serve warm.

Brown Roti
Ingredients:
250ml white flour
250ml wholemeal flour
15ml ghee
5ml salt
185ml water
60ml milk
melted ghee for brushing

Method:

Mix together the two flours and add salt and rub in the ghee. Heat the milk and water together till hot, but not too hot to work with. Mix into the flour with the fingers and knead to a soft dough.

Divide dough into four sections and roll each out to a circle 8-9 inches in diameter. Brush with melted ghee and cook on a hot griddle, turning to cook both sides, until dotted with golden brown freckles. Brush with melted ghee and serve warm.

Millet Roti
Ingredients:
250ml millet flour (bajra)
a pinch of salt
5ml ghee
cold water to make a soft dough
melted ghee for brushing

Method:

Sift the flour and sprinkle with salt. Rub in the ghee. Mix to a soft dough with cold water. Grease a piece of cling film and pat the dough on it to a circle of about 8 inches in diameter. Turn the roti onto a hot griddle, remove the cling film and cook on both sides until golden brown. Brush with melted ghee and serve warm.

Chana Roti
Ingredients:
250ml gram flour
250ml wholewheat flour
1 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped
half an onion, finely chopped
15ml chopped fresh coriander
2ml ground turmeric
2ml salt
15ml vegetable oil
120-150ml lukewarm water
Melted butter for brushing


Method:

Mix the gram flour, wholewheat flour, chilli, onion, coriander, turmeric and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in the oil. Add sufficient water to make a pliable soft dough. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, covered in cling film, and leave to rest for an hour.

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and divide into four pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Roll out each ball to a circle of about 6-7 inches in diameter. Heat a griddle or a heavy-based frying pan for a few minuted until hot. Brush both sides of a circle of dough with melted butter and cook for about a minute each side. Brush the cooked roti with more melted butter and place on a warmed plate. Keep warm in a low oven while cooking the remaining circles of dough. Serve warm.

If you don't want heat in your roti, substitute the chopped chilli with 2-3ml fennel seeds.

Spinach Roti
Ingredients:
5ml cumin seeds
60g wilted spinach with all the water squeezed out
250g wholewheat flour
salt
melted ghee to serve

Method:

Toast the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan for a few seconds, then grind them lightly with the back of a spoon to break them up. Mix together the cumin, spinach, flour and salt to taste and add water, a little at a time, to make a dough. Divide the dough into 6 separate balls and roll each into a flat circle. Toast the discs on each side in a dry frying pan until they are browned. Brush each with a little melted ghee and serve warm.

West Indian Golden Roti
Ingredients:
200g plain flour
100g gram or split pea flour
5ml turmeric
5ml salt

Method:

Combine the plain flour, gram flour, turmeric and salt in a bowl and add just enough tepid water to give the mixture a dough consistency. Take a handful of dough and roll it out to a pancake shape. Shallow fry it in hot oil until golden brown on both sides, then place on kitchen paper and cover with a plate to keep warm while cooking the rest of the dough into roti. Use as wraps for a tasty curry.

Yellow Rice with Lentils

This is a bit more substantial and makes a change from plain rice as an accompaniment to a curry.

Ingredients:
175g puy lentils
350g long grain rice
100g ghee or clarified butter
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
8-10 cloves
4 cardamom pods, crushed
1 cinnamon stick
5ml turmeric
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

Method:
Wash the rice under cold running water until the water runs clean. Place in a large bowl with the lentils and soak in cold water for 2 hours or more.

Heat the ghee or clarified butter in a frying pan and gently fry the onions and garlic over low heat until the onions are soft and translucent, but not coloured. Add the spices and seasoning and fry for another 3-4 minutes.

Drain the rice and lentils and add to the onion, garlic and spices in the pan, stirring well to make sure all the rice grains are coated with the mixture. Add 900ml boiling water and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes until the rice grains are tender.

Remove the lid from the pan but leave on the heat, stirring constantly, until the liquid has all been absorbed. Serve hot.

Cooks Tip:

To crush cardamom pods, put them on a wooden chopping board and place a heavy based pan on top of them, exerting downward pressure. The pods just need to pop so that the seeds inside can be exposed to the cooking liquids in the dish you are preparing.

Chilli Chicken Livers

Chicken livers are so overlooked when it comes to home cooking, but they have a wonderful flavour and need only the slightest bit of cooking. If they are overcooked, they can become leathery and bitter, so don't be heavy handed on the heating with these delicate little morsels. Delicate though they may be, they can handle chilli well and, complimented with the sauce in this recipe, they make a sumptuous and unusual dish.

Ingredients:
450g chicken livers, cleaned and trimmed
Milk for soaking
ghee or clarified butter for frying
2 red onions, peeled and very finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
1 long thin green chilli, very finely chopped
2ml chilli powder
3 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

Method:
Put the cleaned and trimmed chicken livers in a bowl and cover them with milk. Leave to soak for 3-4 hours. This helps to clear the livers of any enzymes which may cause them to harden.

Heat some ghee or clarified butter in a large frying pan and fry the onions, garlic, peppers, green chilli and chilli powder until the vegetables are soft and the chilli has released its flavour.

Drain the chicken livers and add them to the pan. fry gently for 5-6 minutes, stirring all the time. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking for a further 2-3 minutes, then serve hot with naan bread or rapped in roti.

Creamed Cumin Chicken

All too often the busy housewife or the working mom needs a quick but nutritious meal they can throw together within an hour in the evening. Chicken normally fits the bill and this 'Creamed Cumin Chicken' is one of those meals that can be put together within 60 minutes and which comfortably feeds a family of four or more.

Ingredients:
125ml flour
3ml freshly ground black pepper
3ml curry powder
5ml salt
1 kg chicken thighs
125ml ghee
1 large onion, chopped
5ml cumin seeds
5ml fennel seeds
1-2 bay leaves
25ml curry powder
5ml crushed garlic
5ml chopped root ginger
250ml chopped tomatoes
10-12 mint leaves, shredded
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
125ml yoghurt
1-2 long thin green chillies, slit in half lengthways
5ml garam masala
chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Method:
Place the flour, pepper, curry powder and salt in a plastic bag. Wash the chicken pieces, pat dry with kitchen towel and place in the bag with the seasoned flour, shaking the bag to coat the chicken pieces.

Heat the ghee in a large pan and fry the chicken until just lightly browned all over. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Add the onions, cumin, fennel and bay leaves to the remaining ghee in the pan and cook gently, stirring, until the onions are soft and translucent, but not browned. Add the curry powder, ginger and garlic, tomatoes, mint and seasoning.

Cook over a medium heat until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and add the yoghurt, chicken pieces and chillies.

Return to the stove over a low heat and sprinkle over the garam masala. Simmer for about 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with chopped coriander.

Kheema or Curried Mince

This is one of the most versatile of curries, which is also quite economical. Although lamb mince is normally used, you could use beef mince if you wished to, or you could substitute some of the meat with lentils or beans to make an even more economical dish. Kheema can be served with bread rolls, roti or naan, on toast, with rice or noodles, layered with macaroni or for the meat sauce in biryani. It's a great meat sauce for making meat pies or 'vetkoeks', a type of savoury doughnut of Afrikaans origin.

Ingredients:
50ml vegetable oil
3 large onions sliced
1 inch root ginger, peeled and chopped
a pinch of salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
5ml turmeric
5ml hot chilli powder
5ml ground coriander
700g minced lamb
5ml salt
1 x 410g tin chopped tomatoes
30ml chopped coriander

Method:
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and add the onions and ginger with a pinch of salt when it is hot. Fry gently over a low to medium heat until the onions are translucent and soft. Add the garlic and the spices and fry for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the meat and fry until it is all browned, then stir in the salt and tomatoes and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer for a further 5 minutes or until the meat is cooked through and the gravy is thickened.

Transfer to a warmed serving dish and garnish with the chopped coriander.

Mango Chutney

Mango chutney is a perfect accompaniment to any Indian or South East Asian meal. The best mangoes to use for this chutney are those which are not quite ripe, but not too green. If the mangoes are too ripe they will break up too much during the cooking of the chutney and give a mushy result, which you don't want. The chutney should be chunky, thick and juicy.

Ingredients:
1.5Kg mangoes, peeled, stoned and chopped into 1cm cubes.
75g cooking salt
2 litres water
450g sugar
600ml white wine vinegar
2 inch root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
10ml hot chilli powder
1 cinnamon stick
125g pitted dates
125g raisins

Method:
Put the mangoes in a bowl with the salt and 2 litres of water. Cover with cling film and set aside for 24 hours.

Put the sugar and vinegar into a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the mangoes, then add all the remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about an hour and a half, or until the chutney is reduced and thickened.

Remove the cinnamon stick from the mixture and ladle the chutney into warmed, sterilised jars. Seal the jars, label and store in a cool place until ready to use. Makes about 2 x 500g jars and can be stored for up to 6 months.

Yellow Dhall with Brinjal

For a midweek, meat-free supper or as an accompaniment to a main course curry, this is an easy to make vegetarian dish.

Ingredients:
500ml yellow split peas
1.5 litres hot water
5ml salt
1 cube vegetable or chicken stock
5ml turmeric
60ml ghee
5ml cumin seeds
5ml mustard seeds
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 dried chillies, chopped fine
1 onion, finely sliced
1 large brinjal (aubergine), cut into cubes
1 large tomato, deseeded and finely chopped
5ml curry powder
5ml sugar
a sprig of curry leaves for garnish
15ml vegetable oil
chopped fresh coriander leaves for garnish
750ml cooked rice

Method:
Place the split peas into a fairly large pot with 750ml of the hot water and the salt and stock cube. Bring to the boil. Add the turmeric and simmer until a thick sauce is formed. Add the remaining water as required.
Heat the ghee in a frying pan and add the cumin and mustard seeds, frying over medium heat until the seeds begin to pop. Add the garlic slices, the chopped chillies and the onion and continue to fry until the onion begins to take on a bit of golden colour. Add the brinjals, the chopped tomato and curry powder, lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the brinjal is soft.
In a clean frying pan, heat up the vegetable oil and fry the curry leaves for 30 seconds to a minute, just to crisp them and bring out their wonderful aroma.
Combine the brinjal mixture with the split peas, then blend in the sugar. Serve over the cooked rice, garnished with the curry leaves and fresh chopped coriander.

Orange Raisin and Almond Rice

It doesn't take much to dickey up a bit of rice, but what a difference it makes when it's pleasing to the eye and not just a plain bed of white. An orange, a couple of onions, a few hard boiled eggs and a sprinkling of nuts and raisins and you have something quite amazing!

Ingredients:

60ml ghee
2 large onions sliced in rings
seeds from 2 cardamom pods
2 sticks cinnamon
4 cloves
500ml long grain rice or basmati rice
250ml fresh orange juice
freshly shredded zest from 1 orange
1 litre of chicken stock
125ml blanched and sliced almonds
60ml raisins
3 eggs, hard boiled and sliced

Method:

Heat the ghee and fry the onion rings until they are a pale golden brown. Drain and set aside. In the same ghee, fry the almonds and raisins. Drain and set aside. Add the cardamom seeds, cinnamon and cloves to the pan and fry for about 1 minute then remove from the heat and stir in the dry rice, orange juice, half of the orange rind and the chicken stock.

Return to the stove and bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed - about 25 minutes. Toss in the fried onion rings, almonds and raisins and garnish with the sliced hard boiled eggs and the remaining orange zest.

Sweetcorn Chilli Bites

Chilli bites always make a delicious snack to fill the gap between meals. They are also a great way to use up rice and vegetable left overs. You can add whatever bits and pieces you wish to the basic batter. The combination I have in this recipe is a family favourite, which can be served alone, or with a dipping sauce or chutney.

Ingredients:
250ml cooked rice
250ml all purpose flour
250ml gram flour
1 x 410g tin whole-kernel sweetcorn
10ml cumin seeds
15ml chopped fresh coriander
15ml chopped spring onions
1 large onion, very finely chopped
2 long green chillies, finely chopped
salt and black pepper to season
50-60ml buttermilk or yoghurt (or 2 eggs, beaten)
10ml curry powder
125ml milk or water
15ml baking powder

Method:
Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan.

Combine all the ingredients, except the baking powder, in a large mixing bowl and mix to a dropping consistency. Stir in the baking powder, blending well.

Fry teaspoonfuls of the batter in the hot oil, about 6 at a time, until puffed and golden. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Continue frying the batter in spoonfuls until it is all used up.

Serve warm as finger food with a dipping sauce or chutney, or just as they are.

Butternut Squash Pickle

Butternut squash is easy to cook, making it an appealing part of a healthy diet. It provides an abundance of vitamins and other nutrients including carotene antioxidants, minerals, Omega-3 fatty acids and dietary fibre, making it great for all round protection against degenerative diseases, heart disease and digestive problems. It's great for those who need to reduce or maintain their weight as it is low in fat and the dietary fibre helps prevent lipid absorption in the digestive tract. All in all, quite a little miracle vegetable.

One thing with this squash is that it must be peeled. Many cooks leave the skin on for roasting or steaming, however it has been my experience that this is not a good idea. The hard outer skin, although it holds a lot of excellent nutrients, also has a mucous content, which imparts a bitterness to the rest of the pulp if the skin is left on during cooking.

Ingredients:
60ml vegetable oil
400g butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
2ml black onion seeds (nigella or kalonji)
2ml ground turmeric
2ml ground fenugreek
60ml chopped fresh coriander
60ml chopped fresh mint leaves
30ml mango chutney
juice of 1 lime

Method:
Heat a frying pan until hot, add the oil and butternut squash and stir-fr for 3-4 minutes, or until the squash is softened and golden brown.

Stir in the chopped chilli, onion seeds, turmeric and fenugreek. Reduce the heat slightly and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes, or until the squash is tender.

Stir in the chopped coriander, mint, chutney and lime juice. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve warm as an accompaniment to your choice of curry or store in a sterilised screw-top container and use as a cold pickle.

Baked Cardamom Chicken Curry

Cardamom is known as the queen of spices, being second only to black pepper. The evergreen plant, Elettaria cardamomum, originated in southern India and grows is the rich moist forest of Mysore, Cochin and Travancore. Its cultivation is limited to only a few countries including India and Sri Lanka. Ayurveda, the naturalistic health system practiced in India, considers cardamom as a very effective medicine for digestion, gastric problems and the circulatory system. Another benefit of this wonderful sweet spice is that its aromaticity can act as a breath freshener; briefly chewing the seeds fights bad breath and helps to destroy the bacteria that cause halitosis. Perhaps the most important is that cardamom has detoxifying properties, which help to cleanse the body of toxins. In combination with chicken, lemon, chilli and turmeric root, you have a wonderful detoxifying meal.

Ingredients:
6 chicken thighs, with the skin on (this is important for detoxification)
6 chicken drum sticks, with the skin on
half a lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
1 red & 1 green birds-eye chilli, finely chopped
15ml garlic infused olive oil
10ml finely grated fresh turmeric root
30ml mild curry powder
5ml green cardamom pods, bruised
50ml chicken stock
30ml olive oil
2 small cans coconut milk
sprigs of coriander to garnish

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C.

Wash the chicken pieces and dry with kitchen paper. Arrange them in an ovenproof dish. Rub the chicken pieces with the cut lemon and lightly season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Combine the chilli, garlic infused olive oil, turmeric root, cardamom pods and curry powder and rub over the chicken. Sprinkle over the chicken stock and olive oil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

Remove the dish from the oven and pour in the coconut milk. Cover the dush with foil and return to the oven for a further hour, or until the chicken is very tender and falling off the bone. Garnish with coriander sprigs before serving, accompanied with naan bread for mopping up the delicious sauce.

Isipingo Fish Curry

Isipingo is a predominantly Indian town south of Durban on the Kwazulu Natal Coast, named for its meandering river, the Siphingo, at the mouth of which there is a magnificent beach frequented by many fishermen, especially during the sardine run.

Kingklip is an elongated fish of the eel family found off the coast of South Africa, although it doesn't much resemble an eel as it is compressed on the sides like a normal fish, but still fairly rotund. It has firm, succulent white meat, delicious in flavour, normally cut into steaks, which lends itself to almost all methods of preparation, but especially to curry. Although it is caught mostly by deep sea fishing off the west coast of the Cape, it may also be caught up the east coast as far as the north of Kwazulu Natal and is a favourite fish in restaurants in the province. If you are lucky, you may even catch one off Isipingo Beach.

Ingredients:
For the fish masala:
40ml coriander seeds
15ml cumin seeds
5ml fennel seeds
2-3ml fenugreek seeds (methi)
2 inch stick of cassia (tuj)
3-4 cloves
2-3 green cardamom pods
6-8 whole black peppercorns

For the fish curry:
1 inch cube of tamarind pulp
100ml boiling water
4 x 225 g kingklip steaks
30ml sunflower oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8-10 curry leaves
2 dried bay leaves
2-3ml turmeric
5ml hot chilli powder (tandoor masala)
30ml Fish Masala
tin of plum tomatoes, drained, deseeded and chopped
400ml can coconut milk
5ml salt

Method:
For the Fish Masala, simply grind everything together to a fine powder in a spice grinder or by hand with a pestle and mortar. Usually the seeds are roasted for a masala, but for fish curry I don't roast them as the unroasted spices give a more delicate flavour to the dish. Store in an airtight container.

Put the tamarind pulp in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Leave to soak until the water is cool enough to put your hands in, then work the tamarind pulp with the fingers until the pulp has broken down and the seeds are released. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve into a cup and discard the pulp remaining in the sieve.

Rinse the fish steaks under cold water and dry on kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a large shallow pan. Add the onion, garlic and curry leaves and fry gently over low heat for 8-10 minutes until the onion is soft and lightly coloured.

Add the bay leaves, turmeric, chilli powder and 30ml of fish masala and fry for 1-2 minutes until the aroma begins to build from the spices. Add the tomatoes, tamarind liquid, coconut milk and salt and simmer gently over low heat for about 15 minutes.

Now your sauce is made and it;s time to put in the kingklip steaks. Gently transfer them into the pan and spoon over the sauce. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, then cover the pan and set aside in a warm place for half an hour. The fish should now be sufficinetly cooked, but if not, return it to the heat for a few minutes.

Serve with steamed rice, chutneys, sambals and naan bread.

Papadums

These crispy crunchy discs of Indian bread, also known as poppadoms, depending on your pronunciation, are widely available, either ready-cooked or ready-to-cook. In India they are commonly served with vegetarian meals. If you wonder down a market street in Delhi of Mumbai, you'll find them sold by street vendors along with other delicious fare. Plain or flavoured with spices or seasoned with black or red pepper, they are a firm favourite with any spicy meal. The dough is generally made from dried pulses, but can also be made from potato or semolina. After the dough is rolled thinly the resulting discs are left to dry on the sun, to be cooked later either by frying or being placed on a hot grill. Either way they are golden in seconds, ready to be devoured. Broken into shards, they also make great dip chips.

Ingredients:
2 litres lentil flour (urad, moong, chana or gram dhal flour)
5ml freshly ground black pepper
5ml ground cumin
5ml asafoetida (hing)
5ml salt
60-65ml water
vegetable oil for frying

Method:

Preheat the oven to 100-120C.

Mix flour, pepper, cumin and salt. Add enough of the water to form a dough and knead until you have a smooth and elastic texture. Roll the dough into a sausage of about 1.5-2 inch diameter. Using and oiled thread, split the sausage into 10-15 discs and roll out one disc at a time on a lightly oiled surface (or between two layers of cling film) to a very thin circle - the thinner you can make them, the crispier they will be.

Dry the papadums in the oven for an hour and store in an air tight container.

To prepare, Fry the papadums in vegetable oil until they are crispy and golden. Drain on kitchen paper towel and serve warm.

Brinjal or Aubergine Chutney with Tamarind

With the sweetness of brinjal and the tang of tamarind, this chutney makes a great accompaniment to almost any curry. Give it a whirl with your next Indian meal.

Ingredients:
1 large brinjal (aubergine), peeled and cubed
15ml mustard oil
15ml vegetable oil
15ml salt
1 medium onion, chopped
30ml tamarind paste
30ml granulated brown sugar
2 dried red chillies
2 long thin green chillies, chopped
a small handful of fresh coriander leaves chopped

Method:

Put the chopped brinjal in a bowl and toss with the mustard oil and vegetable oil. Sprinkle with salt. Cook the brinjal in a large frying pan over medium to high heat until the brinjal is soft. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Add the onion, tamarind paste, sugar, dried red chillies and brinjal to a food processor and blend to a chunky paste. Add the chopped green chillies and coriander and stir into the mixture. serve as an accompaniment to an Indian meal.

King Prawn and Coconut Curry

For a long time, I wouldn't eat prawns. I'd had a bad experience as a teenager when my dad brought prawns back from a business trip to Mozambique. They defrosted in the heat of the car and went off, but he insisted on eating them. I will never forget the pong when I had to cook them for him. For many years I couldn't even abide being in the vicinity of their being cooked, but a couple of years ago my husband persuaded me to try them, after all I love langoustines. So I relented and had a taste.

I can't believe I had spent all those years not having tasted these delicious crustaceans! I blush at the thought of the hostesses I offended when they served prawns and I gave mine to my husband, too fearful to eat them myself. It just goes to show, facing your fear can be such a good move, LOL.

Prawns are an extremely good source of protein, yet are low in fat and calories, making them a healthy food choice, especially if you need to move a few unsightly bulges from whatever unsightly part of your anatomy. Although they allegedly have a high cholesterol content, they are low in saturated fat, which is what raises cholesterol levels in the body, and therefore is bad for you. So there is no need to think you should avoid eating these delectable creatures. apart form the minerals like zinc, potassium, selenium and iron, these crustaceans offer, as well as vitamin B12 in particular, prawns provide a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids, protection for the heart, circulation, joints, nerves , the list goes on.

This excellent Bangladeshi curry has a Malay influence in its use of coconut and lime juice. It's ever so quick to prepare and can be made in a hurry when those unexpected visitors drop by. When you can get king prawns, stock up the freezer and wow those guests with a speedy delicious curry.

Ingredients:
2-3 red onions, roughly chopped
2 inches root ginger, roughly chopped
5-6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
400g large raw peeled prawns
5ml turmeric
5ml salt
50ml vegetable oil
5ml cumin seeds
5ml black mustard seeds
3 -4 bay leaves
10-12 curry leaves
2ml cayenne pepper
2ml mild paprika
150ml water
4 long thin green chillies, slit lengthways
300ml coconut milk
30g fresh coconut, grated (or 30g desiccated coconut)
15ml Garam masala
10ml muscovado sugar
juice of half a lime

Method:
Put the onion, ginger and garlic into a mini blender with a little water and blend to a smooth paste.

Put the prawns in a bowl and toss them with the turmeric and salt. Heat 30ml oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add the prawns and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until they show a bit of colour. Remove the prawns from the pan and set aside on a warmed plate.

Add the remaining oil to the pan with the cumin and mustard seeds, the bay and curry leaves and allow them to sizzle for about 30 seconds. Add the onion paste, cayenne pepper and paprika and fry gently over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring until the paste is rich and aromatic. Add 150ml water, cover and simmer for 6 minutes, stirring from time to time. Stir in the green chillies and simmer another 4 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and bring back to a simmer. Add the prepared prawns, grated coconut, garam masala and sugar. Simmer for 1-2 minutes until the prawns are cooked through and coated with sauce. Stir in the lime juice and serve.

Spiced Lamb Kebabs with Herbed Raita

Here's another nibble on a stick for serving at a cocktail party or around the braai or barbecue while waiting for the steaks or chops. It's quick and easy to prepare and can be made up a day or so in advance, ready to be brought out and cooked quickly when the fire is just ready to cooking.

Ingredients:
For the lamb kebabs:
750g lamb mince
1 onion, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
5ml ground cinnamon
10ml paprika
10ml ground cumin
2ml chilli powder
30ml chopped fresh mint
60ml chopped fresh parsley
15ml dry red wine or red wine vinegar

For the Raita:
500ml plain yoghurt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
15ml chopped parsley
30ml chopped fresh mint
15ml chopped fresh chives

Method:
For the lamb kebabs:
Soak about 30-40 skewers in water at room temperature for about an hour. Combine the lamb, onion, garlic, spices, herbs and wine in a bowl, mixing well with the fingers. Shape a tablespoon or more of mixture around the sharp end of each skewer. Put the loaded skewers on a tray in the fridge for about an hour - or overnight if you are preparing them the day before - so that they can set and firm up. Just before serving, grill over prepared hot coals until browned all over and cooked through. Serve hot with herbed raita.

For the Herbed Raita:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. If desired, put a little into individual dipping bowls for each guest.

Vegetarian Lentil Curry

Like other legumes, lentils are low in fat and high in protein and fibre, making them a good meat replacement. Lentils have a mild, often earthy flavour with the added advantage of cooking quickly and are best cooked with quite strong spices. The best and most delicate of lentils are the French or puy lentils, which are greyish green in colour with a peppery flavour. They tend to hold their shape well but take longer to cook than other lentils. The milder brown lentils also hold their shape while cooking but become mushy if overcooked. Lentil curry is usually served with Indian breads and rice.

Ingredients:
160ml finely diced onion
160ml finely diced carrot
160ml finely diced celery
15ml olive oil
15ml chopped garlic
15ml curry powder
5ml ground cumin
5ml dried thyme
2ml freshly ground black pepper
2ml cayenne pepper
1 cup sorted and rinsed dried puy lentils
750ml water
1 litre trimmed and shredded chard stems
10ml rich soy sauce
15ml olive oil

Method:
In a large saucepan oer medium heat, fry the onion, carrot and celery in olive oil for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic, curry powder, cumin, thyme, black pepper and cayenne pepper and fry for another minute.

Add the lentils and water, stir well to combine and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the chard stems and the soy sauce, cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the lentils are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat. Check seasoning and serve.

Spiced Chicken Kebabs

Whether for a quick supper, for party food or for a braai or barbecue, meat on a stick always goes down well. These chicken skewers are easy to make and delicious.

Ingredients:
For the Chicken Kebabs:
2 eggs
10ml ground cumin
10ml chilli powder
5ml white pepper
5ml garum masala
60g coriander leaves, finely chopped
20ml grated root ginger
12 cashew nuts, ground
1 onion, finely chopped
30ml vegetable oil
1kg chicken breasts, minced
2ml salt

For the minted mango yoghurt:
150ml natural yoghurt
30-50ml mango chutney
20-30ml mint sauce

Method:
To make the Kebabs:
Soak 6 wooden skewers in cold water for about an hour. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl then add the remaining ingredients. Mix well, blending with the fingers to bring the meat together like sausage meat. Divide into 6 equal portions, then with wet hand, shape each portion around one of the wet wooden skewers to form a smooth long sausage. Put in the fridge for an hour to firm up.
Cook the chicken skewers over a medium-high heat on a flat griddle plate or a ridged griddle pan, turning over or twice until the meat is browned at the edges and cooked through.
Serve with minted mango yoghurt.

To make the Minted Mango Yoghurt:
Mix the three ingredients together and serve with the chicken skewers in a separate bowl.

Favourite Indian Sweets

There are a great variety of Indian sweets and desserts, the wide range ensured by the profuse use of rice, vermicelli, ground wheat, milk and a host of other ingredients. Traditionally Indiand serve a sweet at the beginning of a meal as a gesture of goodwill, although today in many South African Indian homes, this custom is falling away. In keeping with the western influence, the sweet dish may be served at the end of the meal as the hostess endeavours to lull the most voracious of appetites into quiet appreciation and to placate those with a sweet tooth. There are many western sweet dishes that are great favourites on Indian tables. Halwas and lagans may be called the equivalent of western puddings and mithais may be compared to fudge, although strictly there can be no comparison as they are quite different, and who could ever forget Burfee once they have tasted it?

My first introduction to Indian sweets came the year I started work and our Indian staff members brought Diwali cakes to share at work. Having an unbelievable sweet tooth, I could have eaten the lot in one go. I loved them! My plan is to share some of them here, the easier to make ones that is as some are very complicated to make. My absolute favourite has to be Gulaab Jamun, or Indian Doughnuts.

Galaab Jamun - Indian Doughnuts

Ingredients:
For the doughnuts:
325ml flour
3ml bicarbonate of soda
10ml baking powder
30ml semolina
3ml finely ground cardamom powder
30ml ghee
1 tin condensed milk
Ghee or vegetable oil for deep frying

For the syrup:
250ml water
375ml sugar
5ml rose water

Method:
Put the dry ingredients and the cardamom powder in a bowl. Rub in the ghee then blend in the condensed milk to make a soft dough. Roll the dough into a thick sausage and cut off 1 cm pieces. Roll each piece into a sausage the length and thickness of a forefinger. These can also be made as round balls if you prefer.

Deep-fry these in batches over medium heat. The fat should not be too hot or the doughnuts will not swell. Remove from the fryer with a slotted spoon when golden brown and drain on kitchen paper. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup.

Boil together the water, sugar and rose water until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is beginning to thicken. Reduce the heat to very low so as to just keep warm.

Once the doughnut balls have drained off any residual oil, plunge them into the syrup for about 30 seconds. Remove from the syrup with a clean slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack. Allow them to cool before serving.

Marie Biscuit Date Delights

Marie Biscuits are one of the favourite biscuits in South Africa,
the UK equvalent of which would be Sweet Tea Biscuits.

Ingredients:
2 packets of Marie Biscuits, crushed in chunks, not crumbled
250g butter
250ml sugar
750g pitted dates, chopped
1 egg, beaten
30ml coconut

Method:
Place the butter and sugar in a pot and melt together. Add the chopped dates and simmer gently until the mixture is soft and well blended. Allow to cool slightly before adding the egg. Add the beaten egg, blending into the mixture quickly so the egg does not scramble. Finally add the crushed biscuits.

Spread the mixture on greased baking trays, flattening smoothly. Sprinkle the top with desicated coconut. Leave in the fridge for about an hour to set. Cut into slices or squares.


Larwa - Almond Balls
Ingredients:
For the syrup:
500g suagr
250ml water
For the Lawa Balls:
500ml chana flour
7.5ml baking powder
10ml solid ghee
250ml water
10ml egg yellow colouring
slivered almonds
Method:
To make the Syrup:
Put the sugar in a pan with the water and heat to disolve. Simmer until the syrup becomes sticky, but does not form threads. Remove it to the side of the stove so that it keeps warm.
To make the Lawa Balls:
Mix together the chana flour and baking powder and rub in the ghee. Add the water and mix to form a thick batter. Press this through a meat mincing machine on a small setting and transfer the 'worms' to a pan of hot oil to fry until golden. Transfer the bhoondis, or worm shaped fried larwa bits, to the hot syrup and steep them until all the syrup is absorbed. Cool and set aside for a couple of hours, then mould the resulting dough into balls about the size of golf balls. Roll these balls in the slivered almonds.

Burfee - Indian Fudge

As you will find, if you attempt this delicacy, I've left the best till last. Burfee is the closest to fudge you can get in Indian sweets. It's creamy and almost sickeningly sweet, but is a firm favourite with those who enjoy sweetmeats. Although it is quite a difficult thing to make, I believe all good things are worth taking the trouble over!

Ingredients:
For the Mawa:
3 litres milk
For the Burfee:
500g mawa
40ml double cream
30ml ground almonds
250g full-fat milk powder
500ml water
360g sugar
2.5ml fine ground cardamom powder
15ml rose water
icing sugar for dusting
Method:
To make the Mawa:
Using 500ml at a time, boil the milk rapidly over high heat, stirring all the time to make sure it does not catch on the bottom of the pan, until a hard lump remains. Remove this hard lump and set aside. Continue with the rest of the milk until you have 500g of mawa.
To make the Burfee:
The mawa will be hard and lumpy so cut it up into pieces and put it into a mixing bowl. Add the cream, almonds and milk powder and blend well. Leave aside for a few hours to dry. Put in a fodd processor and blitz, then set aside again for an hour or two.
In a saucepan, make a syrup with the water and sugar, stirring till all the grains of sugar are disolved in the water. Bring the syrup to the boil, then lower the heat and continue to simmer until the syrup is reduced by about a third in volume and is thickened, but not sticky. Add cardamom and rose water.
Add the cream and milk mixture to the syrup over low heat and stir till the syrup is absorbed into the cream and milk mixture. Remove from the heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Leave for a couple of hours before patting it into ice cube size blocks. Dust with icing sugar and leave to dry.

Indian Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is an old favourite of so many peoples and nations, and there are as many recipes for is as there a nationalities that make it, and more. My variation of it takes inspiration from both my grandmothers, the one English and the other Dutch (Afrikaans), as well as from the Indian influences I was exposed to in Natal, South Africa. Although this recipe is made from dry rice, I often make it with left over cooked rice, reducing the amount of milk used., or just using cream, as the will takes me on the day, but this is my standard recipe for this delicious family favourite.

There is a little story, which I recall from my childhood about rice pudding. My Ouma Nelly, my Afrikaans grandmother, told us that rice pudding was a meal you ate in heaven from a silver bowl with a golden spoon. My other English gran, Granny Alice, insisted there had to be something mighty wrong with you if you didn't like rice pudding!

Ingredients:
100g pudding rice, short grain rice or risotto rice
1 litre milk
300ml double cream
4-5 green cardamom pods (use white if you can get them, they are sweeter)
50-60ml sugar
15ml rose water
125ml sultanas
30ml sherry
2-5ml cinnamon
30g toasted slivered almonds

Method:

Place the rice in a bowl, cover with boiling water and set aside to soak for 10 minutes, after which it can be drained ready to go in the pan. Meanwhile, soak the sultanas in the sherry, warming them in the microwave for about 20 seconds just to plump them up.

Heat a heavy-based saucepan, add the drained rice, milk and double cream to which the cardamom pods and sugar have been added. Stir to bring to the boil over medium heat. Check for sweetness and add more sugar if you like. Reduce the heat and simmer for a further 20 minutes.

Add the rosewater and soaked sultanas, with their liquor, and simmer for a few minutes before serving hot, sprinkled with cinnamon and toasted slivered almond.

Dry Chicken and Coconut Curry

In Asia, coconut is used extensively in cooking. It add an exotic flavour to a multitude of dishes. Although it is normally used to create a sumptuous creamy sauce, here it creates quite a dry sauce, which richly coats the chicken. Serve with the ubiquitous rice and chutneys or sambals of your choice.

Ingredients:
500g chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces on the bone
400ml tin of coconut milk

For the curry paste:
1 inch piece of root ginger, peeled and chopped
grated zest of 1 lime
1 piece of salted anchovy
6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 bunch of fresh coriander stalks and leaves, reserving some leaves for garnish
3 shallots, chopped and peeled
1 stalk of lemon grass, chopped
2 fresh long thin green chillies, chopped
3ml caraway seeds, crushed
3ml coriander seeds, crushed

Method:

Put all the ingredients for the curry paste into a mini-blender ad whiz to a smooth paste.

Heat the coconut milk in a heavy-based saucepan and add the chicken. Bring to a simmer and gently simmer until the chicken is tender. If during this process the coconut milk gets too thick, add a little water.

When the chicken is nearly cooked, stir in the curry paste and continue cooking gently until the chicken is coated with the sauce and is really quite dry.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with accompaniments of your choice.

Parathas

Central and North Pakistan are known for the making of the fried breads known as parathas. They are served with curries, roast and kebabs. They may seem a little fiddly to make, but the end result speaks for itself.

Ingredients:
750ml flour
5ml salt
15ml ghee
cold water

flour for dusting
soft butter to spread
ghee for greasing the griddle or frying pan

Method:

Sift the flour and salt, then rub in the ghee to a crumb consistency. Add just enough water to mix the crumb into a firm dough. Put it in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film, leaving to stand for 3 hours.

Knead on a floured board for 15 minutes until it is soft and elastic. Divide into 6 balls and roll each out like a roti or pancake to the size of a dinner plate. Spread with soft butter.

With a knife, make a slit into each circle of dough from centre to edge - a radius cut. Fold over about 25-30 degrees and roll up until you have a cone shape. Put the cone base on the rolling board with the cone tip on top and press down onto the board, twisting about 90 degrees as you do so to form a twirled dough bun that resembles a hair bun or winkle shell.

Leave these 'buns' to rest for about half an hour before finally rolling out to plate size circles again. Grease a griddle with ghee and grill (or in a large greased heavy-based frying pan) until freckled and golden.

Serve hot.

Naan Bread

Although naan is a flat bread, it is a leavened bread - that is it's made with yeast. The word 'naan' comes from the Persian and means 'bread' or 'food'. It is one of the most popular breads in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, which has a perfect softness that allows one to tear it in pieces with which a curry can be scooped up and eaten or your plate can be wiped with for the last bit of flavour at the end of a meal. Naan comes in many flavours and varieties, but is always delicious. It's traditionally baked in a 'tandoor', a form of clay oven, however they can be baked in a normal electric or gas oven.

Ingredients:
20g fresh yeast
2ml salt
15ml sugar
250ml lukewarm water
100ml sugar
50ml vegetable oil
60ml ghee
2 eggs
15ml fennel seed
345ml water
345ml milk (room temperature)
1750ml bread flour
Extra butter and salt to glaze and garnish.

Method:

Mix the yeast, 15ml sugar, 2ml salt and warm water together in a bowl and set it aside until it is all frothy.

Cream together the oil, 100ml sugar and the ghee in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. add in the fennel seeds and mi them into the batter along with the yeast mixture, and the extra water and milk.

Fold in the flour to create a dough, folding it all into a ball. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and leave it in a warm place to double in size.

Remove the dough from the bowl and knead until it is smooth and elastic. Divide it into 6 portions, moulding each into a disc of about 8 inches and about 1 inch high. Leave these to rise and double again.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Roll each disc out to a flat oblong or pear shaped flat-bread and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and smear each naan with a little butter and sprinkle with a pinch of salt while the bread is still warm.

Rezala

Rezala is a Bangladeshi and Bengali mild lamb or goat curry with saffron, rose water, yoghurt or curd, lightly spiced with cardamom and cassia. As a dish for high days and holy days, it's almost a sweet and sour, rich and poor representation of the people of the land from which it comes. If you can get goat, well and good, but if not, make it with lamb or hogget, as I have here. Hogget is lamb that is past its first year and has far more taste and flavour than lamb.

Ingredients:
4 onions, halved
3-4 inch piece of root ginger, roughly chopped
8-9 cloves garlic
100g ghee or clarified butter
10 green cardamom pods
3-4 sticks of cassia bark (tuj or Chinese cinnamon)
1.5kg shoulder of hogget, cut into 1-2 inch cubes
250g full-fat natural yoghurt
15ml dark muscovado sugar
5ml salt
6 dried chillies
30ml rose water
a loose pinch of saffron threads
2 long thin green chillies, cut lengthways
zest and juice of a lime

Method:
Thinly slice half the onions and roughly chop the rest. Put the roughly chopped onions in a blender with the ginger and garlic and blend to a smooth paste.

Heat the ghee in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium to high heat. Add the cardamom and cassia and leave to sizzle for a short while until they give off an aromatic odour.

Add the sliced onion and fry for about 10 minutes until the onion is past being translucent and has quite a bit of colour. Add the onion paste and fry another 5 minutes, stirring as they cook so as not to allow them to catch on the bottom of the pan.

Add the hogget and fry for 5 minutes, stirring to cook the meat all over. Now add the yoghurt, a little at a time, stirring between each addition for a minute or so before making the next addition. This is to ensure that the yoghurt does not split - stirring is essential. Continue untill all the yoghurt is added, then mix in the sugar and salt. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about half an hour.

Meanwhile soak the dried chillies in enough boiling water to cover them and leave to soak for half an hour. Soak the saffron in rose water in a small bowl, crushing the threads a little with the back of a teaspoon. Place the bowl over a dish of hot water so as to warm it and leave it to soak for half an hour.

Drain the soaked chillies and finely chop them - or put them in a blender and pulse tow or three times to chop - don't whizz or they will become a paste, which you don't want. Stir the chopped chillies into the meat with the split green chillies and the saffron and rose water.

Cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer for another half an hour or until the meat is tender. Remove the lid, stir in the lime zest and juice and check the seasoning, adding more salt if required.

Serve with sticky rice, naan bread or parathas.

Cucumber Sambal

Sambals, or Kachoomers as they are also known, are like little salads that are served with curries and rice dishes. They are quick and easy to make and are normally served in little dishes for diners to help themselves as they require. They may be made from cucumber, onion, radish, carrot, lettuce or tomato, but cucumber and onion is a particular favourite in our family.

Ingredients:
2 inch piece of cucumber
half an onion
30ml malt vinegar
30ml basic dhunia chutney

Method:
Dice the cucumber into 1/2 cm cubes and set aside in a small mixing bowl.
Finely chop the onion and add to the cucumber.
Add the vinegar to the onion and cucumber.
Mix in the basic dhunia chutney.

Basic Dhunia Chutney
2 whole peppercorns
1 bunch of coriander leaves (dhunia)
2 long thin green chillies
2 cloves of garlic
2ml cumin seeds
2ml salt
Juice of 1 lemon

Put all the ingredients in a mini blender and blend to a smooth paste. Make up as required or store in quantity in an airtight container in the fridge until required. Keeps for a week or more in the fridge. For a variation, mint can also be added to this chutney.

Mughlai Chicken Korma

Moghul or Mughlai cuisine is the most popular cuisine of the Indian subcontinent and the recipes are considered to be the jewel among traditional Indian recipes. This cuisine, which is famous for its use of exotic spices, evolved in the imperial kitchens of the Moguls, who were renowned for their style and splendour. The cuisine has a strong Persian and Turkish influence, and ranges from mild to rather spicy, cooked with fresh ground and whole spices as well as often being creamy and rich with milk products like cream, yoghurt or dahi, a cultured sour milk. Mughlai cuisine represents the cooking style of much of northern India and Pakistan.

Korma refers to the cooking method - braising - and not to a particular set of ingredients as is commonly thought, but is usually a mild creamy curry fragrant with cardamom, saffron and the rose water favoured by the Persians.

This curry is a rich yellow from the most expensive spice in the world - saffron (don't be tempted to use turmeric, it will not give the same colour or flavour) - it's creamy with yoghurt and cream thickened with ground almonds and peppered with poppy seeds.

Ingredients:
30ml white poppy seeds
30ml rose water
a loose pinch of saffron threads
3-4 inches root ginger, roughly chopped
8-10 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
40-50ml water
1 inch cinnamon stick
10 green cardamom pods, seeds only
10ml coriander seeds
2ml grated nutmeg
5ml salt
250g full fat yoghurt
700g chicken, skinned and removed from the bones cut into 1-2 inch pieces
2-3 large onions, roughly chopped
50g ghee or clarified butter
50g ground almonds
2ml white pepper
40-50ml water
3 long thin green chillies, halved lengthways
75-100ml double cream

Method:

Heat a dry, heavy based frying pan over a medium heat, add the poppy seeds and shake them around a few seconds until they darken slightly and give off a nutty aroma. tip into a spice grinder and leave to cool. When cool enough, grind them into a fine powder and set aside in a small bowl.

Warm the rose water, add the saffron threads and set aside to soak.

Put the ginger and garlic in a mini blender with 40-50 ml water and blend to a smooth paste.

Heat a small heavy-based pan over a low heat and add the cinnamon, cardamom seeds, and coriander seeds, shake them around a about 30 seconds until the darken and give off an aromatic aroma. Tip them into a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.

Put the garlic and ginger paste, ground spices, nutmeg, yoghurt and salt into a bowl and mix together. Add the chicken and blend into the mixture, ensuring that all the chicken is covered. Leave to marinate for about 30 minutes, but not longer than an hour. Leaving it for longer can make the meat too soft and mushy.

Meanwhile, put the onion in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Heat the ghee in a large, heavy-based pan and add the onion. Fry gently over a low-medium heat until the onion just starts to brown. Add the chicken and all the marinade, the ground almonds, white pepper and about 50ml water. Gently blend everything together and bring to a gentle simmer. cover with the lid not quite in place so as to allow a little steam to escape and simmer for about 25 minutes.

Remove the lid from the pot, add the chillies, ground poppy seeds and saffron water and simmer, uncovered for a further 5 minutes. At this stage the sauce should be quite thick. Add the cream and simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring gently and your delicious curry is ready to serve.

Serve with boiled basmati rice, papadums and cucumber sambal.

Brinjal and Tomato Curry

When we lived in Natal I made this curry with the long finger brinjals grown by the local Indian population. Of about the same dimensions as a courgette, they hold their shape well when cooked and are firmer and sweeter than the regular Mediterranean aubergines. If you can't find the long finger brinjals, use the regular large ones that are usually available but cut them into 6-8 pieces lengthways for more even cooking.

Preparing the brinjals by macerating in salt and then brushing with oil, rather than putting oil in the pan to fry them, prevents them from absorbing too much oil, which would make the finished dish very greasy.

Although courgettes don't feature in Indian cooking, they can also be used to make this curry, as can potatoes, sweet potatoes and pumpkin or butternut squash.

This is a great side dish to have with other Indian food or as a vegetarian meal with Naan bread, sticky rice, raita or chutney.

Ingredients:
600g brinjals, preferably the Indian finger brinjals
5ml salt
150ml vegetable oil
30ml ginger puree
30ml garlic puree
2 long thin green chillies, finely chopped
40-50ml water
10ml fennel seeds
5ml cumin seeds
15ml freshly ground coriander seeds
2ml turmeric
400g chopped tomatoes, tinned is fine
2ml freshly ground black pepper
50ml water
2ml salt
15ml chopped fresh coriander
15ml chopped fresh mint

Method:

Trim the brinjals at both ends and cut in half lengthways. Toss them with about a teaspoon of salt and set aside in a colander to macerate for about 10 minutes.

Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Pour oil into a shallow dish. Brush the brinjal pieces with oil and then fry them in the hot pan for 3-4 minutes on each side until well browned. Set aside in a bowl and repeat with the remaining brinjals until all are cooked.

Put the ginger, garlic and chilli in a mini blender with about 40-50 ml water and blend to a smooth paste.

Put 30ml of the remaining oil into the frying pan and add the cumin and fennel seeds. When they begin to fizz, allow them to do so for about 30 seconds before adding the prepared paste and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Add the coriander and turmeric, followed shortly by the tomatoes, black pepper, 50ml water and 2ml salt. Cover and leave to simmer over low heat for 8-10 minutes until reduced and thickened.

Return the fried brinjals to the pan and toss carefully to coat in the sauce. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then fold in the fresh herbs and serve.

Beef Kofta Curry

I'm back on the curry wagon again, but this time with a difference. This is the Bangladeshi version of meatballs in tomato sauce. You can serve it with spagetti, with chinese noodles or with rice if you prefer. Which ever way you serve it, it's spicy and delicious.

Ingredients:
30ml coriander seeds
15ml cumin seeds
10ml garam masala
10ml paprika
2ml tandoori masala
10ml powdered tumeric
135ml vegetable oil
5ml salt
3 large onions, finely chopped
9 cloves of garlic, crushed
700g minced beef
1 egg, beaten
5ml salt
8 green cardamom seeds
6 whole cloves
3 inch cinnamon stick, broken into small pieces
200g chopped tomatoes, canned is fine
15ml tomato paste
300ml water
24 curry leaves
5 green chillies (long thin ones), slit open lengthways
5ml salt

Method:

Heat a dry, heavy-based pan over a high heat. Add the coriander and cumin seeds and shake them around for a few seconds until they darken slightly and start to give off an aromatic aroma. Tip them into a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder If you don't have one of these wonderful little machines, use a pestle and lortar. Once ground, mix in the garam masala, paprika, tandoori masala and turmeric.

Heat 100ml of the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and fry gently for 10-12 minutes until soft and lightly browned. Add the ground spices and 5ml of salt to the onions and cook gently for another 3-4 minutes. Transfer half of this mixture to a mixing bowl and leave to cool.

Add the minced beef, beaten egg and 5ml salt to the spiced onion mixture in the mixing bowl and mix together well, using your hands. Shape into about 28 golfball sized neatballs and set aside.

To the sweated onions left in the pan, add the green cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon stick together with the tomatoes, tomato paste, 300ml water, curry leaves, chillies and another 5ml of salt and bring to a gentle simmer.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the meatballs, in batches, frying them for 2-3 minutes, turning them now and then until they are lightly browned all over. Onced browned, drop them into the sauce, part cover and simmer for 20 minutes, carefully stirring every now and then, until the meatballs are quite firm and the sauce has reduced and thickened.
Serve hot with spagetti, noodles or rice.

Asparagus and Spring Onion Tart

Here's a delectable tart to bake in a celebration of spring. If it is at another time of the year when you can't get fresh asparagus it can be made with canned asparagus spears or salad cut asparagus.

Ingredients:
Shortcrust pastry
1 egg white, lightly beaten to glaze
10 spring onions, trimmed
20g butter
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
350g fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and lower ends peeled
2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
250ml double cream
100g medium cheddar, grated

Method:
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a large circle, 2-3mm thick. Line a tart tin (23-24cm round, 2-3cm deep, removable base), leaving a little excess overhanging the rim. Chill in the fridge for 30-40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line the tart case with baking paper and baking beans and blind bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes. Leave to cool slightly, then trim off the excess pastry around the rim. Brush the inside of the pastry case to glaze. Leave to cool while you prepare the filling. Reduce the oven setting to 180C.

Slice the spring onions on the diagonal. Melt the butter in a pan and add the spring onions with a little seasoning. Fry over a medium heat until soft but not browned. Remove and allow to cool slightly.

Add the asparagus spears to a pan of boiling salted water and blanch for 2-3 minutes. Drain under cold running water and drain well. Halve the asparagus spears lenghtways.

Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and cream together in a bowl. Add three quarters of the cheese and season well with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle half the remaining cheese over the pastry base, then sprinkle over a layer of spring onions. Arrange the asparagus spears on top and carefully pour in the cream mixture over the top until it reaches just below the rim of the pastry. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for 35-45 minutes until the filling is set and golden. Leave to cool in the tin before unmoulding.
Serve war or at room temperature.

Shortcrust Pastry

This pastry can be used for both sweet and savoury pies and flans.

Ingredients:
200g plain flour
2ml fine sea salt
100g cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
50-60ml ice-cold water

Method:
Put the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and whiz for 10 seconds, or until the mixture resembles course bread crumbs. Tip into a bowl. Add about 40-50 ml of ice-cold water and mix with a knife until the dough just comes together. If it seems too dry, add a little more water, but don't allow it to become too wet.
Lightly knead the dough into a smooth ball,wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

Poppy Seed Bloomer

This British version of the chunky baton loaf found all over Europe is a rustic white bread. It is made by a slower rising method than most breads with less yeast than usual, which produces a loaf with fuller flavour that keeps for longer than other breads. The dough takes 8 hours to rise, so you will need to start this bread in good time before it is required, but the wait is worth it in the end.

Poppy seeds are not the only topping you could use; sesame seeds are also used as are caraway seeds or fennel, and finely grated hard cheeses like parmesan and mature cheddar, or even very finely chopped onion or garlic and herbs.

Ingredients:
675g unbleached white bread flour
10ml salt
15g fresh yeast
430ml water

For the Topping:
2.5ml salt
30ml water
poppy seeds for sprinkling

Method:
Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Mix the yeast and 150ml of the water in a jug. When well creamed, add the remaining water.

Sift the flour and salt toghether in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the yeast mixture to the well in the flour and mix, gradually incorporating the surrounding flour until the mixture forms a firm dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surafce and knead the dough well for at least 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise at room temperature for 5-6 hours, or until doubled in size.

Knock back the dough, turn out on a lightly floured surface and knead it forcefully for about 5 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and leave to rise again for 2 hours or longer at room temperature.

Knock the dough back again and repeat the kneading process. Leave the dough to rest for 5 minutes, then roll out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Roll the dough up from one long side and shape it into a square ended thick baton shape about 13 x 5 inches.

Place the baton seam side up on a lighly floured baking sheet, cover and leave to rest for 15 minutes. Turn the loaf over and place on the prepared greased baking sheet. Plump up by tucking the dough under at the sides and ends. Using a sharp knife, cut 6 diagonal slashes on the top.

Cover and leave to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 230C.

Mix the salt and water for the topping and brush it over the bread to glaze. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Spray the oven with water and bake the bread for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 200C and bake for a further 25 minutes until the loaf is golden on top. Tranfer to a wire rack and cool.

Cook's Tip:

The traditional cracked, crusty appearnace of this loaf is not easy to achieve in a domestic oven, but the result is best achieved by spraying the oven with water before baking. If the base of the laof is not very crusty at the end of baking, turn the loaf over on the baking sheet, switch off the oven and leave the loaf in the oven for about 5-10 minutes.

For a more rustic laof, replace up to half the flour with wholemeal bread flour and sprinkle the top with bran and your choice of other topping.

Creamed Haddock on Toast with Leek, Asparagus & Spiced Cashew Nuts

Enriching smoked haddock with leek, asparagus and cream gives the fish a sumptuous silky texture, while the nuts add a sweet spicy tang that cuts through the richness perfectly.

Ingredients:
450g smoked haddock fillets
30ml olive oil
1 large leek, white parts only, trimmed and finely sliced.
350g asparagus spears cut into half inch pieces
300ml double cream
grated nutmeg
4 slices of country bread (eg. Poppy Seed Bloomer)
30-50g Spiced Cashews, roughly chopped

Method:
Bring a wide, shallow pan of water to the boil and add the haddock fillets, skin side down. Poach gently for 3-4 minutes until the flesh is just cooked and flakes easily. Using a fish slice, carefully transfer the fish to a plate and leave to cool for a few minutes. While still warm, flake the fish, discard the skin and remove any pin-bones.

Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the leek and sweat for 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and saute for another 3 minutes. Pour in the cream and simmer to reduced and thicken the sauce. Fold through the flaked fish. Grate over the nutmeg and check seasoning. You may bot need to add salt as smoked haddock is usually quite salty. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Toast the bread slices and place on warm plates. Pile the smoked haddock mixture onto the toast slices and sprinkle over the spiced cashew nuts. Serve at once.

Scallop Mousse with Herbs and Asparagus

Asparagus and scallops make great partners. These warm timbales of scallop mousse with fresh herbs and asparagus are an exciting entree to a special meal.

Ingredients:
For the Mousse:
15g soft butter
50ml mixed herbs (tarragon, winter savoury, flatleaf parsley, chervil)
150g scallops, white only
2 eggs
200ml double cream
2ml salt
2ml cayenne pepper

For the Garnish and Sauce:
25g butter
150g asparagus tips
1 small shallot, finely chopped
75ml dry white wine
100ml double cream
juice of a quarter of a lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
2 large scallops, white only
5ml vegetable oil

Method:
Preheat the oven to 160C.

For the Mousse:
Brush 4 ramekin dishes generously with butter and stick a layer of herb leaves into the butter on the sides of the ramekins.

Blend the scallops and eggs in a food processor for one minute, or until smooth. Add the cream, salt and cayenne pepper and blend for a further minute. Divide the mousse evenly between the ramekins and cover each ramekin with foil.

Line a roasting tray or a deep ovenproof dish with kitchen paper and place the ramekins on top. Add enough boiling water to come half way up the sides of the ramekins. Place into the oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes. To check if the mousse is cooked, push a skewer into the centre of one of the ramekins for 10 seconds; it should come out clean and feel hot - touch it to your upper lip, you'll feel the temperature. Set aside and keep warm.

For the Garnish and Sauce:
Heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the asparagus for 2-4 minutes, or until just tender. Remove half of the asparagus from the pan.

Add the shallot and wine to the pan and bring to the boil. Pour in the cream and boil for a further two minutes. Puree the sauce with a hand blender and then pass it through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Add the lemon juice, salt and freshly ground black pepper to season and keep warm.

Preheat a cast iron grillpan to high. Slice the 2 large scallops in half horizontally and drizzle with oil. Season with sea salt and cook on the hot grillpan for 30 seconds on each side. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and keep warm.

To Serve:
Remove the foil from the ramekins, loosen the timbales with a small knife and turn each one out onto a warmed serving plate. Place a slice of grilled scallop on top of each timbale and arrange the asparagus alongside. Drizzle a little sauce on each plate and serve immediately.