Tomato & cardamom soup

Some new recipes to share with you all, as featured in last months issue of emel magazine with thanks to  Steven Lawson for his lovely photography work for this article

Tomato & cardamom soup

1 onion halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp turmeric
1tsp cayenne pepper
20 fresh curry leafs
25-30 cardamom pods smashed open, seeds removed and ground or 1tbsp pre-ground cardamom
1 tbsp demerera/brown sugar
1200g chopped tomatoes (3 tins)
150g yellow split peas washed & drained
1200 ml water

Sauté the onions over a medium heat with a splash of vegetable oil until they turn golden brown in colour, add garlic, curry leafs and spices and cook for a further 5 min

Add the sugar, tomatoes, split peas and water, stirring occasionally let the soup come to a gentle simmer.  Turning the heat down slightly but still allowing to simmer, cook for 30-45 min until the split peas have  softened, adding additional water if the soup starts to become too thick.

This soup is great served with some warm nann bread

Aubergine chickpea tagine

Aubergine, Chickpea Tagine with flaked almond cous cous & harissa

(Recipe by Daniel Acevedo)

2 cm ginger

1-2 red chillies

3 aubergines

200-300 ml sunflower oil/veg oil

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

2 star anise

1 pinch saffron

3 tins (720g) good quality crushed tomatoes

150g green olives pitted

2 tins (480g) good quality chickpeas

1 tsp salt

Before we start I would like to explain why this recipe contains no garlic or onions.  Over the recent years working as head chef here at Mildred’s restaurant I have noticed an increase in the demand for people requesting food not containing anything from the onion family.

This dish is fairly mild in spice so feel free to add more or less chilli to your liking.  The star anise and saffron in this recipe gives it a unique taste and makes it stand out above your regular tagine.

For better results with this recipe please source quality tinned tomatoes and roasted red peppers from your local deli or even better buy the equivalent weight in very ripe plum tomatoes and red peppers from the market, with tomatoes dice or give a quick blend in a food processor before adding to your tagine, with your red peppers lightly coat with oil, and roast on a high heat in the oven to blister the skin of the peppers, remove from oven and place in a bowl or plastic container covering with cling film to steam the peppers, allow to cool, peel and de-seed peppers ready to use for your harissa sauce.

Time allowing, your chickpeas can also be bought dried from your local deli and soaked overnight about half the amount of dried chickpeas will yield the same amount once cooked so approx 240g.  Drain and cook these chickpeas in 3-4 cups lightly salted water for 1 ½ - 2 hours or until tender.

Prepare your harissa first and allow to cool before starting your tagine and cous cous.

1. Pre heat oven at 180c, cut aubergine in half length ways then into quarters again cut these pieces in half again giving you aubergine wedges approx 7 cm long and 2cm wide, in an oven tray generously coat aubergines with sunflower/veg oil and toss to make sure all the pieces are oiled.  Bake for 15-25 min until aubergines are fully cooked.  

 

2.  Wash or peel the ginger to clean, then along with the chilli finely dice and crush with a chef’s knife into a smooth paste.   Alternatively you can blend this in a food processor to achieve the same result.  In a medium sized pot over a low heat lightly fry your paste for 7-8 min

3.  Lightly Toast your coriander, cumin, and star anise seeds in the same manner as your harissa spices, grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder and add to ginger chilli mix along with your pinch of saffron and fry further for a few min.

4.  Add crushed tomatoes, salt and simmer on low heat for 20min

5.  Drain your chickpeas and add to the tagine along with your cooked aubergines and simmer  on a very low heat for a further 10-15 min(at this time you’re ready to prepare your cous cous, see recipie below).   

6.  Remove Tagine from heat and serve with cous cous,  garnish with some fresh coriander  and a side of harissa.

Flaked almond Cous cous

400g cous cous

450ml water

2 tsp Vegetable stock powder

50g toasted flaked almonds

1 pickled lemon very finely diced

100ml lemon juice

100ml extra light olive oil

Pinch of Salt & Pepper

1. Boil water along with pickled lemons, salt and pepper
2. Once water has come to the boil remove from heat and add your cous cous along with lemon juice & olive oil, mixing thoroughly,  cover and allow to sit for 15-20 min.

Harissa

400g roasted peppers or good quality tinned roasted red peppers

2 chillies

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp salt

50ml  extra light olive oil

To roast the peppers, simply scorch over an open flame, on a chargrill or under the grill in your oven until the skins are blistered and black. Put in a bowl and cover with clingfilm so they steam. When cool enough to handle, then skins should come away easily. 

1. Lightly Toast your cumin seeds in a pan on the lowest heat setting for 4-5 min, adding the smoked paprika  at the last min for a light toasting, remove from heat and grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder.

2.  Drain your peppers and blend in a food processor along with your chillies, spices, salt and oil for 5-10 min until you have a very smooth sauce.  You can also pass the harissa through a small to fine sieve for a smoother result.

3. Set aside and allow to cool

Serve all three together with some warm flat bread. 

Tofu Bolognese

Tofu Bolognaise 
(recipe By Daniel Acevedo)

1 parsnip

1 carrot

1 onion 

3 celery sticks

1/2 fennel bulb

250g tofu

4 cloves garlic

1Tbsp dry oregano

2 bay leaf

1 tsp fennell seeds

1 tsp cinnamon

3 tsp smoked paprika

300ml red wine
1 cup water

3 tins chopped tomatoes (1200g)

Crumble the tofu onto a baking tray, lightly oil and season with salt, pepper and oregano, bake this in the oven at 180c until it starts to brown slightly (approx 15-20 min).  You don't have to bake the tofu you cad add it fresh to the sauce, I prefer baking as it gives the tofu a better texture.

Dice onion, celery, fennel, parsnip and carrot into small cubes and thinly slice or crush your garlic.
In a med sized pot, Lightly fry you garlic and onions for a few minutes, then add the rest of the vegetables and cook for a further 5 min.  Add your herbs, cooking for a further 4-5 min, this helps release the flavor of the herbs.

Add the red wine, letting this simmer for a good 10 min before adding your tomatoes, water and fresh or cooked tofu, simmer this on a low heat for a good 20-30 min.

serve with you favorite pasta and cheese for the non vegans out there.

Okra in Tamarind and Tomato sauce

Okra in Tamarind and Tomato sauce

 

This is a nice simple side dish. I use frozen baby okra which come in 500g bags. If you're using fresh then choose the smaller ones. Trim the top but don't cut them off all together (I'll add some pictures of this soon).

Tamarind paste is a thick, black and very sour. If you're not used to using it it can be a bit alarming when you add it as it will make the sauce a not very attractive brown colour but its tangy and delicious so don't let this put you off.

You could make this a main course by serving with some cous cous and/or flat bread and maybe some yogurt on top. 

(Recipe by Sarah Wasserman)

For the okra:

1 large white onion (finely diced)
2 Tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
1 can chopped tomatoes
100 ml water
1 Tbsp Tamarind paste
1 Tbsp tomato puree
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 bag frozen baby okra or 500g okra
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Handful very roughly chopped coriander

1) Saute the onions in olive oil till transparent and slightly golden on a low heat for about 10 minutes.
2) Add the garlic and cook for two minutes more.
3) Add the tomatoes, tamarind, puree, sugar, water and seasoning. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4) Add the Okra and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
5) Take off the heat and add a handful of coriander and serve.