Daal/Lentils / East African Dishes / Gujarati Cooking / Pastry / Snacks and Munchies / Starters/Appetizers / Vegan
Mombasa-style Daal Kachori
Spiced Daal and Green Mango in Flaky Pastry Deep fried starters; once you eat one, you’ll always go back for a second. Fact. Kachori are like the forgotten little sister of samosa – the underdog starter that accidently slipped through the fingers of Western restaurateurs. I cannot emphasise enough how good lentils are with sweet,...
Vitumbua – Tanzanian Doughnuts
Jambo! Flicking through rare East African cookbooks fills me with that familiar, comforting feeling of when I cosy up with my favourite Indian ones. Being nourished with a mishmash of Indian, African and British food has all my life, allowed me to connect and experiment with the culinary cultures of all these cuisines. In other...
Mango and Courgette Salad with Jaggery-Lime Dressing
There are some ingredients in Indian cooking which attract gasps and sighs whenever they’re mentioned. Take ghee for example; no, it’s not good for you – but is a tablespoon of ghee in a curry for four really much worse than a dollop of butter on a jacket potato for lunch, or pouring cream over...
Baby Aubergines Stuffed with Peanut Masala
Stuffing baby vegetables with spicy, nutty masala can be a beautiful thing. It’s nothing new, Gujaratis have been popping a tray of them onto their dinner party tables for years. Stuffed vegetables are, and always have been the ultimate show-off dish – the more extensive the variety of veggies you manage to wangle into the...
Chutneys/Pickles/Dips/Sauces / East African Dishes / Gujarati Cooking / Snacks and Munchies / Starters/Appetizers / Vegan
Crispy Potato Bhajia
Served in paper cones with fried green chillies for that ‘bhajia on the beach’ feel I’ve always been a sucker for ordering too many starters in restaurants, especially when it involves Crispy Potato Bhajia (paper-thin potato slices coated in a bespoke spice blend), Hara Bara Kebabs (pea and cauliflower cakes) and Daal Kachori (spiced daal...
Chilli Lemon Cauliflower
It’s the simple pleasures in life I’ve always appreciated the most; chapattis with mango pickle, paratha dipped in raita and from time to time, maybe peanut butter and banana sandwiches (let’s keep that one between us). From sitting on a Mombasa beach nibbling on maize, smothered with lemon and red chilli powder, to scoffing cassava...
Dudhi Na Muthiya (Steamed Bottlegourd Dumplings)
The prospect of an Indian breakfast is sometimes just the kick I need to pull myself from my cosy bed. This usually only ever takes place on weekends or during time-off from the day job, so it’s always a welcome treat. Along with a spicy breakfast, there’s nothing more satisfying than using up leftovers. This...
Khaman
Guess who’s back? Over the next four weeks I’ll be running a series called Indian Cooking Step-by-Step in which I’ll be exploring classic recipes from a handful of Indian regions. Join me as I prepare Khaman – a Gujarati favourite in under 50 minutes. I’m not too proud to admit that I’m a terrible teacher,...
Peach and Cinnamon Chutney
I will make chutney from any fruits I can get my hands on. Fact. Whether it’s ripe, unripe, something I love or something I’m not too keen on, turning it in to chutney is guaranteed to make it better. There’s something about seasonal peaches bubbling away in their own syrupy goodness that...
Breakfast / International Cuisine / Rice/Grains/Pasta / Starters/Appetizers / Vegan / Vegetable Dishes
Chilli and Sesame Vermicelli
Chilli and Sesame Vermicelli Love noodles? So do I. This quick and easy recipe for spicy vegetable noodles is something I recently made for breakfast. You know I love a hearty breakfast. I needed something warming and flavourful and the chilli heat from these stir-fried noodles really hit the spot. Vermicelli is...
Curried Coconut Noodle Soup
I’ve always been one to get excited when a great big parcel gets delivered to the house. Itching to get my paws on the contents, I rip at packages, chipping nail varnish and not batting an eyelid over it – very strange behaviour. Recently, the lovely people over at Pataks sent me some sample...
