Tag: potato

Aloo Gobi – Cauliflower & Potato Curry with Chickpea Flour Pancake

Serves 4 for large mains or 8 as a side

For the curry

1 large onion roughly chopped

1 heaped tsp grated ginger 

2 cloves garlic roughly chopped

1 green chilli roughly chopped

1 tin chopped tomatoes 

1 small cauliflower cut into bite size pieces

2 medium potatoes cut into small dice (bite size)

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tbs sunflower or coconut oil

1/2 tsp turmeric (or haldi)

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp garam masala

Salt and pepper

Water

Half bunch chopped coriander and yoghurt to serve

Chickpea Pancake

Serves 2 as a main

1/2 cup chickpea flour

Sunflower oil

Water

Salt and pepper

Heaped tbs chopped coriander

Method

Cook the potatoes until just tender, just before they are ready add the cauliflower for the last couple of minutes, they should be pretty crunchy still. Drain and set aside.

Heat a Le Creuset on number 6. Meanwhile put the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli in a jug and use the stick blender to make a paste or chuck it in the food processor in the smallest part and blitz. 

Add the oil to the pan and add the mustard and cumin seeds and fry until popping a little, then add the onion paste and fry for a few mins. Add the tinned tomatoes, and the powdered cumin, curry and garam masala and stir well, cook for a few mins stirring regularly. Add some water to slacken off the paste and add the potato and cauliflower to the pan. Stir and turn the heat down to 4 maybe 3, it should just be gently cooking, not boiling.

Heat a large black frying pan on 7. Put the chickpea flour in a medium bowl and add about 1/4 cup water and stir well with a fork to make a smooth paste. Then add some more water you want the mix to be about the consistency of single cream/pancake batter. Add the coriander and season well. 

Add some oil to the frying pan (about 1/2 tbs) and swish around. Add the pancake mix and turn the pan so it is well distributed. Leave until you can see bubbles forming and bursting and that the bottom is brown (it will be about 4-5 mins) then flip over with a fish knife. You might need to add a little more oil…

Check the seasoning of the curry and add more garam masala if needed and some more water if it is too thick. 

Serve with the pancake cut into triangles and some yoghurt and fresh coriander on top. 

amyLeave a comment

Lentil Cottage Pie

Serves 8-10

Olive oil

2 diced onions

2 carrots diced into small cubes

2 sticks celery diced into small cubes

250g dried red lentils

1 tin tomatoes or 2/3 jar passata

1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste

500ml stock (veg or chicken)

Salt and black pepper

6-8 tbs frozen peas

1Kg floury potatoes cut into roast potato size pieces

500g sweet potatoes cut into roast potato size pieces

Skimmed milk

Grated hard cheese like cheddar (optional)

Warm the olive oil in the green Le Creuset on 6 and add the onion, carrot and celery with a large pinch of salt and fry until soft. Once soft add the tomato paste, tinned tomatoes (or passata) and stir well and then add the stock and lentils and stir again, turn the heat down to 5 and add the lid. Keep checking every few minutes and add more water if necessary (it can get dry).

Preheat the oven to 185C (fan) if cooking immediately.

Boil the potatoes while the sauce is cooking and drain and allow the steam to evaporate. Mash well with enough milk to make a smooth mash and season well with salt and pepper.

Check the lentils are cooked, add the frozen peas and season the mix well then smooth down. Ideally allow to cool so it forms a hard base for the mash but not essential.

Add the mash in dollops to the top and carefully smooth down and then fork over. If using the grated cheese sprinkle over the top.

Bake for 30 mins until the top is golden and allow to stand for 5 mins before serving with any green veg.

amyLeave a comment

Potato & Pasta Soup with Greens

            Serves 2

Half a white onion finely diced

1 medium carrot finely diced

1 large stick of celery finely diced

1 tsp Maldon salt

2 tbs olive oil plus more to serve

1 medium sized floury (chip) potato

500ml boiling water

1 chicken stock cube

1 bay leaf

2 handfuls of wholemeal macaroni 

Spinach/Kale couple of large handfuls

Parmesan to serve

Heat a Le Cruset pan on #6 and add the olive oil, salt, onion, carrot and celery and fry until soft, which will be at least 5 mins. Don’t let anything brown, add more oil if you need to. 

While this is cooking cut the potato in half down its longest length and then in half again like this:

Then cut into small pieces, each one about the thickness of a pound coin, like this:

Once the onion, carrot and celery are soft add the potato, stir and cook for a couple of mins in the oil. Add the boiling water, stock cube, bay leaf and a good grind of black pepper. 

Cook until the potato is soft, add the pasta and stir well. Add more water if the soup is too thick. Stir every couple of mins. 

If using spinach or kale, wash and shred it and add to the pan just a min before the pasta is cooked and stir well and let it wilt.

When the pasta is cooked remove the bay leaf. Add a little more water if the pasta has absorbed too much. Taste and season well with salt and pepper and if using parsley chop and add now. 

Serve with olive oil drizzled on top and a grating of fresh Parmesan.

amyLeave a comment