15g palm sugar
400ml coconut milk
400ml Vegetable Stock (#ulink_e16c5532-38d3-5c63-8f58-8cfb2a6016d4)
2 sweet potatoes (around 600g), peeled and diced into approx. 1.5cm cubes
12 button mushrooms, quartered
8 stalks Tenderstem broccoli
100g fresh or frozen peas
1 × 220g tin sliced water chestnuts, drained
FOR THE GREEN CURRY PASTE
2 green chillies, deseeded and roughly chopped
3 shallots, peeled
4cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 lemongrass stalks
1 bunch of coriander (stalks and roots if possible)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
½ tsp table salt
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
To make the curry paste, put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the curry paste and fry for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until very fragrant.
Add the fish sauce and palm sugar and cook for 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk and vegetable stock and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan, discarding the remnants in the sieve.
Bring the curry sauce to a simmer and season to taste with salt (if needed). Add the sweet potato and cook for 10 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Cook the broccoli in a separate pan of boiling water for 6 minutes, until tender.
Add the broccoli, peas and water chestnuts to the curry, heat through and serve with fluffy rice.
AUBERGINE, FREEKEH AND CASHEW TAGINE (#ulink_0fad0de7-2104-51dc-ad27-8eae487dfc67)
Freekeh is a roasted green wheat that that brings out nuttiness and earthiness in this tagine. It is similar in texture to bulgur wheat but is a little softer. It is readily available in most supermarkets. This is a great midweek meal as it is quick to prepare, but also very satisfying.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
100g cashew nuts
200g freekeh
6 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 tbsp tomato purée
400ml tomato passata or 1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes
250ml Vegetable Stock (#ulink_e16c5532-38d3-5c63-8f58-8cfb2a6016d4)
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp black treacle
50g dried currants
2 tsp saffron stands, soaked in 1 tbsp warm water for 10 minutes
2 aubergines, cut into 2cm dice
1 bunch of coriander, leaves chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE SPICE MIX
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp ground turmeric