until the flesh is opaque and cooked through. Serve with the gratin.
Sri Lankan-style beetroot curry
Serves 4
The beetroot curry from the second night of our Sri Lankan honeymoon has been obsessively recreated in our kitchen ever since. Deep purple, rich with coconut and the earthy, fragrant, smoky flavours of Sri Lankan curry powder, roasted to bring out extra flavour in the spices, it’s a favourite meal for when vegetarian and vegan friends are round. Sri Lankan curries centre around seasonal vegetables cooked with black mustard seeds, fresh curry leaves, roasted curry powder and, crucially, fresh coconut: its luscious oil, reviving water and rich, luxurious cream, which are all added at different stages. A tin of good-quality coconut milk and dried curry leaves make perfectly reasonable substitutes for fresh, but it is worthwhile making the roasted curry powder (see here). This dish is adaptable to almost any vegetable glut– swap beetroot for cauliflower, parsnip or courgette, even runner beans in summer. Serve with black or basmati rice, Tomato, Coconut and Spinach Dahl (see here) and Coconut Sambol (see here).
400g raw beetroot, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
handful of fresh curry leaves (or 2 tsp dried curry leaves)
½ red or white onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
⅔ green chilli, thinly sliced
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 tbsp Roasted Curry Powder (see here)
200ml coconut milk
cooked black or basmati rice, to serve
1 Put the beetroot in a bowl with the fenugreek, chilli powder and 1 teaspoon of the salt and mix by hand.
2 Heat a non-stick frying pan or wok (with a lid to hand) over a medium-high heat. Add the coconut oil and black mustard seeds and fry until they start to sizzle and spit, then add the curry leaves, swirling them around the pan with a wooden spoon to infuse the oil. Now, slide in the onion, garlic, green chilli and the remaining salt. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, until the onion is starting to colour, then add the beetroot and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring to combine it with the contents of the pan.
3 Add the tomato and roasted curry powder and fry for a couple of minutes, until the tomato is starting to break down and release its juice, then add the coconut milk, stirring to combine. Cover and cook, stirring every now and then, for 10–15 minutes, until the beetroot is tender and cooked through and the curry is glossy and reduced. Remove from the heat and serve with rice and yoghurt flatbreads (see here), spinach dahl and coconut sambol on the opposite page.
Tomato, coconut and spinach dahl
Serves 4
Frugal, nourishing and brilliantly flavourful, this dahl uses two kinds of lentil for added texture, and is vegan, so everyone can enjoy it. Before I started making my own, I always imagined dahl took hours and hours to cook, but if you soak the lentils ahead, it’s actually so quick to make. It’s perfect with beetroot curry (opposite) but is also great with a fried egg, roasted cauliflower or broccoli, some fried smoked tofu or aubergine on top.
100g split red lentils
50g split yellow or green lentils
1 tsp salt, plus a pinch
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
handful of fresh curry leaves (or 2 tsp dried curry leaves)
½ red onion, diced
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
5 tbsp creamy coconut milk (fresh or tinned)
2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Soak the lentils together in a bowl of water for a couple of hours, then rinse, drain in a sieve and place in a saucepan. Cover with cold water (about a finger’s tip above the level of the lentils), add the teaspoon of salt and the ground turmeric and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10–15 minutes, until tender but still holding their shape.
2 Meanwhile, melt the coconut oil in a frying pan or wok over a medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and fry until they start to sizzle and pop, then add the curry leaves, onion, cumin, garlic and pinch of salt and cook for a few more minutes, until the onion starts to colour. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes have collapsed and given up their juice.
3 Add 4 tablespoons of the creamy coconut milk and spinach to the dahl and simmer for another 3 minutes, then pour in the contents of the tomato pan, along with the final tablespoon of coconut milk. Stir, taste, season with salt and pepper and serve or keep warm by covering with a tea towel.
Coconut sambol
Serves 2–4
Heaped on the side of the plate and dusted onto every mouthful of curry, this spicy condiment, based on Sri Lankan pol sambol, is at once fiery, tangy with lime juice and cooling with creamy coconut. It can be made ahead and kept in the fridge.
½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
½ red onion, finely chopped
¼ tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
pinch of dried chilli flakes
4 tbsp desiccated coconut or fresh coconut
juice of 1 lime
1 In a pestle and mortar, grind the chilli, red onion, salt, pepper and dried chilli flakes together until well combined and the onion releases some juice.
2 Add the coconut and grind again, then add the lime juice and mix well. Taste and season further with salt and lime if needed. Store in the fridge.
Squishy aubergine, crispy chickpea and broccoli salad
with homemade ferments
Serves 2
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