sliced at an angle
100g (4oz) mascarpone cheese or soft cream cheese
3 tbsp milk
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon 3 tbsp torn or sliced fresh basil Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Bring a large pot of water to the boil with a good pinch of salt, then cook the pasta according to the packet’s instructions.
2 While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan over a high heat, then add the courgettes. Cook for 3–4 minutes until just softened and lightly golden. In a bowl, mix together the cheese, milk, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of the basil. Add to the courgettes in the pan and toss together on the heat for 1 minute, until the cheese has melted. Season to taste.
3 Drain the pasta and return to the large pot. Add the creamy courgettes and gently stir to mix. Then pour into a warm serving bowl and scatter with the remaining basil. Serve immediately.
Rachel’s handy tip
If the courgettes are 12cm (4½in) or smaller, there is no need to halve them lengthways or remove the seeds. Just remove the ends and slice thinly.
Creamy Coconut Prawns with Spiced Banana Raita
This is an absolutely divine Bengalese recipe, given to me by a friend, Arun Kapil, who imports spices from his family in India. Seafood is central to the region’s cuisine – every day the locals catch the freshest fish and the plumpest prawns in the Bay of Bengal and typically combine them with tamarind, mild spices and coconut, according to traditional family recipes. Here, Arun has devised this deliciously simple recipe combining prawns, creamy coconut milk, exotic tamarind and an Indian spice blend, panch puran.
SERVES 4
FOR THE PANCH PURAN
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp whole nigella seeds
1 tsp ground fenugreek seeds
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
1 tsp ground cumin seeds
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 level tsp salt
FOR SPICED BANANA RAITA
400ml (14fl oz) natural yoghurt
½–1 tbsp Garam Masala spice
2 good handfuls of raisins (optional), soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drained
2 tbsp freshly chopped mint
1 banana, very thinly sliced
Juice and zest of ½ lime
FOR THE COCONUT PRAWNS
4 tsp mustard oil (or sunflower or corn oil)
1kg (2lb 4oz) peeled tiger prawns
1 tbsp butter, clarified butter or vegetable oil
1 heaped tbsp gram flour (or 1 tbsp of plain flour)
1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
1 generous tbsp tamarind paste mixed with 2 tbsp hot water till mushy, then pushed through a sieve to get rid of the stones
1 chilli, deseeded and diced
450ml (16fl oz) fish stock or water
Salt, to taste
Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
1 To make the panch puran spice blend, mix together all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
2 Then, in a medium-sized bowl, mix the mustard oil and 1 teaspoon of the spice blend. Add the tiger prawns, mix well and set aside for 30 minutes.
3 Make the raita by mixing the ingredients in a medium bowl. Add seasoning to taste and keep to one side.
4 In a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan or wok, heat the clarified butter or oil to smoking point and add the rest of the dry spice blend. Reduce the heat and toast for 10–15 seconds, constantly stirring. Add the flour and stir or whisk until smooth (this should only take about 2 minutes). Don’t worry how it looks at this stage – you’re making a kind of roux and it’s supposed to be a dry(ish) paste.
5 Add the coconut milk, tamarind paste, diced chilli and a good pinch of salt, and keep stirring or whisking until it’s smooth (another couple of minutes). Add the water or fish stock bit by bit until it’s the thickness of double cream.
6 Add the prawns, turn up the heat and bring rapidly to the boil. Turn the heat back down and simmer for only 1 minute until the prawns are just cooked; any longer and they become rubbery.
7 Turn off the heat, add the coriander and a squeeze of lime juice and season to taste. Serve immediately with plenty of basmati rice and the raita.
Rache’s handy tips
You can buy panch puran ready-made from many Asian shops or big supermarkets if you’re short on time. You can also serve this with the Yoghurt and Cucumber Raita on page 119; use half the quantity.
Pasta with Roasted Peppers and Mozzarella
Sometimes the simplest recipes make the best pick-me-ups. This is such a quick and easy meal, and you can just close your eyes and dream of the Tuscan hills. If you keep roasted peppers in the fridge, it’s all the faster to make!
SERVES 4–6
VEGETARIAN
FOR THE ROAST PEPPERS
Olive oil
2 peppers, choose from red, yellow or orange (green peppers can be bitter)
FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
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