MOONG BEAN CURRY
Can’t beat a good curry. It’s comforting, filling, packed full of flavour and totally delicious. I am always on the lookout for a new combination an this moong bean curry has been my latest favourite. When cooked the moong beans go all mushy so the overall consistency is more of a Dahl, lusciously creamy. I have used fresh curry leaves which they really make a world of a difference, adding so much fresh vibrancy to the dish. It’s definitely worth to go the extra mile to find them, I got mine from my local Indian shop.
Serve this curry with a generous squeeze of lime to contrast the sweetness of the coconut, some fresh coriander and maybe some naan bread and you soon will go for seconds, it’s honestly that good!
Serves 4-5 people
1 tbsp of mustard seeds
1 tbsp of cumin seeds
A small handful of curry leaves
A thumb size piece of ginger – grated
3 garlic cloves – crushed
1 white onion – finely chopped
1 tbsp of garam masala
1 tsp of turmeric powder
2 tbsp of ground coriander
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tin of coconut milk
Around 3 cups of cooked moong beans – I just soaked my beans overnight for 10-12 hours and then cooked them in my pressure cooker for 20 minutes
A small bunch of fresh coriander
1 tbsp of coconut oil for cooking
The juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
Add the coconut oil to large pan on a medium heat. Once hot add the cumin and mustard seeds. Cook them for few minuets until they start to pop. Add in the curry leaves and stir. Add in the grated ginger and garlic and keep on stirring to prevent from burning. Add in the chopped onion and cook for a couple of more minutes until the onion is translucent and start to caramelise. Add in the cooked moon beans together with the tinned tomatoes and coconut milk. Give everything a good stir. Add in the garam masala, ground coriander, turmeric and a generous pinch of salt. Give everything a mix, put the lid on, turn the heat down to a simmer and let it cook for 20-25 minutes. By having cooked the beans beforehand the curry won’t need to cook for too long. Just five minutes before is ready add some chopped fresh coriander.
CHICKPEA & SPINACH CURRY
You guys know how much I love a good old curry and this one is an absolute winner. Making your own curry paste although it might be a bit time consuming is seriously game changing. The curry overall turned out to be so much more flavoursome and fragrant. For this recipe I have used Califia Unsweetened Almond drink to add a delicious creaminess and nutty flavour to the dish which works so well with the warmth of the spices. I love make a big batch of this curry on a Sunday so I have plenty of leftovers for the week ahead. It’s also perfect for freezing so great for meal prepping too!
Serves 4 people
Ingredients:
For the curry paste:
1 onion- finely chopped
4 garlic cloves – chopped
1 red chilli – chopped
A thumb size piece of ginger – peeled
1 tbsp of ground coriander
1 tbsp of ground cumin
1 tbsp of garam masala
1/2 tbsp of mild curry powder
2 tbsp of coconut oil
2 tbsp of tomato puree
A pinch of salt
For the curry:
2 cans of drained and rinsed chickpeas
1 can of chopped tomatoes
100ml of Califia unsweetened almond drink
1 bag of baby spinach – about 150gr
A bunch of fresh coriander – roughly chopped
Serve it with:
Basmati rice
Naan bread
Optional: I also like to add a handful of chopped roasted peanuts to add a crunchy texture
To make the paste, heat the 2 tbsp of coconut oil in a pan, add in the chopped onion and chilli. Cook for 5-8 minutes until the onion is translucent.
In a food processor add the garlic cloves, the piece of peeled ginger, ground coriander, ground cumin, garam masala, curry powder, tomato purée, salt and the fried onion and chilli. Blend to a smooth paste – add a dash of water or more oil, if needed.
Add the curry paste back to the pan for 2 mins over a medium-high heat, stirring from time to time so it doesn’t burn.
Add in the drained chickpeas and the chopped tomatoes, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the Califia unsweetened almond drink, put the lid on and cook for 20-25 minutes until the sauce has slightly reduced down. Finally add in the chopped coriander and spinach, and cook until wilted.
Serve with rice and naan bread and a sprinkle of chopped roasted peanuts if using.
CANNELINI BEAN & KALE MINESTRONE
ngredients:
Serves 2-3 people
1 onion – finely chopped
1 medium size carrot – finely chopped
1 stick of celery- finely chopped
2 garlic cloves – crushed
1 sprig of rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 tin of cannellini beans – drained and rinsed
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp of tomato puree
1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
Around 500/700ml of veggie stock
A generous handful of kale – roughly chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp of olive oil
For the croutons:
3 slices of sourdough or ciabatta style bread
2 tbsp of olive oil
A sprinkle of salt
Tear the bread into pieces, place them on a baking tray, drizzle with the oil and sprinkle the salt. Give them a good toss and bake them in the oven at 150 degrees Celsius for 25-30 minutes until very crispy.
In the meantime get on with the minestrone. To a large pan add the oil, once hot add in the chopped onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook on medium heat for 8-10 minuets until the onion starts to caramelised. Add in the bay leaf and rosemary. Cook for another minute. Add in the tinned tomatoes, tomatoes puree, balsamic vinegar and beans. Mix everything together and cobra with the veggie stock. Put the lid on and let it cook on a simmer for 30 minutes. Add in the chopped kale and cook for another couple of minutes. Serve with the crunchy croutons on top.
ONE TRAY BEAN CHILLI
Ingredients:
Serves 4
1 onion roughly chopped
1 red pepper – chopped
About 150-200gr of chestnut mushrooms – cut into quarters
1 tin of red kidney beans or black beans – drained and rinsed
1 tin of cannellini beans – drained and rinsed
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tsp of ground coriander
2 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of smoked paprika
2 tbsp of tomato puree/concentrate
1 cup of veggie stock
1tbsp of olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
To serve:
1 avocado – sliced
A spoonful of coconut yogurt
Chopped coriander
Few chopped spring onions
Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. In a roasting tray mix together the mushrooms, onion, red pepper with the spices, salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and add the beans, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree and veggie stock. Give everything a good mix and place it back in the oven for another 35 minutes.
Serve the chilli with the sliced avocado, a dollop of coconut yogurt, fresh coriander and spring onions.
CHICKPEA AUBERGINE & HARISSA TRAY BAKE
This is the perfect mid week dinner, only an handful of ingredients and only tray to wash up! I absolutely love the smoky and spicy flavours from the harissa which goes so well with the aubergine. If you have any leftovers enjoy them the next day as they will be even more delicious!
Ingredients:
1 tin of chickpeas – drained and rinsed
1 aubergine – cut into cubes
3 tbsp of harissa paste
300gr of cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp of tomato puree
3 tbsp of olive oil
The zest of 1 lemon
An handful of chopped mint leaves
Salt & pepper to taste
For the tahini dressing:
3 tbsp of tahini + the juice of 1/2 lemon
2-3 tbsp of water to thin it out
Flatbread to serve
Preheat the oven at 200 degrees celsius. Add the oil to a large baking tray and place it n the oven for 5 minutes until hot. Add the aubergine cubes to the hot oil together with the harissa paste. Mix everything really well so the aubergine get all nicely coated. Place the tray back in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and add the cherry tomatoes. Return the tray to the oven for 20 minutes. Add the drained chickpeas and stir well then return the tray to the oven for a final 10 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, stir in the lemon zest and season with salt & pepper.
To make the tahini dressing simply mix all the ingredients into a bowl until you have a creamy and runny consistency.
Serve the chickpea with a generous drizzle of the tahini dressing, mint leaves and flat bread.
LENTIL SHEPHERD PIE
Ingredients:
Serves 6
2 onions – finely chopped
2 carrots – finely chopped
3 garlic cloves – minced
1 stick of celery – finely chopped
350gr of chestnut mushrooms – cleaned and trimmed
550gr of cooked Puy or green lentils
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 spring of fresh thyme
1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp of marmite (yeast extract)
100ml of water or veggie stock
A generous pinch of salt
A glug of olive oil
For the potato topping:
About 1kg of potato – peeled and chopped into pieces
1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
100ml of unsweetened soy milk
Salt & pepper to taste
Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Add the chopped potatoes to large and cover them with cold water. Add a pinch of salt. Put the lid on and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes for 15 minutes until they are soft. Drain them and put them back into the pan
Add the oil to a large pan together with the chopped onion, carrots and celery. Cook on a medium heat for around 8 minutes until the onion starts to caramelise. Add in the crushed garlic and cook for another few minutes. Remove the leaves from the rosemary and thyme stems and add them to the pan. Mix everything together. Add in the tinned tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and marmite and mix again.
Add all the mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until you have a mince kind of texture. Add the mushrooms to the pan and mix everything together. Add the cooked lentils + water or veggie stock an cook on high heat for about 15 minutes. You want to make sure all the water from the mushrooms evaporates and you are left with a thick and rich ragu. Add the soy milk and mustard to the potties and mash them until you have a smooth puree.
Spread the lentil ragu onto a baking dish. Add on top the mashed potatoes and press them down with fork. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until slightly golden on top. Serve straight away and enjoy!
ONE TRAY LENTIL & CAULIFLOWER CURRY
Ingredients:
Serves 3-4 people
1 white onion – finely chopped
2 garlic cloves – finely chopped
1 tbsp of grated ginger
2 tbsp of curry powder
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 tsp of turmeric powder
2 tbsp of coconut oil
1 can of coconut milk
1 can of green lentils – drained and rinsed
1/2 head of cauliflower – chopped into florets
3tbsp of plain coconut yogurt + extra for serving
Salt to season
Juice of 1 lime + 1 cut into wedges to serve
Warm naan to serve
Heat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Mix the onion, ginger, oil, 2 tbsp curry powder, the mustard seeds with 5 tbsp water in a baking dish. Roast in the oven for 10-15 mins until the onions are softened.
Stir in the drained lentils, the turmeric, cauliflower florets the coconut milk and half a can of water and return to the oven for another 25 minutes. Give the curry a good mix and add in the coconut yogurt and the lime juice.
Serve with more yogurt, lime wedges and some warm naan bread.
