Zaika Vegan Recipes From India - Romy Gill

In memory of my beautiful mother who taught me the
importance of sharing knowledge about one’s food with

others, and cooking from the heart.
CONTENTS
Dedication
Title Page
Foreword by Allan Jenkins
Introduction
BREADS
GRAM FLOUR TURMERIC PANCAKES
ROTI
MAKKI DI ROTI
BAJRA ROTI
NIGELLA SEED NAANS

BHATURE
PIAZ PARATHAS
ALOO PARATHAS
RAW PAPAYA PARATHAS
LIGHT and BREEZY
KACHUMBER SALAD
MOOLI SALAD
POMEGRANATE AND MUNG BEAN SALAD
WATERMELON AND MINT SALAD
FIVE-BEAN SALAD
PAPAYA WITH DILL
PHALIYAN
SHALGAM KI SABZI
SQUASH AND SAVOY CABBAGE SABZI
VEGETABLE CHOW MEIN
BANDH GOBI
SABUT MATAR
GRILLED AUBERGINES
CHAAT MASALA DEEP-FRIED OKRA

MY SPECIAL CAULIFLOWER
JEERA RICE
LEMON RICE
SPICY CHICKPEAS
BHARLI MIRCHI
WARMING THE HEART
KHICHDI
BAINGAN BHAJA
STUFFED SWEET PEPPERS
SWEET AND SOUR TOFU

RED LENTIL DAL
SPLIT GREEN PEA DAL

CHANA DAL
CHOLE KALA CHANA
BAINGAN BHARTA
SPICY GREEN LENTILS
ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
ALOO METHI
ALOO POSTO
MIXED VEGETABLE SABZI

OKRA SABZI
MARROW SABZI
RAW MANGO SABZI
JACKFRUIT SABZI
PANCH PHORON PUMPKIN

LABOURS OF LOVE
BAINGAN MASALA
PUMPKIN, CHARD AND POTATO KOFTAS
SAMOSA CHAAT
ROASTED CAULIFOWER WITH ROSE HARISSA
AMRITSARI ROASTED BROCCOLI AND MOILEE

SAUCE
KALI DAL
URAD DAL FRY
RAJMA CHAWAL
VEGETABLE PULAO
SAAG
MOONG DAL WITH PALAK

KACHE KELE KI SABZI
BHARE KARELE
VEGETABLE MANCHURIAN
VADA PAV
SNACKS
CAULIFLOWER PAKORAS
ELDERFLOWER PAKORAS
ROASTED PINEAPPLE CIRCLES
POSTO BORAS
POTATO AND PEA SAMOSAS

MOMOS
ROASTED POMEGRANATE MOLASSES SWEET

POTATO CHIPS
BEETROOT, KALE AND SWEET POTATO TOASTIES

BONDA
BHUTTA
ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS
TURMERIC HUMMUS
PUDDINGS
JALEBI
BLOOD ORANGE AND POLENTA CAKE
FLAXSEED PINNI LADOOS
RICE PUDDING
ZARDA
DRINKS
BANANA, COCONUT AND TURMERIC SMOOTHIE
AAM KA PANNA
ELDERFLOWER AND SAFFRON CORDIAL
GULAB (ROSE WATER) SHARBAT
NIBU PANNI
TURMERIC GIN AND TONIC
ROMY’S NEGRONI
SPICED LEMON WATER
GINGER, TURMERIC AND MINT TEA

PANTRY
CAULIFLOWER AND ONION
ROSE HARISSA WITH PRESERVED LEMONS
FRESH TURMERIC
PICKLED SHALLOTS
GARLIC AND CHILLI
HARI (GREEN)
TAMARIND AND DATE
AVOCADO
APPLE
MINT AND CORIANDER

PANCH PHORON
GARAM MASALA
CHAAT MASALA
ROMY’S SPICE BLEND

ANARDANA
ONION PASTE
Acknowledgements
Copyright
Foreword by Allan Jenkins
It started with samosas. The plumpest, crispest, most fragrant

pastry parcels I have ever had. It was at a hipster pop-up in a
smart part of London. The capital’s food world had turned out
to be wowed by dish after perfect dish. And we were. Perhaps
the smoky aubergine stood out: accomplished, pitch perfect,
all you hope for. But she had me with the samosa. They tasted
of home, you see. Warm and generous, like Romy Gill, the
woman, cook, and now author, who made them.
In some ways, Romy’s journey to this book also started
with samosas. Before Romy’s Kitchen – her celebrated
Michelin-mentioned restaurant in Thornbury, near Bristol –
there was Romy’s kitchen in her house, where she made
samosas and spiky, spicy chutneys and sauces, and sold them
through food festivals, or shared them in cooking classes and
by teaching kids at local schools. There were advertisements
in the yellow pages and local papers to spread the word about
her cooking. Of course, Romy’s loving husband and daughters,
her family in India and her neighbours always knew she could
cook. But more importantly, so did she.
It wasn’t enough for Romy to be the best mother, wife,
daughter she could be. She is one of the most driven women
I’ve ever met and it’s this same drive that has made her run
marathons, ride a bicycle across India for Action against
Hunger, made Michelin notice, and that, in 2016, made her an
MBE.
I have watched her, with her close team, in her tiny
restaurant kitchen outside Bristol. I have seen the care she
takes as she cooks; the confidence with which she scoops
spice to go into the grated potatoes for the stuffed parathas her
mother made her as a child, or the samosas I begged for so I
could eat them on my train journey home (they are still the
best I will eat until the next time I visit).
Romy Gill is not just one of the UK’s finest Indian cooks,
or even one of the best female chefs. She is simply one of our
most gifted cooks and teachers. I can’t wait to try these recipes
– I hope it is the start of a series of books. Read Zaika, savour
the stories but please also cook with it often, keep it in the
kitchen and let the pages get splashed with golden spices.
Introduction
I grew up with my Punjabi family in a small town in West

Bengal, India. Childhood home pleasures were basic; there
were none of the gadgets and emerging mod-cons of the day –
I was 12 when our first black-and-white television set arrived
in the house, and we were absolutely transfixed by it! For us,
there were more simple pleasures, such as playing cricket and
badminton and the get-togethers with family and friends at the
many festivals, weddings and religious celebrations. These
events created such fervour and joy for us all; they were
occasions for dancing, singing and, of course, food.
From a young age I’d sit and watch my parents cook; my
father would grind the spices and prepare the mixes for my
mother, which she would cleverly use to liven up a variety of
everyday foods. I remember my mother feeding me as a small
child on our veranda, introducing me to a wealth of flavours,
textures and techniques, all of which have stayed with me ever
since. She was my first instructor in life and her influences are
strong in the way that I cook today.
My parents didn’t speak English but they made sure we
went to English medium school (a type of school in India
where students are taught the same education syllabus as
children in the UK) and they provided good wholesome food
for us. All our food was plant-based, as we rarely ate meat,
only ever on special occasions. Indian food is strongly
influenced by religion, culture, rituals, the caste system,
wealth and poverty; poor people who can’t afford to drink
clean water cannot afford to eat meat or drink milk. Few rich
people eat meat every day, either, and even if they do,
vegetables and lentils play a huge part in these dishes.
My parents would use eclectic styles from all over India to
create delicious family meals. Indian food is not ‘Indian’ food,
it’s regional, and every household cooks particular dishes
differently – they might use the same spices but their
techniques and methods vary. My mum used to say it’s all in
the hand. I am so grateful to Dad that he worked in a steel
works far away from the village he grew up in, because if he
had stayed at home I would never have learned to respect the
flavours I know so well today. Where I grew up, people came
from different states and cooked and shared the food they grew
up eating, so I was used to eating a wide variety of different
flavours.
When I first moved to England, in 1993, many of the Indian
ingredients that I’d become accustomed to using were almost
impossible to find, unless you had a specialist Indian shop
nearby. I was not able to drive then and I was bit scared to take
the bus, as if I got lost, what would happen? (Mobile phones
were not a necessity then…!) Although it might seem a bit
silly to many people, coming from a country that was so
different in so many ways was challenging, as well as exciting,
at first. I had never used an oven before, so you can
understand that roasting vegetables or baking a cake was a
first for me. Eating a strawberry, or as a matter of fact eating
any berries from the UK, was another first. And I absolutely
disliked the taste of avocado (making it into a chutney
helped!), which was just one of many vegetables and herbs,
with which I began to experiment, that I had never seen
before. It was so exciting to combine the two cultures and
create something fresh and new, always with the added
ingredients of a pinch of nostalgia and spice.
It’s this style of experimentation that has formed the base of
my cooking ever since. I wanted to open my own restaurant
from the moment I moved to the UK, and to cook for people
the food that I grew up eating. In 2013 I finally opened the
doors to my restaurant, having waited three and half years for
planning permission to give me change of use and then nine
months for the builders to finish work. Once I had the space,
then came the challenge of finding money to furnish the
restaurant, hire staff and buy ingredients (along with many
more necessary costs); four banks refused to give me a loan,
but then BBC national news interviewed me for a feature
about small businesses and the very next day I got a loan. I
sold all my jewellery and put all our savings towards the
restaurant: Romy’s Kitchen in Bristol, UK.
Getting the restaurant open was a long struggle, but it was
worth all the effort. The food that I cook there is very much
based on the flavours I grew up with, and now the restaurant is
established I can also travel around sharing my recipes, doing
pop-ups and writing for various magazines and newspapers.
And now in this book I can share this food with you, too. It’s
vegan, because that’s what I grew up with, and that’s what I
love to eat. There’s a misconception that all vegan cooking
takes an unnecessarily long time to prepare – whether that
refers to time spent finding the ‘specialist’ ingredients, or the
time taken for peeling, trimming and chopping the vegetables,
and so on. I hope that through my recipes you will see that
vegan cooking can be quick, simple and tasty. Of course,
sometimes, just like a well-made meat casserole, you need to
put in more time to get the most out of an ingredient’s flavours
(a cauliflower has flavours as complex as any piece of meat –
give the Roasted cauliflower with rose harissa a go and you’ll
see what I mean) and slow cooking is key to bringing these
out. My recipes in the Labours of Love chapter therefore
might take a bit more effort and planning ahead than a
midweek recipe, but it’s worth it – I promise!
Many of the recipes in Zaika were cooked for me in my
homeland by my mother and her friends. Food is woven
through my childhood, and it features strongly in all my most
cherished memories. As a child in the school holidays in India,
my siblings and I would head off on long train journeys with
my mum, kept happy with her beautifully packed picnics,
featuring street food from each state, which we’d eat when the
train stopped at each station. My mum’s passing has made me
realise how much I miss her and how much I crave the
flavours of those train journeys. I now try to recreate those
sights and smells of childhood in the UK; food certainly
helped me when I missed my family and the friends that I
grew up with, and it gave me hope of making new friends in a
new country, too, by sharing it as I had at home. And although
I am no longer living in my homeland, I have never forgotten
my roots. The vegan dishes in this book are the flavours of my
kitchen – simple, accessible recipes that anyone can cook –
and it is, I hope, a treasure trove that I intend to be passed
through each household, and each generation.
BREADS

ROTI
MAKKI DI ROTI
BAJRA ROTI
NIGELLA SEED NAANS
BHATURE
PIAZ PARATHAS
ALOO PARATHAS
RAW PAPAYA PARATHAS
Across India, breads such as roti, paratha and naan are common, but in northern India especially,
bread is the staple food of many diets – it’s not unusual for Indians to eat these breads three times a
day, or more! Growing up in a Punjabi family, homemade parathas and roti were always on the
table; the region’s climate makes it perfect for wheat growing, so many people rely on this crop to
feed themselves, and as a result eat a lot of wheat-based dishes, such as bread.
Roti and parathas are such a huge part of everyone’s daily meals. Since they are eaten every day,
these breads are incredibly simple to make. Unlike Western bread-making processes, these methods
have only a few steps and it doesn’t take much effort to get delicious results – all you need to know
is how to roll the dough! There are, however, a couple of top tips to get the best breads. First, when
making the dough be sure to add the water slowly, it’s important you don’t add it all in one go; and
secondly, make sure you give the dough enough time to rest and rise before working with it – a bit of
patience at this stage makes a real difference to the bread’s texture and taste. Don’t worry about the
shape of your breads – the taste of a freshly baked homemade roti is far superior to anything you
could buy, so who cares what shape it is!
I learned how to make these staple bread dishes from my mum and, helpfully, they’re all vegan! I
remember how she would feed us a fresh baked roti or paratha on the veranda, while putting the
world to rights. Mum always said that you need to knead the dough with love. My friends still talk
about my mum making the best, most delicious crispy parathas. I hope you will be able to create
fond memories while making and eating these breads (they taste even better when shared with
someone you love).
Spicy | Fluffy | Warm

These pancakes have a silk-like texture and are much enjoyed by my family and my friends. I
discovered this recipe while on my travels to Gujarat, but I have changed it slightly by using
coconut milk yogurt and adding different spices to change the flavours – you can add any spices you
like, according to your taste. These are delicious served with some coconut milk yoghurt or your
favourite chutney.
1 hour
MAKES 8–10 PANCAKES
150g gram flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp nigella seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
1 tsp salt
Handful of chopped fresh coriander
150g coconut milk yogurt
Sunflower oil, for frying
Coconut milk yoghurt or chutney, to serve
To make the batter, sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl, then add all the spices, salt
and fresh coriander and mix well.
In a separate bowl, whisk the yogurt and 100ml water, then add to the spiced flour and slowly pour
in another 50ml water, stirring to blend. Leave to rest for 20 minutes before making the pancakes.
Heat a non-stick pancake or small frying pan over a medium heat, then once the pan is hot, brush
with oil evenly, then with a ladle carefully pour in a half ladleful of the batter and immediately
spread with the back of the spoon to form pancakes. Brush oil on top and cook for 2–3 minutes on
each side. Check if the pancake is fluffy and cooked on both sides. Repeat to cook the remaining
pancakes.
Serve with a dollop of coconut milk yoghurt or your choice of chutney.
Fresh | Soft
ROTI
Roti are made fresh every day in India and are eaten all over the country, although they are more
popular in some states than in others. These plain breads can be enjoyed with many dishes.
50 minutes
MAKES 8–10 ROTI
150g wholemeal flour
50g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
Pinch of salt
75ml lukewarm water (you might need more)
1 tsp sunflower oil, plus extra for brushing
To make the roti, tip the flours and salt into a large mixing bowl, then make a well in the middle of
the flour and pour in the warm water and oil. If the dough feels a little dry, add a few drops more of
water. Mix everything into a dough and knead for 5–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover the
bowl with a tea towel and set aside to rest for half an hour at room temperature.
Once rested, make 8–10 equal balls out of the dough. Lightly sprinkle flour onto a board or work
surface and roll out each ball of dough to make thin pancakes about 3mm thickness.
Place one of the the dough pancakes in a hot frying pan set over a medium heat, cook for 30
seconds, then turn over and cook on the second side for 1 minute, until small bubbles form. Turn
again and cook the first side, pressing it lightly with a piece of kitchen paper – it should start to rise.
Repeat to cook the remaining roti. Make sure the roti are cooked evenly on both sides, then brush
them with oil and wrap in kitchen paper to keep warm before serving with any curry you wish!
Fresh | Warm
MAKKI DI ROTI
Without Makki di roti, Punjabi cuisine is unimaginable. This is a popular Punjabi flatbread and the
traditional method for making these involves pressing the dough between your hands to flatten it
(you can’t roll it, as maize flour contains a small amount of gluten and sticks a lot). This technique
requires lots of practice, so instead many people – like me – use the freezer bag technique described
here – it is much easier!
35 minutes
MAKES 4 ROTI
200g maize flour
120ml hot water, for binding the dough
6–8 tsp sunflower oil, for brushing
Saag, to serve
Start by sifting the maize flour into a mixing bowl, then add the hot water slowly to make a smooth
dough. Depending on what brand of flour you use, you might not need all 120ml so add the water
slowly until all the ingredients are just combined. Knead the flour with a spoon first and then with
your hands. Kneading is an essential part of making roti, so don’t rush this – it is best done using the
heel of your hand for a smooth dough.
Divide the dough into 4 tennis ball-sized portions. For the next bit, place the dough ball on a freezer
bag and flatten it with your fingers a little bit, then once flattened wet your hand and start patting the
dough into a disk approximately 3mm thick.
While you are patting out the dough, set a frying pan or griddle over a medium heat to warm. Once
the pan is hot, place one roti gently on it and allow it to cook until the underside has yellow and
black-brown spots – this takes 3–4 minutes – then turn it over and cook for the same amount of time
on the other side. Repeat to cook the remaining roti. Once all the roti are made, brush with some oil
and serve them with saag.
Comforting | Warm | Fresh
BAJRA ROTI
These gluten-free flatbreads are made from ground millet flour, and traditionally ladies made these
using their palms to shape them, then slowly roasted them over an open cooking stove, or chula,
which is a traditional Indian mud stove. You see a lot of these in more rural villages.
35 minutes
MAKES 4 ROTI
150g bajra (millet flour), plus extra for dusting
1 tsp salt
100ml warm water, for binding the dough
6–8 tsp sunflower oil, for brushing
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, then add the salt and slowly start adding the hot water, stirring it
with a wooden spoon and then kneading it carefully to combine and work the dough as there is no
gluten in the millet. Depending on what brand of flour you use, you might not need all 100ml so add
the water slowly until all the ingredients are just combined. Divide the dough into 4 tennis ball-sized
portions.
For the next bit, you can use the freezer bag method (see Makki di Roti) or use a baking sheet lined
with baking parchment. If you are using a baking sheet, place a dough ball on one side of the paper
and flatten it with your fingers a little bit, then once flattened wet your hand and start patting the
dough into a disk approximately 3mm thick.
While you are patting out the dough, set a frying pan or griddle over a medium heat to warm. Once
the pan is hot, place a roti gently on it and allow it to cook until the underside has yellow and black-
brown spots – this takes 2–3 minutes – then turn it over and cook for the same amount of time on
the other side. Repeat to cook the remaining roti. Brush the roti with a little oil, to keep them moist,
and serve immediately.
Fresh | Light | Soft
NIGELLA SEED NAANS

I’ve made these with nigella seeds, because the pungent, bitter taste works magic in the dough, but
you can sprinkle in many other seeds, spices or herbs to create different flavours.
1 hour 30 minutes
MAKES 4–5 NAANS
100ml lukewarm water
¼ tsp fast action dried yeast
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sugar
325g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tbsp coconut milk yogurt
1 tsp nigella seeds
4 tsp sunflower oil, plus extra for brushing
Pour the lukewarm water into a mixing bowl, then add the yeast, salt and sugar. Leave it to rest for
10 minutes before making the dough.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, yogurt and nigella seeds, then add the yeast mixture
slowly, mixing together as you go and kneading everything into a dough. Add the oil at the end.
Cover with a clean tea towel and leave the dough to rise for 30–40 minutes in a warm place.
Once risen, divide the dough into 4 or 5 balls, depending how thin you would like your naans to be.
Preheat the grill to a medium heat. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and place the tray
under the grill to heat up.
Roll out the dough balls thinly on a lightly floured work surface until you have 4–5 bread shapes.
Place the rolled naan onto the hot baking tray and grill for 1–2 minutes on each side, making sure
they are lightly browned and crispy on both sides, then brush with oil and serve hot.
Fresh | Crispy
BHATURE
These deep-fried, fluffy flatbreads are made from plain flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of
soda; the dough is left to ferment before being rolled into long oval shapes and deep-fried (I like to
make mine smaller in size but the dough is exactly the same!). It is a classic Indian puffed bread
usually served with chickpeas. Our trips to Punjab were not complete until we had eaten these in our
dabbas.
50 minutes
MAKES 4–6 FLATBREADS
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp white sugar
200ml lukewarm water
3tsp sunflower oil, plus extra for deep-frying
To make the dough, sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl
and then add the salt and sugar, and use your fingers to mix them into the flour. Slowly pour in the
lukewarm water while kneading the mixture into a firm dough – it should be elastic, not sticky.
Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes in a warm place.
Once rested, divide the dough into 4–6 equal portions, depending on how large you want the
flatbreads to be. Roll out the balls into thin breads on a lightly floured surface.
Heat the oil in a wok or a deep pan, and once the oil is hot (this will be when the handle of a
wooden spoon creates steady bubbles when dipped in), keep it at a medium heat and deep-fry the
bhature, one at a time, until brown on both sides – around 2–3 minutes on each side. Remove the
bread from the oil with tongs and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Repeat until all are fried.
Serve warm.
Fresh | Spicy | Crispy
PIAZ PARATHAS
Another type of Indian flatbread, parathas are popular for breakfast and there are countless versions
made all over India. I am just showing you how to make simple onion parathas, but they are often
stuffed with spiced potatoes, cauliflower, radishes, chopped fresh fenugreek leaves and green
papaya – whatever you like!
45 minutes
MAKES 4 PARATHAS
75g wholemeal flour
½ tsp salt
2 tsp sunflower oil, plus extra for drizzling and frying
1 tsp grated fresh root ginger
1–2 green chillies, seeds removed, very finely chopped
1 large red onion, very finely chopped
2 tsp finely chopped fresh coriander
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp salt
Coconut milk yoghurt and a choice of pickle, to serve
Get a medium mixing bowl and tip all the ingredients into the bowl. Mix everything with your
hands and slowly add 90ml water until it comes together into a dough. If it feels a little dry, add a
tiny splash more water. Knead for 5–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Return to the mixing bowl,
cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.
Divide the dough into 4 equal balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball into a disk
approximately 3mm thick. Repeat with all the dough balls.
Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat – make sure the frying pan is searing hot,
otherwise the parathas won’t have the scorched look and flavour you’re after. Once hot, dry-fry the
parathas, one at a time, on each side for 1 minute. Flip and cook for a minute more on the other side,
until small blisters form on the surface of the dough. Brush a little oil over the dough, then flip onto
the other side and fry for another minute. Brush more oil onto the upturned side, then flip again and
cook for a final minute, serve hot with some coconut milk yoghurt and pickle.
ALOO PARATHAS
This was originally a North Indian dish, but now it is made everywhere. It is a complete meal, easy
to make and, because it is so versatile, you can have it anytime.
1 hour 45 minutes
MAKES 4–5 PARATHAS
For the parathas
50g wholemeal flour
½ tsp salt
2 tsp sunflower oil, plus extra for brushing and frying
For the filling
2 medium potatoes, peeled, boiled and roughly chopped
2 green chillies, seeds in, chopped
30g kale, chopped
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
A selection of pickles and chutneys, to serve
First make the dough. Tip the flours and salt into a medium mixing bowl, then slowly pour in 55–
70ml cold water and the oil and mix everything with your hands until it comes together into a
dough. If it feels a little dry, add a splash of water. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Return to the mixing bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rest for an hour at room
temperature while you make the filling.
Mash the potatoes in a large bowl. Add the rest of the filling ingredients, mix together and set aside.
Divide the dough into 4 or 5 equal balls, depending on what size parathas you are making. You can
either roll out all the balls to 2mm-thick discs so they are ready to fill, or roll and fill them one at a
time. Whichever way you do this, take one of the discs, top with 1 tablespoon of filling, bring the
edges of the dough into the centre, pinch to seal and form a pouch, then carefully flatten the pouch
in your hands. Sprinkle with more flour and roll again, seal-side down, to 2mm thick. Repeat with
all the dough balls.
Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat and dry-fry the parathas, one at a time, for 1
minute on each side until small blisters form on the surface. Brush oil on both sides of the parathas,
flip onto the other side and fry for 1–2 minutes until both sides are nice and crispy. Serve hot with
pickles and chutneys.
RAW PAPAYA PARATHAS

Many people are not sure what to do with raw papayas (‘raw’ here meaning unripe), so mostly they
just make salads or chutneys with them. I really like eating these papaya parathas because they are
soft and full of flavours, yet crispy on the outside. It also brings back all the memories of my mum
packing our school lunches or sitting in the veranda her feeding us and asking us the about school.
50 minutes
MAKES 4–5 PARATHAS
1 small green raw papaya, peeled, deseeded and flesh grated
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp Anardana powder
2 tsp sunflower oil, plus extra for brushing and frying
Put the grated papaya into a large bowl, add the salt and leave for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, take
the grated papaya flesh in your hand and squeeze out all the water, then transfer to a clean, dry
bowl. Sift in the flour and add the remaining ingredients along with 55–70ml cold water. Mix
everything together well and set aside for about 15 minutes at room temperature.
Divide the dough into 4 or 5 equal balls, depending on what size of parathas you are making. Roll
out the dough balls to 2mm-thick discs.
Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat and dry-fry the parathas, one at a time, for 1
minute on either side, until small blisters form on the surface. Brush oil on both sides of the
parathas, flip onto the other side and fry on both sides for 1–2 minutes until nice and crispy.
LIGHT & BREEZY
KACHUMBER SALAD
MOOLI SALAD
FIVE-BEAN SALAD
PAPAYA WITH DILL
PHALIYAN
SHALGAM KI SABZI
VEGETABLE CHOW MEIN
BANDH GOBI
SABUT MATAR
GRILLED AUBERGINES
JEERA RICE
LEMON RICE
SPICY CHICKPEAS
BHARLI MIRCHI
My mum’s life revolved around cooking food for her children, whether that was making sure we left
for school having eaten a good breakfast; sending us off with a home-cooked packed lunch; feeding
us snacks when we got home; or, of course, dishing up the evening meals shared by the whole
family. My daughters Reet and Neev certainly enjoy cooking more than I used to while growing up –
I had the most amazing excuses for getting out of the kitchen, and often I’d run off to play cricket
with my brother and his friends. But even so, because cooking was in my mum’s heart and soul, her
enjoyment of it was still passed down on to me.
Moving to the UK really made me miss the food I grew up eating and sharing with my friends.
I’ll always remember how my mum would make Phaliyan – everything looked so effortless when she
was cooking; some recipes she would linger over, while some she would whip up in 15 minutes.
Getting the seasoning right was so important to her and she would even season fruits perfectly to
enhance their natural flavours, such as the Watermelon and mint salad. My mum would make this
for when we got home from school in the hot weather – keeping the watermelon in the fridge until
the last minute so it was really cold.
A lot of the quick meals my mum would make didn’t include meat. When I was younger, our
family didn’t have a fridge so all the food we ate was fresh, and as meat wasn’t my parents’ first
choice, it wasn’t often an option. Because of this reliance on fresh ingredients, these recipes are all
bursting with big flavours but, because they needed to be made quickly, they’re all very simple.
These would all make a great lunch, or if you want to make them more substantial, pair them with a
pitta bread, wrap or even some boiled rice. You’ll never go back to sandwiches again!
Fresh | Crunchy
KACHUMBER SALAD
This is one of the most common salads made in the homes and restaurants of Indian families. I think
it goes really well with so many dishes because of its fresh flavour and vibrant colours.
10 minutes
SERVES 3–4
½ small cucumber, deseeded and chopped into fine batons
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
40g white hard cabbage, shredded
½ green apple, cored and sliced
Seeds of ½ pomegranate
Juice of 1 lime
½ tsp salt
1 tsp chopped fresh coriander
Add all the ingredients to a serving bowl and toss everything together well. Eat immediately.
Fresh | Crunchy | Acidic
MOOLI SALAD
RADISH SALAD
In India we used mooli radishes for this dish, and these can now be found in most major
supermarkets or local Indian groceries. I still prefer these, but if you can’t find them just swap in
any small radishes. Always make this salad fresh and serve at once, otherwise the radishes go soft
and have a strong smell.
5 minutes
SERVES 3–4
2 bunches of mooli radishes, each cut in half
1 green chilli, seeds in, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp brown sugar
½ tsp Maldon sea salt
Add all the ingredients to a serving bowl and toss everything together well. Eat immediately.
Sweet | Sour

Soaking lentils, pulses or beans in water before cooking saves time, but if you want a really quick
meal, you can use ready-to-eat or tinned and cut out the soaking time completely. There is no right
or wrong way!
25 minutes (plus at least 2 hours soaking)
SERVES 3–4
100g dried mung beans
3 tsp pomegranate molasses
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp salt
2 tsp rapeseed oil
Seeds of 1 pomegranate
6 radishes, chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
Soak the mung beans in a bowl of cold water for a minimum of a couple of hours or overnight.
Drain the beans and boil them in a pan of water over a high heat for 15–20 minutes, until they are
tender. Drain and tip into a serving bowl.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the pomegranate molasses, wholegrain mustard, salt and
rapeseed oil. Mix well and pour over the mung beans.
Add the pomegranate seeds and the chopped radishes, mix well and then sprinkle over the spring
onions to finish.
Fresh | Spicy | Soft

This is an easy summer salad that’s perfect for parties too. I make my girls scoop out the
watermelon with a melon baller to make perfect rounds – I never know what they will say when I
ask, it depends on their mood now they are teenagers! If you don’t have a scoop, chopping the
watermelon into large chunks works just as well. This recipe uses black salt, it has such an
incredible and unique flavour, and can be found online or at your local Indian grocery.
10 minutes
SERVES 2–4
1 tsp Chaat masala
½ tsp black salt
½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli flakes
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lime
1 small watermelon, peeled, deseeded and chopped into bite-size chunks
Handful of mint leaves, chopped
Add all the ingredients to a serving bowl and toss them together properly, then cover with clingfilm
and keep the salad in the fridge until ready to serve – if you let the ingredients chill it tastes much
better.
Fresh | Filling
FIVE-BEAN SALAD
When I was expecting with my daughter Reet there were so many ingredients that made me sick. In
particular, I found the smell of cooking lentils or pulses unbearable. So that’s when tinned things
came handy – and it also saved me precious time!
10 minutes
SERVES 2
400g tin of five bean salad
2 spring onions, chopped small
4 radishes, chopped
1 pickled gherkin, drained and chopped
1 green chilli, seeds in, chopped
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
Juice of ½ lime
1 tsp Maldon sea salt
1 tsp black mustard seeds, crushed
Leafy salad, to serve
Tip the beans into a sieve and rinse under running water. Drain well.
Mix the beans with all the other ingredients in a serving bowl, stirring well to combine, and serve
with any leafy salad or on its own.
Fresh | Spicy | Hearty
PAPAYA WITH DILL

When we were young we ate raw (or in other words, unripe) and sweet papaya all the time; my
mum would make delicious dishes with raw papaya, from salads to chutney to stuffed parathas – she
was very creative when it came to not wasting a single thing.
10 minutes
SERVES 3–4
1 small green ‘raw’ papaya, peeled, halved, deseeded and flesh grated
2 green chillies, seeds in, finely chopped
Juice of 2 limes
1 tsp salt
Handful of fresh dill, chopped
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and enjoy the fresh salad on its own or as a side with main
dishes.
Gentle | Warm | Comforting
PHALIYAN
FRENCH BEAN SABZI
French bean sabzi is a very simple and quick recipe that doesn’t take long to prep and cook. It’s
filling and works well as a side dish. In Indian households, we often add potatoes to vegetable
dishes; they taste good and bulk up the dish so all the family can share and enjoy it. This is a dish
that is often cooked with potatoes – I prefer it without them, but you can add them if you like.
25 minutes
SERVES 4
6 tsp sunflower oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tsp tomato purée
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp black mustard seeds, crushed
2–3 green chillies, seeds in, chopped
1 tsp salt
200g French beans, cut into 2cm pieces
50g fennel leaves (if you can’t find fennel, use dill), roughly chopped
Dal, rice or Roti, to serve
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato
purée, spices, green chillies, salt and 70ml water to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped
beans and fennel leaves, cover the pan with a lid and cook on a low heat for 10–12 minutes.
Check if the beans are cooked, then leave to rest for 5–6 minutes with the lid on before serving.
Serve with dal, rice or roti.
Sharp | Soft | Hearty
SHALGAM KI SABZI
TURNIP SABZI
Turnip is the only vegetable I am still not able to convince my daughters to eat. These root
vegetables are extremely easy to cook, and there are many ways to do so – from soups and salads to
purées. You can also ferment them, and my grandma and mum used to pickle them to enjoy out of
season. This is a really simple recipe that can be served as a salad or as a side dish with other main
meals.
15 minutes
SERVES 4
4 tsp rapeseed oil
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
200g small white turnips, sliced with a mandolin or very finely sliced with a knife
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli flakes
1 tsp salt
Juice of ½ lime
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, then add the garlic and cook for a minute, being careful
not to burn it. Add the sliced turnips, anardana, turmeric, cumin, chilli flakes, salt, lime juice and
chopped coriander into the pan, mix together well and cook for 5–6 minutes, until tender. The
turnips don’t take long to cook, as they are so thinly sliced.
Mild | Warm | Sweet

Squashes are delicious either on their own or mixed with other vegetables, and in this recipe the
sweetness of the squash works well with earthy, bitter cabbage. This makes a good side dish with
dal and rice, or just with roti.
15 minutes
SERVES 2–4
5 tsp sunflower oil
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
3 garlic cloves, grated
150g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and diced into 1cm pieces
250g Savoy cabbage, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
Dal, rice or Roti, to serve
Heat the oil in a pan, and once the oil is hot, add the crushed fennel seeds. When they start
crackling, add the ginger, garlic and green chillies and cook for 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin,
cabbage, spices and salt and mix everything together well, covering the pan with a lid, then leave to
steam-cook for 7–8 minutes over a low heat. After this time, remove the lid to check if the squash is
cooked, if not, replace it quickly and leave to cook a little longer.
Serve with dal, rice or roti.
Sweet | Crunchy | Warm
VEGETABLE CHOW MEIN

Chinese food was and is very popular in West Bengal while I was growing up, where it is made in
front of you on the street stalls. You will not find Chinese food like it anywhere else in the world!
All my childhood was spent eating the street food of my local area, and it was meals like this that I
always shared with my friends.
30 minutes
SERVES 2–4
3 nests dried egg-free noodles
6 tsp sunflower oil
10g fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 red onion, thinly sliced
4 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp chilli sauce
3 tsp tomato ketchup
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain well.
While the noodles are cooking, heat the oil in a wok or a deep pan, then add the chillies, garlic and
ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the sliced red onion and cook for 3–4 minutes. Add the
remaining ingredients cook for a further 5–6 minutes while stirring regularly.
Add the cooked noodles and toss until well mixed. Serve immediately.
Spicy | Warm | Crunchy
BANDH GOBI
WHITE CABBAGE WITH NIGELLA AND FENNEL SEEDS
Cabbage of any kind has always been one of my favourite things to eat. In the UK, cabbage isn’t
that popular, especially not with children, and I think this is because it can be very bland – after
boiling alone it is just tasteless! But if you add garlic, ginger or onions along with peas or beans, and
sauté the leaves you can create a whole new dish that will help people see cabbage in a different
light. Serve as a side dish with rice or dal, or eat on its own with roti and picked shallots.
15 minutes
SERVES 2–4
6 tsp sunflower oil
20g fresh turmeric root, peeled and grated
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp nigella seeds
3 red chillies, seeds in, chopped
1 small white hard cabbage, shredded
Juice of ½ lime
½ tsp Maldon sea salt
Roti and Pickled shallots, to serve
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, then add the ginger and turmeric and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the fennel and nigella seeds and red chillies. Add the chopped cabbage and cook for 5–6
minutes. Finally, add the coriander, lime juice and salt and cook for another minute before serving.
Serve with roti and pickled shallots.
Spicy | Warm | Comforting
SABUT MATAR
SPICY FRESH PODDED PEAS
There are so many things I discovered when I moved to the UK. Supermarket aisles have such a
wide variety of fresh and frozen ingredients – I had never seen frozen peas before I came here! Back
home, peas were something we enjoyed helping our mum take out of the pod and she always used to
buy more than she needed, as she knew half of them would be eaten by us as we shelled them – the
peas were so soft and sweet. My daughters love this dish stuffed into pitta bread and served with
pickled shallots.
15 minutes
SERVES 3–4
6 tsp sunflower oil
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp mango powder (amchoor)
1 tsp salt
400g fresh peas, podded
Pitta bread and Pickled shallots, to serve
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over a high heat, then add the sliced onion and cook for 3–4 minutes,
stirring continuously – if it starts to burn, add a few drops of water and lower the heat to medium.
Add the spices, amchoor and salt and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the peas, cover the pan with a lid and cook over a low heat for 6 minutes, stirring
occasionally.
Cut the pitta breads in half to make pockets and fill with the sabut matar. Serve with pickled
shallots.
Warm | Comforting | Smooth
GRILLED AUBERGINES
I must have at least twenty different ways for cooking aubergine, and I am always intrigued to find
more! Sadly, my love of aubergine is not shared by my partner. This recipe, however, is the only
aubergine dish he will eat, because the sweetness of the pomegranate works well with the aubergine
and the flavours disguise its texture.
30 minutes
SERVES 4
2 large aubergines
4 tsp rapeseed oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt, to taste
Seeds of ½ pomegranate
First prepare the aubergines. Cut them in half and scoop out the flesh, leaving the skin intact as half
shells. Roughly chop the removed flesh.
Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, then add the cumin seeds and garlic and
cook for 2–3 minutes, until the garlic is light brown. Add the onion and cook for a further 2–3
minutes. Add the chillies, tomato, parsley, spices and chopped aubergine to the pan. Stir and cook
for 4 minutes or until the aubergine is tender. Season, to taste, with salt. Remove from the heat.
Preheat the grill, and place the hollow aubergine shells on a baking tray. When the grill is hot, cook
the aubergine shells under it for about 5 minutes (take care not to burn them). Fill the empty shells
with the cooked aubergine mixture and return to the grill for a further 2 minutes.
Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and serve immediately.
Crispy | Crunchy | Warm

Okra is an edible green seedpod that is originally from Africa but is now widely used in many other
cuisines, especially in India where it is also known as bhindi, or ladies’ fingers. My mum would
make deep-fried okra, which was loved by all. This is my version of her recipe and I’m proud to say
it’s almost as good! Serve this dish with roti – to me, this is just heaven!
30 minutes
SERVES 3–4
250g okra
150g gram flour
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
4 tsp Chaat masala
1 tsp salt
Sunflower oil, for deep-frying
Juice of 1 lime, to serve
Roti, to serve
Wash the okra and dry thoroughly. Remove the top stem of each and cut lengthwise into thin slices.
Put the okra in a large mixing bowl and add all the spices and salt.
Heat the oil in a wok or deep pan. To test if the oil is hot enough, dip the handle of a wooden spoon
into the oil – if it starts steadily bubbling, you’re ready to go. When the oil is ready, deep-fry the
okra a few at a time until crispy. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with lime juice
before serving.
Serve with roti.
Gingery | Warm | Fiery
There are many types of food that bring me comfort when I am sad or even when I’m happy, and
this is the ultimate dish that brings me joy. It was introduced to me by a dear friend but I have
tweaked it a tiny bit to suit my taste. The spice mix that I absolutely love is panch phoron (see here
to make your own), so I’ve added this here.
30 minutes
SERVES 4
25g fresh root ginger, peeled
15 garlic cloves
15g fresh turmeric root, peeled or 1 tsp ground turmeric
4 green chillies, seeds in
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp Panch phoron
1 tsp salt
Juice of 1 lime
1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
Handful fresh coriander, chopped
Roti or rice, to serve
Add the ginger, garlic cloves, turmeric, chillies and 2 tsp water to a food processor and blend to
make a paste.
Heat the oil in a pan, then add the panch phoron and once the spices start to sizzle, add the paste and
cook for about 5 minutes over a medium heat. Keep stirring to prevent the paste sticking. Add the
salt, 3 tbsp water and the lime juice to the pan and cook for another minute.
Add the cauliflower florets to the pan and stir to coat them well, then cover the pan with a lid and
cook for a further 10–12 minutes over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Just before it’s ready,
stir through the chopped coriander and serve with roti or rice.
Fresh | Warm | Soft
JEERA RICE
This is a popular dish in North India, and it’s easy to prepare, being just basmati rice and cumin
seeds. The ‘jeera’ of its name is for the cumin seeds, which is sometimes pronounced Zeera. It goes
so well with lots of dishes (including the Rajma Chawal, pictured) and is good to know for when
you don’t want just plain rice.
25 minutes
SERVES 4
200g basmati rice
2 tsp sunflower oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp salt
300ml hot water
Soak the rice in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes, then drain.
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, add the cumin seeds, then add the drained, soaked rice to
the pan along with the salt and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the hot water, stir well and cover
with a lid. After about 5 minutes, when all the water has been absorbed, remove the pan from the
heat. Cover the pan with a tea towel and put the lid on. Leave it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Warm | Hearty | Comforting
LEMON RICE WITH CURRY LEAVES AND

PEANUTS
As a child, eating was very much the focus of my friends getting together – we didn’t have gadgets,
for us it was all about sharing food. This recipe is one that my school friend’s mum, Simi, always
made when she invited me to tea. She made lots of delicious dishes but I only remember this simple
recipe – it stands out in my mind even now.
50 minutes
SERVES 2–3
100g basmati rice
3 tsp raw peanuts
4 tsp sunflower oil
6–7 fresh curry leaves
Pinch of salt
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp grated fresh or desiccated coconut, to serve
Soak the rice in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes, then tip into a sieve and rinse thoroughly under
cold running water. Half fill a kettle with water and boil. Drain the rice, then add to a pan and cover
with boiling water. Boil for 12–15 minutes over a medium heat, then drain and set aside.
Dry-roast the peanuts in a frying pan until light brown, remove and set aside. In the same pan, heat
the oil and fry the curry leaves, then add the peanuts, salt and turmeric. Add the lemon juice, then
tip the mixture into the cooked rice and stir well. Leave to rest for 10 minutes. Garnish with the
coconut to serve.
Hot | Spicy | Hearty
SPICY CHICKPEAS
Back home in India, I had always seen everyone soaking chickpeas or beans overnight and then
cooking them. It wasn’t until I moved to the UK that I started to use tinned chickpeas, which do
make life easier if you haven’t got time to prepare and cook the dried ones. I love this recipe so
much that if I have any leftovers I make hummus with the chickpeas by adding lemon juice and
tahini and blending them in a food processor.
10 minutes
SERVES 2
4 tsp rapeseed oil
1 tsp Panch phoron
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp garam masala
5 tsp tomato purée
3 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
1 tsp salt
400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Roti, rice or a slice of toasted bread, to serve
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, then add the panch phoron and fry for 1 minute, until
fragrant. Add the ground ginger, Kashmiri chilli powder, garam masala, tomato purée, dried
fenugreek leaves, salt, 100ml water and mix well.
Add the chickpeas to the pan, then leave them to cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir
occasionally and check they don’t stick to the pan.
Serve with roti, rice or toasted bread.
Spicy | Rich
BHARLI MIRCHI
STUFFED JALAPEÑOS
Bharli mirchi can be enjoyed with a Roti or Paratha for breakfast or any time you like. Mum used to
make this recipe with her friends; they used to get together just for these. I prepare these and keep
them in the fridge, so I can enjoy them late at night with a slice of toast when I forget to have my
dinner after working long hours.
1 hour
SERVES 4
20 jalapeño peppers
Juice of 1 lime
100g black mustard seeds, crushed
½ tsp asafoetida powder
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp salt
300ml rapeseed oil
Cut a small slit through the middle of each of the jalapeños. Very carefully remove the seeds with a
teaspoon, and place on a plate, being careful not to split the peppers apart. Set aside the peppers.
In a blender add the rest of the ingredients and the seeds from the jalapeños, and blitz until you have
a runny paste. Stuff the chillies with the mixture carefully using a teaspoon.
Close up the peppers and put them into an airtight container, pop on the lid and leave in the fridge to
chill for 30 minutes and they are ready to enjoy on their own or as a side dish.
WARMING THE HEART
KHICHDI
BAINGAN BHAJA
SWEET AND SOUR TOFU
RED LENTIL DAL
SPLIT GREEN PEA DAL
CHANA DAL
CHOLE KALA CHANA
BAINGAN BHARTA
SPICY GREEN LENTILS
ALOO METHI
ALOO POSTO
OKRA SABZI
MARROW SABZI
RAW MANGO SABZI
JACKFRUIT SABZI
In this chapter I wanted to include both recipes that my mum would make me and those I’ve created
myself since coming to the UK and have started cooking for my own family and friends. These
dishes are the epitome of comfort food for me, and whenever I make them, they remind me of home.
I remember feeling so pleased when a customer of Bengali heritage told me that my cooking tasted
just like the food he ate as a young boy! It’s very special to be able to connect my two homelands in
this way.
Back in India, meat was a luxury that many couldn’t afford, so our daily diet consisted of
wholesome foods such as dals or sabzis (sabzi is a vegetable dish cooked with spices, sometimes
with onion, ginger, and garlic, too. Sabzi can be dry or wet). This meant that instead of meaty stews,
our warming meals were based on lentils and vegetables and they tasted just as good (if not better!).
These are the dishes that are at the heart of Indian cooking. Lentils, pulses or beans form the
basis of comforting dishes and take longer than others to cook but when cooked properly they are so
creamy and delicious and bring joy when eaten. Some dishes, like Khichdi, take longer to cook than
some meat dishes would, but they are all still good midweek options.
You’ll see that several recipes involve making a tadka. This is what makes these dishes taste
incredible and it is named after the technique of gently frying ingredients, to release their essential
oils and flavours, before adding them to rice or lentils. It is often made from onions, ginger, garlic,
tomatoes, chillies and spices but there are many variations of tadka so feel free to experiment and
find the flavours you like best!
Warm | Creamy | Smooth
KHICHDI
This yellow golden pot of khichdi, or khichri as it is also known, is a simple rice and lentil dish to
which a tadka is added. Khichdi is eaten in various ways; in Bengali rituals and pujas, the offerings
made to God of this golden pot of khichdi are called bhoger khichuri. This goes wonderfully with
Baingan bhaja, and is perfect for a rainy day.
1 hour
SERVES 4–6
150g basmati rice
50g red lentils
1 tsp salt
For the tadka
2½ tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 medium white or red onion, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh root ginger, grated
1 tsp tomato purée
Rose harissa with preserved lemon pickle, to serve
Wash and soak the rice and lentils in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes, tip into a sieve and then
rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain, then tip the rice and lentils into a
deep saucepan, add the turmeric and salt and pour over 1 litre of cold water. Bring to the boil, then
reduce to a medium heat, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 20–25 minutes until the rice and
lentils are soft. If it begins to dry out, add more water: it should be wet in consistency. Stir
occasionally as it cooks.
While the rice and lentils are cooking, make the tadka. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, add
the cumin seeds and let them pop, then add the chopped onion and cook, stirring, for 5–6 minutes
until softened and light brown. Add the ginger and garlic to the onion mix and cook for another
minute. Add the green chillies, tomato purée, followed by the ground coriander, mix well and cook
for another 2 minutes. Add a few drops of water, if required, so that the paste doesn’t stick to the
pan.
Once the rice and lentils are cooked, add them to the tadka and stir through to coat. Sprinkle over
the chopped coriander and serve with rose harissa with preserved lemon pickle.
Mild | Silky | Gentle
BAINGAN BHAJA
SPICY AUBERGINES
Aubergines are my all-time favourite vegetable, and this is one of my absolute favourite ways of
cooking them. I have tweaked the original recipe that was passed down to me without changing the
taste to make this tasty and comforting dish. It works really well as a side to Khichdi.
40 minutes
SERVES 2
2 tsp grated garlic
Juice of ½ lime
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp salt
1 large aubergine, sliced into 1cm rounds
2½ tbsp rapeseed oil, for shallow-frying
In a large bowl, mix together the grated garlic, turmeric, lime juice, mango powder, chilli flakes,
cornflour and salt. Add the aubergine slices to the marinade and let them marinate for about 15
minutes.
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, and once the oil is hot, add the aubergine and pan-fry on
a medium heat for 2–3 minutes on each side until both sides of all the slices are crisp and golden
brown. Remove from the pan and drain off any excess oil onto kitchen paper.
Serve hot.
Crunchy | Spicy | Warm

I used to make this recipe with hot chillies, but not many of my friends like very hot food so while
shopping I found baby sweet peppers instead. I was intrigued and excited at this find, because I had
never cooked with these little peppers before. I use vincotto in this – a dark, sweet and thick syrup,
which combines well with the peppers.
20 minutes
SERVES 3
3 tsp grated fresh turmeric root
2 tsp grated garlic
1 tsp cumin seeds
5 tsp vincotto
9 baby sweet peppers
50g gram flour
½ tsp salt
Juice of ½ lime
In a deep bowl, combine the turmeric, garlic, chilli flakes, cumin seeds and vincotto. Set to one side.
Cut a small slit through the middle of each of the peppers and very carefully remove the seeds with
a teaspoon without splitting apart the peppers. Once all of them are deseeded, take a teaspoon and
equally divide the garlic and chilli mixture among the peppers.
Heat the oil in a deep pan over a medium heat, and while the oil is getting hot, make the batter. Sift
the flour into a mixing bowl, add the salt, lime juice and 50ml water and mix well.
To test if the oil is hot enough, dip the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil. If it bubbles steadily,
the oil is ready. Dip each of the peppers into the batter, shake off any excess, then deep-fry them in
batches in the hot oil until golden brown on all sides – approximately 4–5 minutes. Remove from
the oil using a slotted spoon, then transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain away any
excess oil. Serve immediately.
Spicy | Sweet | Sour
SWEET AND SOUR TOFU

I have never been a great fan of tofu, yet this recipe is so delicious I go back to it all the time. Here
I’ve combined tofu with the flavours of India and China to create a truly multicultural dish.
45 minutes
SERVES 2
200g tofu, cut into triangles
1 tsp cornflour
5 tsp soy sauce
3 tsp agave syrup
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp nigella seeds
½ tsp salt
4 tsp rapeseed oil
Rice, to serve
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl except the oil and coriander. Place the bowl in the
fridge and let it marinate for half an hour.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, then add the tofu and marinade and cook for
3–5 minutes, turning regularly.
Serve hot and with rice.
Warm | Hearty | Spicy
RED LENTIL DAL

Red lentils don’t need soaking for long – 10 minutes is perfect. They cook quickly and are are
packed with nutritional benefits. The beauty of dal is that it is very versatile and can be eaten with
anything, but it is particularly good with rice.
1 hour
SERVES 4–6
100g red lentils
2 tsp salt
For the tadka
4 tsp sunflower oil
1 tsp nigella seeds, plus extra to garnish
15g grated fresh root ginger
2 tsp tomato purée
Wash the lentils in a sieve under cold running water and add to a bowl of cold water. Soak for 10
minutes, then add them to a medium pan with 1.5 litres water, the turmeric and salt, and cook over a
medium heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the lentils are cooking, make the tadka. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, then
add the nigella seeds and when they start to sizzle add the grated ginger and garlic and cook for 2
minutes. Add the chopped green chillies, tomato purée, ground coriander and fresh coriander, mix
them all well and cook for another 2 minutes.
Check if the lentils are cooked, and once they are nearly done, stir the tadka into the dal and cook
for a further 5 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with nigella seeds.
Rich | Mild | Hearty
SPLIT GREEN PEA DAL

When I was a judge for the BBC Food & Farming Awards, I was introduced to Hodmedod, a British
pulses, grains and seeds producer. Founded following the successful Great British Beans trial
project, Homedod was established to stimulate and assess demand for indigenous pulses, and now
they work with British farms to source a range of top-quality ingredients. I believe we should
always try to support local food producers so, if you can, do give Homedod a go.
45 minutes
SERVES 4–6
200g Hodmedod’s organic split green peas or any split green peas
2 tsp salt
15g fresh turmeric root, peeled and chopped
6 tsp sunflower oil
2 tsp nigella seeds
15g fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
2 medium white onions, chopped
2 tsp tomato purée
2 tsp garam masala
Rice, bread or Roti, to serve
Tip the split peas into a sieve and rinse under cold running water so that all the starch comes out.
Rinse until the water runs clear.
Add the split peas to a pan, cover with 1 litre of water and add the salt and turmeric. Cover the pan
with a lid, set over a medium heat and let it simmer, stirring regularly, for about 30 minutes, or until
the peas are soft. If it looks like more water is needed during cooking, add it as necessary.
Meanwhile, in another pan, heat the oil and add the nigella seeds; when they start to pop, add the
chopped garlic and ginger and cook for a minute. Add the chopped onions and cook slowly for 5–6
minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the tomato purée and green chillies to the pan and cook
for a further 2–3 minutes. Add the garam masala and mix it well with the paste. Once the paste is
made, add it to the spilt peas and cook over a low heat for further 5 minutes.
Serve with rice, bread or roti.
Creamy | Warm | Comforting
CHANA DAL
Chana dal is the generic name for chickpea dal and for the type of split chickpeas used (the
chickpeas are dried and the kernel is split). There are so many ways of cooking this – every
household in India cooks dal very differently, and everyone thinks their way is the best! I hope I can
convince you that such is the case with this recipe.
50 minutes
SERVES 4–6
250g chana dal (split chickpeas)
2 tsp salt
For the tadka
5 tsp rapeseed oil
1 tsp nigella seeds
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 tsp garam masala
Soak the chana dal in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes, then drain through a sieve and rinse
under cold running water so that all the starch comes out. Rinse until the water runs clear.
Place the chana dal in a deep pan and cover with 1 litre of water, then add the turmeric and salt and
bring to the boil. Cover the pan with a lid, set over a medium heat and simmer, stirring regularly, for
about 40 minutes, or until the chickpeas are soft. If it looks like more water is needed, add as
necessary.
While the dal is cooking, make the tadka. In a separate pan heat the oil over a medium heat and add
the nigella seeds. When they start to pop, add the chopped onion and soften slowly over a medium
heat for 5–6 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and ginger and cook for another 2–3 minutes. Add the
chopped tomato and green chillies and cook for a further 2–3 minutes until the tomato has softened.
Keep stirring so that the paste doesn’t burn – if it sticks to the base of the pan, add a few drops of
water. Add the garam masala to the paste and set aside.
Check the chickpeas are cooked; if they are, stir in the tadka. Cover the pan and cook over a very
low heat for 3–4 minutes. Stir in the coriander and serve.
Spicy | Warm | Fiery
CHOLE KALA CHANA

BLACK CHICKPEAS
Commonly known as kala chana in Hindi, black chickpeas are also known as Bengal grams. This is
what the gram flour you find in supermarkets is made from, despite the colour of the flour. In Indian
cooking, gram flour is a key ingredient and is commonly used in batter for pakoras and onion bhajis.
I prefer kala chana over the white chickpeas any day as they can be used in so many dishes and,
when cooked with any ingredients, they balance the flavours really well.
10 minutes
SERVES 2
4 tsp sunflower oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies, seeds in, slit in half
2 tsp ground cumin
4 tsp tomato purée
1 tsp salt
240g drained, tinned kala chana
Coriander leaves, to garnish
Roti or Bhature, here and green chillies, to serve
Heat the oil in a frying pan then add the cumin seeds. Once they start sizzling, add the grated ginger
and green chillies and cook for 1 minute. Add the turmeric, cumin, tomato purée and salt and mix
well.
Drain the kala chana through a sieve and rinse under cold running water. Add to a pan and cover
with 500ml water, then cook over a high heat for 5 minutes until heated through. Add the spice mix
to the kala chana and stir until well combined.
Garnish with a some coriander leaves and serve with plain roti or bhature, pickled shallots and green
chillies.
Spicy | Warm | Fiery
BAINGAN BHARTA
ROASTED SMOKY AUBERGINE
The beauty of Indian food is that it not only has regional dishes but families cook each of these in so
many ways. If you don’t like one method, you can just cook it another way! Baingan bharta with dal
and roti would be my ultimate desert island dish; the perfect balance of smoky aubergine and the
warmth of the green chillies is so divine. The aubergines are roasted on the hob and then left to cool
down before peeling off the skin and mashed; this recipe is how my mum made it, so I give her all
the credit.
30 minutes
SERVES 3
2 medium-sized aubergines
6 tsp rapeseed oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 medium onions, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
20g coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
Roti, to serve
Roast the aubergines over a gas burner on the hob over a medium heat using a pair of tongs to hold
them, or under a preheated hot grill. Either way, turn the veg regularly for even roasting. Allow to
cool, then when cool enough to handle, peel off the roasted skin. Mash the flesh in a large bowl.
Heat the oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds, then add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the onions
and chillies, cook for 4–5 minutes over a high heat and keep stirring. Once the onions are
translucent, add the chopped tomatoes and coriander to the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes. When the
tomatoes have broken down into the onions, add the rest of the spices and salt and mix together
well. Finally, stir in the mashed aubergine and cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat.
Serve with roti.
Spicy | Crunchy | Warm
SPICY GREEN LENTILS

This is hug in a bowl – comfort food at its best, as well as a delicious and wholesome meal. One
must always be creative with ingredients and when I was expecting with my girls I was not able to
eat certain things, so I had to experiment with the produce I could eat. This was one of my most
successful creations and you can serve this as a meal on its own or with some bread on the side.
35 minutes
SERVES 2–3
4 tsp rapeseed oil
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 medium courgette, diced
1 tsp salt
200g drained tinned green lentils
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Bread, to serve
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, then add the garlic and spring onions and cook for 2
minutes. Add the carrot and cook for 2–3 minutes. Add the diced courgette, turmeric, chilli and salt
and cook for 4 minutes. Tip in the lentils and chopped parsley, stir well and cook for 3–4 minutes
more, so all the flavours are combined. Switch off the heat, put on the lid and leave to rest for 15
minutes.
Serve warm with your favourite bread.
Soft | Warm | Sweet

There are so many varieties of squashes easily available now, and this recipe works with any of
them. Enjoy this as the centrepiece of a vegan Sunday roast or with a simple salad. It’s a real crowd-
pleaser!
15 minutes
SERVES 3–4
1 medium butternut squash, cut in half, deseeded, quartered and sliced
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6.
While the oven is getting hot, combine all the ingredients together in a bowl, making sure the
squash slices are well coated in the spices. Transfer the coated squash pieces to a baking tray and
cook for 30 minutes. After 15 minutes, take the tray out of the oven and shuffle the slices around so
they’re cooked evenly on all sides.
Sharp | Spicy | Warm
ALOO METHI
FENUGREEK WITH POTATOES
In Western countries you might be choosing to eat vegan food because you prefer it or for ethical or
health reasons, however not everyone in India can afford to make this choice. Stems, peels and
leaves therefore, that we waste here in the UK, are used out of necessity to survive in India. This
recipe is a classic dish and uses all of the fenugreek, or methi, for maximum flavour and minimum
waste. This is perfect served with roti or as a side dish with your favourite dal (such as Chana dal,
pictured).
35 minutes
SERVES 2–4
5 tsp rapeseed oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
20g fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
250g potatoes, peeled and diced
200g fresh fenugreek, leaves and stems, chopped
1 tsp salt
Roti or Chana dal, to serve
Heat the oil in a pan, and once hot add the cumin seeds. When they start sizzling, add the ginger and
cook for 1 minute over a medium heat. Add the diced potatoes, chopped fenugreek leaves and
chillies, ground coriander, turmeric, salt and 20ml water to the pan. Stir everything together, cover
the pan and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally and check if the potatoes are
cooked by piercing them with the tip of a sharp knife.
Serve hot with roti or dal.
Smooth | Silky | Warm
ALOO POSTO
POTATOES WITH POPPY SEEDS
Potatoes play a huge part in Indian dishes. Every state has their own way of cooking them or mixing
them up with other ingredients. The dish I love making with them is aloo posto, which only Bengali
families make. Although my parents both lived in Punjab, they still make this for themselves or for
anyone in my family who is visiting them. It might be a classic Bengali dish, but it’s loved by all.
Serve this with rice, dal or as a side to other dishes.
15 minutes (plus 1 hour soaking)
SERVES 4
100g poppy seeds
5 tsp sunflower oil (in Bengal we use mustard oil)
1 tsp nigella seeds
2–3 green chillies, seeds in, slit lengthwise, plus extra to garnish
500g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
1 tsp salt
Rice or Red lentil dal, to serve
Soak the poppy seeds in a bowl of water for an hour, making sure the water completely covers them.
Strain the seeds through a very fine sieve, then add them to a blender and grind to a paste. (If you
don’t have time to soak them you can always grind the dry poppy seeds in a coffee blender or spice
blender to a fine powder.)
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, then add the nigella seeds and green chillies and
cook for a minute. Add the potatoes and fry for 5 minutes. Stir in the poppy seed paste, making sure
it coats all the potato pieces, then add the turmeric, salt and 150ml water and mix well. Cover the
pan and cook the potatoes for 8–10 minutes or until softened and the water is absorbed completely,
but check regularly to make sure they don’t burn.
Serve with rice or dal.
Earthy | Warm | Hearty

Both my parents were very good cooks and for my mum, every season brought something she was
very excited about. Carrots, greens and cauliflower were wintry vegetables and the various dishes
she made were so simple, yet absolutely divine! I remember how I disliked these vegetables and
every time she asked me to help her peel them, I would have the biggest excuse not to help. But she
didn’t want us to get bored with food, so she would always create new and delicious dishes with
what she had.
40 minutes
SERVES 2–4
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 medium white onions, thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
10g fresh coriander, chopped
2 tsp salt
2 tsp garam masala
150g carrots, peeled and diced into 1cm pieces
150g small cauliflower florets
50g cavolo nero, chopped
Roti, to serve
Heat the oil in a pan, and once the oil is hot add the cumin seeds. When they start popping, add the
ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute, making sure not to burn them. Add the sliced onions to the
pan and cook for 6–7 minutes until light brown. Add the green chillies, tomatoes and coriander to
the pan and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the salt, turmeric, garam masala and 40ml water to
the pan along with all the vegetables, cover the pan with a lid and cook the sabzi on low for 10–12
minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve with roti.
Sour | Warm | Salty
OKRA SABZI
Okra, if not cooked properly, can be very slimy. As a child, I never ate okra cooked like this, so I
would always say I was allergic to it! However, having a restaurant and being a food writer means I
have to think outside of the box and give love to such vegetables to make them appealing. I adore
this recipe because my girls love it – I wish I had been given this when I was younger too.
30 minutes
SERVES 4
75g creamed coconut
1 tsp cumin seeds
15g fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
4 medium red onions, sliced
3 tsp tamarind chutney
3 tsp tomato purée
3–4 green chillies, seeds in, sliced
500g okra, trimmed and cut into 3cm slices
1½ tsp salt
Roti, to serve
Heat a large wok or deep pan over a medium heat, then add the creamed coconut. Once the creamed
coconut turns into oil, add the cumin seeds and turn the heat up to high. When the seeds start
sizzling, add the grated ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the sliced onions to the pan, cooking
them until soft and light brown – about 4–5 minutes – stirring continuously. Add the turmeric,
coriander, tamarind chutney, tomato purée and green chillies and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Add the okra and cook for another 10 minutes over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the
salt and cook for 2 minutes, then sprinkle over the chopped coriander.
Serve with roti.
Soft | Warm | Earthy
MARROW SABZI
While growing up in India my mum would always cook seasonal vegetables – she wasn’t following
a trend, it was just local produce was so flavourful and my parents didn’t buy a fridge-freezer until I
was 11 years old. If you can make this dish while marrows are in season, it’ll be especially tasty.
15 minutes
SERVES 2–4
4 tsp sunflower oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp nigella seeds
1 level tsp ground turmeric
1 medium marrow, sliced into half-moon discs
1 tsp salt
4 tsp chopped mint leaves
2–4 pitta breads, to serve
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, then add the cumin and nigella seeds. When the seeds start sizzling,
add the ginger and cook over a medium heat for 1 minute. Then add the chillies and turmeric and
cook for 1 minute more.
Add the marrow discs to the pan, stir and cook for 6 minutes, occasionally stirring until they start to
soften. Add the salt, ground coriander and mint to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
Cut the pitta breads in half to make pockets and fill with the marrow sabzi.
RAW MANGO SABZI

I went to India with Lisa Markwell for the Sunday Times in search of mangoes. We were not only
mesmerised by the different varieties of raw (or in other words, unripe) and ripe mangoes, but also
the methods and techniques used to cook them. Whilst in India, we were invited to have a meal in
the house of one of my friends in Hyderabad and the dish that stayed in my mind was the mango
curry, for which I asked them to give me the recipe. It makes a delicious side dish.
25 minutes
SERVES 6
4 medium raw (unripe) mangoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 tsp salt
100ml rapeseed oil
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
½ tsp black mustard seeds
6–8 curry leaves
15g fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 green chillies, seeds in, sliced
Boil the mango chunks, with the salt, in a pan with 500ml water for 10 minutes. Once the mangoes
are soft, drain and discard the water.
While the mangoes are boiling, heat a non-stick pan over a medium heat, add the oil and fenugreek
and black mustard seeds. Once they start to sizzle, add the curry leaves, ginger and garlic and cook
for 1 minute. Add the chilli powder, turmeric and sugar, stir for 1 minute then immediately remove
from the heat.
Add the soft mangoes to the spices and cook for roughly 6–7 minutes over a low heat until heated
through. Serve hot.
Flaky | Gentle | Mild
JACKFRUIT SABZI
I was born and grew up in a township in Bengal and I was very fortunate that we had various fruit
trees, one of which was a kathal tree, from which we picked sweet jackfruits. When the fruit was in
season my mum would use some for making sabzi, some for pickling and she would leave a few
fruits on the tree to ripen. Jackfruit is such an underrated fruit, and for years we couldn’t get it
unless you went to a speciality shop, but now all the supermarkets stock it in tins. The moment I
saw tinned jackfruit it gave me so much joy that I bought it and called my mum for this recipe so I
could make this recipe the same day. It’s a dry dish that’s great served with a wrap, pitta bread, roti
or as a side with rice and dal.
15 minutes
SERVES 2–4
1 tsp black mustard seeds
6 curry leaves
2 small onions, sliced
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
400g tin jackfruit chunks, drained
Wraps, pitta bread or Roti, to serve.
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, then add the mustard seeds. When they start popping, add
the curry leaves and immediately add the sliced onions and cook, stirring continuously, for 5–6
minutes until the onions are golden brown. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan and cook for a
further 3 minutes. Stir in all the spices, chilli and salt and cook for 2 minutes. Add the jackfruit to
the paste, stir it in well and cook for 4–5 minutes.
Serve with wraps, pitta bread or roti.
Sweet | Spicy | Gingery

SPICY FRIED PUMPKIN
If I were to be stranded on a desert island but left with an endless supply of panch phoron spice mix
I think I might just be OK. It’s a combination that is perfect for pickling and making chutneys as
well as general cooking. It goes brilliantly with any type of squash and this recipe is simple, but
delectable. If you have any leftovers it can be whizzed quickly into a thoroughly hearty and tasty
soup.
25 minutes
SERVES 4
3 tsp rapeseed oil
2 tsp Panch phoron
1 pumpkin (approximately 700g), peeled, deseeded and diced
1 tsp salt
Roti or pitta bread, to serve
Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over a medium heat, then add the panch phoron. Once it starts
to sizzle, add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the diced pumpkin together with the
chilli flakes and salt and cook over a medium heat for 10–12 minutes, stirring regularly, until it is
tender. Remove from the heat, serve warm with roti or pitta.
LABOURS OF LOVE
BAINGAN MASALA
SAMOSA CHAAT
ROASTED CAULIFOWER WITH ROSE HARISSA
AMRITSARI ROASTED BROCCOLI AND MOILEE
SAUCE
KALI DAL
URAD DAL FRY
RAJMA CHAWAL
VEGETABLE PULAO
SAAG
KACHE KELE KI SABZI
BHARE KARELE
VADA PAV
Sometimes it can be so good for the soul to spend a longer time cooking; taking care over preparing
the ingredients and gently frying the onions or simmering the sauce. Of course, this requires a great
deal of patience (especially when the moreish aromas of the spices start to develop) but there is
nothing more rewarding than putting in the time and having a wonderful plate of food to share at
the end of the day.
In India, the dishes that typically take longer to cook are often those that have been passed down
through the family, and these recipes are no different; nearly all of them being variations of those
that my grandma passed on to my mum, who in turn passed them on to me. The beauty of these
recipes is that each is slightly different: Baingan masala made in our house would be different from
our neighbours’ versions, the same with the Saag or Kali dal. Once you feel comfortable with my
recipes, feel free to make your own adjustments so you too can have your own special recipes to
pass on to your loved ones.
A special dish for me is the Samosa chaat. I was inspired to create this recipe when I went to
India and saw one of the street vendors making it. The sweetness of the pomegranates, the freshness
of the mint and coriander, the kick of the chutney and sweet and sour of tamarind, make this dish an
amazing combination of flavours. Whenever I eat it, it’s like that iconic dinner scene in ‘When
Harry Met Sally’ – so make sure you’re among friends when you try it!
Rich | Creamy | Warm
BAINGAN MASALA
BABY AUBERGINES WITH DILL AND COCONUT
Every year I give up something for Lent, and one year my girls and I followed a plant-based diet for
40 days. Mum used to make this recipe quite regularly, but with yogurt and fresh coriander, which I
have substituted with dill and coconut milk here. It’s so good my friends prefer this version when
they come to eat at my house.
40 minutes (plus 1 hour resting)
SERVES 4
1 tsp cumin seeds
12 baby or small aubergines (about 5cm), sliced in half but not all the way through
2 large white onions, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
100g dill sprigs, chopped
1½ tsp ground turmeric
1½ tsp salt
400ml tin coconut milk
Roti, to serve
Heat 3 tablespoons of the sunflower oil in a wok or deep frying pan, then add the cumin seeds and
aubergines – keeping the two halves of each together – and shallow-fry until half cooked, 4–6
minutes.
While the aubergines are cooking, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in another non-stick pan and
add the garlic, cook for 1 minute over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook until light brown –
8–10 minutes. Add the green chillies, tomatoes and dill, stirring everything together, and cook for
another 2–3 minutes.
Add the rest of the spices, salt and coconut milk and bring the mixture to the boil, then cook the
sauce over a low heat for 3 minutes. Add the fried aubergines to the sauce and stir gently to
combine, then cook for a further 5 minutes over a low heat, stirring occasionally.
Once cooked, leave to rest for an hour – it becomes more flavoursome with a little time. Serve with
roti.
Creamy | Smooth | Mild

Koftas can be made with various vegetables. I have used pumpkin, chard and potatoes here, as it’s a
combination that works really well with the sauce and is loved by my friends and family. You can
use any vegetables you might have left over to make these, just swap them in and follow the recipe
steps. For the sauce you can use fresh, tinned tomatoes or tomato purée, every way is perfect! Serve
with Jeera rice.
50 minutes
SERVES 4–6
For the kofta balls
250g pumpkin, peeled and grated (squeeze out any juice after grating)
50g chard, finely chopped
250g potatoes, peeled and grated (squeeze all the water out after grating)
2 tsp raw peanuts, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cornflour
Sunflower oil, for shallow-frying
For the sauce
6 tsp sunflower oil
5 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped and puréed in a blender
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp ground almonds
400ml tin coconut milk
2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
Jeera rice, to serve
Put the chopped and grated vegetables into a large bowl along with the rest of the kofta ingredients.
Mix well with your fingers and try to knead the mixture like you do when you make a dough. Make
10 balls of the mixture that are a little smaller than a golf ball, and set aside.
Heat some oil in a pan on a high heat and once hot turn the temperature to medium and shallow-fry
the balls for 2–3 minutes until they start to look golden brown. Remove to a plate lined with kitchen
paper to drain away any excess oil.
To prepare the sauce, heat the oil in a pan then add the grated ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the
puréed tomatoes to the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes. Add all the spices and salt and cook for a
further 3 minutes.
Stir in the ground almonds and coconut milk, bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to low and
add the dried fenugreek leaves. Cook the sauce for 10 minutes.
Add all the cooked koftas to the sauce just before serving to just heat through – don’t cook them any
further in the sauce or they might fall apart.
Serve with jeera rice.
Spicy | Sour | Fiery | Hearty
SAMOSA CHAAT
When restaurant critic Grace Dent was asked in the Guardian what her desert island dish would be,
she said chef Romy Gill’s samosa chaat – fried, chopped-up samosas with chickpeas, sweet
chutneys and yogurt. It’s a big, crunchy, crispy bowl. And it’s delicious. This recipe includes
Haldiram’s Aloo Bhujia which are spicy dried noodle pieces. They can be found in most major
supermarkets now, online or in your local Indian grocery. You can replace the crunch these provide
with toasted peanuts, but trust me, it’s worth getting the real thing!
15 minutes
SERVES 10
200g potatoes, peeled and diced
1 quantity Spicy chickpeas
75g fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 quantity Potato and pea samosas
3 tsp coconut milk yogurt
5 tsp Tamarind and date chutney
2 tsp Mint and coriander chutney
150g Haldiram’s Aloo Bhujia
Seeds of 1 pomegranate
Cook the diced potatoes in a pan of boiling water until just cooked through. Drain, then mix the
cooked potato cubes with the chickpeas in a large mixing bowl, along with a handful of chopped
coriander (leave some for garnishing) and set aside.
On a large serving plate, squash the samosa and place 2 tablespoons of the potato and chickpea
mixture on top. Squirt 3 teaspoons of coconut milk yogurt all over, topped with 3 teaspoons of
tamarind and date chutney, 2 teaspoons of mint and coriander chutney and 2 handfuls of aloo bhujia.
Sprinkle over 2 teaspoons of pomegranate seeds, a further 2 teaspoons of tamarind chutney and 2
teaspoons of the remaining coriander on the top to finish. Place in the middle of the table for
everyone to reach and tuck in!
Spicy | Fresh | Sharp
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH ROSE

HARISSA
Olia Hercules is a very talented chef and a very dear friend who recently invited me to a pop-up
event where she made roasted cauliflower with spices, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I came home
with a few ideas and decided to roast cauliflower with rose harissa for my family – it went down
very well!
50 minutes
SERVES 3
3 tsp Belazu rose harissa
2 tsp Tamarind and date chutney
1 tsp sea salt
1 head of cauliflower, whole
Simple salad, to serve
Mix all the ingredients, apart from the cauliflower, together in a bowl to form a paste. Rub the paste
all over the whole cauliflower. Transfer to a baking tray and set aside for 15 minutes to marinate.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6.
When ready to cook, place the marinated cauliflower on the middle shelf of the oven and cook for
30 minutes until cooked through and golden.
Serve hot as a side or with a simple salad.
Creamy | Silky | Smooth
AMRITSARI ROASTED BROCCOLI AND

MOILEE SAUCE
Moilee sauce is one of the most comforting sauces and brings me sheer joy. It is very creamy and
has the beautiful kick of the chillies, the fragrance of curry leaves and amritsari spices (a blend of
different spices used mostly in the Punjab). Everyone has a slightly different way of making this,
but this is my preferred method. You can buy the amristari spice blend in most major supermarkets,
online and in Indian grocery shops.
40 minutes
SERVES 3–4
For the broccoli
1 large head of broccoli
2 tsp amritsari spice blend
1 tsp salt
Juice of 1 lemon
For the moilee sauce
10 curry leaves
3 medium white onions, very thinly sliced
4 bird’s eye chillies, seeds in, chopped
1½ tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp salt
Juice of 1 lemon
750ml coconut milk
Chop the broccoli into florets and add to a bowl with the spice blend, salt and lemon juice. Stir to
coat the florets, then set aside to marinate for 20 minutes.
Lay the marinated broccoli on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper and roast in the oven for
5–6 minutes. After this time, test if it’s cooked by piercing it with the tip of a sharp knife; it
shouldn’t be too soft, it needs to have bite.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Heat the oil in a deep pan over a medium heat, then add the mustard
seeds. When they start popping, add the curry leaves and stir for 30 seconds, then add the ginger and
garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the onions and cook until translucent, around 8 minutes. Add the
chillies, turmeric, salt, lemon juice and coconut milk, mix well, then bring to a boil and cook for 5
minutes to reduce a bit. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. When cool, blend to a smooth
sauce in a food processor. Add back to the pan and cook for a further 6 minutes.
To serve, spoon the sauce into soup bowls and place the cooked broccoli in each bowl.
Smooth | Creamy | Hearty
KALI DAL
BLACK LENTIL DAL
While growing up, my mum made lots of different dals, but the one we always loved was this one,
especially when we attended the celebrations in the gurudwara, where people from the Punjabi
community cooked langar (a meal that is cooked to be enjoyed by everyone). You can slow-cook the
dal, and it’s always a good idea to make extra and freeze it – just use it within 1 month. This recipe
uses whole black urad dal, which is also known as the black gram and is very popular in Punjabi
cuisine.
2 hours 30 minutes (plus overnight soaking)
SERVES 6–8
200g black urad dal (black lentils)
100g chana dal (split chickpeas)
50g kala chana (or 240g drained tinned kala chana, but this won’t need soaking)
2 tsp salt
For the tadka
5 tsp sunflower oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 small white onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp garam masala
Roti and salad, to serve
First prepare the dal. Soak the lentils, chana dal and kala chana together overnight in a large bowl of
cold water. In the morning, drain the pulses through a sieve and rinse under cold running water, then
add to a pan with 3 litres of water, the salt, green chillies, ginger and turmeric, stir it together and
slow-cook for around 2 hours over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. If it looks like more water
is needed during cooking, add it as necessary, but check the lentils to see if they are cooked or not
before adding water.
While the dal is cooking, make the tadka.
To make the tadka, heat the oil in a pan, then add the cumin seeds. When they start sizzling, add the
chopped garlic and cook for a minute. Add the chopped onions and cook until light brown (this will
take 5–6 minutes). Add the chopped tomatoes and fresh coriander and cook for a further 2–3
minutes. Add the ground coriander and garam masala, mix well, then add the tadka to the dal in a
pan and cook over a medium heat for 4–5 minutes to warm through and infuse the flavours.
Serve with roti and salad.
Earthy | Spicy | Gentle
URAD DAL FRY

In the Indian community the range of uses of lentils and pulses is so vast that I am still learning
about Indian cuisine and their ways and methods. Here I’ve used white urad dal, which becomes
white after splitting. It is one of the key ingredients in making papadums and is used to make so
many dishes, including dosas and idli (a savoury rice cake). For me this is the most versatile dal.
1 hour (plus 2–2½ hours soaking)
SERVES 4
200g white urad dal
2 tsp tomato purée
1 tsp salt
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp amritsari spice blend
50g fresh wild garlic, chopped (or normal garlic if the wild variety is out of season)
Roti or salad, to serve
Rinse the dal in water in a sieve, then drain and soak in a bowl of water for a couple of hours. Check
if the dal is soft, if not let it soak for another half an hour.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, then add the black mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add the grated
ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the green chillies, tomato purée, turmeric, salt, lemon juice, spice
blend, asafoetida and wild garlic, mix it all together well and cook for 2 minutes.
Drain the dal and add it to the paste, mixing everything together well, then cook over a low heat for
10–12 minutes.
Serve with roti or a simple salad.
Fiery | Tangy | Saucy
RAJMA CHAWAL
RED HARICOT BEANS
Rajma was my staple diet every weekend with Jeera rice, raita and salad. It was like a Sunday roast
with the family. It is undoubtedly one of my favourite comfort foods. I have used Hodmedod’s red
haricot beans instead of the more traditional red kidney beans.
1 hour 40 minutes (plus overnight soaking)
SERVES 6–8
200g Hodmedod’s dried red haricot beans
2 tsp salt
5 tsp sunflower oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 medium onions, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
3 tsp garam masala
Jeera rice, to serve
Soak the beans in a bowl of hot water and leave overnight. The next day, drain the beans in a sieve
and rinse under cold running water, then add the beans, 2 litres of water, pomegranate molasses,
salt, turmeric and green chillies to a pan and cook over a high heat. When the liquid starts to boil,
lower the heat to medium, cover the pan with a lid and cook for nearly 1½ hours.
While the beans are cooking, heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, then add the cumin seeds,
chopped garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped onions and cook for 5–6 minutes
until translucent, then add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 3–4 minutes. Remove from the heat,
let the mixture cool down, then add the mixture to the bowl of a food processor and blend until
smooth (alternatively, you can blend the mixture with a hand-held blender in the pan). Add the
blended mixture to the beans and cook everything together until heated through.
Serve with jeera rice.
Rich | Spicy | Hearty
VEGETABLE PULAO
Pulao is a meal on its own. Mum used to make this with leftover vegetables so it’s great for using
odd bits left in your fridge. We always have a simple salad of onions, a slice of lime, salt, green
chillies and lauki (courgette) raita with this.
1 hour
SERVES 6
300g basmati rice
5 tsp sunflower oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 green cardamom pods
3cm piece of cassia bark
6 black peppercorns
10g fresh root ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2–3 green chillies, chopped
100g carrots, sliced into 3cm slices
50g runner beans, sliced into 3cm chunks
100g small cauliflower florets
2 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1 litre boiling water
Salad, to serve (see introduction)
Soak the rice for 20–25 minutes in a bowl of cold water, the water should just cover the rice.
While the rice is soaking, heat a heavy-based pan. Add the oil and once hot, add all of the whole
spices and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for a further minute, as it
helps the juices to release. Immediately add the sliced onions and keep stirring over a medium heat
until they start to colour. This will take about 5–6 minutes.
Add the green chillies and turmeric and cook for another minute, then add all the vegetables and
cook for another 5–6 minutes over a medium heat. Keep stirring, if it catches, add a few drops of
water.
While the vegetables are cooking, drain the water from the rice. Add the salt, garam marsala and
rice to the pan and mix well. Add the hot water and boil over a high heat. Once the water has come
to a boil, lower the temperature and cover the pan with a lid. Let it cook for 8–10 minutes. Once
cooked, the rice will be fluffy and you will smell beautiful aromas.
Remove the cassia bark and cardamom pods, stir through the chopped coriander and serve alongside
a salad.
Smooth | Full-bodied | Hearty
SAAG
SPICED LEAFY VEGETABLES
When my dad was 16, he left Punjab to go and live with his aunt and uncle in West Bengal. He got a
job in the IISCO steel plant and, when my parents got married, my mother joined him, leaving
behind her friends, family and the food she grew up eating. At first she missed everything, but she
got used to the changes and when the winter greens were in season Mum would eat this saag every
day as it reminded her of home.
Saag is a very popular dish and it is traditionally made with mustard leaves, but if you are not able
to get these, substitute with kale leaves.
50 minutes
SERVES 4–6
200g mustard or kale leaves
200g spinach
100g fenugreek or chard leaves
3–4 green chillies, seeds in
2 tsp salt
4 tsp corn meal
For the tadka
20g fresh root ginger, peeled
4 garlic cloves
1 large onion
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
Makki di roti and chopped mooli, to serve
Pour 1 litre of water into a large pan. Roughly chop all the greens and chillies and add them to the
pan with the salt. Simmer over a medium heat for 10–15 minutes. Check if the greens are cooked,
then drain them but keep the water. Let them cool slightly and then add the cooked greens and corn
meal to a food processor and blend to a purée. Set aside.
To make the tadka, heat the oil in frying pan over a medium heat. Chop the ginger and garlic and
add to the pan, cooking for 1 minute. Then chop the onion and add – cook for 6–7 minutes. Add the
spices and puréed greens to the pan and mix well – if you need to loosen the mixture a little, pour in
a little of the reserved greens cooking water, as it is full of flavour.
Serve hot with makki di roti and mooli.
Warm | Hearty | Spicy

SPINACH DAL
My mum, like any mum in India, knew so many ways of making different dals – it’s a part of our
staple diet. We are so used to standard dals that we forget there are so many other ones to enjoy.
Moong or mung bean dal is so underrated yet is one of the most delicious when cooked properly.
1 hour (plus at least 2 hours soaking)
SERVES 6–8
200g moong dal
2 tsp salt
5 tsp sunflower oil
1 large tomato, chopped
200g spinach, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
Roti or rice, to serve
Soak the dal for a couple of hours or overnight in a large pan of water. Drain through a sieve and
rinse under cold running water. Drain and tip the dal into a pan, then cover with 2 litres of water,
add the salt, turmeric and green chillies and cook over a medium heat until the dal is soft, which will
take about 40 minutes.
While the dal is cooking, heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, then add the chopped ginger and
cook for about 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomato and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Once the
tomato is soft, add the chopped spinach and ground cumin and coriander, stir well and cook for
another 3–4 minutes.
When the dal is soft add the spinach paste to the dal and cook for a further 3–5 minutes, so the
flavours mix in well, and serve with roti or rice.
Creamy | Smooth | Silky
KACHE KELE KI SABZI

GREEN BANANA SABZI
Bananas are abundant in India, and they are eaten in many different ways. From raw (or unripe)
bananas we would make a sabzi – deep-frying them as chips. Also, nothing is wasted, and in many
places the banana leaves are used to serve or steam food. This is a delicious, creamy and filling dish
that is great for using green bananas – when not fully ripened the fruit is starchy, which is perfect
alongside the coconut milk yogurt.
40 minutes
SERVES 3–4
3 green bananas
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium white onions, sliced
1 large tomato, chopped
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
150g coconut milk yogurt, whisked
Plain rice, to serve
Place the whole unpeeled bananas in a deep large pan, and pour over just enough water to cover,
then cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes. Drain the water and let the bananas cool, and once
cool enough to handle, peel them and cut each one in half, then slice into rounds and set aside.
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, then add the mustard seeds and asafoetida. Once the seeds start
sizzling, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for
another 6–7 minutes until light brown and softened. Add the green chillies and tomato and cook for
another 2–3 minutes. Add the chopped coriander and all the spices and salt to the paste and stir well
to combine.
Remove the pan from the heat, let the paste cool, then transfer to a blender and blend until to a
smooth purée. Once the purée is made, return it to the pan, add 100ml water, the banana slices and
whisked coconut milk yogurt, stir the sauce gently, then cover the pan with a lid and cook over a
low heat for 4–5 minutes.
Serve with plain rice.
Warm | Bitter | Soft
BHARE KARELE
STUFFED BITTER GOURD
Long train journeys were part of my holidays while growing up, and for these my mum would pack
the most amazing picnics. Karela (bitter gourd) lasted a long time and didn’t go stale, so it was
perfect for these trips. It is an acquired taste but if cooked properly and served with dal or roti
there’s nothing more blissful!
1 hour
SERVES 4–6
For the gourds
6 bitter gourds
1 tsp salt
2½ tbsp sunflower oil
For the stuffing
4 small red onions, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
3 tsp garam masala
3 tsp tomato purée
Roti, to serve
First prepare the gourds. Wash them, then cut in half, scoop out the seeds and flesh and set aside.
Rub salt on the bitter gourd shells to bring out the juices.
Meanwhile, make the stuffing. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, then add the onions and
cook until translucent, then add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Add the reserved
seeds and flesh of the gourd with the green chillies and cook for 5 minutes. Once the paste becomes
brown add the anardana, turmeric, salt, garam masala and tomato purée and mix well. Cook for
another few minutes, stirring occasionally over a low heat. Remove from the heat and leave the
paste to cool. Once cooled, tip the mixture into the bowl of the food processor and blend to a coarse
paste.
Heat the sunflower oil for the gourds in another pan and fry evenly until the shells are light brown
and soft – around 10–12 minutes. Once cooked, transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to
remove the excess oil. Fill the shells with the stuffing and wrap some kitchen string around each one
to hold the stuffing in. Once stuffed, transfer them to the pan you fried the shells in and cook for
another 3 minutes to make sure the flavours of the stuffing infuse the shell properly. Remove the
string and serve with roti.
Crumbly | Sticky | Warm
Indo-Chinese food is very big in India and is the most delicious combination of flavours. I used to
eat this dish until I was sick of it! It’s vegetable balls in a sauce and is as tasty with noodles as it is
with plain rice.
40 minutes
SERVES 2–4
For the balls
100g white hard cabbage, shredded
100g green beans, very finely chopped
1 small green pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
75g plain flour
4 tsp cornflour
1 tsp crushed black peppercorns
For the sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp chilli sauce
2 tsp cornflour
4 tsp sunflower oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
2–3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
1 tsp sugar
2 spring onions, chopped, to garnish
Plain rice or noodles, to serve
In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the balls, then gather the mixture together so that all the
moisture from the vegetables stays in the dough. Knead it as you would a bread dough, then shape
into 20 small balls – it might take about 2–3 minutes to get the consistency – and set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok or deep pan and, when the oil is hot enough (this will be when the handle of a
wooden spoon creates steady bubbles when dipped in), deep fry the balls for around 2 minutes until
golden brown – you may need to do this in batches. Scoop out using a slotted spoon and transfer to
a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain away any excess oil.
Next, make the sauce.
In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce and chilli sauce. In another small bowl,
blend the cornflour and 2 teaspoons water to a smooth paste.
Heat the oil in a pan, then add the grated ginger, onion, garlic and green chillies and cook for 4–5
minutes. Stir in the soy sauce mix and cornflour paste and cook for 1 minute, making sure the
mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Add 500ml water and bring the mixture to a boil,
then when the sauce thickens, add the peppercorns and sugar. Finally, add the fried balls to the sauce
and cook for 2–3 minutes to heat through.
Garnish with the spring onions and serve with plain rice or noodles.
Warm | Hearty | Comforting
VADA PAV
The beauty of growing up near a steel plant was that we met people from different states and learnt
about their rituals and celebrations, but the best part was the food that came from their home towns.
Vada pav is a Mumbai staple – it normally comes as a round ball but my daughters prefer it
flattened, so this is what I have done.
45 minutes
SERVES 3–4
For the vada balls
300g potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 tsp sunflower oil, plus extra for deep-frying
8 curry leaves
Pinch of asafoetida powder
1 tsp salt
For the batter
110g gram flour
½ tsp salt
Pinch of bicarbonate of soda
Bread rolls, Hari (green) chutney and Garlic and chilli chutney, to serve
Put the potatoes into a pan of boiling water and cook until soft. Drain, tip into a bowl and mash.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, then add the mustard seeds. Once they pop, add the curry leaves, garlic
and chillies and cook for 30 seconds. Add the turmeric, asafoetida and salt along with the mashed
potatoes, mix well and cook for another 2 minutes. Set aside to let the potato mixture cool, then
once cool enough to handle, make into 3–4 golf ball-sized balls and flatten slightly to make patties.
Put the batter ingredients into a separate bowl and slowly pour in 100ml cold water, until the
mixture is the consistency of pancake batter.
Half-fill a deep, heavy-based pan with oil. Heat over a high heat until the oil is hot (the handle of a
wooden spoon should steadily bubble when dipped in), then lower to medium. Drop the balls into
the batter and then into the hot oil and fry 2 or 3 at a time until golden brown. This will take 2–3
minutes. Scoop out using a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain
away any excess oil. Once they are all cooked, put Hari chutney on one half of a bread roll and
chilli and garlic chutney on the other half and then put the vada in the middle. Serve hot.
SNACKS
CAULIFLOWER PAKORAS
ELDERFLOWER PAKORAS
POSTO BORAS
MOMOS
ROASTED POMEGRANATE MOLASSES SWEET
POTATO CHIPS
BEETROOT, KALE AND SWEET POTATO
TOASTIES
BONDA
BHUTTA
TURMERIC HUMMUS
When I was a young girl in West Bengal, my friends and I didn’t have much money, so at the end of
each week we used to put all our pocket money together and go and buy ourselves all sorts of street
food – it was such a treat. And while we craved these dishes, the whole experience was more about
sharing the food than anything else. Indian street food is unlike any other, the smell entices you and
because it is cooked on carts in the open air the smell would come flying over to us. We couldn’t
resist the smell of deep-fried samosas, kachori and chaat (all savoury snacks) and there was such a
variety, but momos and samosas were our favourites (they cost around the equivalent of 50p each in
British currency, which doesn’t sound like a lot now, but back then, and to us, it was a real
extravagance!). In India, you don’t have to go to a five-star hotel for incredible-tasting food, it’s
easily accessible and freshly cooked right in front of you.
I often hear people saying that it’s hard to find good-tasting vegan snacks that aren’t mass-
produced (there’s only so many carrot sticks with hummus one person can eat), but the recipes in
this section will brighten up your snack time, and are perfect for when you’re feeling a bit peckish.
They’re also great appetisers if you’re entertaining guests – I often make a batch of samosas and
enjoy them with my friends and a glass of wine. Every country has its own type of street food and it’s
easy to understand why this style of cooking is becoming ever more popular in the UK. Street food is
the essence of local culture and community; it’s simple, but big on flavour and, most importantly, it’s
moreish. You don’t want to know how many momos I could eat if given the chance…
Crispy | Spicy | Warm
CAULIFLOWER PAKORAS
On a very wet day my mum would made us pakoras. They always tasted that much better on a rainy
day – me and my siblings sitting on the veranda, putting the world to rights and talking about the
Indian cricket team. This is one of my mum’s many splendid variations – feel free to use whatever
vegetable is in season or you have leftover in your fridge (purple sprouting broccoli works
especially well).
25 minutes
SERVES 4–6
150g gram flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nigella seeds
20g fresh turmeric root, peeled and grated
1 medium red onion, finely sliced
1 small cauliflower, including leaves, chopped into small florets
Mint and coriander chutney or tomato ketchup and Chaat masala, to serve
First, make the batter. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the salt, nigella seeds, anardana
powder and just enough water to make a thick batter, up to 50ml – it should be sticky and quite dry.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well, ensuring the ingredients are well coated in the batter.
Set aside.
In a deep-fat fryer or a heavy-based deep frying pan, heat the oil over a medium heat.
Check the oil is hot enough by dropping a little of the batter mix into the oil – it should float up
quite quickly if it is. Once hot enough, shake off any excess batter from the florets, then drop them
into the oil and cook, in batches, until golden brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and
transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off any excess oil. Repeat until all the florets are
cooked.
Serve warm with mint and coriander chutney or, if the kids insist, tomato ketchup. You can also add
a little kick by sprinkling with chaat masala.
Crispy | Fruity | Warm
ELDERFLOWER PAKORAS
We don’t often make pakoras at home – only really when we have guests – but it is a good way of
making kids eat vegetables. Pakoras are a favourite with my kids, but instead of making traditional
ones I like to be creative and make an elderflower version. I know this is very seasonal, but it’s a
good way of using them if you want to make something other than Elderflower and saffron cordial!
30 minutes
SERVES 4–6
50g gram flour
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp salt
12 elderflower heads
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, then add all the ingredients, except the elderflower and oil, with up
to 50ml water. Whisk the batter until it is thin enough to coat the elderflowers – but it shouldn’t be
too runny.
In a deep-fat fryer or a heavy-based deep frying pan, heat the oil over a medium heat to 170°C or
until the handle of a wooden spoon creates steady bubbles when dipped into the oil. Once hot, dip
the elderflower heads into the batter to coat, shaking off any excess, then drop the elderflowers, in
batches, into the oil and fry for 2–3 minutes until golden brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted
spoon and transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off any excess oil. Repeat until all the
flowers are cooked. Serve hot.

Pineapple becomes wonderfully sweet and sticky when cooked with date sugar and tamarind, but
when combined with chilli flakes and fennel seeds this is just bursting with flavours. Be sure to find
a ripe pineapple for this – the outside should be golden not green – but if you can’t, buy an unripe
one and keep it near some bananas to ripen – bananas release ethylene which is a gas that naturally
ripens around food around it.
15 minutes
SERVES 4–5
75g date sugar
75g Tamarind and date chutney
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 pineapple, skin removed and flesh sliced into 1cm-thick slices
Put the date sugar in a medium frying pan over a low heat to melt – do not stir, as this may cause the
caramel to crystallise. As it melts, keep shaking and swirling the pan until a medium-coloured
caramel is formed. Add the tamarind and date chutney and whisk well. Boil for 2 minutes, then add
the chilli flakes, salt, garam masala and fennel seeds. Place the pineapple slices in a baking dish.
Pour the spicy caramel sauce over the pineapple slices, then roast for 12–15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and transfer the pineapple circles to a plate, covering it with foil to keep
warm. Pour the cooking juices into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then cook to reduce to a thicker
caramel. Pour over the pineapple and eat warm.
Warm | Creamy | Soft
POSTO BORAS
POPPY SEED CAKES
Posto boras is a white poppy seed dish that is cooked in Bengali households. Also known as poppy
seed cakes, these are small round bites that are mouth-wateringly delicious. You can serve these as a
side dish with a main meal, but I love them as snacks.
50 minutes
MAKES 8–10
100g white poppy seeds
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin seeds
Mustard or rapeseed oil, for shallow-frying
Sliced shallots and Mint and coriander chutney, to serve
Soak the poppy seeds in cold water for 30 minutes.
Drain the poppy seeds, tip them into a blender and whizz to a paste. Add the paste to a bowl with
the rest of the ingredients, except the oil.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. While the oil is heating, make 8–10 golf ball-sized
balls from the poppy seed mixture and then flatten them.
Once the oil is hot, lower the temperature. Cook the boras, in batches, until golden and crispy on all
sides. Remove the boras with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain
the excess oil.
Serve hot with sliced shallots and mint and coriander chutney.
Crispy | Flaky | Spicy

Samosas originated in the Middle East and Central Asia, and they are traditionally simple deep-fried
stuffed pastry triangles, and the fillings vary depending on the region. Nowadays there are many
variations on this classic – sweet, savoury, fried and baked – but for me a samosa has got to have a
savoury filling, such as spiced potatoes. This is my favourite way to make samosas, as it reminds
me of my grandmother.
2 hours
MAKES 10 SAMOSAS
For the pastry
½ tsp salt
6 tsp sunflower oil
1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
For the filling
4 medium potatoes
2 tsp sunflower oil, plus extra for deep-frying
1 tsp cumin seeds
50g peas, frozen or fresh
1–2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
Handful of fresh coriander
1 tsp salt
First make the pastry. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, then add the salt, oil and the carom (ajwain)
seeds. Rub the oil into the flour with your hands so it’s well combined, then add 100ml water and
bring the dough together and knead briefly until it forms a ball – it should be smooth and soft.
Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave to rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Next, make the filling. Bring a pan of water to the boil and in the meantime peel and chop the
potatoes. Add to the boiling water and cook until soft but still holding their shape.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the fennel and cumin seeds, and once they start sizzling add the
peas – if frozen, cook through, but if fresh just cook for few minutes to warm them. Add the grated
ginger, green chillies, ground coriander and cumin and cook for 1 minute. Add the cooked potatoes
to the pan, mix well and cook for 2–3 minutes to heat through and mingle the flavours.
Chop the coriander and add along with the salt and keep cooking for 2–3 minutes over a low heat.
The veg should be well coated with spices. Check the seasoning. Remove from the heat and leave to
cool.
When you’re ready to start cooking, heat a frying pan on a very low heat. While it is heating, divide
the rested pastry into 5 equal-sized balls. Roll each into a circle on a lightly floured work surface to
approximately 15cm diameter. Put the rolled pastry into the pan, warm on both sides then cut in
half. Repeat with all the other roti.
Brush the edges with water. Fold the semi-circle in half, bringing the straight edges together to
make a cone and fill with the filling. Pinch and seal the open edge and then push it with a fork.
Repeat until all the remaining dough is made into samosas.
Heat a deep heavy-based pan, half-fill it with oil and heat it to 180°C. Deep-fry the samosas, two at
a time, for 4–5 minutes until light brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon. Transfer to a plate
lined with kitchen paper to drain the excess oil, then fry the rest in batches. Serve while still hot.
Warm | Soft | Steamy
MOMOS
CABBAGE AND CARROT DUMPLINGS
Momos were a huge part of my life growing up in Bengal, as they were affordable and tasty. I still
love making them today, and I eat them until I can’t eat any more!
2 hours
SERVES 4
For the dough
½ tsp salt
5 tsp sunflower oil
For the filling
40g cabbage, finely shredded
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 small white onion, chopped
2 tsp fresh coriander, chopped
1 tsp salt
For the dipping sauce
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 spring onions, finely chopped, plus extra to garnish
1 tsp sugar
First make the dough. Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, then add the oil and mix well.
Slowly add 120ml cold water to the flour mix and knead the dough until it is flexible. Cover the
bowl with a cloth and leave it to rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
While the dough is resting, make the filling. Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir well
to combine.
Divide the dough into 20 equal-sized balls weighing around 12g each. Dust a work surface with
flour and roll the balls into thin circles, one at a time. Place about 2 teaspoons of filling into the
centre of the circle, then using your thumb and forefinger, pinch together the edges of the dough to
make a round shape. Pinch all around the shape to seal the parcel.
Next, make the sauce. Combine all the ingredients together with 30ml cold water and mix well.
When you’re ready to eat, fill a steamer pan with water, cover the base of the steamer with baking
parchment and pierce some holes in it.
Working in batches, place the momos on the baking parchment and steam for 8–10 minutes – they
should look transparent and not feel sticky when fully cooked.
Serve the momos hot with a sprinkling of chopped spring onion and the sauce for dipping.
Warm | Sweet | Sharp
ROASTED POMEGRANATE MOLASSES

SWEET POTATO CHIPS
My daughters are not big fans of normal potatoes but they love sweet potatoes. The sweetness of
this variety along with the tartness of the pomegranate molasses works really well.
15 minutes
SERVES 4–5
4 sweet potatoes, sliced into chips
1 tsp sea salt
3 tsp rapeseed oil
Preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C fan/gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and put
it in the oven to heat up for 5 minutes.
Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix well to coat the chips in the flavourings. Tip the
chips onto the hot baking tray and cook in the oven for 15 minutes until cooked through.
Crispy | Warm | Spicy
BEETROOT, KALE AND SWEET POTATO

TOASTIES
While I was growing up, when it came to food, little things made me happy. Although we didn’t
have a toastie maker, our very good friends did. Life was simple and people helped and cared for
each other. When we used to visit Chawla aunty she used to make these potato and onion toasties
for us. Now I have a toastie machine, I change the fillings all the time and this is one of my
favourite ingredient combinations.
15 minutes
SERVES 2
1 tsp sunflower oil, plus extra to spray the sandwich maker
20g kale, finely chopped
1 small beetroot, peeled and grated
1 small sweet potato, boiled, peeled and roughly mashed
½ tsp salt
1 tsp Chaat masala
2 tsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
4 slices of bread (in India we always had these with white bread)
Ketchup, to serve
Heat the oil in a pan and add the ginger, kale and grated beetroot and cook for 3–4 minutes. Then
add the rest of the ingredients, mix well and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set
aside.
Preheat the sandwich maker and brush it with oil. Meanwhile, top 4 slices of bread with the filling
and cover each with another to make 4 sandwiches. Place as many sandwiches as your machines
allows in the sandwich maker, close the machine and cook until the bread is brown and toasted,
about 2–3 minutes.
Serve hot with a cup of tea and some ketchup.
Crispy | Flaky | Warm
BONDA
When I started my business from home I always made various starters and I tried to be creative so
that people would enjoy the food. These deep-fried balls are made with peanuts, potatoes and
coconut – a combination that works well; I love the crunch of peanuts against the fresh flavours of
coriander and coconut.
20 minutes
MAKES 8–10 BALLS
1 medium potato, peeled and grated
6 tsp desiccated coconut
2 tsp raw peanuts, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 green chilli, seeds in, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp salt
Avocado chutney and Tamarind and date chutney, to serve
Squeeze all the water from the grated potatoes between your hands, then put them into a mixing
bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the oil, mix well and shape into 8–10 golf ball-sized
balls.
In a deep-fat fryer or a heavy-based deep frying pan, heat the oil over a medium heat to 170°C. Add
the balls to the hot oil, in batches, cooking them for 2–3 minutes until golden brown on all sides.
Serve hot with avocado chutney and tamarind and date chutney.
Spicy | Sweet | Soft
BHUTTA
GRILLED CORN ON THE COB
In India you will find street vendors cooking corn over hot charcoal, flavoured with lemon or lime
and spices. I prefer to rub it with black salt (kala namak) which can be found in the world food
aisles of many large supermarkets, online and in your local Indian grocery.
15 minutes
SERVES 4
4 corn on the cobs, stripped of outer leaves
½ tsp black salt
1 lime, halved
Preheat the grill or barbecue. Grill the corn equally on all sides until golden brown and little black
spots are starting to emerge – around 10 minutes.
Once cooked, rub the cobs with the turmeric and black salt. Rub the lime halves all over the corn,
squeezing out the juice as you go. Serve immediately.
Crunchy | Sweet | Nutty

These are delicious as a nibble for friends served with a glass of red wine.
10 minutes
SERVES 2–3
Seeds of 1 medium pumpkin
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
Preheat the oven 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4.
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl to coat the seeds. Lay the seeds on a baking tray and put
in the oven to roast. Check on them after 2 minutes and shuffle them around so that they roast
evenly – they shouldn’t take more than 5–7 minutes, but depending on the oven they might take up
to 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Serve warm.
Smooth | Creamy | Earthy
TURMERIC HUMMUS
The first time I had the taste of hummus was when I moved to the UK, and I was intrigued by its
taste and texture. I researched this dish and the ingredients that go into making it, then I tried
making it in many variations. This is one of my favourite ways – the turmeric gives it a beautiful
yellow colour and there’s a flavour kick from the red Kashmiri chilli flakes.
10 minutes
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
200g drained tinned chickpeas
3 tsp tahini paste
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp Maldon sea salt
6 tsp rapeseed oil
Salad, crisps or pitta bread, to serve
Place all the ingredients in a blender with 2 tsp water and whizz into a thick paste.
Serve immediately with salad, crisps or pitta bread, or put in the fridge and serve later – it will keep
for up to 2 days.
PUDDINGS
JALEBI
BLOOD ORANGE AND
POLENTA CAKE
RICE PUDDING
ZARDA
It’s undeniable that people in India have a (very) sweet tooth.
Whenever there’s an occasion of any kind – whether it’s a baby
being born, someone getting married, or even a funeral – sweets
are present because they are a symbol of happiness. This fondness
for the sweet stuff means that there’s a lot of variety when it comes
to puddings. It’s also important to remember that when the British
ruled India they introduced a cake culture that’s still thriving today,
and when the Iranians moved to India they brought with them their
wonderful bakeries. This rich crossover of cultures means that
India’s sweet scene is both diverse and unrivalled.
I’ll always remember my mum making us Zarda. It is a typical
Punjabi rice pudding, and the name comes from the Persian word
zard, meaning yellow. Zarda was only made for weddings in
Punjab, and I have wonderful memories of running around with my
cousins while they explained to us the importance of making zarda
and distributing it within the community.
Lots of English puddings rely on dairy ingredients and eggs, but
the hot weather in India and lack of fridges in most households
meant that this wasn’t always possible. Instead, lots of popular
puddings were made with dairy-free doughs or grains, and often
deep-fried or coated in sugar syrup. For the creamier desserts, like
rice pudding, I’ve substituted milk with vegan dairy alternatives,
such as almond milk. Feel free to use whichever plant-based milk
you prefer, but I find that almond milk has a natural sweetness that
goes perfectly with puddings.
Warm | Sweet | Crispy
JALEBI
Every weekend my dad would bring jalebis home from a street
vendor father and son who had a food stall and were famous for
making these. They come in all sorts of intricate designs but don’t
worry too much about this – you can make them whatever shape
you like. I have tried so many times to make mine like those from
home, but it has been impossible to recreate them. However, this is
not a bad attempt!
25 minutes (plus 6–8 hours fermenting)
MAKES 15–20
For the batter
250g plain flour
75g cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp red food colouring
For the syrup
400g caster sugar
8 green cardamom pods, crushed
Pinch of saffron threads
2 tsp lemon juice
Sift the flour, cornflour and baking powder into a mixing bowl, then
add the yogurt and food colouring and mix well until the batter is
thick but still has a pouring consistency. Set aside to ferment in a
warm place for 6–8 hours.
When you are ready to cook the jalebis, make the sugar syrup. Add
the sugar to a saucepan along with 150ml water, the crushed
cardamoms and saffron and bring to the boil (this takes about 5–6
minutes). Once the mixture has become sticky, add the lemon juice
so the syrup doesn’t crystallize and set aside.
To fry the jalebis, heat the oil in a deep frying pan over a medium
heat to 180°C, and while the oil is heating up, put the batter in a
piping bag and, once full, cut a tiny whole at the bottom to make the
jalebi swirls.
Hold the bag from the top and swirl the batter in a round shape
straight into the oil. Make only three at a time so there is space to
cook both sides and the oil stays hot. When the batter is golden
brown and crispy, remove from the oil using a slotted spoon to drain
the oil, then add to the syrup and leave to soak for about 2 minutes.
Remove from the syrup and serve hot.
Fruity | Soft | Creamy
BLOOD ORANGE AND

POLENTA CAKE
I learned how to bake when I came to the UK and this is a really
special recipe to me. It’s my husband’s favourite cake because not
only does it taste delicious but it uses polenta (a common ingredient
in India) which reminds him of home. Vegan cakes can be tricky,
but you wouldn’t even notice that this one has no butter or eggs –
enjoy!
1 hour
SERVES 10
150g soft vegan margarine
150g caster sugar
200g ground almonds
100g fine polenta
Zest and juice of 2 blood oranges
40g golden syrup
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4 and line a 21cm
rectangular loaf tin with baking parchment.
In a mixing bowl, beat the vegan butter, coconut milk yogurt and
sugar together with a whisk, then mix in the almonds and polenta.
Add the zest and juice of the blood oranges and golden syrup.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 45
minutes. Test to see if the cake is ready by inserting a skewer in the
middle – if it comes out clean it is done. Leave to cool in the tin for
10 minutes, then loosen gently with a knife before releasing – be
very careful when taking it out of the tin. Transfer to a wire rack to
cool completely and enjoy!
Sweet | Full-bodied | Hearty

Pinni is a Punjabi and North Indian cuisine dish and it is the
quintessential winter food. Many of my memories of winter
holidays in Punjab relate to the aromas of pinnis in Nani’s kitchen. I
used to help her shape them into balls; some I would eat at once and
some I would save to enjoy later.
1 hour
MAKES 20
500g jaggery
500g flaxseeds
400g wholemeal flour
400ml sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
10 green cardamom pods, crushed
50g raw almonds, chopped
50g raw cashews, chopped
20g raisins
First, make the sugar syrup. Add the jaggery and 250ml water to a
saucepan and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves completely –
about 3–5 minutes. Test the syrup by putting it between your
forefinger and thumb – if it leaves a string while parting the two, it
is ready. Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool for around 30
minutes.
Meanwhile, add the flaxseeds to a dry pan and cook over a low heat
until lightly toasted – just a minute or two, they will start to make
crackling sound. Remove from the heat, tip onto a plate and let the
seeds cool. Once cool, blend them in a blender in a coarse powder –
do not over grind them.
Toast the wheat flour in the oil in a frying pan over a low heat until
it turns brown and starts to have the sweet fragrance of the wheat
cooking – 4–5 minutes – then add the flaxseed powder, crushed
cardamom pods, nuts and raisins, and mix well.
To prepare the pinni ladoos, lightly cover your hands in oil (to
prevent the mixture sticking) and combine the sugar syrup with the
dry ingredients and shape into 20 golf ball-sized balls.
Store the pinni in an airtight container, for up to 1 month. Enjoy
with a cup of tea.
Creamy | Warm | Smooth
RICE PUDDING
Rice pudding is one of those foods that every region makes
differently and it’s a really important food because its soft texture
means it’s used by many mothers when weaning their children.
Coming from a Bengali family, my mother always made ours sweet
and spiced with cardamom pods – this vegan adaptation tastes just
as good!
2 hours 30 minutes
SERVES 4–6
60g basmati rice
1½ litres almond milk
6 green cardamom pods, crushed into a coarse powder, plus
extra to garnish (optional)
50g brown sugar
20g toasted flaked almonds
Put the rice in a bowl with enough water to just cover it and leave to
soak for 10 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat the milk in a large saucepan over a medium heat,
add the crushed cardamom pods and let the milk come to a boil.
Add the drained rice to the boiling milk. Reduce the heat to low,
then cook the rice, uncovered, for 2 hours at a gentle simmer,
stirring regularly to break up the rice and ensure it doesn’t stick to
the bottom. The milk will gradually reduce to about a quarter of its
original volume.
Once the rice and milk has thickened to a thin porridge consistency,
add the sugar and flaked almonds. Continue to cook on a low heat
for 5–10 minutes, stirring often so that no lumps form.
Serve hot or cold scattered with more crushed cardamom, if you
like.
Fresh | Sweet | Soft
ZARDA
Mum never made Zarda while I was growing up in Bengal, we only
got to experience it when we were in Punjab for village
celebrations. This dish is usually made for special occasions, so
how could I not include this in my collections of memorable
recipes?
45 minutes
SERVES 5–6
15 raw almonds
15g sultanas
200g basmati rice
50ml sunflower oil
5cm piece of cinnamon stick
5 cloves
100g demerara sugar
Juice of 1 lime
2 tsp orange food colouring
1 tbsp flaked almonds
In a bowl, soak the almonds in hot water for 15 minutes. At the
same time, in separate bowls, soak the raisins for 10 minutes and
the rice in cold water for 15 minutes. When ready, drain the raisins
and rice. Then drain, peel and slice the almonds, and set aside.
Over a low heat, heat the oil in a frying pan, add all the whole
spices, and when they start to sizzle, add the sliced almonds and
sultanas, fry for a minute then take off the heat.
Add the rice and sugar with 500ml water to a saucepan and cook for
about 5–8 minutes, until the rice is nearly cooked. Drain off any
water.
Once the rice is cooked, heat the frying pan with all the spices and
sultanas and mix in the cooked rice. Add the lime juice and orange
food colouring and cook over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes,
stirring continuously. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds before
serving.
DRINKS
BANANA, COCONUT AND TURMERIC

SMOOTHIE
AAM KA PANNA
ELDERFLOWER AND SAFFRON
CORDIAL
NIBU PANNI
ROMY’S NEGRONI
SPICED LEMON WATER
These recipes are all very close to my heart. Nibu panni is incredibly important
because it’s the go-to drink for keeping you cool in the hot weather, with the double
benefits of being a detoxing drink that also quenches your thirst. Similarly, the Gulab
sharbat is a perfect hot-weather drink. It’s made with rose water and looks especially
pretty if you can find some fresh rose petals to decorate it with.
A lot of people don’t realise that whisky and beer are really popular in India. Whisky
is very popular in the Punjabi communities and other states, too, so if you want to
embrace this part of Indian culture, have a glass of whisky or a beer with the pakoras
(see here and here) and you’ll be dining like a local in no time!
I must admit, I only started drinking alcohol when I came to the UK and I’ve loved
putting my own twists on traditional English cocktails. I drank my first gin and tonic
when I came to Thornbury, in Gloucestershire, where my restaurant is now based, and I
tried the local distillers’ 6 O’clock gin. I was inspired by its flavours, and my Turmeric
gin and tonic recipe is, I think, the perfect blend of spices plus, its beautiful golden
yellow colour makes it an impressive drink to serve for guests.
Smooth | Creamy | Earthy
BANANA, COCONUT AND TURMERIC

SMOOTHIE
My recent travels with Suitcase magazine took me to the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands. Mark and Atalanta – my hosts there – have built a beautiful boutique hotel on
Havelock Island. I had the opportunity to taste some truly delicious food while I stayed
with them, but it was this banana smoothie with fresh turmeric and coconut that stayed
with me. It’s very filling and very tasty!
5 minutes
SERVES 1
1 large banana, peeled and chopped
100ml coconut milk
20g fresh turmeric root, peeled and diced
5 ice cubes
Put all of the ingredients into a blender with 50ml water and blend until smooth and
creamy.
Pour into 2 glasses and enjoy.
See photo (right).
Spicy | Fresh | Cooling
AAM KA PANNA
Mum would make this drink for us when we returned from school on the blistering
days of the summer heatwave. Summer for us was the time for fresh, chilled drinks
made in our kitchen, and there was nothing better than Aam ka panna to refresh our
bodies. There are different ways of making it, but I prefer this method because this is
how my mum made it.
20 minutes
SERVES 4
4 unripe mangoes
1 tsp cumin seeds
6 tsp sugar
½ tsp black salt
½ tsp Chaat masala
Ice cubes, to serve
Mint leaves, to garnish
Cook the whole, unpeeled mangoes in a pan with 500ml water for about 12 minutes or
until the skin feels tender. Remove the mangoes using a slotted spoon and leave to cool.
Meanwhile, toast the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
Take off the heat and set aside to cool. Once cool, crush in a pestle and mortar or a
blender to a rough powder.
Peel the skin off the mangoes and then scrape the flesh away from the stone and add to
the blender with the sugar, salt, chaat masala and 400ml water. Blend until smooth.
Pour into glasses with some ice cubes and garnish with some mint leaves.
See photo (left).
Sweet | Fruity | Fresh
ELDERFLOWER AND SAFFRON

CORDIAL
I love elderflowers, and when they are in season and abundant we make a wide variety
of dishes in the restaurant to showcase them. I like this cordial served with cold
sparkling water and ice. I prefer it quite strong so I combine 50ml of cordial for every
175ml water. Keep the cordial in a sterilised bottle in the fridge for three months – we
make lots every summer. You can make different variations in flavours, too, from rose
to lime – try adding 4 additional teaspoons lime juice or 4 teaspoons rose water instead
of the saffron threads.
10 minutes (plus 24 hours infusing)
SERVES 10
150g elderflower heads (around 12–14)
2 tsp saffron threads
1 tsp crushed green cardamom pods
700ml just-boiled water
250g caster sugar
3 tbsp lime juice
First rinse the elderflower heads very gently under running water – you want to
dislodge any bugs but not damage the flowers. Put the elderflowers in a large bowl with
the saffron and crushed cardamom pods. Pour over the just-boiled water and gently
press the florets down under the water to completely submerge them. Cover the bowl
with a clean tea towel and leave to infuse at room temperature for about 24 hours.
Strain the infusion through a fine sieve into a deep saucepan and discard all the bits.
Add the sugar and lime juice to the infusion, cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat,
and keep stirring until the sugar dissolves and the fragrant liquid is starting to simmer.
Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool. Once cold, pour into sterilised bottles with a
lid and store in the fridge and enjoy later.
See photo (top).
Fresh | Cooling | Fragrant

When I was younger we used to make our own fizzy drinks and share them with family
and friends, and I really enjoyed this. One of these drinks was this sharbat, which is
beautiful and delicious, and the fragrant rose made me feel like a princess.
5 minutes
SERVES 2
6 tsp sugar
4 tsp rose water
100ml lime juice
2 tbsp pomegranate juice
1 litre sparkling water, chilled
Rose petals, to serve
Combine all the ingredients in a jug. Pour into glasses and decorate each glass with a
rose petal before serving.
See photo (bottom).
Fresh | Salty | Sweet
NIBU PANNI
We didn’t have fizzy drinks often while I was growing up, they were only brought out
for special occasions and one of these was Nibu panni. This is basically a spiced
homemade lemonade, Indian-style. It is still drunk by everyone and enjoyed by all in
India. It’s very refreshing and perfect when the weather is hot.
10 minutes
SERVES 2
6 tsp sugar
1 tsp black salt
Juice of 2 lemons
4 ice cubes
1 tsp salt
Mint leaves, to garnish
Pour 1 litre of water into a jug, add the sugar and black salt and stir until the sugar is
dissolved. Add the lemon juice and ice and mix it all together.
Dip the rims of each glass in a little water and then the salt. Then pour the drink into
the glasses and pop a mint leaf on the top of each drink before serving.
See photo (right).
Fresh | Gentle | Cooling

I am ashamed to say that the first gin and tonic I ever drunk was when I moved to
Thornbury and came to know the people who make the local brand, 6 O’clock gin. I
tasted it at a food fair and since then I have stuck like glue to this gin – it’s my
favourite! Of course, you can use any gin you like or have available, but if you can get
a bottle of 6 O’clock, you won’t regret it.
15 minutes
SERVES 1
½ tsp grated fresh turmeric root
50ml 6 O’clock gin (or any other brand)
4 ice cubes
1 slice of lime or lemon and mint leaves, to garnish
Tonic water, to taste
It’s crucial to get the glass as cold as possible beforehand, so pop the glass in the
freezer for 10 minutes before you make your drink.
While the glass is in the freezer, add the turmeric to the gin and allow to infuse for 10
minutes.
Add the gin to the glass along with the ice, and as much tonic as suits your taste.
Garnish with the slice of lime or lemon and some mint leaves. Enjoy.
See photo (left).
Smooth | Full-bodied | Sharp
ROMY’S NEGRONI
My first taste of negroni was when Paula, my dear chef friend from Ireland, and I
judged the BBC Food and Farming Awards together. I love the bitter sweet taste of it,
and ever since that first taste, I have been hooked!
5 minutes
SERVES 1
4 ice cubes
20ml vermouth
20ml gin
30ml Campari
10ml brandy
20ml lemonade
1 slice of blood orange
Pinch of Kashmiri red chilli flakes
Add the ice to an old-fashioned glass, pour in all the spirits and lemonade, stir gently,
then garnish with the orange slice and the chilli flakes.
See photo (right).
WARM | CITRUSSY
SPICED LEMON WAtER

Every morning before drinking or eating anything I always have a cup of warm water
and lemon juice. I have been told it gives a boost of energy and helps to ease bloating.
5 minutes
SERVES 1
200ml hot water
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Pinch of crushed black pepper
Pinch of ground cinammon
Pour the hot water into a cup, add the lemon juice, stir in the spices and drink while
still hot.
Warm | Soothing | Full-bodied

Herbal teas are very common and I always prefer to make my own – here’s one of my
favourite combinations.
5 minutes
SERVES 2
600ml water
10g fresh root ginger
10g fresh turmeric
4–6 mint leaves
Peel and finely chop the ginger and turmeric. Add to a pan with the mint and 600ml
water and bring to the boil. After 2 minutes, sieve out the ginger, turmeric and mint,
and serve immediately.
PANTRY
Pickles
CAULIFLOWER AND ONION
ROSE HARISSA WITH PRESERVED LEMONS
FRESH TURMERIC
PICKLED SHALLOTS
Chutneys
GARLIC AND CHILLI
HARI (GREEN)
TAMARIND AND DATE
AVOCADO
APPLE
MINT AND CORIANDER
Spices and Pastes
PANCH PHORON
GARAM MASALA
CHAAT MASALA
ANARDANA
ONION PASTE
Every good kitchen has a good pantry, and the kitchen at my restaurant is no different. Included in
this section are the recipes that are fundamental to making sure your cooking tastes the best it
possibly can. Of course, if you’re in a rush or don’t have the resources to make these from scratch,
the equivalent good-quality, shop-bought options are fine. But if you are able to, making your own
spices and pastes, pickles and chutneys makes a real difference to the flavour of your finished
dishes. I’m often told by friends who have made their own that they’ll never go back!
STERILISING JARS
If you choose to make a batch of pickle or chutney to store in your pantry, instead of eating
immediately, it must be bottled into sterilised jars so they maintain their freshness. To sterilise your
jar, heat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas mark 3, and while the oven is heating, wash all the jars
and their lids, in hot soapy water. Once washed, rinse and drain thoroughly, then place the jars and
lids on baking trays and put in the oven to dry completely. The jars should still be hot when you fill
them with your preserves.
NOTES ON STORING
Chutneys should be kept in the fridge for no longer than a week. Pickles can be kept for up to six
months but, once opened, should be kept in the fridge. All spices or spice blends should be stored in
an airtight container in a cool place, where they will last for two months.
Pickles
Just like in Europe, Indians use pickling as a way to make fruits and vegetables last longer and
ensure that fresh, seasonal produce isn’t wasted. Pickles are much easier to make than most people
realise, and even though they take a little bit of effort, it means you can enjoy delicious fruits and
vegetables throughout the year when you wouldn’t be able to eat them fresh. It’s easy to ignore
pickles and focus on the main dishes but add a pickle – whether sweet or sour – to your next meal
and it’ll bring it to life.
Clockwise from top: Rose harissa pickle with preserved lemons; Fresh turmeric pickle; Pickled
shallots; Cauliflower and onion pickle.
Sharp | Vinegary | Fiery
CAULIFLOWER AND ONION PICKLE

In India, people love pickles because they enable you to eat food that’s no longer in season all-year-
round. They are a really important part of a meal and my mum’s cooking was no exception – she
never wasted anything and any leftover fresh produce was pickled. This is a versatile pickle that is
one of my favourites!
1 hour 10 minutes
MAKES 1 LARGE JAR
1 large cauliflower, chopped into small florets
300g shallots, halved
100g fresh root ginger, peeled and sliced
2 bulbs of garlic, cloves peeled
100g whole green chillies
1 tsp nigella seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
350ml white wine vinegar
In a pan of water, boil the cauliflower florets for 5–6 minutes, then drain and put the florets on a
clean tea towel for 1 hour or so until they are completely dry.
Meanwhile, add all the other ingredients to a bowl and add the florets when dry. Transfer everything
to a sterilised jar with a lid.
Allow the pickle to infuse for a few days before eating to develop the flavours, then when you eat
them the delectable explosive combinations will erupt in your mouth.
Spicy | Zesty | Citrussy
ROSE HARISSA PICKLE WITH PRESERVED

LEMONS
I am huge fan of Belazu products and I use their ingredients a lot in my cooking. Recently I did a
pop-up and forgot to take pickle, so I had to make this – the quickest pickle I have ever made –
using their preserved lemons, and everyone really enjoyed it.
10 minutes
MAKES 1 SMALL JAR
200g Belazu or other preserved lemons, drained and finely diced
3 tsp rose harissa
½ tsp salt
In a bowl, combine the diced preserved lemons with the rose harissa and salt, mix well and put in a
sterilised jar with a lid and keep it in the fridge.
Zesty | Sharp | Vinegary
FRESH TURMERIC PICKLE

Each region of India has its own pickle, and these preserves play a huge part in Indian dining. They
are served as a side because they add more flavours to dishes, to complement them or add contrast,
with sourness or sometimes sweet pickles.
20 minutes
MAKES 1 SMALL JAR
200g fresh turmeric root
2 tsp Panch phoron
20g Kashmiri red chilli flakes
1 tsp asafoetida powder
100ml malt vinegar
4 tsp extra virgin rapeseed oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Wash the turmeric root, then pat dry with kitchen paper and set aside to dry thoroughly. Once dry,
peel the skin off the turmeric and slice the root into very thin strips with a knife, or even better, a
mandolin.
Mix all the other ingredients together in a bowl, adding the turmeric strips. Transfer to a sterilised
jar with a lid and store in the fridge.
Spicy | Sharp | Vinegary
PICKLED SHALLOTS
Onions in every form or shape feature strongly in Indian food, either cooked into the dish or
prepared alongside your food. When you go to a restaurant you will always get onions, green
chillies and fresh lemon halves on the side. When I came to the UK I became less keen on eating
raw onions, but then my partner made these pickled shallots, and now I am a huge fan.
10 minutes
SERVES 3–4
150g shallots, peeled and chopped into discs
1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli flakes or powder
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Panch phoron
Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix them well to combine, then put in a sterilised jar with a lid
and store in the fridge.
Chutneys
I can’t stress enough how important chutneys are as a side dish. For me, or for any Indian, a
chutney is something that has been made with seasonal produce and is served fresh from the
kitchen, not something that comes out of a jar. In India, chutneys are made every single day and can
be eaten warm or cold. The ingredients are ideally always in season to ensure the best taste, and the
same level of love and care is given to these accompaniments as is given to the main plates.
One recipe that I created after coming to the UK was my Avocado chutney. The soft texture but
cooling flavour of the fruit makes it a perfect side dish for many Indian recipes – and this one is
definitely best eaten fresh.
Clockwise from top: Hari (green) chutney; Tamarind and date chutney; Avocado chutney; Garlic
and chilli chutney; Apple chutney.
Fresh | Fiery | Zingy
GARLIC AND CHILLI CHUTNEY

In Rajasthan, this chutney is a staple side dish for so many meals due to garlic being its key
ingredient – it complements everything but it goes especially well with the Bajra roti
40 minutes
MAKES 1 SMALL JAR
15 Kashmiri red dried chillies
15 garlic cloves
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp sunflower oil
Juice of ½ lime
50ml water
1 tsp salt
Soak the chillies in a bowl of hot water for around 30 minutes until soft, then drain.
Tip the drained chillies and all the other ingredients plus 3 tbsp water into a food processor and
blend until smooth. Check the consistency it should be like a paste. Transfer to a sterilised jar with a
lid and keep in the fridge.
Fresh | Cooling | Smooth
HARI (GREEN) CHUTNEY

If you’re a fan of spicy food but the person you’re eating with isn’t (or vice versa!), this chutney is
the perfect accompaniment due to it’s fresh and soothing flavours. Try it with the Vada pav – it goes
wonderfully.
10 minutes
MAKES 1 SMALL JAR
50g fresh coriander, chopped
40g mint leaves
2 garlic cloves
4 spring onions, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
2 whole green chillies
½ tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
4 tsp sunflower oil
Add all the ingredients to a food processor bowl with 4 tsp water and whizz to a smooth paste and
then transfer to a sterilised jar with a lid and keep in the fridge.
Sweet | Sour | Tangy
TAMARIND AND DATE CHUTNEY

The most delicious chutney ever, which goes with everything. It’s the not-so-secret ingredient that
makes my Samosa chaat so delicious.
15 minutes
MAKES 1 SMALL JAR
3 tsp sunflower oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp ground ginger
6 soft dates, stoned and chopped
½ tsp salt
6 tsp palm sugar
100g tamarind paste
Heat the oil in a pan over a low heat, then add the cumin and fennel seeds and cook for 30 seconds,
stirring. Add the remaining ingredients and 200ml water and mix everything together in the pan.
Cook over a low heat for 10–12 minutes until the dates are soft and the tamarind looks really dark
and sticky.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Once cool, transfer to a sterilised jar with a lid and keep in
the fridge.
Smooth | Creamy | Fiery
AVOCADO CHUTNEY
The first time I saw an avocado was when I moved to the UK, before that I didn’t know the taste or
the texture. When I ate one for the first time I was not sure, but eventually it grew on me. In the
beginning, I used to sprinkle lime and black salt on it before eating it, but now I use it to make this
chutney, which is very fresh and loved by everyone. You can eat this with anything, but it is
especially good with Potato and pea samosas. This chutney will keep in the fridge for up to a day if
needed but it’s best eaten fresh.
10 minutes
MAKES 1 SMALL JAR
1 ripe avocado, peeled and stoned
30g fresh mint leaves
1 green eating apple, core removed
2 whole green chillies
1 small white onion, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime
4 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
Add all the ingredients to a food processor bowl and blend to a purée. Keep in the fridge; it is best
eaten on the day of making, as otherwise the texture will change and the avocado will brown, but it
can keep for 2 days if you don’t mind the colour!
Fresh | Spicy | Sweet
APPLE CHUTNEY
This chutney makes the best Christmas present, plus the beauty of this is you can eat it on toast, use
it as a side with salad and it goes really well with tofu. I like to use dried Kashmiri red chillies here
that I have whizzed in a blender to make a powder. It has medium heat and if you buy the chillies
whole, you can also chop them to make chilli flakes.
20 minutes
MAKES 2 SMALL JARS
4 tsp sunflower oil
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp nigella seeds
½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
Pinch of salt
4 green eating apples, peeled and chopped
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, then add the fennel and nigella seeds and cook for 30
seconds, stirring. Add the chilli powder, salt and chopped apples to the pan and mix all the
ingredients well. Cook over a low heat for 10 minutes until the apples are soft.
Remove from the heat, let the mixture cool, then add to a food processor and blend until smooth.
Transfer to a sterilised jar and keep in the fridge.
Fresh | Spicy | Sweet | Sour
MINT AND CORIANDER CHUTNEY

Every state and every household makes a variation of this a mint and coriander chutney. In India it’s
common to use raw mango but since this isn’t as readily available in the UK, I have substituted this
with a green apple – it has the same sweetness and sourness of the mango so works really well.
10 minutes
MAKES 1 SMALL JAR
50g fresh mint leaves, chopped
50g fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 small green cooking apple, chopped
2 small green chillies, seeds in, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar
Juice of 1 lime
2 tsp rapeseed oil
Mix all of the ingredients together and blend in a food processor until smooth. Transfer for a
sterilised jar and keep in the fridge.
Spices and Pastes
Spices are the most important ingredient in Indian cooking; they just make the dishes, and each and
every spice has its own magic. Spice blends can be standard, but there are some that more or less
every household adds their own twist to. As a top tip, when you buy spices, whether whole or
ground, get them in small quantities to keep their aromas and flavours at their best. If making your
own spice blends feels like too much effort on your own, bulk buy whole spices and invite some
friends around to give you a hand. I’ve hosted my own spice-making parties; they’re a great way to
catch up with those you love. With a glass of wine and good company, spice-making becomes so
easy and everyone wins because you can each take home a batch of spices at the end!
Clockwise from top: Romy’s spice blend; Onion paste; Panch phoron; Garam masala; Chaat
masala.
Spicy | Sweet | Bitter
PANCH PHORON
This is my favourite blend – it would be my desert island spice! It’s the spice I grew up with in
Bengal and my mum would make pickles with it. For me, it’s a mix of my Punjabi and Bengali
heritage and it’s like magic. Its smell is so moreish and brings back lots of childhood memories.
5 minutes
MAKES 1 SMALL JAR
6 tsp fenugreek seeds
6 tsp cumin seeds
6 tsp nigella seeds
6 tsp fennel seeds
Combine all the seeds and transfer to an airtight container.
Spicy | Rich | Warm
GARAM MASALA
This is a blend of dry-roasted whole spices that is used in many dishes. It is fairly hot to taste, but
not overpowering.
10 minutes
MAKES 1 SMALL JAR
15cm piece of cassia bark
3 dried bay leaves
5 black cardamom pods
4 tsp cumin seeds
4 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp black peppercorns
Heat a frying pan over a low heat. Add all of the spices and toast them gently for about 2 minutes
until you can smell their aroma, stirring to stop them burning.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the spices cool. Once cool, grind the spices to a rough powder
in a blender and store in an airtight container.
Spicy | Fiery | Zingy
CHAAT MASALA
Chaat masala is a key ingredient to so many Indian dishes and is used in all street food – it’s a must
and tastes so much better homemade than shop bought.
10 minutes
MAKES 1 SMALL JAR
6 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 whole dried chillies
1½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
2 tsp black salt
Roast the whole spices and chillies in a non-stick pan over a low heat for a minute or two – once
you can smell the aromas of the spices take the pan off the heat and let the spices cool.
Tip the toasted spices and all the other spices into a blender and blend everything to fine powder.
Transfer to an airtight container to store.
Warm | Earthy | Mild

This is my special blend that I use a lot in my cooking, I hope you enjoying making and using it in
your recipes too!
5 minutes
MAKES 1 SMALL JAR
3 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp nigella seeds
4 tsp white poppy seeds
1 tsp cloves
4 black cardamom pods
Add all the spices to a blender and whizz to a powder. Transfer to an airtight container.
Crispy | Sweet | Crunchy
ANARDANA
DRIED POMEGRANATE SEEDS
Pomegranates – how I love these amazing jewel-packed fruits! For a time, though, I’m ashamed to
say that I couldn’t bear to look at them. That shame dates back to one summer as a child that I still
remember vividly. Summer holidays were things of wonder back then: we used to make 24-hour
train journeys, and I looked forward to all of the various train stops and enjoying food at the houses
of grandparents and cousins. One afternoon on one of these trips, my cousins and I, along with their
friends, went to a nearby orchard to pick pomegranates without first asking the permission of the
owner. The orchards were wide-open spaces and the guard witnessed us. He duly told the owner
who administered our punishment: to clean the orchard for a full week in the most searing summer
heat.
For years after, I couldn’t so much as look at a pomegranate! But I fell in love with them once more
when I moved to the UK. I missed my family and my friends so much, and these ruby-red delights
kept them and my homeland in my thoughts all the time, so they found their way into many of my
dishes.
Dried pomegranate is used a lot in Indian cooking, it adds sweetness and when combined with sour
flavours it enhances the taste of dishes. It is also commonly added to chutneys and I love sprinkling
the fresh seeds in salads.
How to dry pomegranate seeds
14 hours ½ SMALL POT
Preheat the oven to its lowest temperature setting. Remove the seeds from 1 pomegranate and
spread them out them on a baking tray. Place the tray on the centre shelf of the oven and leave to
dry out for 8–10 hours or overnight. You will know when the seeds are fully dried as there will be
no moisture left in them and they’ll be hard, sticky and darker in colour.
Remove the tray from the oven and leave to cool for 2–3 hours before grinding the seeds to a
powder in a blender. Transfer to an airtight container to store.
Spicy | Earthy | Smooth
ONION PASTE
Onion paste is something you can make in batches and freeze, then defrost when you need it. It is
the base of many Indian dishes, and everyone will prepare it according to their region or the way
their family did. This is how I always teach people in my cookery classes to make it, and it works
really well.
40 minutes
MAKES 450G
1 garlic clove, chopped
500g white or red onions, chopped
3 tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp salt
Heat the oil in a deep pan over a medium heat, then add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the chopped onions and green chillies and cook for about 15 minutes until the onions start to
brown. Stir them occasionally to prevent them burning.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, stir well and cook for a further 15 minutes until
everything is turning golden. Remove from the heat, let the mixture cool down, then transfer it to a
food processor and blend – or you can blend the mixture with a hand-held blender in the pan – until
smooth. If needed, add up to 100ml water achieve a paste-like texture.
Make sure the paste is completely cool before transferring to small freezerproof containers and
freezing it until needed. Otherwise, transfer to a sterilised jar with a lid and keep in the fridge.
CONVERSION CHARTS
OVEN TEMPERATURE GUIDE
Elec ºC Elec ºF Elec ºC Gas mark
(Fan)
Very cool 110 225 90 ¼
120 250 100 ½
Cool 140 275 120 1
150 300 130 2
Moderate 160 325 140 3
170 350 160 4
Moderately 190 375 170 5
hot
200 400 180 6
Hot 220 425 200 7
230 450 210 8
Very hot 240 475 220 9
LIQUID MEASUREMENTS (under 1 litre)
Metric Imperial Australian/US
25ml 1fl oz
60ml 2 fl oz ¼ cup
75ml 3 fl oz
100ml 3½ fl oz
120ml 4 fl oz ½ cup
150ml 5 fl oz
180ml 6 fl oz ¾ cup
200ml 7 fl oz
250ml 9 fl oz 1 cup
300ml 10½ fl oz 1¼ cups
350ml 12½ fl oz 1½ cups
400ml 14 fl oz 1¾ cups
450ml 16 fl oz 2 cups
600ml 1 pint 2½ cups
750ml 1¼ pints 3 cups
900ml 1½ pints 3½ cups
WEIGHT MEASUREMENTS
Metric Imperial
10g ½ oz
20g ¾ oz
25g 1 oz
40g 1½ oz
50g 2 oz
60g 2½ oz
75g 3 oz
110g 4 oz
125g 4½ oz
150g 5 oz
175g 6 oz
200g 7 oz
225g 8 oz
250g 9 oz
275g 10 oz
350g 12 oz
450g 1lb
700g 1½ lb
900g 2lb
LIQUID MEASUREMENTS (over 1 litre)

Metric Imperial Australian/US
1 litre 1¾ pints 1 quart or 4 cups
1.2 litres 2 pints
1.4 litres 2½ pints
1.5 litres 2¾ pints
1.7 litres 3 pints
2 litres 3½ pints
Acknowledgements
The people below have helped me in my beautiful journey. I

cannot thank them enough.
Jayne Wolstenholme, for giving me the courage to begin to
teach cookery and encouraging me to adapt the recipes I had
learned while growing up as a young girl in Bengal.
Emily Knight, for being such an important part of my writing
career; helping me shape my writing, refine my skills and
editing my articles so brilliantly.
Neil and Mahairi Vernon, for being so generous letting me
have my photoshoots in your kitchen!
Clare McGinn, Head of BBC Radio production and editor of
the Food Programme, for countless opportunities to share my
cooking with a wider audience.
Shelia Dhillon, who stands by me, always.
Allan Jenkins, editor of Observer Food Monthly, for writing
me a foreword and being there for me as a pillar of support.
Chef Josh Eggleton, for all the opportunities he’s given me.
Richard Vines who has believed in me from the very
beginning and has guided me throughout.
Jamie Oliver, for always caring.
Lisa Markwell, for supporting me and standing by me when I
needed her.
Micheal Connock, for giving me several valuable
opportunities to appear on TV.
Holly and David Manna in Devon, for taking a chance on me
and letting me teach for the first time at their wonderful
cookery school.
Carousel London – cooking at their space has completely
changed my life. Special thanks to Ed Templeton.
Kirstie Young, for taking beautiful photos of me.
Mina Holland, for giving me a Guardian cook residency.
Chef Manjit Gill and Kunal Vijaykar, for motivating me
and encouraging me not to give up.
Barney Haughton, for giving me my first opportunity to do a
festival demonstation.
The Severn Sisters team – together we have created
something truly special. Special thanks to Kim Somauroo.
Annette McLaren, for always helping me and my daughters.
Victoria Stewart, Maria Elia, Clare Salisbury, Francesca
Lockwood-Taylor and Debora Robertson, for being such
great friends.
John, Meg, Aurelia and David, for being wonderful
neighbours.
Kate, Ruth, Angella, Simon, Kim, Julia, Emma G, Jan and
Mike, my friends from Thornbury who have made me feel so
welcome and are there whenever I need them.
Paula McIntyre, whom I miss dearly.
Reshmi, for remembering and sharing our childhood
memories so I could include them in this book.
Nick, from Total produce – I wouldn’t be able to cook without
you!
Amanda Harris, Emily Barrett and Ru Merritt, for
believing in this book and helping make it a reality.
Del Sneddon and Matt Inwood, for lending their talents to
creating this beautiful book.
All the staff at Romy’s Kitchen, in particular Jim, for
helping me share my food with others.
And a special thanks to my wonderful family: Dad; my
brother Prithpal and his family, who have been so supportive
since our mother passed away; my husband, Gundeep, who
accompanied me on this life-changing journey; Reet and
Neev – my amazing daughters – without whom I would be
lost; and finally, to my cat Bagheera, for sitting with me while
I wrote this book.
Copyright
First published in Great Britain in 2019 by Seven Dials

an imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd
Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DZ
An Hachette UK Company
Text © Romy Gill 2019
Design and layout © Orion 2019
Cover illustration by Ann Zvereva
The moral right of Romy Gill to be identified as the author of this work has been
asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of
both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
Photographer: Del Sneddon
Art Director and Design: Helen Ewing
Prop stylist: Matt Inwood
Food stylist: Romy Gill
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN (Hardback) 978 1 8418 8305 2
ISBN (eBook) 978 1 8418 8306 9
www.orionbooks.co.uk

Zaika Vegan Recipes From India - Romy Gill

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Zaika Vegan Recipes From India - Romy Gill

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In memory of my beautiful mother who taught me the

importance of sharing knowledge about one’s food with

NIGELLA SEED NAANS

CHAAT MASALA DEEP-FRIED OKRA

STUFFED SWEET PEPPERS

SWEET AND SOUR TOFU

SPLIT GREEN PEA DAL

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

MIXED VEGETABLE SABZI

PANCH PHORON PUMPKIN

AMRITSARI ROASTED BROCCOLI AND MOILEE

MOONG DAL WITH PALAK

ROASTED PINEAPPLE CIRCLES

POTATO AND PEA SAMOSAS

ROASTED POMEGRANATE MOLASSES SWEET

BEETROOT, KALE AND SWEET POTATO TOASTIES

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

FLAXSEED PINNI LADOOS

ELDERFLOWER AND SAFFRON CORDIAL

GULAB (ROSE WATER) SHARBAT

SPICED LEMON WATER

GINGER, TURMERIC AND MINT TEA

ROSE HARISSA WITH PRESERVED LEMONS

TAMARIND AND DATE

MINT AND CORIANDER

ROMY’S SPICE BLEND

It started with samosas. The plumpest, crispest, most fragrant

I grew up with my Punjabi family in a small town in West

GRAM FLOUR TURMERIC PANCAKES

GRAM FLOUR TURMERIC PANCAKES

NIGELLA SEED NAANS

RAW PAPAYA PARATHAS

POMEGRANATE AND MUNG BEAN SALAD

WATERMELON AND MINT SALAD

PAPAYA WITH DILL

SQUASH AND SAVOY CABBAGE SABZI

VEGETABLE CHOW MEIN

CHAAT MASALA DEEP-FRIED OKRA

LEMON RICE WITH CURRY LEAVES AND

STUFFED SWEET PEPPERS

SWEET AND SOUR TOFU

RED LENTIL DAL

SPLIT GREEN PEA DAL

CHOLE KALA CHANA

SPICY GREEN LENTILS

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

MIXED VEGETABLE SABZI

RAW MANGO SABZI

PANCH PHORON PUMPKIN

PUMPKIN, CHARD AND POTATO KOFTAS

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH ROSE

AMRITSARI ROASTED BROCCOLI AND

URAD DAL FRY

MOONG DAL WITH PALAK

KACHE KELE KI SABZI

ROASTED PINEAPPLE CIRCLES

POTATO AND PEA SAMOSAS

ROASTED POMEGRANATE MOLASSES

BEETROOT, KALE AND SWEET POTATO

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

BLOOD ORANGE AND

FLAXSEED PINNI LADOOS

BANANA, COCONUT AND TURMERIC