retain most of their nutrients as the cooking juices become part of the curry sauce.
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Vegetable Kashmiri
Vegetables are cooked in an aromatic yoghurt sauce and topped with a generous amount of toasted flaked almonds to add protein to this vegetarian main course. You can, of course, vary the vegetables according to your personal taste and seasonal availability. This is delicious served with parathas or deep-fried pooris.
Serves 4
Seeds of 2 green cardamom pods
10 ml/2 tsp cumin seeds
4 black peppercorns
2.5 ml/½ tsp ground cinnamon
2.5 ml/½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
2.5 ml/½ tsp chilli powder
2.5 ml/½ tsp salt
45 ml/3 tbsp groundnut (peanut) or sunflower oil
1 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped, or 10 ml/2 tsp green chilli purée (paste)
15 ml/1 tbsp grated fresh or bottled ginger
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5 cm/1 in chunks
½ cauliflower, broken into smaller florets
450 ml/¾ pint/2 cups hot (not boiling) vegetable stock
150 ml/1¼ pint/2/3 cup Greek-style yoghurt
225 g/8 oz okra, thickly sliced
50 g/2 oz/½ cup flaked (slivered) almonds, toasted
Put the cardamom seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns in a mortar or spice grinder and grind until fairly fine. Mix together with the cinnamon, nutmeg, chilli powder and salt.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the green chilli and ginger and fry for a minute, stirring continuously. Add the ground spice mixture and continue frying for a further 2 minutes, stirring to prevent the spices sticking. Turn off the heat.
Put the potatoes and cauliflower in the ceramic cooking pot. Stir a little of the stock into the spice mixture, then tip over the vegetables. Stir to coat them evenly in the mixture. Pour in the rest of the stock, cover the slow cooker with a lid and switch on to Low. Cook for 3 hours.
Stir a few spoonfuls of the stock from the slow cooker into the yoghurt in a bowl. Add the okra and the yoghurt to the pot and stir until combined.
Cook for a further 2-3 hours or until all the vegetables are very tender. Sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds and serve with Indian breads.
TIP
Use ¼ tsp of ground cardamom if you don't have the pods.
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Aubergine Biryani
Biryani is one of India's most famous rice dishes. Often served at festivities, it traditionally takes centre stage. This all-in-one dish is usually baked in the oven with the rice piled on top or alongside a meat or vegetable curry; here it is all mixed together. Biryanis should never be very hot and are flavoured instead with a subtle mixture of fragrant spices.
Serves 4
1 aubergine (eggplant), sliced
2 onions, chopped, or 90 ml/6 tbsp frozen diced onions
2 garlic cloves, crushed, or 10 ml/2 tsp garlic purée (paste)
15 ml/2 tbsp grated fresh or bottled ginger
750 ml/1¼ pints/3 cups very hot (not boiling) vegetable stock
45 ml/3 tbsp sunflower oil
5 ml/1 tsp ground coriander
5 ml/1 tsp ground cumin
5 ml/1 tsp chilli powder
1 yellow (bell) pepper, seeded and sliced
250 g/9 oz/1½ cups easy-cook (converted) basmati rice
40 g/1½ oz/¼ cup sultanas (golden raisins)
Pinch of salt
100 g/4 oz/1 cup unsalted cashew nuts, toasted
Layer the aubergine slices in a colander, lightly sprinkling with salt between the layers. Leave to drain while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
Put one of the chopped onions (or half of the frozen diced onions) in a food processor with the garlic and ginger. Add 60 ml/4 tbsp of the stock and blend to a smooth paste.
Heat 30 ml/2 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan and add the remaining chopped onion. Gently fry for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and just beginning to colour.
Thoroughly rinse the aubergine slices under cold running water to remove the excess salt, then cut into small chunks of about 1 cm/½ in. Add the aubergine to the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until it starts to soften. Tip the mixture into the ceramic cooking pot.
Add the remaining 15 ml/1 tbsp oil to the pan, add the onion paste and
----
Vegetable Kashmiri
Vegetables are cooked in an aromatic yoghurt sauce and topped with a generous amount of toasted flaked almonds to add protein to this vegetarian main course. You can, of course, vary the vegetables according to your personal taste and seasonal availability. This is delicious served with parathas or deep-fried pooris.
Serves 4
Seeds of 2 green cardamom pods
10 ml/2 tsp cumin seeds
4 black peppercorns
2.5 ml/½ tsp ground cinnamon
2.5 ml/½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
2.5 ml/½ tsp chilli powder
2.5 ml/½ tsp salt
45 ml/3 tbsp groundnut (peanut) or sunflower oil
1 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped, or 10 ml/2 tsp green chilli purée (paste)
15 ml/1 tbsp grated fresh or bottled ginger
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5 cm/1 in chunks
½ cauliflower, broken into smaller florets
450 ml/¾ pint/2 cups hot (not boiling) vegetable stock
150 ml/1¼ pint/2/3 cup Greek-style yoghurt
225 g/8 oz okra, thickly sliced
50 g/2 oz/½ cup flaked (slivered) almonds, toasted
Put the cardamom seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns in a mortar or spice grinder and grind until fairly fine. Mix together with the cinnamon, nutmeg, chilli powder and salt.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the green chilli and ginger and fry for a minute, stirring continuously. Add the ground spice mixture and continue frying for a further 2 minutes, stirring to prevent the spices sticking. Turn off the heat.
Put the potatoes and cauliflower in the ceramic cooking pot. Stir a little of the stock into the spice mixture, then tip over the vegetables. Stir to coat them evenly in the mixture. Pour in the rest of the stock, cover the slow cooker with a lid and switch on to Low. Cook for 3 hours.
Stir a few spoonfuls of the stock from the slow cooker into the yoghurt in a bowl. Add the okra and the yoghurt to the pot and stir until combined.
Cook for a further 2-3 hours or until all the vegetables are very tender. Sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds and serve with Indian breads.
TIP
Use ¼ tsp of ground cardamom if you don't have the pods.
----
Aubergine Biryani
Biryani is one of India's most famous rice dishes. Often served at festivities, it traditionally takes centre stage. This all-in-one dish is usually baked in the oven with the rice piled on top or alongside a meat or vegetable curry; here it is all mixed together. Biryanis should never be very hot and are flavoured instead with a subtle mixture of fragrant spices.
Serves 4
1 aubergine (eggplant), sliced
2 onions, chopped, or 90 ml/6 tbsp frozen diced onions
2 garlic cloves, crushed, or 10 ml/2 tsp garlic purée (paste)
15 ml/2 tbsp grated fresh or bottled ginger
750 ml/1¼ pints/3 cups very hot (not boiling) vegetable stock
45 ml/3 tbsp sunflower oil
5 ml/1 tsp ground coriander
5 ml/1 tsp ground cumin
5 ml/1 tsp chilli powder
1 yellow (bell) pepper, seeded and sliced
250 g/9 oz/1½ cups easy-cook (converted) basmati rice
40 g/1½ oz/¼ cup sultanas (golden raisins)
Pinch of salt
100 g/4 oz/1 cup unsalted cashew nuts, toasted
Layer the aubergine slices in a colander, lightly sprinkling with salt between the layers. Leave to drain while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
Put one of the chopped onions (or half of the frozen diced onions) in a food processor with the garlic and ginger. Add 60 ml/4 tbsp of the stock and blend to a smooth paste.
Heat 30 ml/2 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan and add the remaining chopped onion. Gently fry for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and just beginning to colour.
Thoroughly rinse the aubergine slices under cold running water to remove the excess salt, then cut into small chunks of about 1 cm/½ in. Add the aubergine to the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until it starts to soften. Tip the mixture into the ceramic cooking pot.
Add the remaining 15 ml/1 tbsp oil to the pan, add the onion paste and
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