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# Pea & new potato curry ## Ingredients - 1 tbsp vegetable oil - 2 onions, sliced - 3 red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced - thumb-sized piece ginger, grated - 2 tsp cumin seeds - 1 tsp Madras curry powder - ½ tsp turmeric - 750g new potatoes, halved - juice 1 lime - 500ml pot natural yogurt - small bunch coriander, stalks and leaves finely chopped - 200-300ml vegetable stock, or pea stock (see tip, below) - 300g podded fresh peas (or use frozen and cook brifly) - lime wedges, to serve - 2 naan bread, to serve ## Method - parboil potatoes - Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan. - Add the onions and cook over a low heat for 10-15 mins until soft. - Throw in the chillies, ginger and spices, and cook for a few mins. - Stir in the potatoes and lime juice, coating in the spice mix. - Add the coriander stalks and the stock. - Simmer slowly for 35-40 mins until the potatoes are soft and the sauce has reduced. - Stir through the peas and cook for anoth

# How to cook perfect dal Dals should be cooked long and slow for maximum creaminess, and left relatively plain, the better to set off the spicy, aromatic tarka which makes such a sizzling garnish. Endlessly versatile, they can be as thin as soup, or as thick as porridge, and will take on just about any spice you throw at them, so next time you're feeling in need of cheering up, raid the rack and get cooking. Serves 4 ## Ingredients ### Dal - 400g mung dal (skinned yellow split mung beans) - 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed - 4cm piece of root ginger, peeled and cut into 4 - 1 tbsp turmeric - 4 small green chillies, 2 finely chopped, 2 left whole ### Tarka - 2 tbsp ghee or groundnut oil - 2 shallots, finely sliced - 1 tbsp cumin seeds - 1 tsp mustard seeds - 1 tsp crushed chilli - Fresh coriander, chopped to serve ### Dal 1. Wash the dal until the water runs clear, then drain and put in a large pan and cover with 2 litres of cold water. Bring to the boil and skim off any scum th

potato - BBC Good Food # Gujarati cabbage with coconut & potato * 500g Charlotte or other new potatoes, unpeeled and halved * 2 tbsp sunflower oil * 1 pinch asafoetida (available from Bart or steenbergs.co.uk, see tip) * 1 tsp black mustard seeds * 1 tsp cumin seeds * 2 dried red chillies * 1 fresh red or green chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced * 1 pointed (sweetheart) cabbage, finely shredded * juice ½ lemon * 2 tbsp desiccated or shaved fresh coconut, toasted * bunch of coriander, roughly chopped ## Tip - Asafoetida Asafoetida has a powerful fried-onion flavour so is always used sparingly. It’s said to aid digestion, making it a natural partner to cabbage. 1. Cook potatoes in a pan of salted boiling water for 10 mins until tender. Drain well and return to pan. Lightly crush with the back of a fork, just to break, not to mash. 2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and then add the asafoetida, spices and dried chillies. Cook for a few mins until the spices pop and the chillies d

# Creamed Spinach ## Ingredients - 2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed - 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil - 2 small shallots, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup) - 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups low-fat (1%) milk - 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth - 2 tablespoons evaporated milk - Pinch of ground nutmeg - Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper ## Method - Squeeze all of the water from the spinach. - In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the flour to the pan and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. - Add the low-fat milk and broth and cook, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook 2 minutes. - Add the spinach and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the evaporated milk and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. From http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/creamed-spinach-recipe2/index.html?oc=linkback

1. The best rice to use for separate, fluffy grains is basmati. This has long, thin, pointed grains, and is more expensive than others but, since cooking is about flavour, it is the one to buy as it has a far superior taste. Always measure rice by volume and not by weight: use a measuring jug and measure 2½ fl oz (65 ml) per person (5 fl oz/150 ml for two, 10 fl oz/275 ml for four and so on). The quantity of liquid you will need is roughly double the volume of rice; so 5 fl oz (150 ml) of rice needs 10 fl oz (275 ml) of hot water or stock.  2. The very best utensil for cooking fluffy, separate rice is a frying pan with a lid. Over the years I have found that the shallower the rice is spread out during cooking, the better. Buying a 10 inch (25.5 cm) pan with a lid would be a good lifetime investment for rice cooking. Failing that, try to find a large saucepan lid that will fit your normal frying pan. First cook some onions, which can provide extra flavour but are not a necessity as rice