PARSEE-STYLE WEDDING STEW

1 HR 25 MINS

SERVES 4

Enjoy with some chapattis – 100g jaggery or raw cane sugar (or 50g dark brown sugar)

– 150ml cider or cane vinegar

– 2 heaped tbsp sultanas – 8-10 seedless dates, chopped

– 150-200ml oil

– 2-3 carrots, peeled and cubed

– 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

– 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed

– 1 small yam (or turnip or swede), peeled and cubed

– 4-5 tomatoes, roughly chopped

– 3-4 onions, roughly chopped

– 1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste (homemade or shop-bought)

– 1 heaped tsp ground turmeric

– ¼ tsp ground cardamom

– 1 heaped tbsp red chilli powder

– 15-20 curry leaves, preferably fresh, shredded; if using dried, soak in water for 10-12 minutes, and dry thoroughly before shredding

– ¼ tsp grated nutmeg – 200g green peas, fresh or frozen, blanched if fresh

– 2 tsp white pepper

– 2 heaped tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Soak the jaggery or sugar in the vinegar along with the sultanas and dates.

Heat the majority of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. One vegetable at a time, fry the carrot, the sweet potato, the potato and the yam until browned, then transfer to a tray lined with kitchen paper to drain. This will stop them becoming mushy and soft.

Place the tomato and onion in a blender and blitz to a purée, or chop as finely as possible.

Add the remaining oil to a casserole dish placed over a medium heat.

Put the ginger and garlic paste in a small bowl, add the turmeric, cardamom and chilli powders and a few tablespoons of water and mix to form a paste. When the oil in the pan is reasonably hot, add this paste with the curry leaves and sauté until the paste dries out and starts to release more oil.

As soon as that happens, add the onion and tomato pulp and continue cooking for eight to 10 minutes, until the pulp becomes thick and sticky. Use a flat spatula to stir regularly and scrape the bottom of the pan. When little bubbles of oil appear, add the sultana and date mixture along with the nutmeg and cook for three to four minutes.

Add a little water, if needed, to keep the mixture from drying out completely. Stir in the fried vegetables and the peas and add the white pepper and some salt. If the vegetables are not quite cooked through, cover the pan to create some steam. Cook until the vegetables are done and still have some crunch. Fold in the coriander and serve.