Roast Vegetable Salad with Pan-fried Paneer and Coriander and Chilli Dressing

Kitchrie with Pea and Green Bean Curry and Yoghurt Sauce

I call this my ‘hug in a bowl’. I love it with lashings of the yoghurt sauce, which is served warm/hot – and it tastes even better the next day. Perfect for a vatta dosha. Serves 2-4

Kitchrie

1 cup basmati rice (soaked for

20-30 min)

¼ cup split black dhal (soaked with the rice) 1 tablespoon ghee 2 cups water ¾ teaspoon salt

Wash the soaked rice and lentils together until the water runs clear after draining. In a lidded saucepan, heat the ghee and add the rice and lentils, cook for a couple of minutes and then add the water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to its lowest setting, cover and leave to cook for approximately 15 min. All the water should have evaporated and rice should be cooked.

Pea and Green Bean Curry

250g fresh green beans (or use

frozen)

½ cup peas

½ 400g tin of whole tomatoes 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 tablespoon oil

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric ½ teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon ground red chilli or khashmiri chilli

½ teaspoon paprika ¾ teaspoon ground coriander A good grinding of black

pepper

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add all the spices and stir, then quickly add the tomatoes (you don’t want the spices to burn). Turn the heat to low and pop the lid on, then cook for 8-10 min.

Top and tail the green beans, then add them to the saucepan, followed by the peas (you can microwave the beans for 5-6 minutes before adding them to the saucepan if you want to speed up the cooking). Cook on a low heat until the beans and peas are cooked. Set aside.

Yoghurt Sauce

1 cup plain unsweetened

yoghurt

1 cup water

1 tablespoon chickpea flour 1 tablespoon oil

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground red chilli

½ teaspoon ground coriander ¼ teaspoon turmeric

3-4 fresh curry leaves 1 teaspoon tomato paste 1 tablespoon water

Extra fried curry leaves for garnish

Whisk together the yoghurt, water and chickpea flour, then set aside. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add the curry leaves, then all the spices, tomato paste and the tablespoon of water. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the yoghurt mixture and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring all the time. Simmer for another couple of minutes until the sauce has turned a lovely golden colour.

Plate your kitchree, top with the pea and bean curry and then drizzle with the yoghurt sauce. Garnish with the extra fried curry leaves.