GLOBAL FLAVOUTS
One-pot dishes perfect for mid-week dinners
PUMPKIN AND TOMATO RED CURRY
Serves 4
This is a go-to curry you can make in the time it takes to cook your rice. Serve with warm naan, perfect to scoop up the juices or to use as a wrap to fill with the leftovers for lunch the next day.
20g dried shitake mushrooms 2 Tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated 1 Tbsp red curry paste
1 cup passata
1 cup coconut cream
3 cups cubed pumpkin
2 cups spinach leaves
½
cup coriander, chopped
To serve: 2 cups cooked brown rice, naan optional
1. Place the mushrooms in a bowl and cover with cold water for 15 minutes. Drain.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pot. Add the onion, cooking for 4 minutes to soften. Stir through the ginger and curry paste for 2 minutes. Pour in the passata and coconut cream, add the pumpkin and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes until the pumpkin is soft, but not mushy.
3. Stir through the spinach leaves and coriander just before serving with hot brown rice and naan.
TAIWANESE STIR- FRIED CHICKEN
Serves 4
It’s worth seeking out the different ingredients that elevate this stir-fry from the ordinary. Soy sauce paste is a thicker, sweeter version of soy sauce that uses sugar, more wheat and sometimes thickeners in fermentation. It has a sweet and savoury flavour.
4 Tbsp sesame oil
1 piece ginger, 3cm, peeled and thinly sliced
3 whole garlic cloves 800g boneless chicken thighs, diced 4cm
4 Tbsp soy sauce paste 4 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp Chinese rice cooking wine ¼ cup sugar ¼ tsp ground white pepper
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 spring onion, thinly sliced 2 seeded chillies, sliced ½ cm thick 1 small handful basil leaves
1. Heat the oven to 180C. Place one large or two smaller Chinese claypots in the oven to heat. If you don’t have a claypot, just use an ovenproof casserole dish.
2. Heat 3 Tbsp of sesame oil in a wok over moderate heat and add the ginger. Fry for 30 seconds then add the garlic. Stir-fry for 30 seconds then add the chicken. Stir-fry until chicken is cooked and browned. Add the soy sauce paste, soy sauce, wine, sugar and pepper, bring to the boil and boil gently for 1 minute.
3. Meanwhile, pour the remaining 1 Tbsp of oil into the claypots and add the onion so it sizzles.
4. Add the spring onion, chillis and basil to the chicken mixture. Stir-fry 10 seconds and serve the chicken mixture on the onion in the hot claypots or casserole.