KUNG PAO CAULIFLOWER

“Sticky, sweet, hot, and packed with crunchy peanuts, kung pao is a Western remix of a Szechuan dish called gong bao. This dish goes well with steamed jasmine rice.”

Serves 4 as part of a larger meal EASY

GREAT VALUE

Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 35 minutes

large cauliflower 1 (or 2 small ones,

800 g in total)

Szechuan peppercorns 1t canola oil 4T cornflour 2t light soya sauce 2½ T white wine vinegar 1½ T hoisin sauce 2T salt 1⁄3 t spring onions 4, very finely chopped, whites and greens separated garlic 4 cloves, sliced paper thin bird’s-eye chillies 4, slit lengthways ginger 1 x 2 cm piece, peeled and sliced into thin batons unsalted peanuts 50 g

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C. Trim the cauliflower and break down into bite-sized florets, around 4 cm at the widest part, then place on your largest baking tray in a single layer. The pieces should not

overlap (or they’ll steam), so use two trays if you need to. 2 Smash the peppercorns using a pestle and mortar until well ground, then add 2 T oil to the mortar, mix well and pour over the cauliflower, rubbing the oil and pepper into the florets thoroughly until coated. Roast for 20 minutes, turning the florets over halfway through. 3 Meanwhile, make the sauce.

Put the cornflour into a bowl and slowly mix in the soya sauce, ensuring there are no lumps, followed by the vinegar, hoisin sauce and salt. Make sure you have all the other ingredients prepared and within arm’s reach for the next step. 4 Put the remaining oil into a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. When smoking hot, add the roasted cauliflower and toss for a minute, then add the spring onion whites, garlic, chillies and ginger. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring only every minute or so to help char the mixture. 5 Add the sauce and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until dark, sticky and glossy. Toss through the peanuts, then tip onto a serving plate, sprinkle over the spring onion greens and serve.

DAIRY-FREE, MEAT-FREE

WINE: Joostenberg Wood Matured Chenin Blanc 2019 green chillies 2, finely chopped chopped tomatoes 1 x 400 g can ground coriander 1½ t ground cumin 1½ t ground turmeric ½t salt 1½ t brown rice syrup 1t coconut milk 1 x 400 ml can

1 Pop the kale into the food processor and whizz into little bits. You’ll probably need to do this in two batches and stop halfway through each to push down the bigger bits with a spatula or spoon. Transfer to a big bowl and leave to one side. 2 Heat 2 T oil in a large non-stick frying pan for which you have a lid over a medium heat. When hot, add the paneer cubes. Fry for a couple of minutes on each side, until they’re golden all over, then transfer to a plate. 3 Put the remaining oil into the same pan and return to a medium heat. When hot, add the onions and cook for 10 minutes until soft and sweet, then add the ginger, garlic and chillies. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes, stirring every now and then, for 8 minutes, until they’ve reduced to a paste, then add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt and brown rice syrup, and mix well. 4 Add the kale to the pan in batches, stirring between each handful. It may seem like there is too much kale at first, but it will wilt quickly. Add the coconut milk, stir and cover with the lid. Leave to cook over a low heat for 15 minutes, then put the paneer back into the pan and cook for another 10 minutes. If the saag seems dry at any point, add a little water, a couple of tablespoons at a time.

5 Taste to check that the flavours have bedded in and the kale is tender before you take it off the heat, and serve with hot wholemeal chapattis or naan bread. MEAT-FREE

WINE: Woolworths Paul Cluver

Riesling 2019