Even spuds can be special!

MY SAG ALOO

Whenever I think about this dish my mouth starts to water. The sheer talent of our Indian brothers and sisters in the kitchen always blows me away – how can a simple dish taste so damn good? Have a go at this and you’ll find out. Great-value, tasty food that’s good as part of a curry or as a dish in its own right. Serves 6 234 calories per serving Total time: 50 minutes 1 onion 2 ripe tomatoes ½ a bunch of fresh coriander (15g/½oz) 2 heaped tbsp rogan josh curry paste Groundnut oil 1.2kg (2lb 12oz) potatoes 4 cloves of garlic 1 fresh red chilli 2tsp cumin seeds 300g (10½oz) frozen spinach 6 heaped tsp fat-free natural yoghurt Peel the onion and blitz with the tomatoes, coriander stalks and curry paste in a food processor until combined, then spoon into a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat with a lug of oil. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, while you cut the potatoes into 3cm (1¼in) chunks (I like to leave the skin on). Add them to the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper, then pour in enough water to come halfway up the potatoes but not cover them. Bring to the boil, pop the lid on or cover with tin foil, then simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are just cooked through. Remove the lid, then turn the heat up to medium-high and reduce until all the liquid cooks away and the potatoes start to get crispy and golden (around 15 to 20 minutes).

Meanwhile, to make the flavoured oil (called a temper – this really brings the sag aloo to life), peel the garlic and finely slice with the chilli, place in a small pan and fry with the cumin seeds and a good lug of oil until nicely golden, then take off the heat. When the potatoes are looking good, stir the spinach into the pan and cook down for around 5 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated and the potatoes are nice and crisp, stirring regularly. Serve the sag aloo drizzled with the temper, dolloped with yoghurt, and with the coriander leaves scattered on top. It’s really delicious wrapped in soft round lettuce leaves with an ice-cold beer on the side.

GIANT VEG RÖSTI, POACHED EGGS, SPINACH & PEAS

This is a particularly good breakfast, brunch or lunch. I suppose it’s not technically a traditional square meal as we often see it, but it’s fulfilling, a lovely contrast of textures and flavours, and a total pleasure to eat. Roasting the spuds and carrots to create the giant rösti really brings out their sweetness, and builds up a nice crunchy edge. Serves 4 351 calories per serving Total time: 55 minutes 600g (1lb 5oz) potatoes 3 large carrots ½tsp Dijon mustard ½ a lemon Extra virgin olive oil Olive oil 100g (3½oz) frozen peas 100g (3½oz) baby spinach 4 large free-range eggs 50g (1¾oz) feta cheese Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Peel the potatoes and carrots, then coarsely grate them in a food processor or by hand on a box grater. Add a good pinch of salt, toss and scrunch it all together, then leave for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the mustard, a good squeeze of lemon juice, and a couple of lugs of extra virgin olive oil with a little pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl and put aside.

Drizzle a really good lug of olive oil into a large bowl and add a good pinch of pepper. Handful by handful, squeeze the potato and carrot mixture to get rid of the excess salty liquid, then sprinkle into the bowl. Toss in the oil and pepper until well mixed, then evenly scatter it over a large oiled baking tray (roughly 30cm x 40cm/ 12in x 16in). Roast for around 35 minutes, or until golden on top and super-crispy around the edges.

Meanwhile, blanch the peas for a minute in a large pan of boiling, salted water, then scoop them out, add to the bowl of dressing and pile

the spinach on top. Just before your rösti is ready, with the water gently simmering, crack in the eggs, poach them to your liking, then carefully remove with a slotted spoon. Serve the rösti with the eggs on top. Quickly toss the spinach and peas to dress them and scatter in piles on the rösti, then crumble over the feta and serve. I like to whack it in the middle of the table and let everyone dig in.