Vegan chilli squid

Red lentil dhal

SERVES 2

Wash the split red lentils under cold, running water 3 times, transfer to a pan, add 700ml water and soak for 1 hour.

Cook the soaked lentils over a medium-high heat for around 18-20 minutes until tender. Add the coriander-cumin powder, tomatoes, green chilli, ground turmeric, salt to taste and 350ml water and cook over a medium heat for a further 8–10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a deep saucepan and add the cumin seeds. Once the seeds begin to crackle, add the garlic. Cook over a medium heat until the garlic has turned a light brown colour. Add the dried chillies and curry leaves, mix well and cook for 4–5 seconds. Add the chilli powder, then pour the seasoning over the dhal. Mix well, stirring to combine and

cook over a low heat for another 8–10 minutes, adding a little water if needed to achieve a dhal consistency. Garnish with the chopped coriander and serve with rice or chapatis.

Coriander-cumin powder

75g coriander seeds 25g cumin seeds

Heat a dry, heavy-bottomed frying pan over a low heat. Add the cumin seeds and roast for 3–5 minutes. Turn the heat off and set aside to cool completely. Grind both coriander and cumin seeds in a blender until they become a smooth powder. It will make more than enough for the recipes here, so store the remainder in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Cauliflower and potato nu shaak

SERVES 4–5 5–6tbsp oil 1½tsp mustard seeds ¼tsp asafoetida 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes 1 cauliflower, patted dry and cut into 2cm florets 1½tsp ground turmeric 1tbsp chilli powder 1tbsp coriander-cumin powder (see recipe, above) 1½tsp sugar chapatis, to serve

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the mustard seeds. Once they begin to crackle, add the asafoetida and potatoes. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the cauliflower florets, stirring well to coat evenly. Add the turmeric, chilli powder and coriandercumin powder. Partially cover the pan with a lid and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the vegetables sticking to the bottom. Uncover the pan and cook for a further 4–6 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat once the potatoes and cauliflower florets have cooked through, then stir in the sugar and season to taste with salt. Serve with chapatis.

Yoghurt raita

SERVES 4 430g plain full-fat yoghurt 60g red onion, chopped 40g tomato, chopped 2½tsp sugar ½tsp salt, or to taste 1½tbsp oil 1tsp mustard seeds 3–4 dried red chillies 8–10 fresh curry leaves

Whisk the yoghurt and 5tbsp water in a large bowl until smooth. Add the red onion, tomato, sugar and salt. Mix well and set aside.

Heat the oil in a small pan over a medium heat and add the mustard seeds. Once they begin to crackle, add the dried chillies and curry leaves. Mix and sauté for 4–6 seconds, then immediately pour the hot seasoning over the whisked yoghurt and mix well.

Samosa soup

SERVES 4 45g dried split pigeon peas 2tbsp oil 1tsp cumin seeds 3 dried red chillies 1 green chilli, stem removed and slit in half 140g red onion, thinly sliced ¼tsp freshly ground black pepper 1tbsp ground coriander ½tsp ground turmeric 2tsp Kashmiri chilli powder 1tsp garam masala 1.2 litres vegetable stock 100g cooked or canned chickpeas, rinsed 2tsp tamarind purée (see recipe, right) or fresh lime juice 20g coriander, chopped 12 frozen cocktail-sized samosas or 4 homemade (see recipe, right) 50g spring onions, chopped, to garnish

Wash the pigeon peas under cold, running water three times, then rinse and transfer to a pressure cooker with 240ml water. Secure the lid and cook under full pressure for 20–25 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to decompress before safely removing the lid, then set aside. Alternatively, put the rinsed peas in a deep pan and cover with 1-1.4 litres hot water and leave to soak for 4 hours. Bring the peas and soaking water to the boil, skimming off froth as needed. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 1½ hours until very mushy.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the cumin seeds. Once they begin to crackle, add the dried red chillies, green chilli and red onion and cook for 12–15 minutes over a medium-low heat until the onions soften and caramelise. Add the black pepper along with the ground coriander, turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala. Mix well and cook for 1 minute.

Pour in the stock and add the chickpeas, the pigeon pea dhal and the tamarind purée or lime juice. Cook over a medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Add salt to taste and half the chopped coriander and cook for a further 2–3 minutes.

Reheat the samosas or, if using frozen, cook according to the pack instructions. Divide among 4 warmed soup bowls, then ladle the soup into the bowls garnished with the remaining coriander and the spring onions.

Tamarind purée

750ml hot water 160g tamarind pulp

Bring the water up to the boil in a small saucepan, then turn off the heat and soak the tamarind in the hot water for around 1 hour, covering the pan. Using your hands, press the mixture through a sieve and discard the fibrous part.

This will make more purée than you need for the samosa soup recipe (left), so store any leftover in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze in a sealed bag for up to 3 months, to use in other recipes. If frozen, be sure to thaw before using.

Homemade samosas

SERVES 5 3 potatoes 1tbsp oil, plus 700–950ml for deep-frying and greasing ½tsp cumin seeds ¼tsp ground turmeric ½tsp garam masala 40g shelled petits pois or peas,

thawed if frozen 2tbsp green chilli paste 20g coriander, chopped ½tsp garlic paste 1tsp fresh lime juice 2tsp sugar 245g shop-bought puff pastry, thawed if frozen

Put the potatoes, unpeeled, in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl with 480ml water. Cover the bowl and microwave for

8–10 minutes, then drain and leave to cool for 20 minutes. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel roughly chop and set aside.

Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the cumin seeds. Once the seeds crackle, add the turmeric and garam masala and cook for 10 seconds. Add the peas and cook for 3–5 minutes until tender. Add the potatoes, green chilli paste, coriander, garlic paste and salt to taste, and stir to mix well. Cook for 4–5 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and add the lime juice and sugar. Mix well, then set aside to cool.

Trim the puff pastry sheets into ten 6cm squares. Roll a square into a cone, sealing the edge with water. Fill the cone with 1½tbsp of the filling and fold in the longer end of the cone, giving the cone structure to stay upright when placed on a flat surface. Use a little more water to seal the edges of the cone, fully enclosing the filling. Repeat the process until all the samosas are made.

Heat the oil for deep-frying in a deep saucepan over a medium heat. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, carefully lower the samosas into the oil with a metal slotted spoon and reduce the heat to medium-low. Use the spoon to move them around and deep-fry for 2–3 minutes, until golden brown. Remove with the spoon and drain on a tray lined with kitchen paper before serving.

Quick and easy mango pickle

MAKES AROUND 250G 2tbsp oil 1tsp mustard seeds ¼tsp asafoetida ¼tsp ground turmeric 6tbsp pickle masala (see recipe, below, or use shop-bought) 2 unripe mangoes, peeled and cut into thin wedges or 2.5cm cubes parathas or bhakhri (flATBREADS), TO SERVE

Heat the oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds. Once they begin to crackle, remove the pan from the heat, add the asafoetida and the ground turmeric and mix well. Add the pickle masala, then mix well again. Combine the mixture with the mangoes, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Serve at room temperature with parathas or bhakhri.

Pickle masala

Start several days before serving 90g fenugreek seeds, crushed 4g split yellow mustard seeds 1tbsp salt 2tsp asafoetida 3tbsp groundnut (peanut) oil 25g Kashmiri chilli powder 1tbsp red chilli powder ½tsp citric acid

Put the fenugreek and mustard seeds in a dry, heavy-bottomed frying pan and roast for 10 minutes over a low heat, stirring continuously. Tip the seeds on to a plate and allow to cool.

Add the salt to the same pan and roast for 1–2 minutes and then set aside.

Transfer the roasted seeds to a blender or food processor and blitz for 6–8 seconds to a coarse consistency. Put the mixture in a bowl, make a well in the centre and add the asafoetida, but do not mix.

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat until you begin to see smoke. Immediately pour the oil over the asafoetida and cover the bowl for 2–3 minutes.

Uncover, stir in the chilli powders and mix well. (The chilli powders are added after pouring in the oil in order to retain their colour.) Add the roasted salt and the citric acid and mix well again. Set aside for 4–5 days to marinate before use.

You will have more than enough for the quick and easy mango pickle (left), but any left over can be stored in an airtight