Halloumi, mango, shallot and rocket salad with spicy tamarind dressing

This is such a fine tumble of contrasting flavours and textures. The sourness comes from the mango and tamarind, although you can never be sure of a mango until you taste it, so hold fire on finishing the dressing until you’ve tried it. Add a little honey if it’s unripe and sour; leave it alone if it’s edging towards sweet. This is great with pea shoots in place of the rocket, coriander rather than mint, a red onion instead of the shallot, and by all means cast some pomegranate seeds over the top. SERVES 2

2tbsp olive oil

125g halloumi, cut into

slices 5-7mm thick

70g rocket

1 medium mango, peeled,

stoned and cut into wedges 1 eschalot or other long shallot, halved lengthways and thinly sliced

12 mint leaves, very thinly

sliced

Pinch of Aleppo pepper

Sea salt and freshly ground

black pepper

FOR THE SPICY TAMARIND DRESSING

1 large garlic clove, finely

chopped

2cm-piece of fresh ginger,

peeled and finely chopped Sea salt

1tsp Aleppo pepper

A good pinch of ground

coriander

4tsp tamarind paste

Juice of ½ lemon

Freshly ground black pepper 4tbsp extra virgin olive oil 4tsp honey or jaggery

(optional)

1 Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Once shimmering, add the halloumi slices and fry until mottled golden on both sides. Lift out onto kitchen paper to drain.

2 Arrange the rocket in a large serving dish, lay the mango around spaced fairly evenly, and – tearing each slice in two as you go – dot the halloumi over the dish. Break the eschalot slices into individual arcs and scatter them over the top.

3 Sprinkle the shredded mint leaves and a pinch of Aleppo pepper over the top, and grind a little salt and pepper across the ensemble.

4 Finally, having tasted a little of the mango for ripeness, make up the spicy tamarind dressing. Pound the garlic and ginger in a pestle and mortar with a little salt until it becomes a smoothish paste. Transfer to a bowl, add the Aleppo pepper, coriander, tamarind paste and lemon juice and a little black pepper and stir well to combine. Add the oil and whisk into an emulsion.

5 Dot the dressing over the dish and serve.