Vegetable biryani: from River Cottage Veg Everyday! by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Published by Bloomsbury, London 2011, pp274-275.
Serves 6 5 tablespoons sunflower oil 1 bay leaf 3 cardamom pods, bashed 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 5 large onions finely sliced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger 1 large red chilli, finely chopped 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander About 250g carrots, peeled and sliced into thin discs About 300g waxy potatoes cut into 2cm cubes 200g peas (fresh or frozen and defrosted) A generous squeeze of lemon juice 50g sultanas 350g basmati rice A large pinch of saffron threads Sea salt and freshly ground pepper To serve 50g slivered almonds, lightly toasted Chopped coriander or mint Method: Heat 2 tbsps of the oil in a large casserole over a medium high heat. Add the bay leaf, cardamom pods and cumin seeds and fry for a few minutes. Add 1 sliced onion and fry over a medium heat, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, till golden and soft. Lower the heat and add the garlic, ginger, chilli and ground spices. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes and peas and enough water to almost cover the vegetables. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring from time to time, for 10-15 minutes, or until the veg are al dente. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Sprinkle the sultanas on top. Meanwhile, rinse the rice thoroughly in several changes of water. Put into a saucepan with the saffron and a large pinch of salt. Add enough water to cover the rice by 2cm. bring to the boil, stir once, then simmer very gently unitl the water is nearly absorbed (indicated by deep steam holes on the surface). Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius/Gas mark 3. Cover the rice pan with a damp tea towel and a tight-fitting lid and turn the heat as low as possible. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and use a fork to separate the rice grains. Spoon the rice in a thick layer over the curry in the casserole. Cover the pan with a damp tea towel and put on lid tightly. Place over a high heat for a few minutes to get the curry bubbling again, then transfer to the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and leave to stand for 10 minutes. While the biryani is cooking, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat and add the rest of the sliced onions. Cook briskly, stirring often, for about 20 minutes, until well browned and reduced down. Season with salt. Uncover the biryani and scatter over the browned onions, almonds and coriander or mint. Serve with a cooling, yoghurty raita, and/or a spicy chutney.
Result: very nice but needed more flavours. The raita I made worked well (used apricot yoghurt as was all I could find…) and homemade chutney which I think I didn’t open in the end so is still at annabelle’s – hope you like it!
Iceberg blue cheese & date salad with walnut saffron dressing My selection for October. This salad is about texture and taste. The dressing would work well with asparagus, beans or a couscous based salads.
1 iceberg lettuce, 8 medjool dates( fresh), 1/2c walnuts , 1cup micro-greeens or sprouts, 200g creamy blue cheese, (Te Mata creamblue, Whitestone Winsor blue, Kapiti Kikorangi or Galaxy creamy blue)
Cut the lettuce into 8 wedges then cut each wedge into 3 pieces, giving you a total of 24 pieces. Arrange on a serving platter. Cut the cheese into 12 pieces and among the lettuce. Cut the dates into 4 discard the stones then scatter over the lettuce along with the walnuts. Add the dressing to each individual serving unless you expect all the salad to be consumed in one sitting, in which case toss the dressing over all
Saffron and Walnut dressing ½ teaspn saffron threads, 1 tblspn white wine vinegar 2tblspn fresh orange juice 1/2 teaspn salt, 6tblespns walnut oil
Put orange juice and saffron together in a bowl and infuse for 10 minutes. Whisk in the vinegar and salt, lastly the walnut oil whisking continuously. Makes 1/2cup. Put into a serving dish and pour over individual salads.
Sweet & Sour Roast pumpkin
3 Tblspn golden raisins, 3 tblspn sherry or water, 1 cove garlic crushed to a paste with ½ teaspn salt, 1 tblspn honey, 2tblspn olive oil, ½ medium pumpkin, skin removed and thinly sliced, 1 small red onion, 2 tblspn red wine vinegar.
Pre heat oven to 200c. Soak the raisins in the sherry or water for 20 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together the garlic honey, and olive oil. Add the pumpkin and toss in the marinade then lay out flat on a baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile place the onion in a bowl and pour the red wine vinegar over. Set aside.
To serve, place the pumpkin on a platter, spread the onions over the top and scatter the raisins over. Serves 6-8.
Recipe for October meeting from Lis:
ReplyDeleteVegetable biryani: from River Cottage Veg Everyday! by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Published by Bloomsbury, London 2011, pp274-275.
Serves 6
5 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 bay leaf
3 cardamom pods, bashed
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
5 large onions finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
1 large red chilli, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
About 250g carrots, peeled and sliced into thin discs
About 300g waxy potatoes cut into 2cm cubes
200g peas (fresh or frozen and defrosted)
A generous squeeze of lemon juice
50g sultanas
350g basmati rice
A large pinch of saffron threads
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
To serve
50g slivered almonds, lightly toasted
Chopped coriander or mint
Method:
Heat 2 tbsps of the oil in a large casserole over a medium high heat. Add the bay leaf, cardamom pods and cumin seeds and fry for a few minutes. Add 1 sliced onion and fry over a medium heat, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, till golden and soft. Lower the heat and add the garlic, ginger, chilli and ground spices. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add the carrots, potatoes and peas and enough water to almost cover the vegetables. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring from time to time, for 10-15 minutes, or until the veg are al dente. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Sprinkle the sultanas on top.
Meanwhile, rinse the rice thoroughly in several changes of water. Put into a saucepan with the saffron and a large pinch of salt. Add enough water to cover the rice by 2cm. bring to the boil, stir once, then simmer very gently unitl the water is nearly absorbed (indicated by deep steam holes on the surface). Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius/Gas mark 3.
Cover the rice pan with a damp tea towel and a tight-fitting lid and turn the heat as low as possible. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and use a fork to separate the rice grains.
Spoon the rice in a thick layer over the curry in the casserole. Cover the pan with a damp tea towel and put on lid tightly. Place over a high heat for a few minutes to get the curry bubbling again, then transfer to the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
While the biryani is cooking, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat and add the rest of the sliced onions. Cook briskly, stirring often, for about 20 minutes, until well browned and reduced down. Season with salt.
Uncover the biryani and scatter over the browned onions, almonds and coriander or mint. Serve with a cooling, yoghurty raita, and/or a spicy chutney.
Result: very nice but needed more flavours. The raita I made worked well (used apricot yoghurt as was all I could find…) and homemade chutney which I think I didn’t open in the end so is still at annabelle’s – hope you like it!
Iceberg blue cheese & date salad with walnut saffron dressing
ReplyDeleteMy selection for October. This salad is about texture and taste. The dressing would work well with asparagus, beans or a couscous based salads.
1 iceberg lettuce, 8 medjool dates( fresh), 1/2c walnuts , 1cup micro-greeens or sprouts,
200g creamy blue cheese, (Te Mata creamblue, Whitestone Winsor blue, Kapiti Kikorangi or Galaxy creamy blue)
Cut the lettuce into 8 wedges then cut each wedge into 3 pieces, giving you a total of 24 pieces. Arrange on a serving platter. Cut the cheese into 12 pieces and among the lettuce. Cut the dates into 4 discard the stones then scatter over the lettuce along with the walnuts. Add the dressing to each individual serving unless you expect all the salad to be consumed in one sitting, in which case toss the dressing over all
Saffron and Walnut dressing
½ teaspn saffron threads, 1 tblspn white wine vinegar
2tblspn fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspn salt, 6tblespns walnut oil
Put orange juice and saffron together in a bowl and infuse for 10 minutes. Whisk in the vinegar and salt, lastly the walnut oil whisking continuously. Makes 1/2cup. Put into a serving dish and pour over individual salads.
Sweet & Sour Roast pumpkin
3 Tblspn golden raisins, 3 tblspn sherry or water, 1 cove garlic crushed to a paste with ½ teaspn salt, 1 tblspn honey, 2tblspn olive oil, ½ medium pumpkin, skin removed and thinly sliced, 1 small red onion, 2 tblspn red wine vinegar.
Pre heat oven to 200c. Soak the raisins in the sherry or water for 20 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together the garlic honey, and olive oil. Add the pumpkin and toss in the marinade then lay out flat on a baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile place the onion in a bowl and pour the red wine vinegar over. Set aside.
To serve, place the pumpkin on a platter, spread the onions over the top and scatter the raisins over. Serves 6-8.
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