This week, I bring you two approaches to weeknight dinner. First, a new take on kedgeree that’s swiftly put together and swaps the traditional boiled eggs for roast aubergines. Kedgeree was the invention of the British in colonial India, but was inspired by khichuri, a more ancient dish of rice and lentils, so here I’ve reinstated the pulses in the form of mung dal and peas: an Indian dish, adapted by the British, and changed again by an Indian living in Britain. The other dish is a smoky lamb curry that I often make ahead at the weekend – it freezes really well and makes for a bowl of richly spiced comfort to come home to.
Kedgeree (pictured top)
This is inspired both by my mother’s Bengali khichuri and the classic British kedgeree.
Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4
1 aubergine
Vegetable oil
¾ tsp ground turmeric
Salt
270g haddock fillets
150g mung dal
150g brown onions, peeled and diced
25g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
275g basmati rice
100g frozen peas
50g unsalted butter
75g golden raisins
Cut the aubergine into 2½cm chunks and put them in a bowl. Toss with a tablespoon of oil, a pinch of turmeric and a couple of pinches of salt, and set aside.
Toast the mung dal in a large saucepan on a medium heat, stirring continuously, for about eight minutes, until it’s lightly browned and smells nutty, then take off the heat and leave to cool.
Warm a tablespoon of oil on a medium heat, then add the onions and fry, stirring, for 10 minutes, until softened and starting to brown at the edges. Add the ginger, ground spices, a half-teaspoon of turmeric and a half-teaspoon of salt, and cook for another couple of minutes. Stir in the rice and cooled dal, pour in 600ml water, then turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover with a lid, turn off the heat and leave the rice to steam for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, brush the haddock fillets with a little oil and rub with a pinch of turmeric and a generous pinch of salt. Put the aubergine chunks and fish on two separate oven trays, then roast at 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 for 10-12 minutes, until the aubergines are browned and the fish is cooked through.
Meanwhile, cook the peas in boiling water for four to five minutes. Once the rice is ready, stir through the butter until melted, followed by the peas, raisins, aubergines and fish, and serve hot.
Lamb curry
We rarely have red meat at home these days, so whenever I do cook it, I look for a recipe that feels indulgent. This curry has become my new favourite, with the irresistible smokiness of black cardamom and smoked paprika. I like to get a whole leg of lamb and have it carved up by the butcher, rather than using ready-diced meat. That way, you have control over the size of the chunks, and also get the bones, too, which are essential for the rich broth.
Prep 10 min
Cook 3 hr +
Serves 6
2½kg leg of lamb
300g Greek yoghurt
2 tsp fine salt
1 tsp ground turmeric
150g unsweetened desiccated coconut
1½ tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
2 black cardamom pods
1 star anise, broken up into small pieces
1 cinnamon stick (7g), broken up into small pieces
3 bay leaves
1½ tbsp vegetable oil
300g brown onions, peeled and thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped (30g)
30g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
½ tsp crushed chilli
1½ tbsp smoked paprika
Use a sharp knife to cut the meat off the bone, then cut into large chunks about 5cm across. Put the meat and bone in a large casserole dish and coat with the yoghurt, salt and turmeric. Turn on the heat to medium, cover the pot and cook for about 10 minutes, until the liquid is boiling. Give it a stir, pour over enough boiling water just to cover the meat, then cover the pan again and turn down the heat to a gentle simmer.
While the meat is cooking, toast the coconut in a large saucepan on a medium-low heat, stirring continuously, for about seven minutes, until it turns hazelnut brown, then tip into a bowl.
Toast the cumin, coriander, black cardamom, star anise, cinnamon and bay leaves on a medium-low heat in the same pan, stirring them often, until the cumin turns slightly darker and the mix smells aromatic. Tip into a mortar or spice grinder, leave to cool, then grind or blitz to a powder.
Warm the oil in a saucepan on a medium heat, then add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until they soften and start to brown at the edges. Add the garlic and ginger, fry for two minutes more, until they’re just starting to brown, then take off the heat and leave to cool.
When the lamb has been cooking for an hour and a half, stir in 100g of the toasted coconut, the onion mixture, ground spices, chilli and paprika, cover again and cook for another hour to an hour and a half, until the meat is very tender. Sprinkle the remaining toasted coconut on top and serve with basmati rice.
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