SERVES 4
PRASHAD AT HOME by Kaushy Patel. Hodder & Stoughton Publishers 2015
5Oml sunflower oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
lh tsp asafetida
10-12 fresh curry leaves, washed
lh medium onion, peeled and cut in lhcm dice
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut in 1cm dice
1 medium red pepper, cut in 1cm dice
100g frozen petits pois peas, thawed
Scm root ginger, peeled and blended to a pulp
4-6 fresh green chillies (ideally Kenyan), finely chopped (not blended)
lh tsp turmeric
2 tsp salt
2 handfuls fresh coriander, washed and finely chopped, plus extra to garnish
215g fine semolina
800ml boiling water olive oil, to serve
Heat the oil in a large, deep, thick-based frying pan for 2 minutes on a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and swirl in the oil. Once they start to gently froth, stir in the asafetida. Now add the curry leaves at arm’s length and enjoy the lovely lemony sizzle for a moment before stirring in the onion and cooking uncovered for 1 minute. Stir in the carrot and cook for a further 2 minutes, then finally stir in the pepper and cook for 2 minutes more.
Once all the hard vegetables have started to soften, add the peas, ginger, green chillies, turmeric, salt and 1 handful of fresh coriander. Gently mix all the spices through and cook uncovered for l 1/2 minutes, helping all the flavours to develop. Now add the semolina and 600ml of boiling water. Carefully stir everything together, folding the semolina and water through the vegetables, and cook for 1 minute.
Turn the heat to low and cook for a further minute, then add the remaining 200ml of boiling water.
Stir and cook covered for 30 seconds.Serve straight away in large bowls with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of fresh coriander and some bare/a marcha (page 243).
From bhajis to feast biryanis to beans on toast, Gujarati-style, Prashad at Home contains more than 100 recipes to bring warmth, taste and texture into your home, all made with the Patel’s characteristic love and passion for vegetarian food.
Kaushy learned to cook as a child on her grandmother’s farm in northern India, coming to live in the UK in the 1960s.
The success of the deli in Bradford she ran for 22 years with her husband led to the opening of Prashad, the restaurant, serving authentic Gujarati cuisine.
Prashad has now become a destination for food-lovers and fans of vegetarian cooking.
They are the winners of numerous awards, including Oliver Awards Best Indian Restaurant 2014, Yorkshire Life Chef of the Year 2013 and Morrisons Great Grub Awards 2013. Last year saw the launch of a new venture: Bundobust, in Leeds, championing traditional Indian streetfood dishes with craft beers. www.prashad.co.uk
