SERVES 4
PRASHAD AT HOME by Kaushy Patel. Hodder & Stoughton Publishers 2015
2 bunches (approx. 250g) fresh fenugreek leaves
1OOml sunflower oil
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp asafetida
8 cloves of garlic, soaked, peeled and sliced into 2mm discs
3 medium red-skinned (or other waxy) potatoes, peeled and cut in 2cm dice
2 medium vine tomatoes, washed and cut in 2cm dice, keeping all the juices
2 tsp salt
2 tsp medium red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
Rinse and trim the fresh fenugreek leaves, then cut in 1cm-wide strips. Leave uncovered at room temperature overnight to dry. Cutting the fenugreek leaves in advance helps them to dry out so that they can absorb more flavour when cooking.
Heat the oil in a large thick frying pan for 2 minutes over a medium heat before adding the fenugreek seeds, asafetida and garlic. Gently let them brown for 30 seconds, infusing the oil. Stir in the potatoes and cook covered on a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring and turning them every couple of minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, salt, chilli powder, turmeric, ground coriander and ground cumin. Add the fresh fenugreek leaves, gently stir through and cook covered for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally as the fenugreek wilts and cooks.
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.
