Curly Kale (or cavolo Nero) with Rosemary and Chilli

This is excellent as a side dish with roast free-range chicken, or as a topping for bruschetta - griddle slices of good bread, rub with raw garlic, top with the cooked kale and then finish with a spoonful of mild, creamy young goats' cheese.  It is one of Sophie grigson's recipes-I eat it with rice and avocado, simple and tasty enough for me. 

Ingredients

         3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

         1 large onion, sliced

         2 sprigs fresh rosemary

         1 medium or hot fresh red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced

         4 garlic cloves, sliced

         250g/9oz curly kale or cavolo nero, trimmed of tough stems, rinsed and cut into 1cm or 1/2in thick slices

         salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method:

Heat the olive oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed lidded pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, turn down the heat and fry gently until very tender.

Add the rosemary, chilli and garlic and fry for one more minute.

Add the kale or cavolo nero and season with salt. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to its absolute minimum and leave to cook gently for about 20 minutes. Stir once after five minutes, then again ten minutes later.

Remove the rosemary stalks, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve at once.

Millet Flour bread (Bajre Ki Roti)

Having just come back from India, one of the things I miss the most is the millet flour bread that I ate three times a day!  It is perfect for me-a cross between pancake and bread- gluten free and vegan!  What more could I want.  I was introdced to this at the incredible Mihir Garh  where we spent 5 days.  It is the staple of most of Rajasthan.

Millet flour-5 cups/500 grms
salt-a pinch

Sift the millet flour and salt together, gradually add enough warm water and knead with greased palms (I use olive oil) to make a semi soft dough.  Knead the dough 5 minutes before making the roti.
Divide the dough equally into lemon sized portions.  Flatten each portion with your palms, pressing the edges together to make 5-6" discs.  This has to be done carefully so that the edges do not break.  Avoid using a rolling pin.
Heat a griddle/or non stick pancake pan; lay the disc flat on it and roast oth sides. In India they then put it directly into a coal fire to make it crisp.
Serve with chutneys-or honey!!!! 

Hot hot roots

For the hot hot roots-by Levi Roots! 

• 2 tbsp sunflower oil, or groundnut oil
• 3 onions, peeled, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed to a paste with the edge of a knife
• 4cm/1½in piece fresh root ginger, peeled, finely chopped or grated
• 1 Scotch bonnet chilli, seeds removed, chopped
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1½ tsp ground coriander
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
• 300g/10½oz carrots, peeled, cut into equal-sized pieces
• 300g/10½oz parsnips, peeled, cut into equal-sized pieces (you could use butternut or pimpkin instead)
• 300g/10½oz sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into equal-sized pieces
• 400g/14oz small waxy potatoes, halved lengthways
• 1 litre/1¾ pints vegetable stock, or water
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• pinch soft dark brown sugar
• 75g/2½oz cashew nuts, crushed, plus extra, chopped, to serve
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 100g/3½oz French beans, trimmed, cut in half
• 200g/7oz baby spinach leaves, washed
• 4 tbsp double cream-I use coconut cream instead! 
• 1 lime, juice only

For the mango and coconut relish

• 75g/2½oz desiccated coconut, just covered with boiling water and set aside to soak for 30 minutes
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• ½ tbsp rum
• pinch salt
• 2 ripe mangoes, peeled, stones removed, julienned
• 2 red chillies, cut in half, seeds removed, very finely sliced
• 1-2 limes, juice only
• handful fresh mint leaves

Preparation method

1. For the hot hot roots, heat the oil in a casserole over a medium heat and add the onions. Fry for 4-5 minutes, or until golden-brown, stirring well to ensure they don't burn. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for a further 5-6 minutes, stirring regularly, then add the spices and cook for a further minute, or until fragrant.
2. Stir in the carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and potatoes and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, or until softened and golden-brown. Add the vegetable stock (or water), bay leaves, tomato purée, soft dark brown sugar and crushed cashew nuts and stir to combine. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, adding extra stock if the mixture becomes too dry. (The sauce should be thick enough to just coat the vegetables.)
4. Add the beans and spinach, cook for a further three minutes, or until the beans are just tender, then stir in the cream. Add half the lime juice and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper, adding more lime juice, to taste, as necessary
5. Meanwhile, for the mango and coconut relish, transfer the soaked coconut to a food processor (squeeze the coconut to remove any excess water). Add the mustard seeds, caster sugar, rum and salt and blend to a coarse paste.
6. Layer the mango slices with spoonfuls of the coconut paste onto a serving plate, squeezing over the lime juice and a sprinkle of chilli between each layer. Sprinkle the mint over the top of the relish. (If you're preparing the relish ahead of time, add the mint just before serving.)
7. Serve the hot hot roots scattered with chopped cashew nuts, and spoon the relish alongside.