My blend uses plenty of aromatics and not too much heat. This is so you can adjust the spice level of the dishes you cook. Easy!

What is Garam Masala?

Garam masala (Hindi: गरम मसाला) is a blend of warming spices, used most often in North Indian recipes.

Why? The cooler climate calls and rich Mughlai and Central Asian influences on North Indian cuisine are very well suited to the “garam” (warm) spices in garam masala.

Garam masala is a flavour protagonist in lots of North Indian sub-cuisines: Awadhi, Rajasthani, Bihari, Punjabi and Himachali to name a handful.

Which other cuisines use Garam Masala?

The use of this aromatic and warming blend of spices extends beyond the borders of India.

Indeed, Garam Masala is a popular in Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, African, Caribbean and Afghan cuisines. Garam masala is a blend that also features heavily in British Indian Restaurant (BIR) cookery.

What is Garam Masala made from?

Almost every family will have their own preferences. There is no one-size fits all answer.

Most recipes for garam masala call for a varying blend of the following spices:

Coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, Indian bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon (or cassia), nutmeg, mace, peppercorns, black and green cardamom.

Some recipes call for dried chillies, while others do not. Other additions can include ajwain and asafoetida. It simply depends on individual preference.

Is Garam Masala the same as curry powder?

No. Curry powder is a generic name for any blend of spices. Usually curry powder is specific to the region in which it is developed. Curry powder is usually yellow in colour (due to the addition of turmeric), whereas garam masala is typically brown.

Many world cuisines extending from Asia to the Caribbean have their own unique curry powders.

Garam masala refers specifically to an Indian-style blend of spices.

Some of my favourite recipes that call for Garam Masala

Homemade vs. shop bought

There’s no denying the heady wave of flavour homemade garam masala brings. Add it to a curry, samosa filling or rice dish and it surpasses mediocrity and becomes a complete flavour bomb.

Having said this, I always keep a good blend of shop-bought Garam Masala in my cupboard for when I’m short of time and the homemade stuff.

I like both Jalpur Millers Garam Masala and BART Punjab Masala when it comes to the shop bought kind.

Does roasting masalas shorten their shelf life?

In short, yes. Applying heat to spices teases out their natural oils and flavours.

How to store this masala

I advise you make any homemade masala in small batches and use within 6 months. Keep in an airtight container to prolong flavour and freshness.

Tips for making Homemade Garam Masala

• A dry frying pan is perfect for getting the spices nicely toasty. You don’t need to use oil for dry masalas.
  
• Don’t toast the spices over a high heat. A low heat will help coax the oils from the whole spices perfectly. Patience pays off.
  
• Keep the spices moving the whole time they’re in the pan to ensure they don’t burn. They have a tendency to catch in hotspots.
  
• Let the spices cool completely before you grind them.
  
• Store the Homemade Garam Masala in an airtight jar or container for up to six months. It’s okay to leave it beyond this date but the spices may lose some of their potency.
  
• I recommend making masalas in small batches so you can use them at their best.

Shop my Homemade Garam Masala: Spices & equipment

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Homemade Garam Masala recipe

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Homemade Garam Masala

Learn how to make a cracker of a Garam Masala blend using whole roasted spices. Here's a list of spices you need to jazz up any North Indian dish, from curry and pulao, to samosas and parathas.

Course Condiment

Cuisine Indian

Keyword masala, spice blends

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

• 40 g coriander seeds
• 30 g cumin seeds
• 20 green cardamom
• 4 bay leaves
• 5 black cardamom
• 12 cloves
• 2 blades mace
• 12 cm cinnamon stick or cassia, broken (10g)
• 2 star anise broken
• 10 g fennel seeds
• 5 g black peppercorns
• 1 small nutmeg

Instructions

• Heat a dry frying pan or saucepan over a low heat. Add all the whole spices and stir to combine. Cook over a medium-low heat for about a 4 minutes, stirring all the time to ensure the spices don't burn. Allow to cool.
• Pile the spices into a spice grinder or the bowl of a mixer/grinder (recommendations for these are included in the blog post above). Blend until the mixture becomes a fine powder. You might need to stop and stir everything once or twice to ensure all the spices are getting some blade time.
• Sieve the masala to ensure no large pieces or whole spices remain. If they do, just blend them again and sieve into the rest of the mixture.
• Pile the mixture into an airtight container or jar. This garam masala will keep well for a year but is best used within 6 months.

Video

If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Garam Masala Potato Gratin

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Achaari Mushroom Kebabs

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Tandoori Hasselback Potatoes

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Love Sanjana

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For me, the Indian food of East Africa is some of the most delicious food that exists. There’s no shying away from scorching hot chillies and the tang of lemon. This combo seasons everything you eat, wherever you go and whatever you order. From raw mangos on the beach, to fire-roasted maize and fried cassava chips on the salty-aired streets, it’s the typical seasoning Kenya’s rustic coastal towns. I hope to visit India to enjoy street-style Pau Bhaji in its birthplace of Maharashtra, India, but my first experience of eating this iconic street dish was in Kenya, the home of my Indian immigrant grandparents.

Pau Bhaji is a great dish to make for big get-togethers. It’s easy to scale the recipe up to feed more, since the rolls (pav) are almost always shop-bought and making more curry (bhaji) simply requires doubling up the veggies and sliding in some more masala.

My Pau Bhaji masala is magic dust. Not only is it a beautiful blend for this buttery vegetable dish, it also makes daal more delicious and peps up any Pulao (Indian fried rice). I often make up a triple batch of the masala recipe below and store it in an airtight container for using in other dishes. For this recipe, just work with the measurements below and use it all in the Bhaji recipe. It might look excessive but trust me, your buttery veggies are crying out for some spice.

The beauty of Pau Bhaji is that you can use any vegetables you like, since they’re all getting mashed like crazy anyway. The most common ones are potatoes, cauliflower, peas and carrots. This also happens to be my favourite combination but feel free to add red peppers, aubergine and green beans if you like those. I typically add in some sweet potatoes for colour and sweetness without having to add sugar or food colouring. It’s very common for some street vendors to add red food colouring to their Bhaji for a rich appearance. I find a combination of tomato passata (sieved tomatoes), sweet potatoes, turmeric and Kashmiri chilli powder do a great job of giving my bhaji a deliciously-deep colour without having to do that. Use your judgment and add it if you like though.

This is one of those dishes where the garnishes are as important as the main component of the food itself. Don’t skip the lemon wedges, finely diced red onions, tomatoes and coriander topping. And don’t skip the extra butter on top either. It adds the special, indulgent touch that separates good Pau Bhaji from average Pau Bhaji. Nobody likes average Pau Bhaji.

Lastly, the bread must be soft, white and most importantly, cheap rolls. Don’t get fancy with artisan rolls from a French bakery. The rolls are going to get bathed in salty butter anyway (the best kind of bath, IMO). In the end, they’re a crispy carrier for spicy, melt-in-the-mouth vegetable lava and erm… even more butter.

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Melt-in-the-Mouth Butter Pau Bhaji

Slow cooked vegetable masala cooked with plenty of butter and served with fluffy buns. It’s no wonder Pau Bhaji is one of India’s most famous street food dishes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Keyword curry, street food, vegetables, vegetarian

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

• 250 g potatoes boiled, peeled and roughly cubed
• 200 g cauliflower stalks removed and chopped
• 150 g sweet potato boiled, peeled and roughly chopped
• 100 g carrots peeled and finely diced
• 100 g peas
• 500 g passata
• 100 g salted butter + 50g for mashing in once cooked
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 large red onion finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 500 ml water
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp salt

For the pau bhaji masala:

• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground fennel seeds
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 cardamom pods seeds crushed

To garnish:

• 1 red onion finely diced
• 2 large vine tomatoes finely diced
• 50 g fresh coriander chopped
• Lemon wedges for serving
• 50 g salted butter
• Fresh chillies chopped (optional)

For the pau:

• 12 soft white bread rolls
• 100 g salted butter softened

Instructions

For the bhaji:

• In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the pau bhaji masala. It will look like a lot but you will need to use it all, trust me.
• Melt the 100g butter in a large, heavy-based pan. Add the onions, bay leaves and salt and sauté until slightly browned, about 10 minutes. The salt will draw out moisture from the onions and help them to brown quickly.
• Add the garlic and sauté briefly, about 30 seconds. Next, add in the passata, cauliflower, cooked potatoes, cooked sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, pau bhaji masala and water. Give everything a good stir and cover with a lid. Cook over a medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. If it starts to dry out, add more water and continue to cook until everything is very tender.
• Switch the heat off and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Now, add the reserved 50g of butter, grab a potato masher and give everything a good mash until it resembles a coarse purée. Adjust the consistency by adding more water if necessary. It should be slightly runny, like lava. Add salt and lemon juice and continue to mash until well incorporated.
• Return the pan to the heat with the lid on and simmer over a low heat for 15-20 minutes.

To prepare the pau:

• Slather both sides of the rolls with butter and toast in a frying pan until golden all over.

Notes

Sprinkle the onions, tomatoes and coriander over the top of the pau bhaji. Serve with more onion, tomato and coriander, as well as extra butter, lemon wedges and the toasted pau. Chilli lovers can also top with chopped fresh chillies if they dare.

Love Sanjana

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I get such a sense of satisfaction from emptying the fridge of the last of the vegetables. Knowing we’ve used up every last bit of fresh food without throwing anything out fills me with all the good feelings.

A rogue carrot, a handful of mushrooms and a glut of peppers bought two weeks ago. They all have their uses.

Vegan Kadai Tofu & Vegetables: A zero-waste recipe

Food waste is such a huge problem today and it makes no sense because there are also so many people struggling to feed themselves and their families.

Along with supermarkets and food manufacturers, we’re all responsible for ensuring we do what we can to cut down on the amount of food we toss in the bin.

Tesco have recently announced they will stop printing Best Before dates on some fruit and veg products which is a great start.

Having worked on a number of food TV shows in the past, I’ve seen an immense amount of (perfectly good) food being thrown in the bin. It’s just a sad thing to see.

How to make Homemade Kadai Masala

Along with Pau Bhaji and Biryani, my other raid-the-fridge dinnertime favourite is this Kadai Tofu and Vegetables.

You can make it with pretty much any veg you have in the fridge and it tastes like a restaurant-quality Kadai dish.

The flavour comes from the coriander seed, fennel seed and black peppercorn Kadai masala. It’s the star of the show.

What veg can I add to Vegan Kadai Tofu & Vegetables?

Mixed peppers, mushrooms, spring onions and red onions are all great. However. , you could also use squash, cauliflower, potatoes, asparagus or mixed root vegetables. Anything goes.

Can I make adapt this recipe to make Kadai Paneer?

For a vegetarian but non-vegan option, you could swap the tofu for paneer or even halloumi if that’s what you have. It will work with any non-melting cheese.

Other ways to customise this recipe

I’ve also tried it with soya chunks and it turned out great. Adding all the veggies at the same time and cooking them very briefly on a high heat. This ensures they stay deliciously crunchy but with that smoky, charred flavour you’d expect from a restaurant-style Kadai dish.

If you prefer your veggies tender, you can cook them a little longer. I add my chillies whole so I can pop them in my plate but the rest of the family can avoid them if they don’t want theirs too hot.

How to serve Kadai Tofu & Vegetables

Serve this dish hot with soft chapattis/phulkas, jalebi paratha or simply with jeera rice, salad and a cooling cucumber raita.

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Kadai Tofu & Vegetables

Serve this dish hot with soft chapattis/phulkas, jalebi paratha or simply with jeera rice, salad and a cooling cucumber raita.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword masala, tofu, vegan, vegetables

Servings 4

Ingredients

For the kadai masala:

• 2 tbsp whole coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 tsp kasoori methi

For the curry:

• 300 g firm tofu cut into cubes
• 3 tbsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 whole green chillies
• 2 large tomatoes cut into large chunks
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 2- inch piece ginger julienned
• 2 large red onions cut into 3cm wedges
• 3 peppers cut into 3cm wedges
• 5 spring onions trimmed and quartered
• 100 g button mushrooms wiped clean and sliced
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• A few sprigs of fresh mint to garnish

Instructions

For the kadai masala:

• Toast all the ingredients in a dry frying pan until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder or a pestle and mortar and grind to a coarse powder. Set aside.

For the curry:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick pan. Toss the tofu cubes in cornflour and carefully slide them into the pan. Cook on all sides until golden. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and add the cumin seeds, ginger and chillies. Allow to sizzle briefly and then add all the vegetables, 3/4 of the kadai masala, garam masala, turmeric and salt. Stir fry over a high heat until slightly charred in places, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tofu and toss to combine. Serve immediately with the remaining kadai masala sprinkled over the top. Garnish with fresh mint.

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If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Tofu Tikka Masala

Love Sanjana

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Nothing compares to a veggie burger packed with a delicious combo of spices, herbs and quality extras.

I have a few dozen personal burger laws. For me, there must be pickles, if not, the burger is incomplete. The sauce has to be relish, mustard or something else loaded with flavour. Salsa is fine. No mayo, although sour cream with chives is epic. Cheese is mandatory. Extra cheese is better. Lettuce or baby spinach offer a welcome crunch factor and thinly-sliced onions make the whole thing a dream come true.

Another thing I’m absolutely nuts about is a crunchy crust on the outside of the burger patty. Breadcrumbs, crushed nachos, herby semolina, I’ll take anything. But I’ve got something better for you today, my loves; something so stupidly delicious you’ll wonder where it’s been all your life.

Three words; cassava crisp crust. Did you just feel my heart skip a beat?

Cassava crisps are a staple snack in our house and the fresh kind cannot be beaten. Paper-thin slices of cassava deep fried until crisp, doused with fresh lemon juice, salt and chilli powder transports me back to Mombasa where roadside hawkers sell them by the bag full. They stand over vats of hot oil lit over gas stoves all day, chipping the cassava directly into the oil from above. There’s something so beautiful about watching their skilled hands carry out their craft while the smell of butane, fried starch and sea water lingers in the air. For me, a road trip isn’t the same without a bag of crunchy cassava crisps and a frosty bottle of Stoney Tangawezi (ginger beer).

Rarely do we make fresh cassava crisps at home, they’re a once in a while treat. These days you can buy them from most big supermarkets. For this recipe, the shop-bought kind are an ideal time-saver.

Mshenye is a very traditional side in East Africa. A carbohydrate, protein and starch-rich combination people rely on. It consists of mashed sweet potatoes, kidney beans and maize. Very few spices are added because it’s usually served with rich, flavoursome stews. I’ve taken the delightful combo of classic Mshenye ingredients and added fresh and flavoursome herbs and spices for a knockout take on the traditional dish. The Mshenye is shaped into burgers and coated in crushed chilli and lemon cassava crisps. They’re then baked in the oven until they’re golden on the outside and still soft on the inside. Pure veggie burger perfection.

My Dad’s Masala Chips are famous in our family; Our midnight feast of choice. He throws them together at lightning speed, making it difficult to get a glimpse into what he actually puts in the sauce. When I first asked him for his recipe he sent me a list of about 10 different ingredients, all jumbled up with no measurements. This is what I like to call a ‘dad recipe’. It’s also probably why his masala chips are so goddamn delicious. Well, this is a monumental moment, guys. He made it while mum recorded the recipe – dream team!

We finally have a real recipe with his measurements so you can get your masala chips fix at home.
Enjoy them with these ultimate veggie burgers.

Kenyan Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers and My Pa’s Masala Chips
Makes 6 big burgers or 8 smaller ones and enough chips to feed 6

Ingredients

For the burger patties:

1kg whole sweet potatoes, skin on and baked until soft
250g kidney beans, cooked
250g sweetcorn
2 spring onions, chopped finely
2 chillies, chopped finely
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Juice ½ lemon
1 vegetable stock cube, crumbled
3 tsp salt
3 tbsp instant mashed potato powder
Chopped coriander
100g crushed cassava crisps or potato crisps

To assemble the burgers:

6 burger buns, sliced in half
Salad greens
Sliced pickles
Red onion, thinly sliced
Mozzarella or Cheddar cheese slices (or both)
Sour cream with chives
Sliced tomatoes

For my Dad’s Masala Chips:

1.2kg waxy potatoes, such as King Edward
2L sunflower oil, for deep frying
400g passata
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tsp asafoetida
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Chopped coriander, to garnish

Method

1. Slice the sweet potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh. Place all the ingredients for the burger patties (except the cassava crisps) in a large saucepan and use a potato masher to mash them together. Cook on a low heat, mixing often until it comes together and starts to hold its’ shape. Set aside to cool.

2. Cut the potatoes for the chips into fry-sized pieces. Place them into a pan of cold water and refrigerate.

3. To make the sauce for the masala chips, heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan. Add the crushed garlic and asafoetida. Sauté for a moment and then add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes until reduced by half. Set aside to cool.

4. Pre-heat the oven to 200C.

5. The burger patty mixture is cool enough to handle, divide it into six large burgers or 8 smaller ones. Use your hands to shape them into patties before rolling into the crushed cassava chips. Place the burgers on a flat baking tray. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, placing cheese slices over the top at the 25 minute mark, and returning to the oven to melt. You could also cook them on the barbecue.

6. In a deep pan, heat the sunflower oil to 180C. Deep fry the chips until golden all over. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Place the chips in a bowl and add the masala chip sauce. Toss gently, taking care not to break them. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander.

7. Toast the burger buns on a griddle.

8. Load up the burgers with sour cream, the cheese-topped Kenyan-style burger patties, salad leaves, sliced onions, tomatoes, pickles and whatever else your heart desires. Serve with masala chips.

Love Sanjana

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It carries the flavour of an excellent Makhani sauce, with extra tandoori tofu. Indeed, it’s a vegan take on Britain’s favourite curry.

In my book, anything served on a stick is a winner. It seals the deal if what’s on the stick is smothered in a charred tandoori paste, restaurant style.

Here’s my take on a British-‘Indian’ dish. It’s loaded with homemade tandoori spices, garlic, lemon, ground almonds and coconut cream. The best thing about it is that it’s 100% vegan.

How to make Tandoori Tofu Tikka Masala

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know it’s not an “authentic Indian recipe” and have heard far too many times, “Ask any Indian what tikka masala is and they won’t know.”. Wrong. It’s delicious and you must try it.

What type of tofu is best for Tandoori Tofu Tikka Masala?

I’ve been obsessed with tofu puffs for as long as I can remember. I like to think of them as sailboats for any sauce or spice you add. They soak in flavours like there’s no tomorrow and you don’t have to marinate them for hours.

Tofu puffs are pre-fried tofu cubes you can find in your local Chinese supermarket. If you can’t get these, substitute them for firm tofu. Drain it and pan fry it until golden.

How to cook with tofu puffs

A lot of the time, we make our weeknight stir fries in a matter of minutes and thanks to these spongy little fellas, they’re filling and seriously flavoursome.

In this recipe, tofu puffs the perfect carriers for my homemade tandoori paste and creamy vegan tikka masala sauce.

If you like a mild curry that still packs a punch in terms of being aromatic, this one’s for you.

How to make Tofu Tikka Masala

As compromised as I feel for not owning my own tandoor (I keep telling myself it will happen one day), this works just as well in the oven. Whack the temperature up as high as it goes and cook your skewers for about 8-10 minutes or until slightly they carry a slight char.

It’s also worth noting that while it’s not exactly traditional to add tomato puree to a tandoori masala paste, I do. However, if you don’t like tomatoes, go ahead and add some red food colouring. This is your dish.

What if I don’t have tofu?

If you can’t get tofu puffs (I get mine from our local Chinese supermarket), try this with regular firm tofu, cauliflower florets, baby potatoes, paneer, mushrooms, idli pieces or anything else that will hold its own on a skewer.

If you still want to use tofu but can’t get the puffed kind, try using firm tofu, weighted and pressed for a few hours to remove excess water, cubed and lightly pan-fried. I’m afraid that medium or silken tofu won’t cut it on the kebab skewer for this recipe.

What kind of skewers should I use?

I use flat metal kebab skewers. They get really hot so be careful if you’re using them too. If you only have bamboo skewers, soak them in cold water for an hour to ensure they don’t burn in the oven.

How to serve Tandoori Tofu Tikka Masala

Finally, serve with flaky paratha, rice and lime wedges. It’s also delicious with garlic and coriander naan.

Tofu Tikka Masala recipe

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Tandoori Tofu Tikka Masala (Vegan)

In my book, anything served on a stick is a winner. It seals the deal if what’s on the stick is smothered in a charred tandoori paste, restaurant style. Here’s my take on a British-‘Indian’ dish. It’s loaded with homemade tandoori spices, garlic, lemon, ground almonds and coconut cream. The best thing about it is that it’s 100% vegan. That’s got to get me extra brownie points, right?

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Keyword curry, north indian, tandoori, tofu, vegan

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

• 300 g tofu puffs (I get mine from my local Chinese supermarket)
• Fresh coriander chopped, to garnish
• Lime or lemon wedges to garnish
• Paratha or naan to serve
• Basmati rice to serve

For the homemade tandoori paste:

• 1 tsp whole coriander seeds
• 6 black peppercorns
• 2 dried red chillies or fresh if you like
• 2 inch stick cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 star anise
• 4 cloves
• Seeds of 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 black cardamom optional
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp concentrated tomato puree
• 2 tbsp coconut cream
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 4 cloves fresh garlic chopped
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 3 red chillies chopped (or to taste)
• 1 tbsp concentrated tomato puree
• 400 g passata
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp ground almonds
• 2 tsp ground green cardamom seeds
• 2 tsp ground fennel seeds
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 1 tsp kasoori methi optional
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• To make the tandoori paste, heat a dry frying pan until hot. Add all the spices apart from the coconut cream, lemon juice, salt and concentrated tomato puree. Toast until aromatic, a couple of minutes but don’t leave it unattended because it can burn very easily.
• Place all the spices in a high-powered blender or coffee grinder. I use my NutriBullet. Once ground to a fine powder, stir in the lemon juice, coconut cream, tomato puree and salt.
• Add the tofu puffs to the paste and give them a good mix, taking care not to break the tofu pieces up. Set aside while you make the vegan tikka masala sauce.
• Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.
• To make the vegan tikka masala sauce, heat the oil in a medium, non-stick pan. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies. Sauté for a few moments before adding the concentrated tomato puree. Cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat, stirring all the time. Add the passata, followed by the rest of the ingredients. Give it a good whisk, cover and cook on a low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring often.
• Lightly grease a non-stick oven tray. Skewer the tofu pieces onto your kebab sticks. Arrange on the baking tray and pop into the oven for 8-10 minutes, turning them halfway to ensure even browning. Remove from the oven.
• Serve immediately, bringing the kebabs and sauce to the table, letting everyone mix their own sauce and tofu pieces for a bit of fun and drama. Garnish with chopped coriander, lime or lemon wedges and extra coconut cream. Serve with jalebi paratha or garlic and coriander naan and rice.

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If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Kadai Tofu & Vegetables

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Here, I’ve combined all those glorious elements into another comfort food favourite – the pithivier. These traditional French pies are usually made with a frangipane filling but can also be savoury. I’ve opted to fill my discs of puff pastry with cauliflower cheese, butternut squash and a delicious blend of spices. In place of egg wash, they’re glazed with a thyme and honey brown butter which provides a gorgeously-golden finish.

The combination of butternut squash and a homemade gratin spice blend will give you all the autumnal feels you crave after a long day at work. If you don’t have butternut, you can use pumpkin or acorn squash instead. The gratin spice blend is unbelievable in everything from dauphinoise potatoes to mac and cheese. Make a big batch and stow it away in an airtight jar to give your oven-baked dinners an instant flavour boost.

These pithiviers can be made with puff or rough puff pastry, either homemade or shop-bought. If you’re in a hurry, shop-bought puff pastry is ideal.

The most important element here is to ensure the filling is completely cold before you encase it in the pastry. This will ensure the pastry bottom stays crispy. You can even assemble these a day ahead, cover in cling film and refrigerate – or freeze for another time.

Serve with a leafy green salad and follow up with a hot chocolate pudding.

Spiced Butternut and Cauliflower Cheese Pithiviers
Makes 6

Ingredients

700g puff pastry – shop bought or homemade

For the filling:
320g butternut squash, diced (2cm squares), cooked
300g cauliflower florets, chopped finely, cooked but not completely
1 tbsp olive oil
50g butter
50g flour
320ml whole milk
1 1/2 tsp gratin spice mix
120g sharp Cheddar, grated
1/2 tsp dried English mustard
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
2 green chillies, finely sliced
1 fat clove garlic, crushed
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 sprigs of thyme, stripped

For the thyme and honey brown butter glaze:
60g unsalted butter
3 sprigs of thyme, stripped
1 tbsp honey
Small pinch turmeric

For the gratin spice mix:
1 tbsp cloves
3 tbsp whole coriander seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp mace
2 tbsp cardamom seeds
1 tbsp sesame seeds
4 dried red chillies
8 star anise

2 dried bay leaves

3-inch piece cinnamon, broken

Method

1. To make the spice blend: Toast the spices in a dry pan until aromatic. Allow to cool, then grind in a spice grinder or coffee grinder. Pass through a fine-hold sieve and store in an airtight jar.

2. To make the filling: Melt the butter in a pan, add the olive oil and garlic. Next, add in the flour and stir to make a roux. Allow to cook gently, stirring all the time until very lightly golden. Whisk in the whole milk, a little at a time until fully incorporated. Add a little bit of the spice mix and keep whisking until hot but not boiling.

3. Next, add in the cheese, two kinds of mustard, chilli and keep whisking until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, stir in the thyme. Fold in the cooked squash and cauliflower. Set aside until cold.

4. To make the glaze: Melt the butter in a small saucepan and cook until very lightly golden brown. Add the thyme leaves and set aside to cool. When warm, stir in the honey.

5. Roll out just under half of the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 5mm thick. Cut out six 12 inch-diameter rounds. Take remaining pastry and roll to 5mm thick. Cut out six 14 inch-diameter rounds. Divide cold filling mixture among half the 12-inch pastry rounds, mounding up in centre and leaving a 1 inch border. Brush the edges with water and top with the larger pastry rounds, removing any air around the mixture and pressing edges to seal – I used the back of a spoon to seal them up properly. Brush tops with the glaze and score a scalloped pattern on the top of each with the back of a knife. Place on an oven tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

6. Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Bake the pithiviers for 25-30 minutes until completely puffed up and golden all over.

Serve with a leafy green salad, then go make yourself a hot chocolate before bed.

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Stuffed with rich coconut, pistachios and paneer before being baked in a tomato masala containing no fewer than eleven incredible spices (important: in small amounts) to create a beautifully balanced, aromatic aubergine experience.

You’ve probably worked out by now that I’m a total aubergine fiend, always thinking about where my next fix is coming from. Whether it’s Slow Cooker Aubergine Makhani or the love of my life, Burnt Aubergine and Spinach Curry, I’m obsessed.

Kolhapuri Vegetables and Kolhapuri Chicken are popular dishes from, you guessed it, Kolhapur, Maharashtra in India. These curries are notoriously spicy and almost always contain a killer combo of crimson Kashmiri chillies, black pepper and poppy seeds.

I’ve played about with the masala recipe to come up with my own blend, which I think lends the ultimate kick to vegetarian dishes. Meat eaters won’t even complain. The masala recipe makes double the amount you’ll need for this recipe but I like to keep some in an airtight container in the fridge for later. It’s amazing sprinkled into pasta sauce, over crispy fries and in spicy soups.

If you don’t have baby aubergines, you can omit the stuffing part and roast regular, cubed aubergines before adding to the sauce and simmering for 20 minutes. The sauce base is also delicious with regular white chickpeas (serve with Masala Poori), potatoes or mixed mushrooms and sweetcorn.

Be creative and play around with it until you find your favourite combinations. This one is mine.

Stuffed and Baked Baby Kolhapuri Aubergines
(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

16 long baby aubergines, washed and dried

For the Kolhapuri masala:

3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp unsweetened desiccated coconut
2 tsp red Kashmiri chilli powder
2 tbsp white poppy seeds or sesame seeds
4 curry leaves
1 tbsp fennel seeds
½ tsp nigella seeds
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp ground coriander seeds
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp salt

For the Pistachio and Coconut filling:

100g unsweetened desiccated coconut
30g unsalted pistachios
100g paneer, grated (replace with an additional 70g unsweetened desiccated coconut and 30g unsalted pistachios if vegan)
1 tsp amchur (dried mango powder)
1 tsp white pepper
¼ tsp salt

For the Sauce:

2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 large onions, finely sliced
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
4 tbsp Kolhapuri masala
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp brown sugar

400ml water

Fresh coriander and sliced red chillies, to garnish
Paratha and optional plain yoghurt to serve

Method

1. Begin by making the filling. Toast the pistachios and desiccated coconut in a dry non-stick pan until golden and aromatic. Transfer to a food processor and pulse to a crumb-like texture. Transfer to a bowl and add the grated paneer, amchur, white pepper and salt. Stir to combine well. Set aside.

2. To make the Kolhapuri masala, blend all of the ingredients together in a coffee grinder or food processor until fine. Set aside. This will make twice as much masala as you’ll need for this recipe but I love to stash it away in the fridge in a sealed container to sprinkle over fries (guilty pleasure alert!)

3. Next, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan and add the sliced onions. Allow to soften, about 8 minutes. Don’t let them get too brown. Add the tomatoes, 4 tablespoons of Kolhapuri masala, water, salt and sugar. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook on a low heat for 20-30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, slit the aubergines lengthways not slicing all the way through. Stuff each aubergine with the pistachio and coconut masala.

5. Make yourself a cup of tea and pre-heat the oven to 190C.

6. Take four cast iron skillets or any deep, large baking dish and pour in the sauce. Arrange the aubergines on top of the sauce and bake for 60 minutes until the aubgerines are tender all the way through.

7. Serve with flaky paratha, a bowl of cold natural yoghurt and nothing more.

Love Sanjana

The post Stuffed and Baked Baby Kolhapuri Aubergines appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.