Page 25 - ALG Issue 4 2021

Tamarind chutney GF VE
100g tamarind
250ml warm water
50g dates, pitted
35g muscovado or dark brown sugar (optional, can be left out)
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
toasted and coarsely ground
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and coarsely ground
1/4 tsp salt
Red chilli powder to taste
Place the tamarind in the water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Pass through a sieve with a spoon to remove the seeds and pulp. Don’t forget to scrape the bottom of the sieve periodically to help more pulp pass through. Add the tamarind, dates and sugar to a saucepan and cook on a medium heat until the dates and tamarind are soft. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool.
Use a food processor or hand blender to mix together into a smooth sauce. Put the sauce back into the saucepan on a medium heat and add the remaining spice ingredients. Bring the sauce to a boil and remove from the heat. Allow to cool, chill, then serve. Add salt and chilli powder to taste.
Gift Vouchers for the Natural Cookery School, Nailsworth
Enjoy plant-based cookery
classes and a shared meal
in a unique environment. Recipes are inspired by the season and recipe packs are provided to take home.
Prices start at £55
All recipes are taken from Erin’s book “The Veg Table” available at www.naturalcookeryschool.com
Mint and coriander chutney GF VE
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves only 1 bunch fresh coriander
2 garlic cloves
2.5 cm (1 inch) piece of ginger
2 green chillies, deseeded
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Juice of 1/2 a lime, more to taste
Prepare the fresh herbs by removing all the mint leaves from their stems and removing and discarding the bottom third of the coriander stems. Peel the garlic and ginger and remove the seeds from the green chillies. Grind these and all the other ingredients into a smooth paste in a food processor or using a hand blender. Chill and serve.
Onion bhaji with tamarind chutney
GF VE
Everyone loves an onion bhaji, but
my favourite part of this recipe is the tamarind chutney. It’s simply divine. Make sure you purchase the tamarind that’s still in a block instead of the concentrate for this recipe as it has a much better flavour. The combination of gram flour (chickpea flour) and rice flour makes for deliciously crunchy bhajis.
Makes 12 golf ball size bhajis
70g gram flour
35g rice flour
1 tbsp ghee, butter or
coconut oil, melted
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
and coarsely ground
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted
and coarsely ground
1 tsp garam masala
1 green chilli, seeds removed
finely chopped
5cm (2 inch) fresh ginger, finely grated 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated small bunch of coriander, chopped
3 medium onions, halved, core removed and very thinly sliced
salt to taste
Frying oil, to cook
Sift the flours into a mixing bowl, then stir in the oil/ghee, lemon juice, spices, ginger, garlic and fresh coriander and add salt to taste. This will produce a sandy looking mixture. Add the onions, working them into the flour until they are well coated. Don’t be afraid of squishing the onions as this will release a bit of juice helping to keep the mixture together. The mix should start to look like a paste; if it’s not coming together, sparingly add a bit of water, not more than a tablespoon. The mixture should hold its shape when scooped with a spoon.
Heat about 2.5cm (1 inch) of oil in a frying pan to 180°C / Gas Mark 4 or
use a wok – a drop of batter should sizzle as it hits the oil, then float. If the bhajis start to fall apart, check the oil temperature as it may be too hot or too cold. Line a plate with kitchen towel for draining the excess oil and put the oven on low.
Using a tablespoon, drop the mixture into the oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan, then stir carefully to stop them sticking. Cook for about six to eight minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp and golden, then drain on kitchen towel and put in the oven to keep warm while you cook the next batch. Serve with tamarind chutney.
To shallow fry or bake the bhaji instead of frying. Preheat the oven to 180C
or use a frying pan with a bit of oil to shallow fry. Line 2 trays with parchment or oiled foil. Pan fry the onions in oil until lightly golden and very tender, about 15 minutes then combine in a bowl with remaining ingredients adding a bit of water to help it come together
if needed. Drop a tablespoon of the mixture on to a tray or pan fry in a little oil until golden, gently flattening as you go or bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the bhajis start to crisp up and brown on top.
Allotment and Leisure Gardener 25