Staying in a temple in Koyasan – Japan

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If, and when, you visit Japan may I strongly urge you to leave the bright lights of the cities for a few days and head into the countryside.  Make your way to the peaceful and sacred mountain temple complex, nestled on top of Mount Koya, known as ‘Koyasan’. Here the air is cooler and the smell of fresh pine lingers softly on the breeze.  It is considered the birth place of Shingon esoteric Buddhism. In 816, after years of study in Japan, the non-conformist priest Kobo Daishi was given special permission from the Emperor Saga to establish an isolated retreat. You will also find Japan’s largest cemetery. It is believed that Kobo Daishi never died, but instead is in eternal meditation  – you can visit his mausoleum, known as Okunoin (奥の院)  deep in the forest. It is one of the most sacred places in Japan and a popular pilgrimage site.

Getting there we took the train, cable car and bus, but it was so worth all the changes. You need to take the Nankai train heading to Koyasan, the final stop is Gokurakubashi Station. There you will need to transfer to the cable car – actually a funicular more than your typical cable car, which will then take you to Koyasan station. You then board the Nankai Rinkan Bus Line which takes around 10-15 minutes to get to Koyasan itself, stopping off at all the temple lodgings.

Deciding which temple to stay in was hard as there are so many to choose from (around 52) and to be honest they all looked really good.  Some however, only cater to Japanese pilgrims to so you do need to do a little homework first. We opted for Koyasan Shukubo Daimyououin as it was near to the entrance to the cemetery and I had pre-booked months before a night tour of the cemetery with one of the monks. I also loved the fact that it had an inner courtyard overlooking a koi carp pond with beautiful trees.  At all the lodging temples you are given an elaborate vegan breakfast and dinner, which looked almost too beautiful to eat. It tasted delicious and was surprisingly filling.

 

We slept on comfortable futons on tatami floors and each afternoon when we came back from our touring of the temples, one of the friendly monks would come and bring us some chilled green tea in our room to sip.

The walls are thin – as they are paper sliding doors – and on the first night it was a little frustrating that the family in the next door room had the TV on, which kind of spoilt the whole zen of the place. Thankfully the they left the following day and peace resumed. To be honest they really don’t even need to have TV’s at the temple. It is relaxing just to soak it all in, read a book and take a long hot bath (communal – women only/men only).

The temple operates to a schedule when it comes to morning prayer and eating. You can choose to join the morning prayers in the temple at 7am for 30 minutes. Breakfast is then at 8am and dinner is at 6pm. Our temple was small and intimate with perhaps no more than 15 or so guests. I only saw 3 monks living in the temple over the duration of our two nights stay. They were friendly and polite and kept themselves to themselves. Each guest is given a yakata robe to wear around the temple and little slippers. The yakata is a cotton summer kimono, typically worn in casual settings and to nearby bathhouses. They are very comfortable and cooling in the summer heat. I even bought a few home as gifts .

(one of my daughters – takes in her zen surroundings)

I also spent a little time at the temple next door, which was a lot bigger, with many more guests and monks who spoke really good English. That temple was called Eko-in and it offered meditation, free to guests, and a small amount to those staying in other temples. It was also from this temple that we started our night tour of the graveyard. You MUST  book months in advance as they are popular. There were a few people who turned up hoping to tag along and they were turned away as they like to keep the group to no more than perhaps 15-20 people, which is more than enough. The cemetery is surprisingly not at all spooky. Ancient trees line stone paths that weave through the forest. More than 10,000 lanterns are kept eternally lit to shine a light to those who enter the forest. After the tour we walked back alone with our new Belgian friends to the temples at the other end of the forest. You are welcome to catch the bus, but we felt it was more atmospheric to return on foot.

Eko-in also performs the  ‘fire ceremony’ (goma-taki, Shingon Buddhism’s fire ritual) every morning in a little shrine at the entrance to the temple. It was absolutely mesmerising and you feel very immersed in the ceremony as the beating of the drum increases in intensity as the fire climbs higher and higher. This all takes place after the first morning prayers  at 7.30am when you are still in a heady slumber from sleep. It is definitely otherworldly and something worth witnessing no matter where you sit on the religious spectrum.

During the day there are so many temples to visit around Koyasan that you can do them all on foot or jump on and off the bus that snakes its way through the town.

We enjoyed visiting the Kongobujo Temple, which is the headquarters of Koyasan Shingon-shu Buddhism. Within it you will find the largest rock garden in Japan – 2349 square metres. The design is of a pair of dragons emerging from a sea of clouds to protect the Okuden. The dragons are made of 140 pieces of granite brought from Shikoku and the white sand is from Kyoto.

It is also worth visiting the cemetery in the day time and exploring yourself. It is free to wander around, although to enter the temples there is a small fee. There are places to eat if you are feeling peckish, but to be honest after our breakfast and walking around in the heat, albeit less humid than back in the cities, we just fancied something cooling – think ice cream and a chilled drink.

If you have time on your hands, I think it would be great to explore the ancient hiking trails, known as the Kumano Kodo Hiking Trails that have been used as pilgrimage trails for over 1000 years and are now designated UNESCO World Heritage. They are mean’t to be challenging, but a great way to see the country. You need to book inns to stay in advance.  When I return to Japan I will definitely spend some days hiking. Read more about the hiking trails here.

Does Koyasan sound like a place YOU might like to visit on your trip to Japan?

 

 

 

 

Eating out in Japan

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I had been told for years that eating out in Japan was really expensive, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was not really the case at all. Let me be totally transparent here though. I was not eating out at Michelin starred restaurants, instead opting to mainly dine in the type of eating establishments that regular Japanese folks eat at.  This involves queuing for a table and not lingering over the meal. You eat and go. On a couple of occasions we chanced our luck by turning up at a couple of restaurants recommended in our guide book. Big mistake as we were turned away both times, one we had needed to book 3 months advance (the guidebook didn’t mention that part unfortunately).

The sushi restaurant we went to in Kyoto – Pontocho Kappa Zushi, (160 Matsumotocho, Nakagyo-ku) our ryokan kindly helped secure the table, which can be tricky at short notice, so I guess we lucked out in that instance. Sushi restaurants tend to be more expensive than your average restaurant, which is understandable looking at the product it is selling – namely fish – and whilst you can eat at ones which are £100-200 a head, the one above came to not much more than £20 a head  for a tasty sushi experience that was freshly prepared before you as you sat at the counter.

At many restaurants the dishes within are presented in the window for customers to see what they are getting, which is really helpful. The food looks so life like (see photo above), but in fact is made of plastic or wax and made to emulate the texture, form and look of the meals. The term for this ‘fake food’ is ‘shokuhin sampuru’ 食品サンプル. It is a huge industry in Japan.

Most places you eat at – including street food, you need to queue, but whilst the length of them can sometimes look intimidating they tend to move relatively quickly. Equally you can aim to eat early to  miss the rush of lunch/supper diners.

In Tokyo, one evening we headed to atmostpheric Omoide Yokocho area (‘yokocho’ loosly translates as ‘nostalgia’), which is in stark contrast to the futuristic Shinjuku neighbourhood that it is nestled in. It’s a rabbit warren of narrow alleyways crammed with eateries seating no more than 10 diners  around a small bar serving ramen, sushi and yakitori.

Paper lanterns hang overhead as steam and smoke wafts from the open kitchens. It is reminiscence of an old Japan, a bygone age, that is only just clinging on as the high rises climb ever further towards the nights sky.

We sat and dined at the Izakaya (above). They are similar to a European tavern or pub, but instead you all sit at a bar and face the kitchen. Everything was in Japanese so I just pointed to what my neighbour was having and said I’d have the same. Before long my neighbour was ordering extra food for us to try and we were conversing via our my portable translator I’d rented for the trip. It was fun and atmospheric and definitely hit the spot after a days sightseeing and being on our feet. Below are silken chilled tofu (perfect in the sweltering heat of summer) with bonito flakes,  wood ear mushroom mixed veg medley and gyoza – oh and a chilled cold beer!

At some restaurants (the one below), you have to put your order into a machine instead of giving it to a human.  At first it seems a little intimidating, especially if others are waiting, but it doesn’t take long to get the hang of it. For the whole trip I was determined to find a great place to eat katsu curry.  Katsu curry is one of my childhood memory foods -click here to find out why. In Osaka, we headed to Oretachino No Curry Ya (14-13 Nanbasennichimae, Chuo Ward) that had come highly recommended.

We arrived early and were first in the restaurant as luck would have it – I think it was around 5.30pm. Not long after we were seated, others joined and before long the whole restaurant was full – it only sits around 12 people.

For the katsu option (you could also have ramen here) you choose between pork or chicken and a whole range for toppings. I opted for the chicken with a flurry of spring onion topping that did not disappoint.

Street food was plentiful and varied and each day we tried all manner of interesting looking delights. Near to our hotel in Tokyo was the tastiest deep fried pork mince and onion cutlet,  I have ever eaten. Juicy and succulent, they oozed with deliciousness from the first bite.  Head to  Asakusa Menchi – 2 Chome-3-3 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo they are open from 10am-7pm.

You’ll find it easily as everyone makes a bee line to this place. I popped a short reel on instagram about them and bizarrely it reached almost 50k views which baffles me if I’m honest as it was such a quick unedited reel – go take a look if you are on instagram.

When it came to sweet treats my favourite street food was Taiyaki (鯛焼き, lit. ‘baked sea bream’)  a Japanese fish-shaped cake, that imitates the shape of tai (鯛, red sea bream), which it is named after. They are filled with either pipping hot custard, red bean paste made from sweetened adzuki beans, chocolate, cheese or sweet potato.

I discovered I loved the texture of mochi pronouced (Moechee). It is Japanese dessert crafted from sugary glutinous rice flour. It is very chewwwwwwwy and squishy and probably best not eaten in one go. It comes in so many forms and flavours. Also known as Daifuku (大福餅) it can be plain or stuffed with red or white bean paste. Strawberry mochi were ever so delicious.

Mealtimes in the temple lodgings in the mountain town of Koyasan were a highlight of the trip. I can’t honestly tell you what we ate exactly, as I am not too sure myself, but each little bowl contained artistically arranged food that was almost too beautiful to eat. We sat on the tatami floor and small tables were brought in and placed in front of us. Miso soup, tempura and rice were always served and each meal varied from the last.

The monks provided us with breakfast and supper and during the day we ate a light snack, followed of course, by an  ice cream  to cool us down.

Black sesame for me and macha for my daughter.

Another tip when travelling around Japan is to consider eating food either in, or having take-out, from the large department stores food halls. One evening we decided to eat in our hotel room and bought all manner of goodies from the food hall of Takashimaya in Kyoto. Think Harrods Food Hall vibes – although on a slightly smaller scale, but you get the gist.  If you go in the last hour before closing time all the food is massively marked down.

Yes we did get some of this tasty strawberry cake below.

 

In Tokyo the place to head is Mitsukoshi .

I’m conscious that this post is becoming rather long, and I’m guessing few will get this far, so I will hold off mentioning a few other places just now and will absorb them in my future posts about Japan.

I will leave you with this Japanese proverb (a proverb in Japanese is called  Kotowaza) to ponder. 

“Eat it raw before all else, then grill it, and boil it last of all.”
Translation: Let no aspect of Japanese cuisine get overlooked. Consider everything – flavours, textures, colours, overall composition and presentation.

…..until the next instalment

 

Japan through my eyes – part 1 – a brief overview

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For a couple of weeks this summer we headed off to Japan, a country that has always been up at the TOP of my list of places to visit. It did not disappoint. From the moment we stepped off the plane it was an exhilarating adventure 24/7. Wherever we went we found the Japanese extremely kind and helpful, even though many did not speak English. To truly explore and understand the country I think it would take more than a lifetime, but in our 15 days we crammed so much in we felt we had gone away for much longer.

A lot of friends have been keen to find out more about my adventure so I thought I would do a few posts to share my observations and help you  plan your adventure there in the future.

We went in August for just over two weeks and my goodness it was HOT and HUMID. We travelled light as we knew we would not need layers and jackets. We took only carry-on luggage for this trip (note* we did buy one extra carry-on a few days before the end as I bought so many vintage haori jackets, which I adore).

We decided to go to the following places: Tokyo, Kyoto, Koyasan, Osaka, Hiroshima, Nara. I booked it all through Booking.com, which was ridiculously easy. These places gave us a snap shot of Japan, but when I return I would like to see more of the countryside, stay at more ryokans with onsens attached – especially if we go in autumn, winter or spring when the days are less hot. Ryokans are traditional inns with onsens (hot springs) attached to them where you can bath. At the ryokans you are given a yakata to wear around the communal areas and you typically sleep in tatami-matted rooms (see a few photos below with me wearing a yakata beside my futon bed) and have communal baths.

Instead of going to Hakone – a mountainous region not too far from Tokyo, which is known for its hot springs, and Miyajima – an island near to Hiroshima, which again has a number of traditional ryokans, we went to Koyasan – which I have always wanted to visit. Hakone and Miyajama can wait for another visit but I do want to visit both places in the future.

Koyasan itself is a picturesque, secluded temple town, reached by cable car high in the mountains where the air is cooler and the smell of Japanese pine perfumes the air.

It is a very auspicious place being the centre of Shingon Buddhism, which was introduced to Japan in 805 by Kobo Daishi, one of Japan’s most important religious figures.  At one time there were close to 2000 temples, but today there are 200 and over 50 of those offer simple temple lodgings to travellers.

 

I will write a separate post all about this special place as it deserves more than a cursory mention.

Getting around Japan was far easier than I had imagined. Within Tokyo and Osaka we used mainly the tube/subway (occasionally the bus in Tokyo) which at first glance looks very confusing but as it is all colour co-ordinated and in English script, as well as Japanese, it is not too difficult to figure out. You can get day tickets or buy individually tickets. Please be aware that different companies operate different lines so you need to buy different tickets for those lines if you opt for buying tickets separately! Their carriages are air-conditioned, super clean and a little wider than than most of the lines in London.

There is even women only carriages too (although I didn’t realise this until someone pointed it out to me when I had returned home).

Getting to and from the major cities we used the bullet train, which was as efficient, streamlined and as fast as I had imagined. It made travelling huge distances very straightforward, until, that is, a typhoon hits, which in that case all trains in the whole of Japan are cancelled. We discovered this slight hicup on our penultimate day when we were in Hiroshima and needed to get back to Tokyo for our flight home. We ended up having to buy tickets on Nippon Air to fly back to Tokyo as the plane can go above the typhoon. Surprisingly the flight was smooth with no turbulence!

The JR ticket for two weeks unlimited travel is about £250 per person, which you need to purchase before leaving the UK. We found that on some journeys – for example a day trip to Nara from Osaka, we used a different line as it worked out more convenient and didn’t cost too much. In October 2023 the price of the JR pass is going to increase by 70% which makes me think that it probably is not worth getting. You’ll have to do the maths before you go but my sense is to buy tickets as and when you need them when you are there.

Posts to follow:

The Food

Staying in a Temple

Tokyo

Kyoto

Osaka, Hiroshima and Nara

I’ll try and do them weekly for some continuity. Have you been to Japan? What were your experiences? Would you recommend any particular places that stood out to you? Any observations worth sharing here?

 

 

 

Kale, Chicken and Dried Cranberry Salad with a Spiced Tahini Dressing

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It’s been a while I know. I continue to be very focused on marketing my cookbook ‘Chilli & Mint: Indian Home Cooking from a British Kitchen’  – have you got your copy yet ;o)? I’ll pop a branded tote in for free for those who order through me (whilst stocks last). If you are overseas then the best way is Book Depository which offers free shipping.

It’s on its second print run, which I am thrilled about and is now stocked in Selfridges and Harrods as of this January 2023, as well as Waterstones, Foyles, Hatchards, some Daunts stores and a number of independent bookshops and lifestyle stores. Physical copies are now being sold in bookshops in Australia and I was particular chuffed to see copies in Waterstones Amsterdam recently.

I’ve also been in India for part of February, researching more recipes that may find their way in book 2 in the future – watch this space.

For this post however, I thought I would tempt you with one of my go-to salads at the moment. I adore an interesting salad that is packed full of flavours and textures and is relatively quick to put together. This one is no exception and is perfect as a meal unto itself for lunch or supper. If you are vegetarian then obviously omit the chicken and add crispy tofu perhaps as an alternative.

You don’t even need to cook the kale. Instead it requires massaging with the dressing to soften it and break it down a little. Tahini is a staple in my house and you are always going to find a pot of chilli oil lurking in my fridge. For this recipe Lee Kum Kee’s – chi chow chilli oil – which you can find at most large grocery stores these days – works wonders with the tahini and rice wine vinegar. I urge you to pick up a pot next time you are doing the grocery shopping. The dressing was inspired by one I had seen in Nik Sharma’s fab new cookbook The Flavour Equation.

Added extra’s that would work a treat would be avocado and grated carrot. I leave it to you to get as creative as you see fit.

Kale, Chicken and Dried Cranberry Salad with a Spiced Tahini Dressing

Serves 4

2 chicken breasts, skin removed (do not throw them away)

250g kale, stalks removed and washed

small handful of dried cranberries

small handful of crispy onions 

1 tbsp white sesame seeds

3 tbsp super seeds salad topper by Good4u

 

Spiced Tahini Dressing

50g tahini

40ml rice wine vinegar

1-2 tbsp Lee Kum Kee’s chiu chow chilli oil

1 tbsp boiling water, to loosen

fine sea salt to taste

 

  1. Remove the chicken skin from the chicken breasts and place to one side. Place the breasts in a pan and cover with boiling water and simmer gently for 12-15 minutes. Remove from pan and then shred using two forks.
  2. If you have chicken skin do not throw it away. Instead, stretch it out on some baking parchment and sprinkle with a little flakey salt, black pepper, chilli flakes and olive oil. Place in a pre-heated oven – 180 degrees fan (or 200 if not using a fan) for 10-15 mins until crispy. You can then break this up and onto the salad before serving.
  3. Next make  the dressing. You want the dressing to not be too thick so add a little more boiling water if it needs loosening. Taste test to check the balance of the vinegar/tahini/chilli oil works for you and adjust accordingly.
  4. Remove any large stalks from the kale and wash throughly and then dry with kitchen paper. Then place into a large mixing bowl.
  5. Next pour 2/3 of the dressing over the kale and massage in with your clean hands.
  6. Add the shredded chicken, dried cranberries, sesame and super seeds. By all means add shredded carrots and/or avocado at this stage  if you wish to add more ingredients.
  7. Divide into bowls and top with a few more super seeds, the crispy onions and the crispy chicken skin if you have included this step.
  8. Drizzle over the remaining dressing and enjoy.

Quince Khoresh – an Iranian savoury dish

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I have been absent from my blog now for far too long. Marketing my book has been my priority, and whilst it is very time consuming, I have been enjoying the process immensely. For those who have been hibernating in a cave for the past year my book –  ‘Chilli & Mint: Indian Home Cooking from a British Kitchen’ was published almost a year ago and has now been gracing the shelves of many a bookshop and online. I’ve just had a second print run released, which is great news (whoop for joy), so please do think about buying one if you haven’t already or to gift it to friends or family. It is available from all good bookshops  here in the UK, and the usual places online. For those in Oz, the best place to purchase is from Book Topia here, worldwide more generally – then either Book Depositary here , or of course Amazon.

Alongside my bookshop events and marketing the book in general, I am continuing to run my ‘spice tour and Indian cooking class’. The other day, one client noticed some quince sitting in my fruit bowl and asked me what I planned to do with them. Interestingly it had been on my mind as I did not want to go down the quince jam/jelly route. My client – who is of Iranian decent – suggested ‘Quince Khoresh’,  which is a meat and quince dish with sour, sweet and salty notes. Everything fell into place and she kindly sent me a recipe to follow.

In short, I adored the dish but the measurements of sugar, for me, were way too sweet, so I have adjusted here to what I think will be better. In the food notes of the actual recipe (whose recipe it does not say sadly) it talks about how quince was valued for its aphrodisiac powers and how it was customarily given to brides on their wedding nights. The seeds apparently are used in herbal teas to sooth coughs.

I’d love to hear how you get on with the dish and let me know what you think of the sugar balance. Do you need more than I suggest, which sugar do you use? Pop your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.

Quince Khoresh

Serves 6

3 onions, peeled and thinly sliced

1kg stewing lamb (you can also use chicken, beef or veal if you prefer)

6 tbsp rapeseed oil (or oil of your choice)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3 large quinces, peeled, core removed and quartered

50g sugar (I used caster but use what you have to hand – the original recipe asked for 150g of sugar but for me this was way too much – adjust according to your taste)

50ml balsamic vinegar

50ml fresh lime juice

1/4 tsp saffron dissolved in two tablespoons of hot water

100g yellow split peas (but you could also: toor or chana dal use jarred/tinned chickpeas)

1-2 potatoes, diced into bite sized (optional – I only added these as I had peeled ones which needed using up in the fridge. The original recipe does not mention potatoes

 

  1. Use a large deep caste iron pot, add 3 tbsp of the oil and then bronze the onions over the course of 8-10 minutes.
  2. Next add the lamb, salt, pepper and cinnamon and allow to brown on all sides. This will take around 10 minutes. Then add 800ml of water and simmer covered for an hour (30 mins if using chicken).  IF you are using yellow split peas, toor or chana, soak first for a few hours- or overnight if you are that organised – then add them to the pan at this early stage. If using jarred or tinned then add them at stage 4.
  3. Meanwhile, core and peel the quince and then quarter then. Using a skillet, add a couple of tablespoons of oil and allow then to brown on both sides, which will take around 10 minutes. Place to one side.
  4. After the meat has been cooking for an hour (30 mins if using chicken), add the sugar, vinegar, lime juice, saffron water and tinned/jarred lentils and potatoes (if using – not a prerequisite for this recipe – see notes above). Allow to simmer for a further 45 minutes and add a little more water if required.
  5. Taste test and adjust the seasons as required.
  6. Serve alongside some steamed rice.

 

 

 

 

Book signings and a quick and easy brunch idea!

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As Storm Eunice thrashes outside and trees are being uprooted (I hear a few planes fly over on their way to Heathrow and OMG I would not want to be onboard – those brave souls and skilled pilots). I realise it has been a long time since I last posted here so thought I would check in with you all and let you know what I have been up to and give you a very easy and delicious bunch option that is perfect for the weekend.

So since my book launch at the end of November it has been a whirl of promoting and marketing the book; in many respects the hard work has only just begun. I have learnt so much, and continuing to do so, about the publishing industry since embarking on this new venture. Book sales have been going well to date, but ultimately it’s all about getting the word out there to a wide audience and for people to be cooking the recipes and loving them and then gifting the book to their friends so on and so forth. Whilst my book can be found in all the wonderful large bookshops (Waterstones, Hatchards, Daunts and Foyles) the smaller independent bookshops are now getting in on the action, so as to speak, and are kindly selling my book too. I have been visiting some of them to sign some copies. 

Seeing your book in the window of a much loved bookshops is definitely one of those pinch me moments. The legendary ‘Books For Cooks’ in Notting Hill had it in the window along with some other wonderful books on recipes from India and Pakistan. I’ve been down in West Sussex for a few days this week so popped into both Petworth Bookshop and Steyning Bookshop to sign their copies. If you have a much loved bookshop near you do let me know in the comments below and I’ll make sure they are stocking a few copies. Also if you have bought a copy please please do write a review online aka Amazon. You don’t have to have bought from Amazon to write a review, as long as you occasionally buy items from there you can write a review and reviews REALLY help with the algorithms and getting word to a wide audience. For those abroad Amazon is a way that can easily get hold of a copy of my book for now. 

So a great brunch idea which is perfect for one or a bunch of friends is my take on the egg and avocado toast. My version has toasted seeded sourdough which is then layered with avocado cubes, diced tomatoes, finely sliced spring onions, crumbed feta and finely grated boiled egg and drizzled with a good quality extra virgin olive oil, sea salt flakes and black pepper. You can even sprinkle with dried chilli flakes or chipotle flakes if you fancy. The flavour combinations work so well and grating your boiled egg is a revelation. So simple to compile and tastes so good. 

 

Grated Boiled Egg, Avo, Tomato, Feta and Spring Onion Toasts

Makes 2 portions (or 1 if you are feeling hungry)

1 boiled egg

1 ready to eat avocado, skin removed and diced

2 small/medium tomatoes, diced

1 tbsp feta, crumbled

1 spring onion, finely sliced

2 pieces of toasted seeded sourdough

toppings: extra virgin olive oil, sea salt flakes, black pepper, dried chilli flakes or chipotle flakes

 

  1. Begin by boiling your egg. Place it in a saucepan of cold water and submerge it. Bring to the boil and then cook on a rolling gently boil for 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and run under cold water as you peel it. 
  2. Toast your sourdough and place on a plate(s)
  3. Dice the avocado and tomatoes and then add onto the toast. Add the feta crumbled and spring onions and then grate the hard boiled egg on top.
  4. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil and add the salt, pepper and chilli flakes as you wish. 

Devour and enjoy. 

 

 

 

 

 

EXCITING NEWS: MY COOKBOOK IS AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER WORLDWIDE

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I have been ever so quiet on my blog now for a long time. I do apologise to those who have waited patiently for a post. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to blog, but more a case as I have been focusing all my energy and attention on my cookbook, which is launching late November this year. It is all very EXCITING.

I hope you love the cover above. I wanted something striking and beautiful and I think my publishers have excelled.

As the title states this book is really for anyone who wants to learn how to cook delicious, healthy, Indian home cooking. These are authentic recipes you will see being cooked in households across India. The recipes are very accessible with all of the ingredients being readily available. Since Lockdown I have been teaching a number of Zoom classes with people who in many cases are new to Indian cookery. These recipes have been tried and tested by the uninitiated and work efficiently. The book features recipes I have learned from my Indian family (my husband is of Indian descent) and from my travels to India and Sri Lanka over the last 23 years. There are 106 recipes in total. 70 are vegan (or can be easily adapted to be) and the remaining 36 have meat and/or fish/shellfish.

To give you a snapshot of some of the recipes photographed see the slideshow below.

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I’ll show you a sneak peek of the back of the book too, which I absolutely love. It’s a photo I took of my magnificent guide when I was staying in the Aravalli Hills in Rajasthan. I don’t think I have seen a more splendid attire for a sunrise walk.

So the exciting thing for you is that you can pre-order  the book now. For the first 100 folks to order through me, who have seen this post,  I will also send a little gift as a thank you with each order. All you need to do is go to www.chilliandmintcookbook.com it’s that easy. Pop a comment below too if you have time.

If you are based outside the UK OR are wanting to send the book overseas then the best way for you to order is through Book Depository . I won’t be able to send the extra gift this way, but at least you get a copy of the book.

So please share on all your social media platforms to spread the word. Pre-orders are immensely helpful as they are a good early indicator of a book’s success, and can lead to retailers increasing their initial orders, it really is that simply.

Thank you so much in advance for your loyal support.

Torie

 

 

 

Seafood Paella

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One of my summer objectives was to christen my paella pan, which I had received for my birthday. My thinking was to raise my beach BBQ game by cooking seafood paella on a homemade fire on the beach, instead of the usual BBQ fare. As it turned out transporting crockery for 10 (as I did not have any melamine bowls with me), was a daunting prospect so we made the decision to use the Weber BBQ at the cottage instead and eat in the garden as the weather has been so balmy. My paella pan was from http://www.thepaellacompany.co.uk and it’s important to buy one with a lid – especially if you do  end of cooking it on a sandy beach!

Whilst it requires a little forward thinking when it comes to the ingredients itself the actual cooking was really good fun and comparatively easy. You do need a long spatula – something like this would be perfect and I also had some oven gloves. The final result was delicious and whilst I cooked for 10 the amounts below could definitely stretch to 12-14 if required. Most of us had seconds and even the  dog had a little to try as well.

I had prepped and sourced all the correct ingredients – bomba rice being an absolute must. It is a short-grained variety grown in south Spain and unlike risotto rice does not require any stirring. It holds it’s shape during cooking and does not fall apart. You are aiming for the bottom of your rice to begin to char and crisp up on the bottom. In Spain when you are served up charred bits from the bottom, you known you have received the very best type of paella cooked with love and skill. I also rather handily found paella seasoning which you can source from Sous Chef.I popped in 3 sachets to my fish stock. I used fresh fish/seafood stock bought from Marks & Spencer. I can’t seem to see it online but you can certainly find it in the larger stores. Equally most fish mongers will have some, you can make your own, or use the cubed variety. Failing that opt for vegetable stock. The mussels you cook separately for 4-5 minutes and then remove 3/4 of the mussels from their shells.

 

I didn’t time how long it actually took to cook, but I would say that from the point of putting the oil in the pan to serving was around 30-40 minutes. It does depend on your heat source so please bear this in mind. From the time the rice goes in the pan it was 20-25 minutes max. I also didn’t measure the exact amount of extra boiling water I added or the exact amount of wine, but use your judgement. I added a little more liquid when I thought it looked too dry half way through cooking. I tasted the rice half way through and it was still a little too hard, so I added a little more water and replaced the lid back on the pan. I then tried again about 10-15 minutes later and it was perfect. You will notice I didn’t add any salt. This was because I felt the stock, chorizo and paella seasoning would contain it, but again use your judgement and taste and add a little if required.

It was such a fun meal to cook and had all the summer wow factors when serving. Adults, teens and tweens alike loved it and even the dog. I’ll be using it again over the summer both in London on the BBQ and also on the beach.

Seafood Paella

1.5 litres fish stock (or vegetable stock if you can’t find fish stock). I found fresh seafood/fish stock at M&S and used 3 packets which were around 400-500ml per packet.

3 packets of paella seasoning 

300ml white or rose wine

6 tbsp olive oil, approx

2-3 large white onions, finely chopped

1 head of garlic, finely chopped

4 chorizo sausages, halved lengthways and then roughly chopped

1 tbsp smoked paprika flakes or smoked paprika powder

3 large tomatoes, diced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

5 large squid tubes, cut into rings

1.5kg bomba rice 

500ml boiling water, as required

2 glass of white wine + 1 glass of hot water

1.5kg mussels, beards removed and cleaned

1 handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped

14 large king prawns shells and heads kept on

2-3 lemons, cut into 6 wedges per lemon

 

  1. If you are cooking this on the beach, proceed to step 9 first before continuing. Please note you will require a paella pan + a deep pan to cook the mussels
  2. In a deep saucepan bring the stock, paella seasoning and wine to the boil and then turn off the heat. You can do this on a BBQ or on a conventional hob. If cooking on a BBQ place the pan on a rack as opposed to directly on the hot coals.
  3. Place your paella pan on your BBQ and then add the olive oil, allow it to warm up – it won’t take long if your BBQ is already nicely hot.
  4. Add the onions and move them around the pan. After a 3-4 minutes add the garlic and after a further minute add the chopped chorizo.
  5. Allow to soften for a couple of minutes moving around the pan to help with the cooking. If your heat source is not consistently hot it may require a couple more minutes.
  6. Add the smoked paprika flakes or powder, chopped tomato and paste and mix in well. Allow to soften for 2-3 minutes.
  7. Add the squid rings and a minute later add the bomba rice. Move the rice around the pan so that it is evenly spread out. After a minute add the fish stock that you had warmed up earlier.
  8. Stir in well and then place a lid on the pan ( I also add the outer BBQ lid, but if you are doing this on a stone BBQ on the beach you won’t be able to do the latter, but that’s fine)
  9. On a separate hob (if you are cooking this at your house and not at the beach) add 2 glasses of white wine and hot water and bring to the boil in the large deep pan with a lid –  use the same pan you warmed the stock. Add the mussels and give a good stir and then place a lid on the pan. Cover for 4 minutes and then add the chopped parsley. Check to see if the mussels have all opened and if not leave for another minutes or two giving a good stir. If it looks dry add a splash more white wine or water. Once they have all opened, remove from the pan and remove 3/4 of the mussels from the shell and place in a bowl. Place the rest of the mussels in another bowl and leave to one side.
  10. After 18 minutes once the rice has been in the pan, spread the prawns around the side of the paella. You can of course use prawns which have been shelled but I think it looks more rustic and authentic to have them in their shells. Scatter the de-shelled mussels around the rice and those in the shells. Place the lid back on the pan.
  11. After 3 minutes, turn the prawns over and replace the lid once again and leave for a couple of minutes.
  12. Taste test to see if the rice is nicely cooked. It will not be a soft and glutinous like risotto rice as it holds its shape. Scatter the lemon wedges and serve.

If you make this let me know how you get on by posting a comment below. It’s a definite crowd pleaser and a great way to feed a large group of people.

 

 

Roasted Sweet Potato, Chickpeas, Courgette and Tomatoes with Hummus and Zhoug

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We all need a bit of hot stuff in our lives right? So look no further than the Yemenite hot sauce, commonly known as ‘Zhoug’ or ‘Zhug’ when you need to jazz up your lunch or supper. Its cousins would be Argentinian ‘chimichurri’, Moroccan ‘chermoula’, Italian ‘salsa verde’ and Indian ‘coriander chutney’. It takes seconds to whip together – yes really – and lasts for a few days in the fridge in a sealed jar.

I made a batch today, which I whizzed up in my mini-blender and then drizzled it over my lunch. It is made up of fresh parsley and coriander, freshly roasted cumin seeds, which I then ground to a powder, lemon juice, olive oil, water, salt, sugar, garlic, crushed cardamom seeds and a couple of jalapeño chillies. Simple hey. So zingy and fresh with just the right heat. You can add more chillies if you want to bring up the heat levels, but I think 2 jalapeños really hits the right note for me.

My lunch itself was easy as it literally cooked itself. I popped a sweet potato, some tomatoes – halved, chickpeas rubbed in smoked paprika in the oven for 40 mins at 180 degrees fan. I then sliced up some courgettes and pan fried them for a few minutes and then hey presto. I had some of my homemade hummus in the fridge so added a dollop of that and then drizzled my zhoug on top. If I had had some Aleppo red pepper flakes I would have added a pinch of those on top too.

Yemenite Zhoug

30g fresh coriander, leaves and stalks

20g fresh parsley, mainly leaves

2 jalapeño chillies, seeds removed (but keep them in if you want it hotter)

2 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp water

1/2 tsp salt flakes

pinch of sugar

1 tsp cumin seeds, dry roasted and then ground to a powder

3 green cardamom pods, husks removed and seeds crushed

  1. In a saucepan dry roast the cumin seeds for a minute so they begin to bronze and the aroma is released. Allow to cool and then blend to a powder using a pestle and mortar or blender.
  2. Using a mini-blender add the fresh herbs, ground cumin, crushed cardamom seeds, lemon, salt, sugar, water and olive oil. Blitz to form a smooth paste. Add a little more water as required to make it runnier.
  3. Keep in a sealed container in the fridge and use within a few days.

 

Roasted Sweet Potato, Chickpeas, Courgette and Tomatoes

serves 2

1 large sweet potato, kept whole, but pierced with a fork

5 medium tomatoes, halved

olive oil to drizzle

1x 400g jar of chickpeas, strained and washed

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp salt flakes

1 courgette, peeled to give a striped effect

1 tbsp of hummus per serving

extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

 

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan. You want to cook the sweet potatoes and tomatoes for 40-45 minutes.
  2. Keep the sweet potato whole, with the skin on. Prick the skin with a fork a few times.
  3. Slice the tomatoes and place them in an ovenproof dish. Drizzle with olive oil and salt flakes, then add the sweet potato to the preheated oven.
  4. Drain the chickpeas and then dry them with some kitchen roll before adding the smoked paprika.  Mix in well and then place them in the oven 10 minutes after the sweet potato and tomatoes have been cooking.
  5. In a saucepan, add a little oil and then add the sliced courgettes. Allow them to begin to bronze and then remove. This will take between 5-7 minutes.
  6. To plate up, remove the skin from the sweet potato (optional) and slice up. Add some to a bowl along with some chickpeas, courgette, tomatoes. Add a dollop of hummus and some zhoug and finally a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

 

 

 

Bottle Gourd Curry (you can also make this with marrow or courgette)

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Happy New Year everyone. What a strange old year it’s been already and we are only a couple of weeks in. Here in the UK we are on national lockdown so we are all hunkering down and mainly staying confined within the four walls of our homes, with fleeting escapes of freedom with exercising and grocery shopping. A 5km run has never been so thrilling! I was picking up some spices for my zoom classes this morning (I’m sending them to folks in the UK who join my zoom class) and saw some dudhi – also known as lauki, calabash or bottle gourds – for sale and thought it would be good to buy a couple so that I could (a) tell you more about them and (b) show you a fab recipe that you will love.

 

Whilst I realise that unless you live near an Asian grocer you are not going to be able to get hold of these vegetables, the good news is that you can replace them with marrow or courgette which will work equally well. They are not dissimilar to a small, thinner marrow, with a light green smooth skin and white flesh. When harvested young they are a perfect vegetable to eat. They are primarily grown however for their fruit, which when dried forms a woody hollow vessel that can be used as a container for food and water but also as fishing floats, musical instruments and even clothing. It is a native of Africa but recent DNA research suggests that it was “domesticated three times: in Asia, at least 10,000 years ago; in Central America, about 10,000 years ago; and in Africa, about 4,000 years ago”. A cool fact that might appeal to you, is that this vegetable grows on a plant that has large white flowers that only open up at night.

 

Similar to a marrow or courgette the bottle gourd works really well in dal.  In Bengal, where my husbands family are from, they sometimes serve it with prawns to make a fantastic curry. Today though, I thought I would show you a curry, which uses them as the star ingredient.

Bottle Gourd Curry (replace with marrow or courgette)

500g bottle gourd, skin removed and the flesh cut into bit sized cubes or use marrow or courgette (you can keep the skin on the courgette)

2 tbsp sunflower/rapeseed oil

2 dried red chillies

pinch of asafoetida

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 Indian bay leaf, broken in two (called tej patta)

1 red onion, finely chopped

 1 tsp salt

1 inch of ginger, finely grated (or 1 tsp ginger paste)

3 garlic cloves, grated (or 1 tsp garlic paste)

2 large tomatoes or 4 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground Kashmiri chilli

400ml water

 

  1. First prepare the bottle gourd (marrow or courgette) and place to one side.
  2. Heat a large deep pan and add the oil.
  3. When it is hot add the dried chillies, Indian bay leaf, asafoetida and cumin seeds which will begin to sizzle.
  4. After 20 seconds, add the onion and salt and let the onion soften completely and begin to bronze – between 6-8 minutes before adding the garlic and ginger.
  5. Stir in the garlic and ginger so that raw smell dissipates, which takes a few minutes.
  6. Next add the chopped tomatoes and stir into the onion. Add the ground spices and leave to simmer with a lid on for 5 minutes. The tomato should have softened considerably.
  7. Add the bottle gourd (marrow or courgette) and then add the water. Simmer on a medium heat for 20 minutes. A lot of the water will have soaked up leaving a thick spiced tomato coating over the gourd.

I ate mine on its own with a squeeze of lemon, but you could also have some rice on the side or a chapati, luchi or naan bread. It makes a delicious vegan lunch or supper.

Let me know how you get on if you make it.

Food is definitely a way to keep us all uplifted and glowing through these surreal times, I hope you agree.