Treats from Todiwala

Liven up your Navroze meal with these "fresh, light and tangy” Indian dishes from London based celebrity chef Cyrus Todiwala’s Café Spice Namaste. The recipes, from his book Indian Summer published by Inkwell Media Ltd (www.inkwellmedia.co.uk pages 72, £ 10.99), are tweaked to appeal to the international palate.

POMEGRANATE, CARROT AND PEANUT RELISH

Carrots (2 small — finely chopped)

Peanuts (2 tbsp — roasted, skinned)

Pomegranate (1 large — deep-red halved)

Natural yoghurt (2 tbsp)

Herbs such as dill, mint or coriander (2 tbsp — freshly chopped)

Finely chop the carrots and coarsely chop the roasted peanuts. Scoop out the pomegranate seeds. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl with the yoghurt and add the freshly chopped herbs. It’s delicious!

Stir fries (left) and salads

INDIAN STYLE CAESAR SALAD (CURRIMBHOY SALAD)

Serves: 4

Any large leafy lettuce (250 g)

Eggs (4 — hard-boiled, peeled)

Garlic (2-3 cloves — finely minced)

Green chillies (2 — deseeded and very finely chopped)

Coriander (3 tbsp — freshly chopped, plus extra for decorating — optional)

Mayonnaise (200 g)

Lime (½ — juice)

White bread (4 slices — fresh croutons)

Salt (to taste)

This was one of the most famous and popular salads served in the restaurant when I worked in Bombay. It is easy to prepare and zinging with the freshest of flavors.

Wash and drain the lettuce thoroughly, then break the leaves into 2.5 cm pieces into a colander. Chop the eggs coarsely — to approximately ½ cm. Set aside.

Place the garlic, chillies and coriander in a bowl large enough to take all the ingredients. Stir in the mayonnaise, season to taste with lime juice and a little salt.

When you are ready to serve the salad, gently fold the lettuce and egg into the mayonnaise mixture together with half the croutons. It will go limp quite quickly, so do not over-mix and be prepared to serve immediately.

Serve in a bowl or on a platter, scatter on the remaining croutons and finish with a sprinkling of freshly chopped coriander, if liked.

Croutons

Day-old bread is best for croutons. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a frying pan and toss in croutons, one layer at a time, cooking until golden. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper.

AUBERGINE SLICES WITH TOMATO SAUCE AND TANGY YOGHURT DRESSING (BADAL JAAM)

Serves: 4

Sunflower oil (5-6 tbsp)

Aubergines (2 long or 1 broad one — cut into 5 mm thick rounds)

Tomatoes (500 g — ripe or 400 g can of plum tomatoes)

Onion (1 — finely chopped)

Root ginger (2 cm piece — fresh, finely chopped)

Garlic (8-10 cloves — finely chopped)

Red chilli powder (½ tsp)

Coriander (2 tbsp — freshly chopped)

Fenugreek leaves (toasted — optional)

Chaat masala or garam masala (for sprinkling)

Natural yoghurt (500 g — thick)

Lemon juice (1 tbsp — fresh)

Salt (to taste)

This starter or light snack is very tasty. As a final flourish you can sprinkle on top some deep-fried egg noodles — or even chevda, also known as Bombay mix.

Preheat the oven to 140°C/Far 120°/Gas mark 1.

Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and fry the aubergine slices in batches until well browned on both sides. Arrange them on a baking tray in a single layer.

Give the tomatoes a quick whizz in a food processor or blender until roughly chopped. If using canned tomatoes, drain and mash coarsely with a potato masher to make a thick, spreadable sauce.

Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan, add the onion and fry until golden brown. Stir in the ginger and garlic (keeping 1 tsp garlic aside for the dressing) and fry until golden. Add the red chilli powder, tomatoes, salt to taste and simmer until the mixture has a thick sauce-like consistency. Stir in half the coriander, check the seasoning and add a sprinkling of fenugreek if you like.

Sprinkle chaat masala over the aubergines, then spoon tomato sauce onto each slice. Cover loosely with foil and place in the oven to just heat through.

Meanwhile make the topping; whisk the yoghurt with the lemon juice, stir in the remaining coriander and garlic.

Transfer the hot aubergine slices to a serving platter and top each with a dollop of the yoghurt dressing. A sprinkling of ground cinnamon is good over the yoghurt.

Toasting fenugreek

Toasting improves and mellows the flavor of dried fenugreek leaves. Spread out the leaves on a baking tray, place in a preheated oven on the lowest setting, then switch off the oven and leave for 4-5 hours. Pick out the stems, then finely crumble the lightly toasted fenugreek between your fingers. Use as desired, storing in an airtight container.

LAMB WITH CORIANDER (DHA­NIA­WALA GOSHT)

Serves: 4

Coriander seeds (2 tbsp)

Cumin seeds (1 tbsp)

Red chillies (4-5 — torn or snipped into pieces)

Cinnamon stick (2 x 2 cm pieces)

Sunflower oil (4-5 tbsp)

Lamb (500 g — boned leg, cut into 2 cm cubes)

Onions (3 — chopped)

Root ginger (2 x 2 cm piece — fresh, finely chopped)

Garlic (3 cloves — finely chopped)

Tomatoes (4 ripe — chopped or 400 g can chopped)

Coriander (3-4 tbsp — freshly chopped)

Hot lamb or chicken stock (as required)

Salt (to taste)

Enjoy this dish with plain rice or bread.

Roast the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan, then remove from the heat and crush with a pestle in a mortar. Set aside. Roast the chillies and cinnamon in the frying pan over a low heat until they become aromatic and lightly colored. Cool and crush in the mortar or a small grinder to the consistency of crushed peppercorns. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan until almost smoking — then add the lamb. Cook over high heat until browned all over, then add the red chillies and cinnamon and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the onions and cook, stirring constantly until the base of the pan is scraped clean. Add a little water if necessary to help clean the pan.

When the onions are translucent, but not browned (they may go brown because of the pan juices but this does not mean they are necessarily cooked), add the ginger, garlic, crushed coriander and cumin and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Pour in enough hot water (or stock) to cover the lamb. Season with salt, cover tightly and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. At this stage if there is too much liquid, remove the lid and cook until the liquid has reduced and thickened. Stir in the tomatoes, cook over medium heat until the lamb is tender and the gravy thick and rich, not watery. Stir in the fresh coriander and check the seasoning, to taste.

Todiwala at work in his kitchen

Cyrus’ Tip

Always add tomatoes after the meat is more than half-cooked. This will ensure better color and more tender meat.

STIR-FRIED PRAWNS WITH RICE (KOLMI PALAV)

Serves: 4

Sunflower oil (2 tbsp)

Carrot (1 — small, grated)

Red and green pepper (1 tbsp each — finely shredded)

Spring onions (2-3 — finely shredded)

Root ginger (2½ cm piece — fresh, finely shredded)

Garlic (2 cloves — finely chopped)

Black tiger prawns (200 g — raw, peeled)

Soy sauce (1 tbsp)

Basmati rice (200 g — long grain, cooked accordingly to pack instructions)

Coriander (1 tbsp — freshly chopped)

Salt (to taste)

Black pepper (ground — to taste)

For those of you not familiar with spicy food, this is a gentle introduction. It’s great dish for kids too, as it is simple to prepare and will disappear as quickly as it is made.

Have ready all the prepared ingredients and warmed serving bowls or plates.

Heat a wok, then add the oil and when there is a heat haze, toss in all the grated and shredded vegetables including the ginger and garlic.

Toss for a minute or two, then add the prawns, still keeping the heat high. Toss the pan frequently to allow the ingredients to make contact with the hot base of the wok.

When the prawns change color, add the seasoning, to taste, and soy sauce. As soon as you feel the prawns are nearly cooked, add the rice, tossing it through in the pan until piping hot.

Spoon into warm dishes, garnish with the coriander and swiftly serve.

Variation

Instead of mixing the rice into the stir-fried prawns, serve steamed basmati rice as an accompaniment. Alternatively, serve the stir-fry on a bed of noodles.