Cyder with Eloise

Here is a little insight into how my mind works. I would absolutely love to do a challenge like the Masterchef Invention Test, although they would tell me off for using everything!

So it’s 5.30 on Tuesday night, the vegbox is due tomorrow, no point going shopping and there are still a few items left to eat up from last week. So I go to my fridge and start creating.

I have a cauliflower & a courgette, humm but we had cauliflower cheese last week. I know how about a curry. So I pop on the internet for a recipe and get distracted by interesting blog posts. It’s now 7.00 and I’m hungry. So now I’m looking for something quick to cook. I have decided none of the recipes I found were quite right or would have required a trip to the shop.

Lets see what’s in the cupboards, some chickpeas hey. I prefer dried chick peas but tinned will have to do tonight.

While the onions and garlic are browning I have a route around in the spice cupboard and find some left over root ginger, so I decided to pop that in too!

I pick out some spices based on my knowledge of curry’s and the fact that I think nigella seeds and brown mustard seeds will look pretty along side the cauliflower. This is not always a good practice, luckily tonight it seems to be working.

In the fridge is the last jar of my slow roasted tomatoes from our garden, not bad that they have seen us though to November and I’m quite sad to be using the last jar.

Lenny quite sensibly has opted for lamb chops with new potatoes, so I steal a few potatoes to bulk up the curry, which I think is already going to be coming to work with me tomorrow there is quite a lot. I resist the urge to use up the spinach that I put in the freezer the other week, although I’m sure there is another recipe there – watch this space.

The result – quite delicious. I have omitted the root ginger and courgette from the recipe below, a step too far I feel, but you don’t know until you try. If you do try this one please let me know how you get on.

Serves 4

Ingredients
200g Chick Peas, dried (or a small tin)
1/2 Large Cauliflower, cut into florets
3 New Potatoes, cut to approx 1 inch
2 tbsp Groundnut Oil
1 Onion, Chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic, Finely Chopped
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Ground Coriander
3/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Brown Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp Yellow Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp Nigella Seeds
10-15 Crushed Curry Leaves
400ml Tomato Passata (I used my recipe for Tomato Purée)
100ml Water
1 tbsp Chopped Fresh Coriander

Method:
If using dried chick peas soak overnight and then boil in slightly salty water with a bayleaf for an hour or until al-dente.
Parboil the cauliflower and potatoes, drain and set aside.
Lightly brown the onions in the oil, add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the spices and fry lightly for another minute, as soon as the mixture starts to dry out add the tomatoes & water.
Add the potatoes, chick peas and cauliflower and simmer for 15 minutes to let the spices develop and the potatoes to soften, add extra water if required, then add the fresh coriander. Cook for a further 5 minutes.