There’s a fuzzy period between Christmas and New Year when no one quite remembers what the date or plan is. Festive gatherings continue, all fuelled by food, drink and good cheer. That’s the theory, anyway. A spread of shareable dishes is a very good place to start in terms of bringing everyone together in putting the year to bed around the table. Break and share some bread, and crack a few eggs to signal new life – it’s a new year, and a new decade! Happy new year, all. Eat and be well.
Yoghurt rice with chana dal and curry leaf oil (pictured above)
There’s something super-comforting about the combination of rice and yoghurt. This take on Indian curd rice is quite spicy, so reduce (or ditch) the chilli if you want a more kid-friendly meal. You can make the rice in advance, but thin it out with a little water when reheating. Serve this as a light meal with some gently cooked greens.
Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 5 min
Serves 4
100g chana dal, soaked in plenty of cold water for at least two hours (and ideally overnight)
200g basmati rice, washed until the water runs clear, then drained
135ml olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 large egg yolk
200g Greek-style yoghurt
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
30g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 green chillies, 1 finely chopped, the other thinly sliced (remove the pith and seeds if you prefer less heat)
1 tsp garam masala
3 dried red chillies (the mild, finger-length type)
20 curry leaves (ie, from about 2 stems)
1 tsp black mustard seeds
¼ tsp ground turmeric
Drain the soaked chana dal, then put in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover by about 3cm. Bring to a boil on a medium-high heat, then simmer for 15-30 minutes, until the dal is cooked but still holds its shape. (Timings can vary greatly depending on soaking time, so be sure to test it at the 15-minute mark, and allow more time as needed.) Drain into a sieve, then run under the cold tap to stop the dal cooking further.
Fill a large saucepan with 1.3 litres water, bring to a boil on a medium-high heat, then keep hot on a low heat.
Put the rice, two tablespoons of oil, 200ml of the hot water and one and three-quarter teaspoons of salt into a large saute pan on a medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring often, until most of the water has been absorbed, then repeat, adding 200ml hot water at a time and stirring often, until you have used up 1.2 litres of the water and the rice resembles a loose, creamy porridge (it will be overcooked) – this will take about 20 minutes. Lightly crush the rice grains with the back of a spoon – you don’t want to mash them completely – then turn down the heat to medium-low.
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk, yoghurt and 50ml of the hot water until smooth, then stir the yoghurt mix into the rice and cook, stirring often, for about seven minutes, until the mixture has thickened slightly, but is still a loose porridge.
While the rice is cooking, make the topping. Put three tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned – about eight minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and chopped green chilli, and cook for four minutes more, until fragrant. Stir through the chana dal, garam masala, 60ml water, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chana dal starts to brown in places – about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
Wipe out the pan and return it to a medium-high heat. Add the remaining four tablespoons of oil and the dried and sliced chillies, and cook for three minutes, until starting to soften but not colour. Add the curry leaves, cook for another minute, until translucent, then stir in the mustard seeds and turmeric, and remove from the heat.
To serve, divide the curd rice between four shallow bowls and top with the chana dal mixture. Drizzle all over with the curry leaf oil and its solids, and serve warm.
Palak tofu
This vegan take on palak paneer uses tofu soaked in a salt brine, but you can also use other vegan alternatives such as butterbeans or roast cauliflower. Kasoori methi are dried fenugreek leaves and can be found on the world food aisle of most supermarkets, and in specialist Indian and Middle Eastern stores. Serve this with plain rice or naan.
Prep 30 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 4 as a main
Salt and black pepper
2 x 280g blocks extra-firm tofu (I use an organic one), patted dry and cut into 2cm cubes
500g baby spinach
20g coriander leaves, roughly chopped
75ml olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped (200g net weight)
6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
40g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 large green chilli, finely chopped, seeds and all
2 plum tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tbsp each coriander and cumin seeds, roughly crushed in a mortar
¼ tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
½ tsp Aleppo chilli
In a large, heatproof bowl, dissolve a tablespoon of salt in 700ml boiling hot water. Add the tofu, leave to soak for 20 minutes (this helps season it all the way through), then drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach, press it down with a spoon to submerge and blanch for about 45 seconds, until just wilted. Drain into a sieve, then run under the cold tap until it’s no longer warm to the touch. Leave the spinach to drain for no more than 10 minutes, then, without squeezing out any of the excess water, put it in a blender with the coriander leaves and blitz to a smooth paste – you may have to scrape down the sides of the blender a few times as you go. Spoon the mix into a bowl and set aside, then put 300ml water in the blender and swirl it around to pick up any remaining spinach.
Put three tablespoons of oil in a large saute pan on a medium-high heat. Once hot, fry the onion for about seven minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli, and fry, stirring, for four minutes more, until fragrant and browned. Set aside about a third of this mixture, then stir in the tomatoes, two-thirds each of the cumin and coriander, all the turmeric, kasoori methi and quarter-teaspoon of salt into the pan. Cook for four minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes have completely broken down, then add the pureed spinach, the spinachy water from the blender, the tofu, a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for seven minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tofu has warmed through and the sauce has come together.
Meanwhile, lightly toast the remaining cumin and coriander seeds, then add to the bowl with the reserved onion mixture and stir in the remaining two tablespoons of oil.
Transfer the curry to a shallow platter, spoon the onion mixture all over the top, sprinkle with the Aleppo chilli and serve.
Braised eggs with leeks, cannellini beans and Iranian lime
This is a quick midday brunch for when you want a special something that isn’t too labour-intensive. Try to use eggs with rich, golden yolks, because they’ll stand out beautifully against the jewelled barberries. Crumbled feta and some warm flatbreads would go well with this.
Prep 20 min
Cook 35 min
Serves 4
2 tbsp barberries
30g unsalted butter
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced (150g net)
Salt and black pepper
500g leeks, cleaned well, halved and cut into 1cm-thick half-moons
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1½ tsp ground Iranian lime
1 tsp cumin seeds, roughly crushed in a mortar
¼ tsp ground turmeric
1 x 400g tin cannellini beans, drained (240g net weight)
15g dill, roughly chopped, plus 1 tbsp extra leaves to garnish
20g parsley leaves, roughly chopped, plus 2 tbsp extra whole leaves
8 medium eggs
Put the barberries and two and a half tablespoons of boiling water in a small bowl and leave to plump up.
Put the butter and two tablespoons of oil in a large cast-iron skillet (or large saucepan) for which you have a lid, and set over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and a teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring now and then, for four minutes, until softened. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until everything is nicely caramelised. Add the garlic, Iranian lime, cumin and turmeric, and cook for a minute more, until fragrant, then add the beans, 200ml water, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and bring to a simmer. Cook for three minutes, until the liquid has been almost completely absorbed.
Turn the heat to medium-low, stir through the chopped herbs, then make eight wells in the mixture and crack an egg into each. Season the eggs lightly, cover the pan and leave to cook for five minutes, rotating the pan a few times to ensure even cooking, until the whites are cooked through but the yolks are still runny.
Drain the barberries and put them in a small bowl with the picked herbs and remaining tablespoon of oil. Spoon this over the eggs and serve straight from the pan.
