D iwali, the celebration of light, arrives just as we need hope. It marks the triumph of good over evil and reminds us that light will prevail. It’s a time for sensory overload – fireworks, colour, partiesand food, which is traditionally vegetarian. And this isn’t difficult, because Indian cooking naturally brings plants to the centre of the table in smart ways. Wishing you a very happy Diwali: may the year ahead be full of light, love and delicious things!
Turnips have a dowdy reputation, but cooking them with spices to lend some interest gives these plain Janes of the vegetable world a sexy makeover. Panch phoran is an Indian five-spice mix; if you can’t find it, you can make it yourself with equal parts fennel seeds, cumin, black mustard seeds, nigella seeds and fenugreek seeds.
2 tbsp ghee 1 tsp pa nch phor an 10 fresh curry leaves 1 red onion , peeled and very finely chopped 3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled 2 garlic cloves 1 green chilli 1 tbsp tomato puree 100g passata ½ tsp turmeric Sea salt 2 tbsp light brown sugar 1kg turnips , cut into 1cm cubes Juice of ½ lime Finely chopped coriander Chapa ti , to serve
Melt the ghee in a wide pan or casserole over a low heat, then add the panch phoran. When that starts to splutter, add the curry leaves and onion, and saute over a low heat until the onions are caramelised.
Meanwhile, put the ginger, garlic and chilli in a food processor, blend to a fine paste, then add to the pan and cook until soft and fragrant. Add the tomato puree, passata and turmeric, season with salt and sugar, and cook on a medium heat for six minutes, until jammy.
Add the turnips and 30ml water, stir to coat the turnips in the masala, then cover and leave to cook on a low heat for about 15 minutes, until the turnips are tender. Pour over the lime juice, sprinkle over the coriander and serve with chapati.
Celeriac’s sweet, earthy flavour and robust texture stand up to this spice-laden marinade and zesty chutney.
Prep 15 min Marinate 4 hr Cook 45 min Serves 6 3 fat garlic cloves , peeled and grated 2½cm piece fresh ginger , peeled and finely grated 2 green bird’s eye chillies , very finely chopped Sea salt 1 tbsp kashmiri red chilli powder , or paprika 1 tsp cumin seeds , toasted and roughly crushed ½ tsp ground cardamom ½ tsp ground cinnamon 1 pinch ground cloves 1 pinch saffron strands , soaked in 2 tbsp warm water Juice of 1 lime , plus wedges to serve 200g Greek yoghurt 1 large celeriac (about 900g), peeled and cut into thick steaks 30g melted ghee Chaat masala , to finish
For the chutney 100g fresh coriander, including stalks 25g fresh mint leaves 2 tbsp peanuts , soaked in hot water for 30 minutes 1-2 green chillies Juice of 1 lime 1 tsp caster sugar Chaat masala , to taste Sea salt , to taste 75ml ice-cold water
To make the chutney, put everything in a food processor with half of the ice-cold water and blend to a smooth paste. Add the remaining water, blend again, then transfer to a bowl or a jar, and keep in the fridge.
Make the tandoori marinade by mixing the garlic, ginger, chillies, salt spices, lime juice and yoghurt. Slather this over the celeriac steaks, then cover and leave to marinade in the fridge for at least four hours, and preferably overnight.
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Lift the celeriac out of its marinade and lay the slices on a lined baking sheet. Season with plenty of sea salt, drizzle over half the melted ghee, then roast for 15 minutes. Flip over the celeriac steaks, brush with the excess marinade and drizzle over the remaining ghee, then roast for another 15–20 minutes, until slightly charred and tender. Sprinkle with chaat masala to taste, then serve with lime wedges and the chutney.
A wonderful way to consume Popeye-pleasing amounts of greens. Feel free to use any combination of greens you like: chard, sorrel, collard greens and turnip tops (if you can find them) all work well here.
300g paneer , cubed 500g spinach , washed well 500g kale , ribs removed 2 tbsp ghee 1 onion , peeled and very finely chopped 1 heaped tsp cumin seeds 3 fat garlic cloves , peeled and very thinly sliced 1 thumb fresh ginger , peeled and grated 1 small green chilli , finely chopped 200g passata ½ tsp ground turmeric Sea salt Paratha, chapati or flatbread , to serve
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the paneer, boil for five minutes, then fish out with a slotted spoon. Blanch the spinach and kale in the same boiling water for 30 seconds, then refresh and cool in ice-cold water. Squeeze out the excess liquid, then roughly chop the greens, put them in a blender and puree until smooth.
Melt the ghee in a large, heavy-based pan on a low heat, then fry the onion and cumin until the onion is caramelised. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli, fry until fragrant, then add the passata and turmeric, and cook for five minutes more. Fold in the pureed greens, cook for five minutes more, then fold in the paneer and season with salt.
Cover the pan, cook on a low heat for a final 10 minutes, then serve with your bread of choice.
