Dhal is one of my very favourite Indian foods. It’s both simple and honest, not to mention so pleasantly frugal that one could it all day every day and never notice it make a dent in one’s finances. To the uninitiated, dhal may at first appear sloppy and unappealing – rather like porridge – but once you’ve had a chance to experience its dense and satisfying texture your views on Indian cuisine will be forever enhanced.
Courgette Fritters are a healthy and delicious entry in a type of food that has become notorious for its fat content (though my carrot and coriander fritters are another notable exception). The stigma attached to fritters came to the fore with the arrival of the Mars bar fritter in a hazy, calorie filled moment around 10 years ago (correct me if I’m wrong). Essentially a deep fried Mars bar, these hunks of what is essentially just fat and sugar endowed the term ‘fritter’ with something of a bad name. Gladly, with health a growing concern for many the aforementioned fritter – we shall no longer speak its name – has rightly fallen from grace and out of vogue (except perhaps in Glasgow). Though some notable and respectable household chefs still seek to add fat and cheese to their fritters, the very best renditions are light and just a tad spicy – perfection in the summer months.
Over the past couple of years it seems as though the entire would has gone quinoa crazy – that is, except my kitchen. The way people rave on about the tiny seeds you’d think they’d saved everyone’s dear old mother from a fate worse than death. However, despite being annoyingly miniscule and susceptible to static (rendering their transportation from one vessel to another unreasonably difficult) quinoa is both delicious and wonderfully nutritious. A good source of complete protein, quinoa was a fundamental part of pre-Colombian Andean civilisation – the Incas, for instance, thought it sacred.
Udon are a type of thick white Japanese noodle, made of wheat flour and most commonly used in soup – kake udon – though they have many other applications besides. Yaki udon simply means ‘fried udon’ and it can be made according to many different recipes – no two recipes for yaki udon that I’ve seen have been the same. This fact makes it a perfect candidate for culinary exploration and experimentation. However, in this case I thought it best to go for a simple seasoning of soy sauce, fish sauce and sesame oil as it has yet to fail in the flavour department.
Saag Aloo is a North Indian dish usually made using spinach and potato, though ‘saag’ is a term also used to describe other greens, such as mustard leaves. There are many ‘saag’ based dishes across India, with many types of greens featuring heavily in Odisha and Punjabi cuisine (though not exclusively). ‘Aloo’ – potatoes – also feature heavily in food not only across India, but the world and indeed, my kitchen. They complete and add a little substance to what is a pleasantly descriptive name for a delicious and nutritious dish.