Category Archives: Favourite recipes

My most flavourful recipes

Favourite recipes, Main courses

Chickpeas with dates and almonds

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  • 600 g cooked chickpeas, with some of the cooking liquid preserved
  • 1 tin tomatoes
  • 125 g dates (after stones removed), chopped
  • 2 tblsp olive oil
  • 3 red onions, peeled and sliced
  • 1 whole head of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 tblsp ginger, finely grated
  • 2 tblsp tomato concentrate
  • 1 bunch coriander, separated into stalks and leaves
  • 1 tblsp cumin, roasted and ground
  • 1 tblsp coriander, roasted and ground
  • 1 heaped tsp ground turmeric
  • Chili in whichever way, shape or form you have available.
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, organic or at least unwaxed
  • 5ü g flaked almonds, toasted

Heat the oil and sauté onions, garlic, and ginger.

Add ground coriander and cumin. Sauté.

Add tomato concentrate. Sauté.

Add chickpeas, tomatoes, dates, coriander stalks, spices and lemon zest and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for about half an hour or more, adding water if the sauce becomes too thick.

Add lemon juice and almonds, stir, check for seasoning, and garnish with coriander leaves to serve.

Favourite recipes, Main courses

Toor dal with spinach

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300 g  Toor dal

1 tsp ground turmeric

A small handful of dry curry leaves

2 tblsp oil or ghee

2 red onions, peeled and finely sliced

5 garlic cloves, crushed

1 small tsp mustard seeds

1 small tsp cumin seeds

Chili in whichever shape or form available

300 g whole-leaf spinach, fresh or frozen

1 tblsp gram flour, roasted briefly in a hot, dry frying pan

1 heaped tsp tamarind paste

Boil the dal in approx. 900 ml water with the turmeric and curry leaves until it starts to get a bit mushy.

Sautée the sliced onion in the oil or ghee.

Add the garlic, mustard seeds and cumin seeds, and sauté till the seeds start to pop.

Add the chili and the spinach, stirring to mix well.

Mix dal and spinach and add tamarind paste, cooking for another couple of minutes.

Optional: drizzle with melted ghee and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Favourite recipes, Main courses

Improvised green bean and split dal curry

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300 g split dal, one kind or a mixture, washed and drained

2 tblsp oil or ghee

2 red onions, chopped

1 large knob of fresh ginger, chopped

1 whole head of garlic, peeled and chopped

1 heaped tsp turmeric

1 heaped tsp cumin seeds, roasted and ground

1 heaped tsp coriander seeds, roasted and ground

1 tin tomato

1 tin coconut milk

2 large bayleaves

2 green chilies, halved lengthwise and sliced

2 tsp garam masala

1 tblsp tamarind paste

1 packet green beans from the freezer

Sauté the onions in the oil till they start to soften.

Add ginger and garlic. Stir.

Add spices and sauté a minute or two.

Add the split dal and stir to coat it all with oil and spices.

Add tomato, coconut milk, chilies, garam masala and bay leaves.

Add water if necessary. The liquid should amply cover the dal.

Bring to a simmer and cook till the dal is done, about half an hour.

Add the green beans and cook for another couple of minutes.

Favourite recipes, Miscellaneous

Red cabbage for the season

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1 medium red cabbage, trimmed and finely sliced (I had about 700 g cabbage after peeling, trimming and slicing).

250 ml cranberry juice

250 ml orange juice

2-4 tblsp goosefat or duckfat or vegetable oil

2 medium red onions, chopped

Balsamic vinegar

Raspberry vinegar

1 small glass cranberries

For the spice bag: A generous knob of ginger, sliced, 4 bay leaves, 6 juniper berries, 6 cloves, 10 black peppercorns, 1 cinnamon stick, broken into a couple of pieces, and 2 star anise.

A little bit of maizena, salt, pepper, sugar.

Day 1: Marinate the cabbage overnight in apple- and orange juice. Stir once or twice and pack the cabbage down tightly each time.

Day 2: Sauté the chopped onions in fat or oil.

Add cabbage with juices, stir, then stir in most of the cranberries and add the spice bag. Season with salt.

Simmer 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, seasoning along the way with cranberries and balsamic and raspberry vinegar. Some might want to add a little bit of fish sauce for an oriental flair.

Depending how sweet the vinegars and the cranberries are, some might want to add sugar as well.

Finish with the maizena, according to personal preference.

Refrigerate overnight.

Remove the spice bag and reheat to serve. Leftovers are great in and with many types of sandwiches.

Favourite recipes, Main courses

Free-style Thai-style fish curry

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Craving Thai flavours but out of Thai curry paste? Fret not. If you have most of the below ingredients, you can improvise.

400 g (I like to have leftovers for the day after) fish fillets – for example cod or heilbutt or both, in bite-sized pieces

2 tblsp oil

2 tblsp tomato paste

3 stalks lemon grass, trimmed and chopped

1 knob galangal, chopped

1 whole head of garlic, peeled, trimmed and chopped

5 medium red onions, peeled and quartered

7 small aubergines – the round ones approx 5 cm diam. (could also have been green beans or sugar snap peas), or a mixture of all three.

10 lime leaves

2 tblsp fish sauce

Chili, in whichever form is available. I used a dollop of this: https://www.hellemoller.eu/2020/10/13/chili-sauce-a-made-with-red-and-orange-chilis-from-the-freezer/

1 tin coconut milk

2 tblsp fish sauce

Sautée tomato paste, lemon grass, galangal and garlic in the oil.

Add red onions and aubergines. Stir and mix well.

Add chili, coconut milk and lime leaves

Bring to a simmer and cook till the aubergines are done, 10-15 minutes.

Season with fish sauce, black pepper, perhaps some lime or lemon juice, and half a tablsp sugar.

Add the fish, largest pieces first, and simmer till the fish is done – this does not take long at all.

Favourite recipes, Miscellaneous

Spiced biscottis

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300 g flour
200 g sugar (any kind – I used brown “Rohrsucker”)
2 tblsp of the best cocoa powder you can find
175 g whole almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 heaped tsp ground cloves
1/2heaped tsp ground cinnamon
Grated peel of 1 organic (or at least unwaxed) lemon, washed.
3 whole eggs

Preheat oven to 175 C.

Mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, whole almonds, baking powder, clove and cinnamon thoroughly.

Add lemon peel and eggs and knead to a uniform dough. Add more flour if it is too sticky.

Shape the dough into two approx. 20 cm long rolls. Place on baking paper and flatten them slightly to achieve the classic biscotti shape.

Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven. When the rolls are cool enough to handle, using a very sharp knife, cut them into approx. 1 cm slices and bake again for ten minutes.

Let cool completely and keep in a container with a tight-fitting lid.

And remember – biscottis are supposed to be hard. That way, at least those of us with old teeth have an excuse to dip them in our coffee before eating.

Favourite recipes, Main courses

Rajma Masala – red kidney bean curry

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  • Soak 300 g kidney beans in plenty of water for at least eight hours. Discard soaking water, rinse, cover beans in water and cook for about an hour. Drain but preserve most of the cooking water.
  • Add 1 tsp salt the last five minutes of cooking

While the beans are boiling:

  • 2 tblsp oil or ghee
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 350-400 g (after trimming and peeling) red onion, chopped
  • 1 tblsp each of chopped garlic and chopped fresg ginger
  • 1 chili, chopped
  • 2 tins tomatoes
  • 1 tblsp coriander powder (preferably from roasted whole seeds)
  • 1 small tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1.5 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
  • 1 bayleaf
  • A small handful of curry leaves
  • 3 green cardamom and 3 black cardamom, slightly crushed
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

Suggested garnish (optional):

  • chopped cilantro (fresh coriander)
  • 1 tablespoon ghee, drizzled on top
  • 1 dollop of yoghurt
  • Some julienned fresh ginger, fried in ghee if desired

To a pan, add 2 tablespoons oil on medium heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle.

Add the chopped onion and cook till they turn a light colden – about five minutes on medium heat.

Add the ginger-garlic paste and green chili and cook for one minute

Add the pureed tomatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes.

Add the rest of the spices, mix well and cook for about ten minutes on medium-low heat.

Add the kidney beans and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes on low heat. Occasionally mash some of the beans to give the curry and creamy texture. Add cooking water if needed.

Favourite recipes, Miscellaneous

Okra yoghurt salad

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Inspired by the recipe for Okra Curd Salad in the book “Dakshin – Vegetarian Cuisine from South India”.

250 g okra, washed, trimmed, all water carefully wiped off, and sliced

3 dl yoghurt, whisked. (I prefer goat or sheep yoghurt).

2 tblsp oil or ghee

1 tsp brown mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tblsp black gram dal (black split peas, the smallest you can find) rinsed

1 red chili, halved (or a dollop of your favourite chili paste)

If available: a pinch of asafoetida powder

1 small handful curry leaves – dried, if fresh not available

Garnish (optional): fresh coriander leaves

Heat the oil and add all ingredients except okra and yoghurt and sauté till the mustard seeds start to splutter.

Add the okra and cook on low heat till the okra is tender. Add a splash of water if it starts to look too dry.

Season with salt and allow to cool.

Add the yoghurt, mix well, and serve at room temperature.

Main courses

Pumpkin and chickpea curry

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  • 1 pumpkin, about 1200 g when trimmed and deseeded (but not peeled) – cut in cubes
  • 600 g cooked chickpeas with the cooking liquid preserved
  • 4 cm piece of ginger (about 30 g) chopped
  • 5 red onions (about 350 g after trimming) chopped
  • 5 cloves of garlic (about 30 g after trimming) chopped
  • 1 fresh red chili or to taste, in whichever form you have chili available
  • Ghee
  • 1 tblsp mustard seeds
  • 2 tblsp coriander seeds, roasted and ground
  • 1 tblsp cumin seeds, roasted and ground
  • 1 heaped tsp turmeric
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 bunch fresh coriander
  • A small handful of dried curry leaves
  • 1 tin coconut cream

Heat the ghee and cook the onions at low heat for about 20 minutes. Add garlic and ginger after about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally – the onions should start to turn golden but not brown.

Add the mustard seeds, stir, cook for another minute.

Add the ground coriander and cumin, stir, cook for another minute.

Add the turmeric and the curry leaves.

Add the pumpkin, stir well.

Add the coconut cream and some of the chickpea cooking liquid, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Add the chickpeas, bring to a simmer, and cook till the pumpkin is cooked.

Favourite recipes, Miscellaneous

Beetroot, cheese waffles

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Blend the following in a blender or food processor:

250 g of any kind of flour. I used half chick pea flour, and half oatmeal. If you are a gluten addict, you can of course use wheat flour. Next time, I will try amaranth and/or millet.

2,5 dl water

50 ml olive oil

1 large egg

2 cloves garlic

1 piece fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 tsp sea salt

Remove to a bowl and stir in:

150 g cooked (boiled or roasted) beets, chopped or grated

75 g chopped onion

1 tblsp fresh herbs, chopped, or 1 tsp dried.

120 gram goat cheese, crumbled or grated

Big pinch freshly ground black pepper.

Mix well and bake in waffle maker for seven to eight minutes. Serve with for example a fried egg, a sauce made of goat yoghurt mixed with herbs, and caramellised onions.

Leftover waffles can be frozen and resiscitated in the toaster.