My ruby murray with sweet potato, roasted cauliflower and lentils

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IMG_4952IMG_4661IMG_3880IMG_5165IMG_5113IMG_9758IMG_9998IMG_8146IMG_8239IMG_9933IMG_0776IMG_0813IMG_3274 2IMG_2700IMG_3607IMG_3561IMG_7418IMG_4204IMG_7576IMG_6362IMG_8889IMG_2753IMG_2399IMG_0655IMG_9288IMG_3885IMG_4616IMG_2755IMG_1219Curry Base ingredients:
2 large onions (finely sliced)
6 garlic cloves (peeled and grated)
1 green medium heat chilli (sliced with the seeds left in)
1 thumb sized piece of ginger (peeled and grated)
1 banana shallot (peeled and sliced finely)
1 sliced preserved lemon

Spice Base ingredients:
2 teaspoons of turmeric
Pinch of celery salt
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons of toasted mustard seeds
12 cherry tomatoes
2 teaspoons of medium curry powder

Garnish:
Toasted flaked almonds

The recipe…

  • To begin place 250 grams of green lentils into a medium saucepan and cover with cold water, season at the end of the cooking process, as before can make the lentils go hard and distort the texture.
  • Cook your lentils until they al dente, as they will carry on cooking in the curry after they have been drained.
  • For your curry base, in a medium sized saucepan place a glug of olive oil into the pan, once the saucepan is up to temperature add your curry base vegetables and cook out with no colour.
  • Grating the ginger and garlic over the pan releases the natural oils and perfumes of the aromats which are usually lost when you grate onto the chopping board.
  • Next, once your vegetables are all cooked down add your cherry tomatoes, as they act as little flavour bombs, deglazing the saucepan and releasing all of the cooked on flavour from the bottom of the saucepan.
  • Once the pan is deglazed and ready add your spice base and ensure that you cook out the spice mix.
  • At this point begin to prepare your cauliflower and sweet potatoes to give the curry an authentic taste.
  • Slice your sweet potatoes into bite size pieces (half-moons) and roast until golden brown, in the oven at 250 degrees, season with a little olive oil and black pepper.
  • Do the same with your cauliflower and roast until lightly golden, don’t worry if the cuts catch a little, as this will give the curry a smokiness which is normally created when cooking authentically in a brick built oven.
  • Next add a pinch of natural sea salt to your base along with your 250 grams of red split lentils and again just carry on cooking low and slow.
  • Add a dash of cold water to cook the lentils and steam, add around 100ml as you don’t want your curry to be runny.
  • Next add your green lentils, along with your roasted vegetables.
  • Add a dash of olive oil and little more water if needed, now turn the heat up to high to moderate, warming through the rest of elements.
  • Once ready wash half a bag of British Kale and Spinach, add this to your curry along with the gratings of whole nutmeg, this will give the curry a warming lift. Stir to wilt and incorporate.
  • Next, for your rice add your ginger peel from earlier along with 2 crushed cardamom pods, once the water has reached the boil add two large cups of rice (as this will serve 4 people). Cook until all of the water has been absorbed.

Serve into a pre-warmed fire-earthed bowl along with a sprinkle of flaked almonds and a little coriander leaf for garnish.

This curry serves 8 people, for this recipe you can keep half the batch back, in the fridge or in a zipper freezer bag as this can last up to 3 months in the freezer.

Naan Bread ingredients:
3 heaped tablespoons of fat free natural yoghurt
250 grams of strong bread flour
45g of unsalted butter (for the dough and cooking)
1 tablespoon of black onion seeds
7 grams dried yeast
125 ml of luke warm water
Fortnum and Mason charred chilli honey (a special addition)

  • To begin, pour 125ml of luke warm water into a glass bowl , add your 7 grams of dried yeast and lastly two teaspoons of your F AND M charred chilli honey.
  • Leave in a warm area until the mixture has doubled in size and is light and airy. As this is what the yeast needs to feed off sugars and a warm environment.
  • Next, in a large mixing bowl add your flour, along with a pinch of natural pink sea salt, make a well, into this add your tablespoon of melted butter, along with 3 heaped tablespoons of natural fat free yoghurt.
  • Next add your foamy yeast mixture.
  • Bring the dough together, once the dough has come together leave to prove in a warm place for 90 minutes, until the doubled in size.
  • Knock the dough back and form into 6 equal pieces these will form your naan breads.
  • To cook warm a large frying pan with a knob of butter, once the butter is foaming and golden, add your naans to cook on both sides until golden and light.

These are best served piping hot out of the pan, to accompany your sweet potato and roasted cauliflower curry.

The Gourmet Gent

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