Ingredients

for the paste:

• 2 shallots
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 coriander root
• 12 long dried chiles
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp. coriander seeds
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 2 cloves
• seeds of 1 cardamom pod
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns
• 2 sticks lemongrass, bashed and finely chopped
• 1/4 nutmeg, grated
• 1 heaped tbsp. kapi (shrimp paste)

for the curry:

• 2 tbsp. ghee
• 400g goat meat, cubed
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 shallots, peeled and halved
• 4 new potatoes, halved
• 2 tbsp. coconut cream
• 400ml coconut milk
• handful raisins (optional)
• 200ml water
• 2 tbsp. tamarind paste
• 6 cardamom pods, broken open
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1-2 tbsp. fish sauce
• 1-2 tbsp. roasted peanuts

Preparation

To make the paste, preheat the oven to 180C fan/gas mark 6.

Wrap the shallots, garlic and coriander root tightly in tin foil and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until soft.

Meanwhile, in a dry frying pan, toast the dried chillies until they are crispy, shaking them in the pan to ensure they don’t burn. Set aside to cool, then snip them up into small pieces with scissors, discarding the stalks and the seeds. Soak the pieces in warm water for at least 20 minutes. Dry them thoroughly with paper towels.

Toast the cinnamon stick, cumin seeds and coriander seeds in the dry pan until they’re fragrant. Then grind the paste, starting with the dried chillies and the salt, followed by the toasted spices, the remaining dry spices, and the lemongrass. Peel the shallots and garlic, cut the coriander root into small pieces, and pound them into the paste, followed by the grated nutmeg and the kapi.

Keep grinding until the paste is as smooth as possible, and everything is thoroughly incorporated.

To make the curry, melt the ghee in a large frying pan, and gently brown the meat. You will need to do this in batches.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok or saucepan, then add the paste, and fry until it’s very fragrant. Add the meat, shallots, potatoes and the coconut cream, and stir them thoroughly into the paste. Then add the coconut milk, raisins (if using) and water, bring up to the boil, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Now add the tamarind paste, cardamom, palm sugar and nam pla and gently simmer, partially covered, for another 30-40 minutes, until the meat is tender. About 10 minutes before you finish cooking, add the peanuts.

Finally, taste the curry and adjust the seasoning. You’re looking for a sour start to its taste, which then develops in the mouth to become sweet and savoury.

Kay Plunkett-Hogge / BBC

Ingredients

• 1 English cucumber, sliced into rounds
• 3 tablespoons plain thick yogurt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or 1 teaspoon white vinegar)
• ¼ cup minced red onion
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Preparation

Slice cucumber into rounds, toss with remaining ingredients.

Endless Meal

Ingredients

• 750 g pork shoulder, cut into 1" pieces
• 4 tbsp. vegetable or coconut oil
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 500g red onions, finely sliced
• 5 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 small green chiles, stalks removed
• 10 curry leaves
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. tamarind pulp
• 6 small sweet pickled onions, each cut into 2
• 20g fresh cilantro, finely chopped

for the paste:

• 5cm cinnamon stick
• 6 crushed cardamom pods
• 1 tsp. black peppercorns
• 10 cloves
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 10 cloves garlic
• 5 cm piece peeled ginger
• 60ml malt vinegar

Preparation

Grind together the paste ingredients, starting with the largest spices first, then adding the cumin and coriander seeds, and blend to a fine consistency. Add the chilli and turmeric powders and mix well. Add the garlic and ginger and grind, adding the vinegar to make a paste.

Rub the paste into the diced pork and leave to sit for at least an hour or overnight in a refrigerator.

Heat the oil in a wide, pan (one that has a lid) over a medium-low flame, add the mustard seeds and let crackle for 30 seconds. Add the onions and fry until soft and golden. Add the tomatoes, chillies and curry leaves, and cook until the tomatoes start to break down.

Add the pork and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook for 10-12 minutes stirring continually until the pork browns. Add 250ml of water, stir well, add the jaggery, salt and tamarind and mix through. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, turn the heat right down and cook gently for 45-60 minutes.

Check the amount of liquid in the pan and, if needed, cook for another 15 minutes, or until the meat is very tender and the sauce has thickened.

Scatter the pickled onions and chopped coriander over the dish and serve hot.

Vivek Singh / BBC

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons almond or vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon of each
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cup flour
• 1 cup raspberry preserves
• 1 cup fresh raspberries divided
• 8 tablespoons butter, chilled
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
• 3-6 tablespoons milk, as needed

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x8 inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine melted butter, sugar, and extract. Stir together. Add salt and flour and stir. Press dough into prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Stir and gently mash half of the fresh raspberries into the raspberry preserves. Spread filling onto prepared crust. Top with remaining fresh raspberries.

Dice the chilled butter into small cubes. In a medium bowl stir together brown sugar, oats, flour, and salt. Add butter and mash with a fork (or pulse in a food processor!) until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle over filling.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool before cutting into bars. While cooling, prepare the glaze by stirring together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to make the glaze easily pourable. Drizzle over bars and serve.

Creme de la Crumb

Ingredients

• 1 cup (7 ounces) whole urad beans with skin
• 4 cups water, plus more for soaking
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 medium (10 ounces) white onion, cut into chunks
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• One (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut in half
• 4 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter, divided (may substitute extra-virgin olive oil)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream or creme fraiche (may substitute nondairy yogurt)
• 2 tablespoons loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Pick through the beans and discard any dirt or stones, then transfer to a medium bowl and rinse under running water. Add enough water to cover the beans by 1 inch and soak overnight (8 to 12 hours). Drain.

In a medium saucepan or Dutch oven over high heat, combine the beans with the 4 cups water and baking soda. Bring to a rolling boil, then lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook the beans until they are tender and almost falling apart, 30 to 45 minutes. Transfer the beans with their liquid to a large bowl. Rinse the saucepan and wipe it dry.

Combine the onion and garlic in a blender. Chop half the ginger, add it to the blender and pulse until the vegetables form a smooth paste. (If needed, add a bit of the liquid from the dal to the blender to help things move around.)

Return the saucepan or Dutch oven to medium-high heat, and melt 2 tablespoons of the ghee. Add the garam masala and turmeric and cook, stirring, until the spices release their aroma, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook until darkened, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in the onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has cooked away and the ghee has started pooling in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the cooked beans and their liquid and stir in the salt and cayenne. Taste, and add more salt if needed.

Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook at a boil for a few minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the beans from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the cream and remove from the heat.

Cut the remaining ginger into matchsticks. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee. Add the remaining ginger and fry until the ginger starts to turn golden brown, about 1 minute. Pour the fried ginger and ghee over the dal. Garnish with the cilantro, if using, and serve hot, with plain rice or flatbread, and yogurt or raita on the side.

WaPo

Ingredients

• 200g de lardons
• 800g de cubes de potiron (ou courge butternut)
• 1 oignon
• 400g de tomates pelées en cubes
• 1 l d’eau
• 2 cubes de bouillon de volaille
• 2 c à s d’huile d’olive
• 1 gousse d’ail
• 1 bouquet garni
• poivre et sel

Preparation

Faites revenir à bon feu les cubes de potiron, l’oignon haché, et l’ail émincé dans une casserole contenant l’huile d’olive. Après 2 min, ajoutez les tomates, l’eau, les cubes de bouillon émiettés et le bouquet garni. Portez à ébullition et laissez mijoter 25 min à feu doux. Laissez reposer 5 min.

Pendant ce temps, faites rissoler les lardons dans une poêle anti-adhésive, sans matière grasse, en débutant la cuisson à feu doux et en l’augmentant quand le gras commence à fondre. Égouttez-les sur du papier absorbant.

Retirez le bouquet garni de la soupe et mixez-la finement. Ajoutez les lardons et rectifiez l’assaisonnement.

Servez bien chaud, avec du pain.

Delhaize

Ingredients

• 5 ounces raw pepitas (about 1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• ½ cup shallots (finely chopped)
• 1 jalapeño (stemmed, seeded and finely chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• Kosher salt
• ¼ cup parsley (lightly packed)
• ¼ cup cilantro (lightly packed)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice (freshly squeezed)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon orange zest (finely grated)
• Tortilla chips (for serving)

Preparation

In a large skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds over moderate heat, tossing occasionally, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor.

In the skillet, heat the canola oil until shimmering. Add the shallots, jalapeño, garlic and a generous pinch of salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the food processor and let cool.

Add the parsley, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, orange zest and 1/4 cup of water to the food processor and puree until nearly smooth. Season with salt. Transfer the sikil pak to a bowl and serve with tortilla chips.

Food & Wine

Ingredients

for the sponge

• 50 grams walnut pieces
• 225 grams caster sugar
• 225 grams soft unsalted butter (plus some for greasing)
• 200 grams plain flour
• 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 4 large eggs
• 1 - 2 tablespoons milk

for the frosting

• 350 grams icing sugar
• 175 grams soft unsalted butter
• 2½ teaspoons instant espresso powder (dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water)
• approx. 10 walnut halves (to decorate)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/gas mark 4/350°F.
2. Butter two 20cm / 8inch sandwich tins and line the base of each with baking parchment.
3. Put the walnut pieces and sugar into a food processor and blitz to a fine nutty powder.
4. Add the 225g/2 sticks butter, flour, 4 teaspoons espresso powder, baking powder, bicarb and eggs and process to a smooth batter.
5. Add the milk, pouring it down the funnel with the motor still running, or just pulsing, to loosen the cake mixture: it should be a soft, dropping consistency, so add more milk if you need to. (If you are making this by hand, bash the nuts to a rubbly powder with a rolling pin and mix with the dry ingredients; then cream the butter and sugar together, and beat in some dry ingredients and eggs alternately and, finally, the milk.)
6. Divide the mixture between the 2 lined tins and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the sponge has risen and feels springy to the touch.
7. Cool the cakes in their tins on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, before turning them out onto the rack and peeling off the baking parchment.
8. When the sponges are cool, you can make the buttercream.
9. Pulse the icing sugar in the food processor until it is lump free, then add the butter and process to make a smooth icing.
10. Dissolve the instant espresso powder in 1 tablespoon boiling water and add it while still hot to the processor, pulsing to blend into the buttercream.
11. If you are doing this by hand, sieve the icing sugar and beat it into the butter with a wooden spoon.
12. Then beat in the hot coffee liquid.
13. Place 1 sponge upside down on your cake stand or serving plate.
14. Spread with about half the icing; then place on it the second sponge, right side up (i.e. so the 2 flat sides of the sponges meet in the middle) and cover the top with the remaining icing in a ramshackle swirly pattern.
15. This cake is all about old-fashioned, rustic charm, so don’t worry unduly: however the frosting goes on is fine. similarly, don’t fret about some buttercream oozing out around the middle: that’s what makes it look so inviting.
16. Gently press the walnut halves into the top of the icing all around the edge of the circle about 1cm apart.

Nigella

Ingredients

• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups (350g) sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/3 cups (285g) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 cups (305g) whole milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup (60g) fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup (55g) Grand Marnier

Preparation

Heat the oven to 350° F. Oil, butter, or spray a 9-inch cake pan that is at least 2 inches deep with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. (If your cake pan is less than 2 inches deep, divide between 2 pans and start checking for doneness at 30 minutes.)

In a bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and powder. In another bowl, whisk the olive oil, milk, eggs, orange zest and juice and Grand Marnier. Add the dry ingredients; whisk until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, until the top is golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and let cool for 30 minutes.

Run a knife around the edge of the pan, invert the cake onto the rack and let cool completely, 2 hours.

Food52

Ingredients

• 6 cups (900g) fresh, ripe strawberries
• 1/2 cup to 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (100g to 125g) sugar, depending on the strawberries’ sweetness

Preparation

Heat the oven to 250° F (120° C). Rinse and hull the berries. Leave any tiny ones whole and quarter or halve the rest so they all cook at about the same rate.

In a nonreactive baking pan that will hold the strawberries closely packed in a single layer, gently toss the strawberries with the sugar, then spread in an even layer.

Roast slowly in the oven, uncovered, for 3 to 6 hours, shaking occasionally but not stirring. If they start to look dry on top, gently flip them over with a wide spatula. They are done when their juices have reduced to a syrup, but not darkened into caramel, and the berries are very jammy but not dry. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Food52