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Vegetarian spice recipes

Nadine Abensur, the author of several vegetarian cookbooks, shares four hot and spicy recipes from India, Morocco and Algeria

Chana Saag Aloo
A delicious dish from Southern India.

Serves 4

150ml sunflower oil
1 medium onion
curry powder
500g potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
400g tinned chickpeas
225g baby spinach
2 tomatoes, cut into quarters
bunch fresh coriander

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion till transparent.
2. Then add the curry powder, stir for a few minutes adding some of the water to form a paste.
3. Add the potatoes and cook for a few minutes, stirring all the time.
4. Add about 350ml water, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook till the potatoes are all but tender.
5. Now add the chickpeas, reserving the liquid and only adding it in if the whole thing begins to dry out. Add the spinach and stir till wilted.
6. Finally add the tomato quarters, and cook for just long enough for them to yield.
7. Finish with a handful of fresh coriander and serve with basmati rice and a bowl of plain yoghurt.

Sautéed Courgettes with Creamed Tomato and Almond Sauce
A creamy curry from northern India.

Serves 6

4 medium tomatoes, quartered
4–6 hot green chillis
4cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, grated and juice squeezed out
100ml sunflower oil
2 tsp ground cumin
¾ tsp turmeric
2 tbsp ground almonds
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garam masala
6 large courgettes, roughly diced
1 tbsp flaked almonds, lightly toasted
basmati rice, to serve

1. First make the sauce and set it aside. Place the tomatoes, chillies and ginger juice in a food processor and blend till smooth.
2. Heat 70ml of the oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan and add the tomato mix as well as the cumin, turmeric, ground almonds, paprika and garam masala. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for twenty minutes. Set aside while you prepare the courgettes.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan. Add the courgettes and fry till softened and beginning to catch in places. Warm the tomato sauce through once more and add the courgettes.
4. Scatter over the flaked almonds and serve at once with basmati rice.

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