Book review
Aubergine coconut rice
Chetna’s Indian Feasts
By Chetna Makan Hamlyn (£26)
The incredibly sweet Chetna Makan was intro- duced to the public via The Great British Bake Off in 2014, and since then she has published six recipe books – the most recent of which is Chetna’s Indian Feasts. In it, she unveils feast- ing for all occasions, whether it’s a simple night in for two or a festive event. This book feels like Makan really knows how
to give the people what they want, through accessible recipes that start with a section dubbed ‘Friday Night Takeaway’, filled with dishes you might find on an Indian takeaway menu. The prawn vindaloo is one of them, giv- ing a slight variation on a curry house classic. Vegetarian recipes vastly outweigh any meat
dishes – Makan explains that when she was growing up her father was vegetarian, and now her husband is too, so even though she eats meat it has never played a huge role in her life. A recipe for aubergine coconut rice shows how she knows her way around plant-based as she celebrates the aubergine’s flavour rather than hiding it away. A daal fry sees three dif- ferent lentils and two tadkas (spices cooked in oil or ghee) to maximise the dish’s punch. As Makan only moved to the UK in 2004, previously working in Mumbai, you get a beautiful balance to the book, with ingredi- ents that won’t be too hard to find coupled with local’s knowledge and insight. She teaches that growing up in India, saag meant mustard leaves rather than the spinach served in UK curry houses, and so what we would call saag aloo, she would refer to as palak aloo. Being a baker, Makan doesn’t forget to include dessert. A chocolate cardamom car- amel cake is infused with Indian spices for a decadent feast, while a biscoff cheesecake delight is measured in two small portions under the section ‘Feasts for Two’. The dou- ble ka meetha shows how Indians make their version of bread and butter pudding. While not groundbreaking, this book pro-
vides comfort cooking to the max. If you’re looking to please the public with warm, hearty meals, Makan is a great person to look to. By Maria Mellor
38 | The Caterer | 24 November 2023
I love aubergine – it has such an amazing flavour if you cook it properly, and this delicious all-in- one meal is the perfect example of well-prepared aubergine com- bined with the usual basic spices. The addition of curry leaves, tam- arind and fresh coconut add lovely tone and texture. If you have lefto- ver rice, it’s the perfect excuse for making this stunning dish.
4tbs sunflower oil 1tsp mustard seeds 1 onion, thinly sliced 10-12 fresh curry leaves 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 2.5cm dice 1 aubergine, cut into 2.5cm dice 1tsp salt 1tsp chilli powder 1tsp garam masala 2tsp ground coriander 1tsp tamarind paste 1tsp soft brown sugar 80g grated fresh coconut 400g cooked basmati rice
Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium–low heat and add the mustard seeds. Cook for 1-2 min- utes until they begin to pop, then add the onion and curry leaves and cook over a medium heat for five minutes until the onion begins to colour. Add the potato and aubergine
to the pan and cook over a high heat for two minutes until they begin to colour. Now cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook for 12 minutes or until the potato and aubergine are cooked through. Next, stir in the salt and spices,
the tamarind, sugar and the grated coconut flesh and cook over a low heat for a couple of minutes until everything is mixed well. Then stir in the cooked rice and
cook over a high heat for five min- utes, stirring continuously, until the rice is completely heated through. Serve immediately.
www.thecaterer.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96
