Indian Summer – colourful Indian cuisine

Recipes: Thulisa Martins assisted by Nomvuselelo Mncube. Styling by Linda Bean assisted by Thulisa Martins. Photographs: Dylan Swart. Article from the February 2015 issue of Food and Home Entertaining Magazine.

Do you love curry and spices? This fresh, light and summery take on Indian Cuisine will delight your senses. Plus, the jewel colours of the dishes will really make the table pop.

Black pilau rice with mango and toasted coconut

Serves 6 EASY 30 mins

The flavour combinations

400g black rice, cooked in vegetable stock

80g butter

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

10ml (2 tsp) pilau rice spice

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

100g coconut flakes, toasted

2 fresh mangoes, peeled, pitted and cut into wedges

small handful microherbs, to garnish small handful edible flowers, to serve thinly sliced and pan-fried baby carrots, to serve (optional)

How to do it

1. Drain the rice of any excess liquid and dab with paper towel, if needed. Melt the butter over low-medium heat, add the garlic and spice, stir to combine and cook the spice, taking care not to let it burn, 2 minutes. Add the rice and toss to make sure it’s fully coated. Season to taste.

2. Assemble the rice together with the coconut flakes, mango, microherbs and edible flowers on a large platter. Add the carrots, if desired, and serve.

To cook black rice, simmer every 200g rice in 500ml (2 cups) water or vegetable stock until tender. 45 minutes – 1 hour

Korma lamb cutlets with pomegranate reduction

Serves 6 EASY 1 hr

The flavour combinations

1kg rack of lamb

100g korma curry paste

45ml (3 tbsp) olive oil

Sauce

350ml pomegranate juice

50ml pomegranate molasses (available at select Woolworths and delis)

rubies from 2 pomegranates, to serve flash-fried aubergine strips, to serve (optional)

How to do it

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Coat the lamb with the curry paste and olive oil and roast in the oven, 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let the lamb rest, at least 10 minutes, before slicing into cutlets.

2. For the sauce, heat the pomegranate juice and molasses over medium heat in a saucepan until it has reduced by half, 30 minutes.

3. Serve the lamb drizzled with the pomegranate reduction and sprinkled with pomegranate rubies. Add a side of aubergines, if desired.

Garam masala pan-seared tuna with bulgur wheat and roasted tomatoes

Serves 6 EASY 30 mins

The flavour combinations

Tomatoes

handful multicoloured Rosa tomatoes, some kept whole and others halved

olive oil, to roast

salt and freshly ground black

pepper, to taste

Tuna

500g fresh tuna steaks

10ml (2tsp) olive/avocado oil

10ml (2 tsp) garam masala

Bulgur Wheat

45ml (3 tbsp) olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

10ml (2 tsp) garam masala

350g bulgur wheat, cooked

1 cucumber, thinly sliced, to serve small handful microherbs, to serve

How to do it

1. For the tomatoes, preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the Rosa tomatoes on a lined roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil. Season and roast, 10 minutes.

2.  For the tuna, fully coat the steaks with the olive oil and spice and refrigerate to marinate briefly, 15 minutes. Heat a non-stick pan over high heat and sear the tuna, 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and set aside to rest before cutting into thin slices. Drizzle with the juices from the pan.

3. For the bulgur wheat, heat the olive oil, garlic and spice in a frying pan over medium heat, while stirring, until the spice has cooked, 5-10 minutes. Toss in the bulgur wheat and stir until fully combined. Arrange with the tuna, cucumber, microherbs and tomatoes on a platter and serve.

Prawn pakora with creamy beetroot dip

Serves 6 EASY 30 mins

The flavour combinations

Prawns

700g pink prawns, cleaned and shelled

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Batter

200g self-raising flour, sifted

250ml (1 cup) cold water

2 curry leaves, finely crushed

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed dried chilli flakes, to sprinkle

self-raising flour, to dust vegetable oil, to fry

Dip

3 medium beetroots, boiled and peeled

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

50ml fresh cream

mango achar, to serve

How to do it

1. For the prawns, season them and set aside in the fridge while making the batter.

2. For the batter, whisk together all of the ingredients until well combined.

3. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or deep pot to 180°C. Dust the prawns in flour until lightly coated and dip them in the batter using a slotted spoon. Deep-fry the prawns until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

4. For the dip, blitz the beetroot in a food processor until smooth. Season, stir in the cream and serve immediately with the hot prawns and mango achar.

Cook’s Tips

For a bubblier batter, use soda water. For a spicier result, add more chilli to the batter.

Soji custard pots with red apple

Serves 6 EASY 30 mins

The flavour combinations

250ml (1 cup) fresh cream

2 cinnamon sticks

50g semolina

100ml water

100g sweetened condensed milk

50g almonds, toasted

1 red apple, thinly sliced and soaked in lemonade to prevent browning

How to do it

1.Heat the cream with the cinnamon sticks in a saucepan over medium heat until just before boiling. Set aside to infuse.

2. In a saucepan, stir together the semolina and water until combined and place over low heat until it starts to thicken, 10 minutes. Stir in the condensed milk and cinnamon cream and continue to cook until it reaches a thick-custard consistency. Remove the cinnamon sticks and set aside to cool.

3. Fill shot glasses with the custard, top with the almonds and apple slices and serve.

Cook’s Tips

Using lemonade, instead of lemon, to stop apples from browning lends great flavour without making the apples sour.

Rose-water lemonade

Serves 6 EASY 15 mins

The flavour combinations

juice of 4 lemons

120g castor sugar

1L cold water

50ml rose water

6 drops rose essence + extra, if desired

lemon slices, to serve

small handful rose petals, to serve

How to do it

1. Stir together the lemon juice, sugar and water until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the rose water and essence.

2. Chill the mixture in a sterilised jar, then seal and refrigerate until needed. This can be made 1 day in advance. Serve with lemon slices and rose petals.

Blueberry, granadilla. and papaya lassi mini cheesecakes

Makes 6 EASY 30 mins + 2 hrs, to set

The flavour combinations

Cheesecake

30ml (2 tbsp) gelatine powder

30ml (2 tbsp) cold water

15ml (1 tbsp) hot water

50g castor sugar

2 medium papayas, peeled, seeded and mashed until smooth

pulp of 1 granadilla + extra, to garnish

100ml fresh cream/double-thick plain yoghurt

250g mascarpone

Blueberry layer

15ml (1 tbsp) gelatine powder

250ml (1 cup) cold water

250g fresh blueberries + extra, to garnish

slices of papaya, to garnish (optional)

How to do it

1. For the cheesecake, sprinkle the gelatine powder into the cold water and allow it to sponge, about 5 minutes, then stir in the hot water and sugar to dissolve completely. Mix together the papaya, granadilla, cream or yoghurt and mascarpone in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in the gelatine mixture. Spoon the mixture into small, disposable styrofoam cups, taking care to leave space for the blueberry mixture, and refrigerate to set, 1 hour.

2. For the blueberry layer, sponge the gelatine in 30ml (2 tbsp) of the 250ml (1 cup) water, about 5 minutes. Heat the remaining cold water until very warm. Stir the gelatine mixture into the warm water until combined. Set aside at room temperature until cool, 10 minutes. Stir in the blueberries and spoon the mixture over the set cheesecakes. Return to the fridge to set for a further hour.

3. Remove the cheesecakes from the fridge and peel off the cups to reveal the layers. Serve garnished with blueberries, granadilla pulp and slices of papaya, if desired.

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