Quorn and Pea Curry with Spicy Potatoes and Beetroot Thoran

If Chayne was famous enough to make an appearance on Saturday Kitchen, her food heaven would be potato. She loves it in all its forms but especially when mashed, chipped or roasted. In fact, she believes she should be the patron for the potato society because there isn't a greater advocate of the potato in the British Isles. This is partly one of the reasons we don't have rice with curry. That and the fact that Chayne thinks rice is borin'! On this one I'm going to agree. I'd much rather have these spicy potatoes on my plate than a spoonful of plain boiled rice. The potatoes were once featured in a Delicious Magazine Indian supplement, the Quorn and pea curry is my creation while the beetroot thoran is a recipe I picked up on an Indian cooking course I went on a few years ago. More on that another time. This will be enough for three.

Quorn and Pea Curry
Ingredients
Large handful of mint leaves
Large handful of coriander
2 green chillies, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves
2.5cm piece of ginger, grated
5 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
350g Quorn pieces
1 can of coconut milk
2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
150g peas

Recipe
1) Put the mint, coriander, green chillies, garlic cloves an ginger in a blender or mini chopper. You need to blend this into a paste with 4 tbsp of sunflower oil.
2) Dry fry the coriander and cumin seeds in a small frying pan. Grind in a spice or coffee grinder, or bash up with a pestle and mortar. Set aside.
3) Heat 1 tbsp of sunflower oil in a saucepan, add the onion and fry for five minutes. Then add all the spices and continue cooking for a minute. Next add the spice paste and stir around the pan for two further minutes. Then stir in the Quorn, add the coconut milk and simmer for 30 minutes.
4) Now for the peas. If you're using frozen peas (which is what I used by the way), put them in a jug, cover with boiling water and leave to stand for a minute. Then drain them and add them to the curry for the final five minutes.

Spicy Potatoes
Ingredients
15-20 new potatoes
2 tbsp sunflower oil
4 cardamom pods
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
2.5cm piece of ginger, grated
200g can of chopped tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp, chopped coriander

Recipe
1) Cut the potatoes in half and boil for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside.
2) Crush the cardamom pods with the back of a spoon. Heat the oil in a frying pan to reach a medium heat and add the cumin seeds, cinnamon stick and bay leaves. When they start to pop, add the potatoes, ginger, tomatoes, sugar and 100ml water. Season with salt, partially cover with foil or a lid if you have one and cook over a low heat until the sauce has reduced by half. Stir in the coriander.

Beetroot Thoran
Ingredients
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp grated coconut (use dessicated coconut soaked in 2 tbsp water if you can't get fresh)
3 shallots, roughly chopped
1 green chilli, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
150g fresh beetroot, grated

Recipe
1) Peel and grate the beetroot. Now you need two tablespoons of grated coconut. It is nicer fresh but if you can't get a coconut or can't be bothered with the faff (more likely!) you can use dessicated coconut. Just put it in a bowl with a couple of tablespoons of water to rehydrate.
2) Put the coconut in a mini chopper or blender with the green chilli, shallots and turmeric. Give it a quick whizz.
3) Heat the oil in a small saucepan or frying pan and add the mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add the coconut mixture and stir fry until light brown. Next add the beetroot and fry for ten minutes until it is really dry.