ALL THE RIGHT STUFF - THE GUARDIAN
I like to think every object in my living space has a story, and especially in my kitchen (where the core of Ayurvedic magic happens!). For The Guardian, I talked about some of the things I cherish the most, from my two rescue dogs, Arjuna and Bheema, and my terrier Julie, to the flowers I like to save before the florists near my flat throw them away. As for my fav knick-knacks, you can find many of them in my Kitchen Bench section, so you can properly kit your home out!
In my kitchen with Julie, The Guardian
Speaking of my kitchen, I also shared one of my favourite recipes with The Guardian: pink pepper lamb hotpot. Inspired by Lancashire hotpot, this recipe renders a medley of ingredients, including tougher cuts of meat, into a melt-in-the-mouth, easy-to-digest dish. I’ve added pink peppercorns, which are one of my latest favourite flavours in the spice pantry. Slightly sweet and reminiscent of juniper berries, they are often paired with mild-flavoured white fish and asparagus, but here they shine with sweet squash, turnips and lamb.
Because lamb can often be quite fatty, I like to serve hotpot with a sauteed red cabbage salad, its pink colour offering a nod to the pink peppercorns that have disappeared into the layers of the hotpot. It’s also perfect with mint for freshness and a chutney or two.
Pink pepper lamb hotpot, The Guardian
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
500g diced lamb, mutton neck fillet or shoulder
Salt and black pepper
1½ tbsp butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
½ large butternut squash (about 600g), peeled and cut into 5mm slices
150g turnips, cut into 5mm slices
1½-2 tbsp pink peppercorns, crushed
4 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
2 bay leaves
1 large leek, sliced into 5mm rounds
500ml bouillon stock
For the red cabbage:
1 tbsp ghee
1 tsp black mustard seeds
300g thinly shredded red cabbage
15-20g mint leaves, chopped
½-1 tbsp lemon juice sea salt, to taste
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas 3. Season the meat lightly .
- Butter a 24cm high-sided casserole dish and arrange a third of the sliced butternut squash and turnips in the bottom. Season with a little of the crushed pink peppercorns and sprinkle with thyme. Lay the meat on top and add the bay leaves, then season in the same way, followed by the leek, also seasoned with pink peppercorns and thyme.
- Arrange the remaining slices of squash and turnips on top of the leek like overlapping fish scales, and season with salt and pink peppercorns. Pour enough stock over the top to come just up to the base of the topping (lift up a piece to check), then brush with the melted butter.
- Cover and bake for 2 hours, then uncover and bake for another 30-40 minutes, or until the top is golden and crisp.
- Around 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, make the sauteed red cabbage. Heat the ghee in a large frying pan and add the mustard seeds. Saute them until they begin to pop and become fragrant. Add the red cabbage and saute for 10-15 minutes, or until just tender, adding 1-2 tbsp water if needed.
- Toss through the other ingredients and serve immediately alongside the hotpot.