DESHIWEB: May 2016

Beat the heat with smoothies

Is the heat making it tough for you to maintain your health? Summer is here and to avoid health hazards, here are some recipes for home-made smoothies that act as a perfect healing drink for your skin and help maintain the metabolism.

Here are recipes of two refreshing smoothies:

Coconut water mixed fruits smoothie

Ingredients

1 cup Coconut water
½ cup Chopped carrots
½ cup Strawberries
1 orange
½ cup chopped mangoes

Preparation

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Coconut water is a power house of important electrolytes, carrots, strawberries, oranges and mangoes contain antioxidants and vitamins which are beneficial for the skin. This drink is teeming with the same vitamins and nutrients you can find in some of the most sought-after skin products.

Ingredients

1 medium banana
1 ½ cups fresh pineapple, diced
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger
½ cup Greek yogurt - choose any flavor you like
½ cup fresh pineapple juice - you can also use water if you want

Preparation

Blend all of these ingredients together and enjoy. Fresh ginger gives this powerful smoothie great metabolic properties. You can substitute your favorite citrus if you are not partial to pineapple, but if you want your healthy drink to taste like a tropical piña colada, this is what you need.

THE SCOOP ON ICE-CREAM

Have you ever wondered why we like ice cream so much? Other than the fact that it is refreshing in the summer and it also gives us a bit of extra energy, there is actually more to this creamy goodness than meets the eye. Unlike everything else in life, ice cream understands your need for individuality. Whether you are a busy ambitious person juggling three jobs or someone taking a break and enjoying the little things in life, there are enough flavours to suit every mood! That might get confusing at times, here's a little a guide to all things ice cream!

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed. Food: Cold Stone Creamery Bangladesh

Ice cream parlours

Fruity flavours: Strawberry, blueberry, cherry, mango and even coconut – these flavours will enhance your summer experience! Light and airy, these are sure to leave a lingering taste in your mouth. Be sure to try the strawberry sherbet from Cream and Fudge, and the cherry mania from Club Gelato. The velvety texture of raspberry and strawberry sorbet from Movenpick is also a summer must-have.

Chocolate flavours: The most popular ice creams are in delicious chocolatey flavours. Whether it is the mouth-watering chocolate fudge ice cream from the largest ice cream brand Baskin-Robbins or the heavenly Swiss chocolate ice cream from its Swiss contender, Movenpick, these flavours are perfect for the cocoa-loving crowd. This summer, be sure to try out the English toffee flavour from New Zealand Natural costing Tk 200 a scoop. Its thick creamy taste will be a treat you won't forget. Also, check out the hazelnut, almond and praline and other nutty flavours which are available in all ice cream parlours.

Coffee flavours: For all those caffeine addicts who like their ice cream slightly bitter, Cream and Fudge offers flavours such as espresso cookie crunch and nutty coffee crunch at Tk 295 which have the combined goodness of coffee and ice cream, mixed with your favourite topping. Also, be sure to try out the cappuccino flavour from Club Gelato, and the espresso croquant from Movenpick.

Soft ice cream
A rarity in the ice cream scene in Bangladesh, the soft ice cream is quite a treat to the taste buds. Available in BFC and a few other fast food chains, these are only found in vanilla and chocolate flavours.

Frozen yoghurts
When it comes to frozen yoghurts, nothing beats YoBerries. With plenty of flavours and toppings to choose from, they give you the full liberty of making your own favourite frozen yoghurt. You pick fruity flavours such as blueberry and guava and then add fruits on top of it or you can pick chocolatey flavours and top it with chocolates for a delicious snack.

Golas
Golas, which is basically crushed ice topped with syrups of a variety of flavours, are a subcontinental favourite. These are street delights that are refreshing and affordable. You can opt for fruity flavours such as lemon, grape, orange or strawberry or you can try the famous cola flavour. These can be found in street carts, or big malls such as Bashundhara City. Summer is never complete without a good gola!

Departmental store ice cream
Lollies and popsicles: Igloo offers iced lollies in two flavours – orange and lemon. These will leave you feeling chilled on a hot summer afternoon and even colour your tongue in fun orange or green. You could try out pop from Bloop, especially the cola flavour. If you are a fan of both lollies and ice cream, you should try out the Shell and Core of Igloo, if you haven't already. This is vanilla ice cream at its “the core”, coated with strawberry flavoured lolly, which is “the shell”.

Cones and cups: Bellisimo Perfecto and Igloo Belgian chocolate is a must-have this summer! In classic ice cream flavours topped with nuts and served in a crunchy cone, these are perfect for cravings even when your pocket is relatively empty. These brands also sell ice cream in cups, but with a higher variety of flavours. This summer, try the guava flavour by Bellisimo, which is sure to surprise you with its deliciousness.

Chocbars: A Bangladeshi favourite, Chocbars are basically ice cream with a thin outer shell of either white or milk chocolate. You can try the Chocbars from Igloo, especially Ego, which tastes brilliant with its nutty outer shell, or you could also try Bloop, Kwality magnum and Zan'Zee.

Family packs: For movie nights with friends or family, the double sundae boxes of lgloo can be a lifesaver, as it has two flavours in each box. Even ice cream has its Deshi twist, and those of you who enjoy Deshi flavours must try the nawabi mithai of Igloo and the Dolce Malai of Bellisimo.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed. Food: Cold Stone Creamery Bangladesh

New arrivals: Igloos blueberry yoghurt ice cream is a must have this summer. For all those chocolate lovers out there, there is the butter pecan flavour. Light and airy, these are sure to make your taste buds crave for more!

Other ways to eat ice cream
For those days where all you feel like eating is ice cream, but need something a bit more heavy, eat ice cream with waffles. Yellow Submarine has a variety of waffles snacks which they serve with ice cream. One of their best sellers is the red velvet waffle which is a mixture of cream cheese, red velvet waffles and your favourite ice cream. You can also try their banana split which comes with three scoops of three different ice creams, or go for a nutty waffle, which is served with strawberry ice cream. Nothing beats vanilla ice cream sundae with a brownie on a hot summer evening. You can find this in any dessert shop or you can make it at home by buying your favourite brownie and eating it with your favourite sundae.

Almost all of these flavours and types can be found in one of the most exciting new ice-cream places in Dhaka right now, Cold Stone Creamery. America’s most beloved ice-cream brand launched in Dhaka back in February and has been turning heads ever since. They have some of the most exciting flavours you will find right now, including the Cheesecake Fantasy, Cookie Monster, the Berry Berry Berry Good - and, a personal favourite, the 'Germanchokolatekake', which comes with ice-cream pecans, coconuts, brownie and caramel.

Their shakes and smoothies will reinvigorate you in hot summer heat and are a lot more mellowed than their ice-cream if you want something on the lighter side.

So, this summer, beat the heat with the best ice creams!

By Adiba Mahbub Proma
Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed
Food: Cold Stone Creamery Bangladesh

Just want to hold on to music -- Luipa

Luipa, one of the new-gen singers of the country, has had a passion for music since her childhood. After she came up fourth in a popular musical talent hunt show she hasn't had to look back, and many doors have opened up for her. In a recent chit-chat with The Daily Star, the singer talked about music and more. Excerpts:

How did you develop a passion for music?

Luipa: In my childhood my teacher came to teach me music at our Bogra home. During my school days, I received a number of awards in musical competitions: National Child Award Competition, National Education Week Prize, Notun Kuri Completion 2000 and Shapla Kuri. I also travelled to Japan and Nepal as a child artiste.

As an adult, how did your career take off?

Luipa: I came into the spotlight after securing fourth position at Channel i Shera Kontho 2010. Since then, I have been busy with music. I'm still learning, though, under the guidance of Priyanka Gope.

How rewarding is it to be a live performer?

Luipa: After at Channel i Shera Kontho, I became very busy with stage shows, and it has taken me to some fantastic places. I have traveled to France, Spain, Qatar, Lebanon, Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan, and that has been a very rewarding experience.

What is your take on playback singing?

Luipa: I love singing playback because when a film song becomes a hit, people are humming it everywhere; that counts as a great success for any singer. I have done playback for films, and want to do more in coming days.

Who do you draw your artistic inspiration from?

Luipa: Nilufar Yasmin, Sabina Yasmin, Runa Laila, Sahnaz Rahmatullah and Samina Chowdhury. Our country has such extraordinary singers, I don't have to look far for inspiration.

Do you do anything besides singing?

Luipa: I have hosted some TV programmes for Channel i, Rtv and Asian TV, but I have put all that aside; I just want to hold on to music.

Author: Shah Alam Shazu,
Source: http://www.thedailystar.net

Mousumi & Omar Sani to receive Best Couple award

National Film Award winning actress Mousumi and popular actor Omar Sani first appeared together in the film ‘Dola’, which was released in 1994. Then they began their journey together on August 2, 1996. During the past 20 years, they have been regarded as one of the more popular and well known couples in the Bangladesh entertainment industry. Now for the first time, the couple will be awarded with the ‘Best Couple’ award in the Commitment Personality Awards by Commitment Cultural Academy on May 11. The news has been confirmed by the organisation’s president Md Yunus Talukdar Raju and general secretary Tanzila Akhtar Pew. The award will be conferred to the couple at Radisson Hotel’s Ballroom on May 11, the day when the organisation will be celebrating completing a decade.

Omar Sani said over the phone, “Mousumi and I had been working together for more than 20 years. We have been honoured separately before, but this is the first time that we are being honoured together. We are very grateful to Commitment Cultural Academy for the honour.”

May 11 will certainly be a special day for Mousumi as on that day, she will also be receiving the Best Actress award in the National Film Awards for her performance in the film ‘Tarkata’, directed by Mustafa Kamal Raj. She said, “It is extremely a joyous occasion for me that on the very same day I will be awarded at the National Film Awards and Omar Sani and I will be honoured with another award. I will certainly be missing my son Fardin on this glorious day. I am very grateful to Commitment Cultural Academy.”

To note, Mousumi won the National Film Award for both her performances in Nargis Akhter’s ‘Meghla Akash’ and ‘Devdas’ by late noted director Chashi Nazrul Islam. Omar Sani-Mousumi –acted notable films are ‘Atto Ahongkar’, ‘Prothom Prem’, ‘Muktir Sangram’, ‘Harano Prem’, ‘Goriber Rani’, ‘Priyo Tumi’, ‘Mittha Ohongkar’, ‘Sukher Swarga’, ‘Ghaath Pratighaath’, ‘Lojja’, ‘Kotha Daow’, ‘Sneher Bandon’ ‘Saheb Namey Golam’, ‘Bhalobashbey Toh’, among others.

Tips: Protect your skin from pollution

Pollution is the buzzword in skincare for 2016, thanks to new research into exactly what it does to your skin. It's not all doom and smoggy gloom though, as it's easy to protect yourself with the latest air defenses.

So, why is everyone talking about pollution?

Clearly nobody ever thought dirty air was great for skin, but now we know exactly why it can add years on to you. A quick science fact — air pollution is made up of particles that love latching onto your face. Some bind to the fats in your skin, while others are tiny enough to slip in through your pores.

Icky, admittedly. But how bad can a bit of mucky air be?

Very. First of all, pollution attacks the skin barrier; so your first line of defence is breached. Moisture drains away and skin gets dry and rough. A weakened barrier also leaves you wide open to skin allergies, so you can suddenly react to products you've used for years.

Is pollution actually going to make me look old?

Afraid so. Pollutant particles trigger free radicals, which cause the same sort of aging that too much sun can lead to. It's not just a case of early onset wrinkles either. "There's a link between air pollution and pigmentation spots on the forehead and cheeks, which previously were thought to be caused solely by the sun," says pollution expert Dr Jean Krutman.

I don't live in a city. So I'm okay, right?

Obviously the more polluted the air you breathe, the greater the ill effects. However, research shows 90 per cent of people living in built-up areas are breathing polluted air. It doesn't just come from gridlocked traffic or factory fumes either. For instance, cigarette smoke (including the passive variety) is packed with pollutant particles. Plus, research is now looking at indoor sources of air pollution, from stoves and fireplaces to foam insulation and even computer printers!

Sun and smog — double trouble

SPF itself won't protect you from pollution, but skipping it will make the UV damage worse. Why? Well, UV and air toxins work as a kind of skin supervillain tag team, which means a combination of sun exposure and a polluted environment causes more damage than the two things individually. In short, wear SPF all year round.

Boost your air defences with these beauty wonders

You can fight back effects of pollution by tweaking your beauty regime:

Cleanse

Step one has to be shifting pollutant particles that sit on your skin's surface or lodge in follicles. Sonic cleansing brushes remove more dirt than manual cleaning.

Exfoliate

Getting shot of the dead, dulling, polluted cells on your skin surface is another must. Go for a product that's gentle enough to use at least three times a week.

Treat

We've moved beyond the cliche of a mud pack and cucumber slices — high-tech masks are huge for 2016. Defending masques not only boost the skin barrier while it's on the face, but also blocks receptors that pollutants normally lock onto in between treatments.

Up the anti

Anti-oxidants are vital for neutralising the free radical carnage unleashed by pollution. Wear a day cream packed with antioxidant vitamins, and add in a vitamin C serum. As well as being a potent antioxidant, it helps curb and even reverse age spots triggered by pollution.

Block it

Foundation blocks the amount of pollutant particles that can latch on and penetrate into your skin.

SPRING GREEN AND COCONUT DAL

A colourful and healthy meal. Turmeric and ginger are anti-inflammatory and therefore good for digestion, as is coconut oil, which metabolises well. Organic coconut oil is available to order alongside our veg boxes; it’s great for stir-fries and curries, or for roasting veg as it has a slightly different flavour to other oils.

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, finely sliced
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped, grated or crushed
4cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 red chilli, finely sliced
1 tsp black mustard seeds
¼ tsp ground turmeric
1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
100g yellow mung dal lentils, rinsed in a sieve
1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
200g spring or summer greens, tough ribs removed, leaves finely shredded
handful of coriander leaves
a squeeze of lime or lemon juice
toasted coconut chips or toasted desiccated coconut, to garnish
salt

Melt the coconut oil in a large pan. Add the onion and fry on a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn up the heat a little and add the garlic, ginger, chilli, mustard seeds and turmeric. Stir for about 1 minute, until you hear the mustard seeds start to pop. Stir the coconut milk in the can then pour into the pan with the lentils and ground coriander and cumin. Fill the coconut milk can half full with water and add that too. Bring up to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the greens, stirring in small handfuls at a time, then cook for a further 5–10 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the greens wilted. Keep an eye on the liquid and add more water if needed. Season the dal with salt, stir in the fresh coriander and add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice to taste. Serve the dal prinkled with toasted coconut and a few extra coriander leaves.

Variations

* Use red lentils if you can’t find yellow mung dal lentils
* Use cabbage, spinach or chard instead of the greens
* Add a ‘tarka’, a spicy oil, to sprinkle on the top of the dal before serving for an extra kick of spice and chilli: gently heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a small pan then add 1 teaspoon each of black mustard seeds and cumin seeds, 1 finely sliced large garlic clove and a good pinch of chilli flakes and fry, stirring constantly, for 1–2 minutes until the mustard seeds are popping

riverford.co.uk

VEGETARIAN ‘NIÇOISE’

This is a vegetarian version of the Mediterranean summer classic. It uses capers in place of anchovies for saltiness – although you could use both. Marjoram is a similar herb to oregano, but slightly sweeter and with a floral aroma.

600g new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into halves or quarters depending on size
8 eggs
300g French beans, topped and tailed
250g cherry tomatoes, cut in half cross ways
2 large spring onions, very finely sliced
150g mixed salad leaves
about 20 pitted black olives
2 tbsp capers (if they are in brine, drain then soak in cold water for 20 minutes then drain)
small handful of basil, shredded

For the dressing
4 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
2 tsp Dijon mustard
½ lemon
3 or 4 fresh marjoram leaves or oregano sprigs, finely chopped
salt and black pepper

Put the potatoes in one pan with a good pinch of salt. Put the eggs in another pan. Cover both with water and put on a medium heat. Once the eggs come to the boil, cook for 8 minutes, drain and put in a bowl of cold water. Once the potatoes come to the boil, cook for 10–12 minutes, until easily pierced with a sharp knife. Scoop the potatoes out of the water with a slotted spoon. Add the beans to the potato water. Boil for 5 minutes, until they’re tender but still have a squeak when you bite into them. Drain and refresh in cold water, then drain again. To make the dressing, whisk the olive oil, garlic, mustard and a squeeze of lemon juice together in a large salad bowl. Stir in the chopped marjoram or oregano, then season with salt, pepper and extra lemon juice or oil to taste. Add the potatoes, beans, tomatoes, spring onion, salad leaves, olives and capers to the bowl and toss together in the dressing.

Peel the hard boiled eggs – doing this in water is easiest – then cut them length ways into quarters. Using a wet knife will help keep the yolk and white together. Tuck the eggs into the salad, scatter over the basil leaves and serve.

Variations

* Use roasted tomatoes for extra sweetness
* Add a few anchovies if you’re not vegetarian

riverford.co.uk

WARM ROASTED PEPPER & LENTIL SALAD WITH OLIVES & HALLOUMI

Halloumi is a very useful cheese to have in your fridge. It gives vegetarian dishes a salty hit and its firm texture means it stands up to frying or grilling, which brings out the flavour. If you’d prefer to make the dish vegan, it can stand up without the halloumi. As well as adding peppery flavour to salads, watercress wilts into soups, stews and warm salads too, giving extra nutrients,

4 red peppers
2 tbsp sunflower or light olive oil
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 celery sticks, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, grated or crushed
100g Puy-style lentils, rinsed in a sieve under cold water
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp dried mint
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
100g pitted black olives
1 pack (150–200g) halloumi, cut into 1–2cm-thick slices
small glug of extra virgin
olive oil
50g watercress
small handful of chopped fresh mint and/or parsley, to garnish
salt and pepper

Char and peel the peppers. While they’re cooking, heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrot and celery and fry on a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring now and then. If they look as if they might catch at any point, add a splash of water. Once softened, add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the lentils, bay leaf, oregano, cumin, mint and 300ml water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20–25 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Keep an eye on the liquid towards the end and top up with a little extra water as needed. Almost all the liquid should have been absorbed by the end of cooking. Once done, remove from the heat if the peppers aren’t quite ready. Roughly chop the peppers into strips and stir them into the lentils with the vinegar and olives. Remove the bay leaf and season to taste. Set aside while you fry the halloumi. Heat a dry non-stick frying pan, add the halloumi slices and fry for about 2 minutes on each side, until golden. Gently warm the lentils if needed, then stir in the watercress and extra virgin olive oil and serve with the halloumi slices on top, scattered with the fresh herbs.

Variation

* Instead of halloumi, crumble over some feta or goat’s cheese

riverford.co.uk

KASHA, DATE & HONEYED WALNUT BOWL WITH PICKLED RHUBARB

Kasha is an Eastern European dish that’s like a buckwheat risotto. Accompanied by pickled rhubarb, Medjool dates, fiery ginger and honey-coated walnuts, this is a blissful veggie bowl.

2 sticks of rhubarb
1 lemon
1 tsp + 1 tbsp honey
2 shallots
2 garlic cloves
a thumb of ginger
2 carrots
150g buckwheat
35g walnuts
a bunch of radishes
50g Medjool dates
100g baby leaf spinach
a pinch of cayenne pepper
150g yogurt
sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil
400ml boiling water
freshly ground pepper

Thinly slice the rhubarb. Add a pinch of salt and scrunch. Squeeze over the juice from half the lemon with 1 tsp honey. Leave to pickle.

Peel and finely chop the shallots. Peel and grate the garlic and ginger. Trim and peel the carrots. Finely chop them.

Place a pan over a medium heat. When warm, drizzle in 1 tbsp oil. Add the shallots and carrots and fry for 3 mins till just soft. Add the ginger and garlic. Cook for 1 min.

Pour the buckwheat into the pan and cover with 400ml boiling water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-17 mins till just softened but with a slight bite. Add a splash more water during cooking if needed.

Warm a frying pan over a medium heat. When hot, tip in the walnuts. Toast for 2-3 mins till darkened and nutty smelling. Pour in the honey and cook for 1 min till bubbling. Tip onto a plate.

Check the buckwheat is cooked. Drain any remaining water. Add half the spinach and fold through till it’s just wilted. Add the chopped dates and half the honeyed walnuts.

Taste and season the buckwheat. Add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper. Spoon into warm bowls. Top with the pickled rhubarb, sliced radishes, spinach and walnuts. Dollop on the yogurt. Sprinkle over a little more cayenne and serve with lemon wedges.

abelandcole.co.uk

INDIAN SPICED ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH POACHED EGGS

Hello, yellow! Sunny turmeric and golden egg yolks make this as springy as the seasonal asparagus in this gorgeous warm and spicy salad.

500g potatoes
250g asparagus
1 lemon
2 leeks
1 tbsp cornflour
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
a pinch of chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
4 eggs
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
100ml + 1 tbsp olive oil

Halve or quarter any large potatoes. Pop them in a pan. Cover with boiling water. Simmer for 10-15 mins till tender. Drain.

While the potatoes cook, snap the woody ends off the asparagus (if you bend them they will snap where the woody part of the stem ends) and discard. Trim the asparagus into 3cm long chunks. Finely grate the zest from the lemon. Juice it.

Trim the leeks. Slice a cross in the end and rinse out any grit. Slice the leeks in half lengthways. Halve again so you have 4 long lengths per leek. Slice them into long, fine, thin shreds. Put the leeks in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp cornflour and a little salt and pepper. Stir to mix them together. Set aside.

Add the turmeric, cumin seeds, chilli powder and garam masala to a small bowl. Add 1 tbsp oil and stir together. Put to one side.

Warm 100ml oil in a deep frying pan or wok for 2 mins over a medium heat. Add the leeks. Fry for 2-3 mins till golden and crisp. Lift out of the pan with a slotted spoon or tongs onto a plate lined with kitchen paper. You’ll probably need to do this in 2-3 batches.

Pour the oil out of the pan and wipe it clean with kitchen paper. Add the spice paste. Stir and fry for 1 min. Add the asparagus and boiled potatoes. Stir and fry for 5 mins till the veg are charred and tender. Take off the heat. Stir in the lemon zest and juice.

Bring a pan of water to the boil. Crack 2 eggs into separate cups. When the water is boiling, slide the eggs into the pan. Take it off the heat. Cover. Leave for 2-3 mins to poach the eggs (or cook for a little longer for set yolks). Lift out of the pan and drain on kitchen paper while you poach the remaining eggs.

Pile the spiced asparagus and potatoes onto 2 plates with the crisp leeks. Top each with 2 poached eggs. Serve straight away.

abelandcole.co.uk

TWO-LENTIL DAL & SPICED AUBERGINE

Dal translates simply to 'lentils'. It's a staple part of the Indian vegetarian diet and creates a smooth, protein-packed creamy base ready to be topped with roast vegetables: in this case, spiced aubergine, yoghurt and fresh coriander. It's a real 'dal-ing'

1 red onion
100g red lentils
1 aubergine
1 tbsp ground cumin
3 garlic cloves
15g root ginger
1 vegetable stock cube
10g fresh coriander
1 tin of green lentils
150g organic greek yoghurt
1 tbsp curry powder
olive oil
pepper
salt

Preheat oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ 425°F/ Gas 7. Cut the aubergine into quarters lengthways and slice into approx. 5cm pieces. Rub the aubergine with 1-2 tbsp olive oil and the ground cumin, then season generously with salt.

Heat a wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with 1 tbsp (2 tbsp) olive oil over a high heat. Once hot, add the aubergine and cook for 1 min each side or until coloured.

Transfer the aubergine to a baking tray (use tin foil to avoid mess!) and put it in the oven for 20-25 min or until cooked through, keep the pan for later.

Boil a kettle. Peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic. Peel the ginger (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and finely chop (or grate). Peel and dice the onion. Return the reserved pan to a medium heat with 1 tbsp (2 tbsp) olive oil.

Once hot, add the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook over a medium heat for 5 min or until softened. Add the ginger, garlic and curry powder and cook for a further 3 min.

gousto.co.uk

GOLDEN HALLOUMI, LEMON & PEAR SALAD

This recipe features warming baharat, salty halloumi, zesty lemon and refreshing pear. The different textures compliment each other beautifully and every mouthful of this protein-packed dish is bursting with goodness! Simple method- complex flavours.

1 lemon
1 pear
75g puy-style lentils
10g fresh mint
225g cypriot halloumi
20g fresh parsley
130g brown rice
1 tsp baharat
olive oil
pepper
salt

Boil a kettle. Pour rice and lentils into a sieve. Rinse thoroughly with cold water.

Add rice and lentils to a large pot with 500ml (1L) boiled water and cook over a medium heat for 25 min or until tender. Once cooked, drain, rinse and return to the pot to cool.

Meanwhile, slice the halloumi. Drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with the baharat and season generously with pepper.

Strip the mint leaves from the stems and chop finely. Chop the parsley finely, including the stalks. Add the herbs to a bowl large enough to fit the lentils and rice.

SPICED CAULIFLOWER AND COURGETTERS WITH YELLOW RICE, PISTACHIOS AND CORIANDER

You've got crunch, spice and tang - what more could you need?Ingredients
2 heads of cauliflower florets
2 courgettes, chopped
2 tsp Nigella Seeds
2 tsp turmeric
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
2 cups basmati rice
2 vegetable stock pot
10 tbsp coriander, chopped
4 vine tomatoes, chopped
3 spring onions, sliced
1 Lime
6 tbsp pistachios
2 tbsp raisins

1. Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees. Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflowers. Separate the cauliflowers into florets. Chop the top and bottom off the courgettes, cut in half lengthways and then cut lengthways again so you have eight strips. Chop each strip into three pieces.

2. Put the cauliflower and courgette into a roasting tray and sprinkle on 1 tsp of nigella seeds and half of the turmeric. Season with a 1/2 tsp of salt and drizzle over 2 tbsp of oil. Mix well to make sure the veggies are nicely coated with the spices and oil. Pop in the oven and roast for 25 mins.

3. While the veggies cook, cut the onion in half through the root, peel and then chop into small cubes. Peel and chop the garlic.

4. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add 2 tbsp of oil. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, add the chopped garlic, the remaining turmeric and the mustard seeds and cook for another minute. Pour in the rice, give it a stir to make sure it is nicely coated with the turmeric, then pour in 700ml of water. Add the vegetable stock pot and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pop on the lid. Cook for 10 mins and then remove from the heat. Leave the lid on for another 10 mins for perfectly cooked basmati rice!

5. Now chop the rest of the ingredients to make a salsa. Roughly chop the coriander. Chop the tomatoes into 1cm pieces and place in a bowl. Remove the root from the spring onions and slice as thin as you can. Add the sliced spring onions to the tomatoes and mix with a pinch of salt and the chopped coriander. Grate in the zest of the lime and squeeze in its juice. Chop the pistachios.

6. When the rice is cooked, carefully mix in the raisins and half of the pistachios. Serve the veggies on top of a generous amount of rice and then finish the dish with your salsa and a sprinkling of pistachios.