Nourish by Spinneys: March/April 2023

FLAVOURS FROM AFRICA, INDIA, THE MIDDLE EAST & MORE

There are few things more inviting than the aromas of gently toasted spices. The scent alone can trigger the most powerful memories, or conjure images of ancient trade routes and exotic lands. Even if it is new to the nose – isn’t it wonderful how cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, turmeric, chilli, cumin or coriander seeds… evoke a mysterious air of familiarity?

We’ve dedicated this issue to the world of spice and the flavours this brings. Along the way we explore the Middle East, India, Africa, the Far East, South America, the Caribbean, the UK and even Ireland. The role and use of spice in traditional recipes from these regions or countries, and what confluence exists between them is fascinating.

We hope this edition of Nourish inspires you try a new recipe (or spice!) this Ramadan, Eid and Easter – or even travel to a new destination in search of creating new foodie memories.

Until next time,

THIS MAGAZINE IS PRODUCED

GENERAL MANAGER OF COMMERCIAL TOM HARVEY

GENERAL MANAGER OF MARKETING

WARWICK GIRD

CREATIVE AND CONTENT DIRECTOR

TIFFANY ESLICK

tiffany.e@finefarefood.com

DEPUTY CONTENT EDITOR

KAREN D’SOUZA

DESIGNERS

MICHELLE CLEMENTS, FRANCIS GACER & GIHANE YOUSSEF

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

ANKIET GULABANI

DIGITAL EDITOR

DEVINA DIVECHA

DIGITAL CONTENT CREATOR

REEMA RAHMAN

DIGITAL CONTENT WRITER

LYNN SOUBRA

CONTENT ASSISTANT

DIANNA ACIBAR

CONTRIBUTORS

ZAHRA ABDALLA, KATELYN ALLEGRA, EMILY EVANS, HELEN FARMER, AASIYA JAGADEESH, STEPHEN PHELAN, LINDSAY TRIVERS & CASSANDRA UPTON

PUBLISHED ON BEHALF OF SPINNEYS DUBAI LLC BY

Spinneys Dubai LLC and the publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, howsoever caused. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without written permission.

CEO SUNIL KUMAR

© 2023 SPINNEYS DUBAI LLC

Regulars

THE CUT

08 WORD OF MOUTH

New products, trends and events

10 7 OF A KIND Ginger

12 DRINKS

14 RESTAURANT ROUND-UP

Explore the role of spices at three Dubai eateries

16 SWEET NOTES

Carmen Rueda captains the UAE’s only all-dessert fine dining restaurant, taking guests on a journey beyond their imaginations. She shares her inspiration and reveals more about the new menu themed around the spices of the Silk Road

18 USE IT UP

Don’t discard any leftover spices in your pantry. Here are ideas to turn a number of them into delicious condiments and sauces

20 READ, WATCH, LISTEN Cookbook, podcast and streaming recommendations

IN SEASON

21 Make the most of our fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, blueberries, passion fruit and more

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

27 The Spinneys Local Business Incubator Programme is back for its third year and here are the home-grown brands you need to know about

WEEKNIGHT WONDERS

33 Travel to the Far East with these quick and easy family meals

Recipe features

JUST ADD SPICE

40 SPICE WORLD

Delve into the ancient Spice Route with twelve signature spice blends from around the world with recipes that highlight their aromas and flavours

52 ALRIGHT DAHL

Aromatic, comforting and packed with plant protein, dahl is a staple lentil dish in Indian homes, but each region has its own recipes and temperings change across the length and breadth of the country

56 GLORIOUS GRAINS

Spiced rice has a presence in almost every cuisine around the world and each country has original recipes with distinct spice blends

62 CENTRE OF ATTENTION

When it comes to special occasions, cultures across the globe can agree on one thing – we all enjoy celebrating with showstopping, spicy lamb dishes

68 NO HEAT, NO EAT

Test your tastebuds with these fiery snacks from South Africa, China and Mexico

72 LUXURY SELECTION

Spoil Mum with these tantalising dishes made with some of the world’s most expensive spices such as fennel pollen, vanilla pods and mahleb

76 ISLAND SURPRISE

The word spice may not spring to mind when we think of Irish cuisine, but caraway and coriander seeds, cloves, nutmeg, mace and ginger have been present in Ireland’s culinary history since the time of the Vikings, who had trade ties with the East. We’ve taken classic recipes and given them a spicy twist

SUGAR & SPICE

Take your Ramadan and Easter baking to new heights with baharat, sumac, mace and more

86 BUTTER UP

Easter would be incomplete without decadent baked treats. They taste even better with a dash of spice

90 CLASSIC FARE

Zahra Abdalla shares an old family recipe for Persian herb stew that’s perfect for a Nowruz celebration. Although it takes time to prepare, the final outcome is well worth the time and effort

LITTLE COOKS

91 Children will love these recipes to the moon (and stars) and back!

Live well

98 SOOTHING SPICES

These wholesome drinks and meals incorporate the healing properties of turmeric, cinnamon, pepper, cardamom and fenugreek to keep you energised and sated

104 SPICE ISLAND

Our content director Tiffany Eslick recently journeyed to Stone Town, Zanzibar – where her stay at Park Hyatt gave her a glimpse into the nation’s past, its welcoming and proud people and diverse cuisine

108 SOUTHERN

SPICE

India had trade ties with the Roman Empire as far back as 30 BCE. Wars were fought, empires crushed and sea routes were discovered to move spices from the Far East to the Middle East, Europe and beyond, with India at the epicentre of it all. On a recent trip to South India, deputy editor Karen D’Souza explored the continuing legacy of spices in regional cuisines

112

SPICE UP YOUR (LOVE) LIFE

Hands up who spends most of their time with their partner crashed on the sofa? Maybe a movie or dinner if you’re feeling adventurous? Time to make some memories with Alphabet Dating, says Helen Farmer

28

The cut

Food, restaurant and product news that we think is worthy of being on the list!

‘India’ – one of the dessert courses at BRIX

Word of mouth

New products, the latest trends and foodie news

FOOD FIESTA

Celebrating a decade of bringing great food, chefs and foodies together, Dubai Food Festival 2023 will be back from 21 April to 7 May. There’s something for every palate to look forward to from exclusive cooking showcases and limited-edition foodie experiences to unbeatable set price meals at some of the best restaurants in the city.

DINERS’DELIGHT

Dubai’s popular SpanishMediterranean restaurant is currently hosting a sevenweek long BOCA Kitchen Takeover, which has, and will continue to see, leading female chefs plating up some of the most creative dishes from their repertoire.

“We’re constantly looking for collaborations at BOCA and I always want to support local chefs. Each one of these chefs is doing incredible work in their own domain and I want to give them a platform to showcase their varied styles and cuisines during their dinners,” says Omar Shihab, general manager. Don’t miss Penelope Diaz from 7-9 March and Gabriela Chamorro from 14-16 March. Visit boca.ae for more info.

IFTAR EXTRAVAGANZA

Ramadan, the holiest month of the Islamic calendar, is slated to begin on 23 March this year. Dubai Opera will be hosting iftar throughout the Holy Month from sunset until 9.30pm. Expect decadent international and Arabic buffets, carving stations, an array of desserts and traditional juices. Book your seat at dubaiopera.com

SEASON’S best

Our chefs have been hard at work to create aromatic and flavourful soups, appetisers and mains for Ramadan. Keep a look out for merguez sausage rolls, feta and spinach puff pastry rolls, chicken tagine with apricots and olives, pomegranate molasses lamb shanks and much more. For something lighter, opt for the chilled gazpacho soup or classic chicken noodle soup.

COOKIE STARS

Kids will love our all-new SpinneysFOOD Easter Cookie Kit. It includes ready-made biscuits, colourful icing and star sprinkles as well as easy-to-follow instructions.

COMING SOON

HOME BAKERY

What can be more comforting than digging into warm, fudgy brownies? Brownies with a hint of ginger. The Bottled Baking Co.’s Extravagant Gingerbread Brownie Mix hits all the right notes.

7 of a kind

Fragrant with a spicy kick, ginger adds a depth of fl avour to these products at Spinneys

SILKY SMOOTH

Delicious enough to be served as a dessert on its own, Waitrose Honey & Stem Ginger Yogurt is made from the finest cream and milk paired with crystallised stem ginger and ground ginger, with heather honey adding sweet floral notes.

SUMMER DREAMS

Global flavours meet a childhood favourite in Marco Ginger Dreamsicle ice cream. You can’t go wrong with a classic orange ice cream infused with bright notes of ginger.

COUNTRY GOODNESS

Flavoured with fresh stem ginger, Belvoir Farm Spicy Ginger Fizz botanical soda carries a subtle peppery note complemented by the zesty flavour of yuzu.

DARK DELIGHTS

Made by a family of bakers in Belgium, No 1

Waitrose Dark Chocolate

Ginger Thins are the perfect treat to enjoy with a cappuccino or latte.

CUP OF COMFORT

No time to make chai from scratch? Tea India Ginger Chai makes brewing that perfect cup of black tea with spicy ginger a breeze.

TUMMY SAVER

Balance and soothe your belly with Saba Kombucha Ginger Turmeric. Packed with live cultures and infused with ginger-turmeric tea, this drink is low-sugar and organic.

DRINK UP

Make a spicy Mexican beverage for your next gathering

Tips from The Tasting Class

Move over bloody Mary, the michelada is THE beverage for those who prefer savoury over sweet. It is believed to have been born in the 1970s in Mexico when a guest at a restaurant ordered their lager with ice and lime. They called it ‘mi chela helada’, which translates to ‘my cold beer’. As the drink gained popularity, it evolved into two drinks. The original cocktail with beer, lime, ice and a salted rim is called chelada. Add a tomato-based juice, chilli and an elaborate garnish and you get a michelada. Besides being super tasty, the michelada is also a fuss-free drink. There are numerous recipes for it and you can go wild with garnishes. I’ve even seen an entire roast chicken propped up on this drink.

Keeping these elaborate garnishes in mind, start with a tall, heavy-bottomed glass that can balance the weight of the garnishes. Use large bamboo skewers so you can load them with a variety of snacks and still balance them securely in the drink. For a one-stop-shop for garnishes, head to the Spinneys deli counter for pickles, antipasti, cold-cuts and cheese. You can also make your own signature version with different ingredients. Instead of Clamato, try Big Tom Tomato Juice and add a spicy kick with Tabasco or Frank’s Red Hot. Use Waitrose Cooks’ Ingredients Barbacoa Seasoning or celery salt on the rims. Heineken 0.0 or Drynks Unlimited Smashed Citrus are also good options. Viva la michelada!

3 to try

CALENO DARK & SPICY

A non-alcoholic rum, this delicious tropical drink combines, vanilla, ginger, pineapple and coconut. calenodrinks.com

NIX AND KIX BLOOD ORANGE TURMERIC

With turmeric and cayenne extracts, this sparkling juice is also free of added sugar and sweeteners. nixandkix.com

270° WEST SPICED CARIBBEAN BLEND

Spicy and fruity with subtle notes of caramel, this non-alcoholic rum is created from 100% natural botanicals. 270degrees.co.uk

MICHELADA

Prep time: 10 minutes

Makes: 2-3 drinks

1tbsp Tajín Clásico chili lime seasoning

3 tsp lime juice

1 Drynks Unlimited Smashed Pale 250ml Clamato juice

1½ tsp Springs Habanero Premium Wood

Aged Hot Sauce

1 tsp Maggi Soya Sauce

SpinneysFOOD Ice

To serve

Cherry tomatoes

Olives

Cornichons

Bamboo skewers

Celery sticks with leaves

Lime slices

1 Rub a lime wedge around the edge of the glasses then dip the rims in the chili lime seasoning. 2 Prepare the garnishing by threading the cherry tomatoes, olives and cornichons onto the skewers. 3 In a pitcher, combine the lime juice, alcohol-free beer, Clamato juice, hot sauce and soya sauce. 4 Add ice cubes to the glasses and top with the michelada mixture. 5 Garnish and serve.

Michelada

Rubicon’s 100% Organic Coconut Water – Finally real coconut water. We’ve taken great care to pick the world’s finest coconuts. Our farmers grow them with love in the best habitat that nature can provide, to bring you the ultimate source of natural hydration. Good for your body and great for your spirit. Every sip of our organic coconut water guarantees purity, quality and flavour.

Making

SPICE TRAIL

1En Fuego is a South American social dining experience located at Atlantis, The Palm, where food and live performances come together in a space where Instagrammable moments are at every corner. The ‘Avocado Altar’ section on the menu caught our eye before anything else; ‘Rock Your Guac Out’ was a creamy delight. If fresh ceviche is your thing, then a must try is the scallop ceviche – with a creamy coconut milk sauce enveloping the scallops, the tanginess of green mango and lime will tickle your tastebuds. While all the mains were satiating, the tres leches was a pièce de résistance for the finale – we could order it again and again. And with its Vida Del Carnaval brunch having recently launched, there’s plenty to go back for.

2Located in Dubai Design District, Mohalla launched its new menu this year – with each dish as flavourful as the next. The lamb chops grilled in the tandoor are tender and juicy, while the crispy calamari with hot peppers had us going back for more. Traditions are respected while new techniques come into play. For example, the chef created a pesto thecha for the butter shrimp, which is a twist on the original thecha (a spicy

GOING VIRAL

Tik Tok saw the explosion of a round, flaky custard-filled croissant with its introduction by New York’s Lafayette. Since then, we’ve seen similar circular pastries make their way to the UAE.

Check

Maharashtrian condiment). A shout-out to the coastal Andhra-style Rayalaseema prawn curry, with the juiciest prawns we have ever tried. What we loved? After eating our way through at least 10 dishes, we didn’t feel bloated in any way. A win, in our eyes! 3

Jun’s is a chef-led concept by ChineseCanadian Kelvin Cheung, whose career has spanned the US and India. His menu draws on this varied background – presenting a creative confluence of cuisines. We recommend the Weekend Rituals brunch on the terrace – it’s how all lazy Sunday afternoons should be. There’s a good choice of signature and exclusive dishes, as well as a killer R&B playlist to match. Start with a dish that aims to recreate one of Kelvin’s favourite childhood snacks – bagels, salmon and cream cheese – without the salmon! Instead, the chef presents a delicious mix of charred rainbow heirloom carrots with smoked labneh, candied nuts and soy honey butter. For a sublime sweet-spice combo – the red hot chicken karaage and gluten-free, Hong-Kong style bubble waffles doused in maple syrup are a must. But then, so is the prawn balchao. End with the chocolate-chip pancakes – they’re also gluten-free and marvellous.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: En Fuego’s taqueria options will leave you wanting more; a dish from the ‘Avocado Altar’ section of En Fuego’s menu; Mohalla’s lamb chops grilled in the tandoor; chicken karaage and waffles from Jun’s Dubai.

2 Bageri Form: Grab a za’atar croissant bun from this Scandi bakery, located in Dubai Design District, and thank us later. With a smidge of honey drizzled over the top, this sweet and savoury flaky pastry is very moreish.

3 Kayu: Karim Bourgi’s concept, Kayu, is a pastry-lover’s delight. In particular, its brioche feuilletée à la ganache is essentially thousands and thousands of layers of flakiness that’s earth-shatteringly good.

out these restaurants where spices play a key role in the entire experience

1 Cupagahwa: This café launched the ‘New York Supreme’ in 2022, which looks every inch the Instagram- and Tik Tokfriendly dessert it can be. Tuck in at any of the UAE branches and definitely drizzle your choice of sauce over it.

Written by Devina Divecha and Tiffany Eslick ; Photography Supplied

Sweet notes

The interior of Brix lies behind an unassuming façade located at Jumeirah Fishing Harbour in Dubai, where executive pastry chef Carmen Rueda helms an all-female team to whip up a sensorial experience that is truly one-of-a-kind in the UAE. Brix is the country’s only fine dining restaurant that serves an all-dessert menu, and Carmen is a well-travelled chef whose passion for dessert in general, and chocolate in particular, made her a shoo-in to take up this role.

Carmen launches into her story passionately. “I’m from a very small town in Spain and I always had the vision of cooking and creating. I decided to move to Madrid and study culinary arts for four years.” It’s here that the pastry bug bit her. From there on, she travelled the world and her culinary prowess is testament to her dedication to her craft and the highly awarded restaurants she’s worked in over the years: from El Bulli in Spain to The Fat Duck in England and 2AM: dessert bar in Singapore, just to name a few.

And from there, Dubai. “I love that there are so many cultures in one place, and there is much to learn. With Brix, I was offered something

unique. Do you know, there are approximately 10 dessert-only restaurants in the world. So it’s a very hard concept, for a customer to come in and understand what we’re doing. At the same time, it offers a lot of challenges – in a good way.”

She continues: “The biggest question is always how could I have a menu based only on desserts? But when I create these, I do it from the point of view of a full restaurant service –especially because my background is primarily Michelin-starred restaurants. In those restaurants, there are anywhere from 14 to 30 courses, so dessert had to be powerful but very light and never very sweet. That’s what I follow here. At Brix, we have desserts that are full of flavour with a lot of texture, but they are not sweet and never heavy. Of course, I use butter, cream and flour but I don’t abuse them; I apply them in a way where they give me exactly what I am looking for and nothing more.”

The other aspect Carmen truly cares about is storytelling through her menu. She and her team stand behind the countertop, talking about the dishes being served and

telling their story. The lighting ebbs and flows according to the mood, the music changes and so does the cutlery. “It’s more than just the food that talks to you,” says Carmen.

Brix has two menus at any given time: a shorter four-course tasting and the full six course. The new six-course menu debuting this year is titled ‘Silk Road’. “This theme gave us so many options in terms of food, flavours, textures and history.” Countries and their spices that have inspired the menu include China, India, Persia, Turkey, Greece and Italy.

With such a range of flavours to play with, another concern is guests who may be confused by the ingredients Carmen and her team use. With preconceived notions about what desserts taste like, this chef has her work cut out for her. She mentions walnuts as an example, which are pickled on her menu. “Most of us have tasted walnuts, and perhaps caramelised ones. But how many people have had it pickled? Obviously it’s not a main ingredient but all these small touches can give you a different perspective,” she adds. It’s why her menus never describe all these elements, only to allow guests to truly savour the flavours without imagining what it might taste like. “I just prefer people know about the countries, the concept and then just be open to explore,” Carmen says.

Carmen then whisks me off on a journey down the Silk Road, where caramelised seaweed adds a touch of saltiness to the dish from China and where a kaleidoscope of spices from India such as saffron, ginger and curry leaves add a different kind of heat to my tongue. Persia’s dessert is surprisingly citrusy while also being paired with bread, while Turkey’s dessert lends a little smokiness to the palate along with the expected pistachio and pomegranate. Finally, Greece’s dish plays with fermentation in a creative way and Italy serves up notes of chocolate, coffee and hazelnut for a sweeter finish. Dishes are paired with a complementary beverage, thoughtfully created with the flavours of the country the dessert takes inspiration from. We won’t spoil the surprise but there is a coffee kombucha en route that will delight your senses.

There’s a lot keeping Carmen busy – from finalising the new menu to hosting a pop-up every week at the Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara. There’s also ongoing work for the impending opening of Café Brix just a few doors down. The all-day café will serve breakfast, speciality coffee, desserts (naturally) and offer cakes for any kind of occasion.

Talking about how she creates her menus, Carmen says, “We like to play a lot with the element of surprise while bringing forth childhood memories for everyone. People are in this routine of ‘work, go out, sleep and repeat’ and potentially have stressful lives – that sometimes they forget the good moments and our small touches can bring those back.”

Written by Devina Divecha ; Photography Supplied

Carmen Rueda captains the UAE’s only all-dessert fine dining restaurant, taking guests on a journey beyond their imaginations. She shares her inspiration and reveals more about the new menu themed around the spices of the Silk Road

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: Inside Brix, a dessert-only fine dining restaurant; the dish from the new Silk Road menu, simply titled ‘China’; Carmen Rueda.

LIST E N IN

Our podcast episode with chef Carmen will be out on 14 March; scan the QR code below and hear her delve into more detail about the dishes on her menu, her cooking philosophy and more, while we indulge in our own tasting experience.

Use it up

Don’t discard

spices

pantry.

NITER KIBBEH

Niter kibbeh is a crucial ingredient in Ethiopian cuisine. Made by clarifying butter that has been infused with herbs and spices, it adds a rich complexity to any dish. Use it as as a base for soups and stews and to brown vegetables and meat.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Makes: 500g

1 leek or onion

1 garlic clove

2cm piece fresh ginger

225g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter

½ tsp ground cardamom

½ tsp fenugreek seeds

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cumin

¼ tsp grated nutmeg

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Dried Oregano

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric

3-6 wilted basil leaves

1 Finely slice the leek or onion and grate the garlic and ginger. 2 Place the butter in a small pot over a low heat. Simmer without letting it brown. Once the surface is covered in foam, skim using a tablespoon until all the foam is removed. The butter should be transparent.

3 Add in the sliced leek, garlic, ginger, cardamom, fenugreek seeds, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, turmeric and basil leaves. Cook over a low heat for approx. 15-20 minutes. 4 Strain through a cheesecloth and store in a resealable container for up to 1 month in the fridge.

any leftover

in your

Here are ideas to turn a number of them into delicious condiments and sauces

Niter kibbeh VEGGIE

Homemade vegetable achar

HOME-MADE VEGETABLE ACHAR

Achar is a spicy condiment, often eaten alongside a main. It can be made from a variety of vegetables, chillies and unripe green mangoes. This version is made using vegetable scraps, so save them in a zip-top bag in the fridge until you have enough to make this recipe.

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus pickling time)

Makes: 1 x 1L jar

For the achar masala

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Salt

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fennel Seeds

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Whole Coriander Seeds

1 tbsp fenugreek seeds

2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Crushed Chilli

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Red Chilli Powder

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Black Peppercorns

Pinch of asafoetida

600g vegetable offcuts (carrots, spring onions, red capsicums, aubergines, onions, celery)

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Natural Sea Salt Flakes

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

250ml white vinegar

250ml SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil

1 To make the achar masala, combine all the ingredients and set aside. 2 Chop the vegetable offcuts into similar sized pieces, approx. 2cm. Place them in a bowl, along with the salt and sugar. Massage the salt and sugar into the offcuts until slightly bruised. 3 In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, oil and achar masala then pour over the vegetables. Stir to combine.

4 Sterilise two 500ml jars and tightly pack the vegetables into them. Pour the pickling liquid over. Turn the jars upside down to evenly distribute the liquid. 5 Store at room temperature overnight and refrigerate after opening.

ZHOUG

Zhoug, also known as schug, zhug or zoug, is a herby hot sauce originating in Yemen but has become popular all over the Middle East. It is the perfect way to breathe

life into wilted herbs and greens. It’s great with roasted vegetables and grilled meats.

Prep time: 5 minutes (plus refrigeration time)

Makes: 125ml

3 garlic cloves

4 jalapeños or mild green chillies

2 handfuls wilted herbs

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

½ tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cumin

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Crushed Chilli Flakes, more to taste

160ml SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Peel and finely grate the garlic. Halve and deseed the chillies. 2 Place the garlic, chilli, herbs, salt, cardamom, cumin and red chilli flakes in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped. While the processor is running, slowly pour in the oil until the mixture is mostly smooth.

3 Refrigerate for 1 hour before using. Store in a sterilised jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Zhoug

VEGAN

VEGAN

COOKBOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

The best new releases to add to your library wish list

SPECIAL SAUCE

For the salt lover

THE MIRACLE OF SALT by Naomi

Duguid

Duguid combines deep scholarship with narrative flair and gastronomic know-how for this thorough exploration of salt as a universal preservative and condiment – the seasoning that has helped sustain our progress as a species. There’s a pleasing globe-trotting element to her points of focus, from kimchi to sauerkraut, and a raft of practical advice on building up your own kitchen resources by way of pantry standbys such as garlic chutney and salty recipes for baclao tortilla and even desserts such as miso ice-cream.

For fans of Indian food

MASALA by Anita Jaisinghani

Gujarat-born Jaisinghani built her personal brand at the Pondicheri café in Houston, Texas, a trendy space that relies on certain ancient principles of Ayurveda, especially when it comes to the treatment of spices. This book outlines her philosophy and processes for bringing texture and colour to the fore while balancing heat with flavour on the palate. She’s particularly good on infusions and the tricky tradition of tempering spices in hot oil. The book’s standout recipes include vindaloo ribs and fermented dosas.

For the spice-curious home chef

THE SCIENCE OF SPICE by Stuart Farrimond

Food scientist and TV personality, Farrimond goes into forensic detail on the full gamut of spices and spice blends here, providing colour-coded charts on their chemical compositions, reference guides to their optimal uses and contextual information on their origins and history. There are recipes here, too, of course, both for dishes and condiments such as gunpowder and harissa paste, all so beautifully designed and illustrated that the book serves just as well on a coffee table as a kitchen counter.

After a long career as a TV presenter and regular writer for outlets like The New York Times, Ed Levine is best known in his native US as a garrulous expert on the most iconic American foods, particularly pizza. In recent years he has developed a wider international audience through his website Serious Eats and now this popular podcast Special Sauce, which brings in expert guests from the conjoined worlds of cooking and food writing to talk about everything from spices to scrambled eggs to new trends in gastronomy.

thespecialsaucepodcast.com

RAJA, RASOI AUR ANYA KAHANIYAN

Hard to say if this is a cooking show with an unsual emphasis on historical background, or a history show that uses delicious food as a means of making that academia easier to swallow. Over three seasons, the series has moved from region to region across India, showing particular interest in the dishes developed by various royal kitchens and the eating customs of the maharajas (Professor Pushpesh Pant makes regular appearances, along with various chefs and food writers). Viewers also get an abundance of related recipes to follow at home, often involving some pretty elaborate prep-work as per regal demands and traditions.

Written

by Stephen Phelan ; Photography Supplied

In season

Make the most of our fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, blueberries, passion fruit and more

Get ahea d

Crumb the asparagus the day before, wrap in cling film and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tomato salad with crispy tabil-spiced bulgur

COOK’S NOTE

Make a double batch of tabil spice and store in a resealable jar for up to three months.

Crumbed asparagus with anchovy-mayo dip

Asparagus

CRUMBED ASPARAGUS WITH ANCHOVY-MAYO DIP

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: 4

For the anchovy-mayonnaise dip

1 garlic clove

2 anchovy fillets

100g mayonnaise

2 tsp lemon juice

For the crumbed asparagus

2 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs

100g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

100g Panko breadcrumbs

300g asparagus

To serve

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Sea Salt Flakes

Pinch of SpinneysFOOD Paprika

1 lemon

1 Roughly chop the garlic and anchovy fillets. Place the mayonnaise in a bowl. 2 Place the garlic, anchovies and lemon juice in a blender and blitz to form a paste. Add to the mayonnaise and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Refrigerate until needed. 3 Heat a deep fryer or a medium-sized pot of oil to 180°C. 4 Whisk the eggs in a large bowl (it should be big enough to accommodate the asparagus). 5 Place the flour, paprika, garlic powder and salt in another similar sized bowl. Place the panko breadcrumbs in another large bowl. 6 Place the asparagus in the eggs, then in the flour mixture, then in the eggs then finally in the panko breadcrumbs. 7 Working in batches, fry the asparagus until golden and crispy, approx. 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and repeat with the remaining asparagus.

8 Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and paprika.

9 Serve along with the anchovy-mayonnaise dip and lemon wedges.

Tomatoes

TOMATO SALAD WITH CRISPY TABIL-SPICED BULGUR

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus marination time)

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

For the tabil

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Coriander Seeds

2 tsp caraway seeds

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fennel Seeds

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Whole Black Peppercorns

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Cumin Seeds

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Red Chilli Powder

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp ground cardamom

¼ tsp garlic powder

For the crispy tabil bulgur

150g bulgur wheat

2 tsp tabil

4 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 lemon

For the tomato salad

1 small red onion

700g Pure Harvest Tomatoes (yoom, strabena, mixed candy, cherry tomatoes on the vine)

Handful of mixed SpinneysFOOD Fresh Herbs (basil, coriander, dill and parsley), plus extra for serving

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tbsp red grape vinegar

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

1 Place the coriander seeds, caraway seeds, fennel seeds, black peppercorns and cumin seeds together in a large cast-iron pan over a medium heat. Toast for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Add in the remaining spices and toast for 1 minute, tossing frequently. Cool completely before grinding to a powder using a pestle

and mortar or spice grinder. 2 Cook the bulgur wheat according to package instructions.

3 Add the tabil spice mix to the water as it cooks. Evenly spread the bulgur wheat over a tray and place in the fridge to ‘dry’ out for 1 hour. When ready to fry, remove from the fridge.

4 Heat the oil in a large cast-iron pan placed over a medium-high heat. Fry the bulgur wheat (in batches, if necessary) until golden and crispy. Place on a serving platter and grate lemon zest over. 5 Peel and finely slice the red onion and place in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Roughly chop the tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Roughly chop the herbs and place in the bowl along with the olive oil, vinegar, salt and sugar. Drain the onions and add to the bowl and toss to combine. Set aside at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving. 6 When ready to serve, place the tomato salad on a platter, top with the crispy bulgur, extra herbs and tabil spice.

Mushrooms

SZECHUAN MUSHROOM KEBABS

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus marination time)

Cook time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4

For the Szechuan marinade

1½ tsp Szechuan peppercorns

Szechuan mushroom kebabs

VEGAN VEGAN

TOP TIP!

This egg-free ice cream tastes exactly like a frozen fruity cheesecake, with a slight tang and creamy finish.

4 tbsp soya sauce

3 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Light Muscavado Sugar

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp rice vinegar

½ tbsp garlic flakes

5cm fresh piece ginger

1 tbsp sambal oelek

½ tsp Chinese five spice powder

For the mushroom kebabs

400g Below Farm Oyster Mushrooms

400g Below Farm Shiitake Mushrooms

6-8 bamboo skewers

1 Place a small pan over medium-high heat and toast the Szechuan peppercorns until fragrant, approx. 1 minute. Remove from the pan and crush in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar. 2 Place all the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl and stir to combine.

3 Slice the mushrooms into equal-sized pieces and place in the bowl with the marinade and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate for 1 hour.

4 Meanwhile, soak the skewers in water.

5 Preheat the barbecue or a griddle pan to medium-high heat. 6 Arrange the mushrooms on the skewers then place on the barbecue and grill until charred and tender, approx. 3 minutes per side. 7 Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately.

Blueberries

BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM WITH CINNAMON CRUMBLE

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Makes: 750ml

For the cinnamon crumble

120g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

100g SpinneysFOOD Light Muscavado Sugar

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

115g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter, room temperature

70g rolled oats

For the blueberry sauce

2 tbsp water

1 tsp corn flour

100g SpinneysFOOD Blueberries

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

For the ice cream base

400ml double cream

100ml SpinneysFOOD Full Fat Fresh Milk

100ml sour cream

125g SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

200g cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla paste or extract

2 lemons

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place a 1L freezer-safe container in the freezer to chill. 2 In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and whisk to combine. Cube the butter and add to the mixture. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry mixture until pea-sized clumps form. Add in the oats and combine. Place in the fridge to chill for approx. 15 minutes. 3 Evenly spread the crumble mixture onto the lined tray and place in the oven for approx. 5-10 minutes or until golden on the edges. Using a spatula, flip the crumble over, trying not to break it up too much and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until golden all over. Remove from the oven and cool completely. 4 For the blueberry sauce, whisk together the water and corn flour, making sure there are no lumps. Place the blueberries, caster sugar and lemon juice in a medium-sized pot along with the corn flour mixture. Place over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until the berries begin to burst and the sauce starts

Blueberry cheesecake ice cream with cinnamon crumble

VEGGIE

TOP TIP!

Reserve any extra milk mixture to serve with the cake.

Passion fruit tres leches

to thicken. Once the corn flour has cooked out, remove the sauce from the heat and set aside to cool. 5 In a large bowl, combine the double cream, milk, sour cream, caster sugar, cream cheese and vanilla paste. Grate in the zest of the lemons and whisk until smooth and combined. 6 Pour half the ice cream mixture into the chilled container. Drizzle half the blueberry sauce over and swirl in using a knife or skewer. Repeat with the remaining ice cream mixture and blueberry sauce. Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight. 7 Serve with the cinnamon crumble.

Passion fruit

PASSION FRUIT TRES LECHES

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Serves: 6-8

For the sponge cake

170g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter, at room temperature

300g SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

1 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract

50g passion fruit pulp

7 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs

270g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

½ tsp ground cardamom

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

For the tres leches

250g SpinneysFOOD Full Fat Fresh Milk

2 x 385g tin condensed milk

2 x 380ml tin evaporated milk

To serve

500ml whipping cream, chilled

125ml passion fruit pulp

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Edible Flowers

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease and line a 22cm x 33cm high-walled baking tin. 2 In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and sugar together for approx. 5 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla paste and passionfruit pulp and mix until combined. While mixing, add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. 3 In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cardamom, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just incorporated. 4 Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for approx. 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely. 5 Using a skewer or chop stick, poke holes into the cake. 6 In a medium jug, combine the milk, condensed milk and evaporated milk. Slowly pour the tres leches over the cake, making sure its evenly distributed. Set aside for 30 minutes to absorb. 7 Whip the cream until soft peak stage. 8 Top the cake with the whipped cream, passionfruit pulp and edible flowers. 9 Serve immediately, or place it in the fridge for up to 6 hours before serving.

ClemenGolds

CLEMENGOLD BITES

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4

4-6 ClemenGolds

150g dark or milk or white chocolate

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

3 tbsp dried rose petals

3 tbsp pistachio slivers

1 Peel and separate the ClemenGolds into wedges. 2 Melt the chocolate. 3 Dip each wedge half way into the chocolate and place on a tray lined with baking paper. 4 Sprinkle over the cinnamon, rose petals and pistachio slivers. 5 Set aside until the chocolate has set.

ClemenGold bites

VEGGIE

VEGGIE

Food for thought

The Spinneys Local Business Incubator Programme is back for its third year and here are the winning home-grown brands you need to know about

Diego Centeno

FRÍO SPARKLING WATER

Founded by friends-turned-business partners, DIEGO CENTENO and RASHED AL MULLA, FRÍO SPARKLING WATER is the first homegrown, artisanal sparkling water brand in the region. Handcrafted in Dubai, FRÍO was created when the co-founders noticed a gap in the market.

“The water business is something that I have been interested in for the last 10 years,” says Diego. “Honestly, creating Frío was something we started out of necessity. When I moved to the Gulf in 2013, there weren’t any flavoured sparkling water brands on shelves, so starting the business was really a journey

to create something that we liked and wasn’t available locally. As an American, when I go to the supermarket here in the UAE I see every American brand, but when I go to the US, I don’t see a single Dubai-based brand. Why?”

And what inspired the two entrepreneurs to apply to the Local Business Incubator Programme? “Our customers have been waiting to see us somewhere they recognise – they see us at events, they see us at the airport but they’re like, ‘When are you going to be stocked in Spinneys?’”

“Melody [Mok] from Curious Elephant (one of the Spinneys Local Business Incubator 2021 winners) actually encouraged us to try out for

this year’s edition. We were quite hesitant, but Mel was like “Do you think you’re going to get picked? What if you don’t? Why are you worried about it?” We then seriously thought about applying and decided we’ve got to do it.”

Frío, which means cold in Spanish, comes in five different fresh flavours – grapefruit, lemon, coconut, strawberry and plain, but what are the founders’ favourite flavour? “All the flavours are amazing, but coconut for sure! And it’s not coconut water, like the water from the coconut – it’s coconut-flavoured water and it’s by far our best seller,” adds Diego.

@friosparklingwater

“Our customers have been waiting to see us somewhere they recognise – they see us at events, they see us at the airport but they’re like, ‘When are you going to be stocked in Spinneys?’”

Rashed Al Mulla Co-founder

Co-founder

“Community is how I do business,” says SHONA HIND, owner and founder of Free Me Company, which makes chemical-free mosquito repellent sprays.

Having moved to Dubai from the UK in 2006 “for just a couple of years”, long-term expat Shona was inspired to start her business in 2016 after the unfortunate passing of her father. The mumtrepreneur quit her banking job and started to explore and develop the ideas she had for what was to become the FREE ME COMPANY. “Someone started off with a drawing and the idea for the Burj Khalifa, right?”

“I thought we have a big issue with mosquitoes in Dubai, yet none of the mosquito repellents available are natural and nothing was working properly. I was inspired by many natural remedies out there on the market, but wanted to make one that I knew would be naturally kind and safe for all ages and produce it here in the UAE.”

After months of market research, Shona took to the community to find out what they were looking for in a repellent. “Our customers are at the heart of what we do. I started asking friends, family and local neighbourhood groups things like – if you were going to buy a mosquito repellent, what would make you purchase one?; What would you want in one?; Would it be a natural one over a non-natural one?; What sort of price would you pay? I needed to ask potential customers and not just go ahead and make a product that I like.”

Free Me Company is the only natural range of mosquito repellents made locally. “It’s a magic potion. I make it here in the UAE, it’s natural, it’s sustainable... The products are free from nasties and they also free you from nasties, so that’s why I called the brand Free Me.”

@freemecompany

“Being a part of the Local Business Incubator Programme means so much. When I saw the Spinneys mission statement “Let’s Do Better Together”, I knew we were aligned and together we can really add value to the community.”

Shona Hind Founder

At just 22 years old, YARA MERSI is the youngest person to apply and be accepted into the Spinneys Local Business Incubator Programme in 2023. As the saying goes, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and Yara, the brains behind OATFUL, the UAE’s first high-protein, pre-made overnight oats mix, is on a mission to disrupt the breakfast industry with her innovative range of oats.

“I’ve been having overnight oats since I was in middle school. I played a lot of sports growing up and wanted something that could help me

OATFUL

improve my overall performance. When it came to nutrition, unfortunately, you don’t learn much about it in school... So I took it into my own hands. The more I began to learn, the more I would go into the kitchen and experiment. When I stumbled upon overnight oats, I become obsessed and would have it every single day, testing out different flavour combinations… And that’s when it all started...” says the young entrepreneur.

“Having a healthy and delicious breakfast is really important and I want to help people maximise their potential by owning their morning.”

When naming the brand, Oatful was the first name that I thought of and it resonates with what I believe in – full of nutrients, full of flavour and full of life.”

All flavours not only have over 20 grams of protein, but they’re also jam-packed with superfoods and plenty of fibre. And Yara’s favourite mix? “I’m going to be biased as I developed all the flavours myself, but if I had to pick it would be vanilla because it’s so versatile and can be paired with loads of different toppings.”

@shopoatful

YaraFounderMersi

“Having a healthy and delicious breakfast is really important and I want to help people maximise their potential by owning their morning.”

Robyn Fok Founder

Having grown up in Abu Dhabi in a family of animal lovers, ROBYN FOK, the founder of RORY’S APAWTHECARY realised that dog owners in the UAE were missing out on a pet wellness brand that truly cares about animals.

“At the core of RORY’S APAWTHECARY, we care about animals and their well-being,” says Robyn. “Dogs don’t speak and as pet parents, it’s our responsibility to make sure that our pets are taken care of.”

So how did the brand get started? “When I was living in New York after college, my sister and I adopted Rory, an American cocker spaniel... She was the cutest thing ever. Rory went everywhere with me – it was always Robyn and Rory. When I moved back to Abu Dhabi, Rory came with me and was undoubtedly our family’s favourite family member. She passed away last year and is the inspiration behind the brand. Technically Rory is our founder and ‘apawthecary’ is a play on words for apothecary.”

“After we rescued Rory, we started dabbling with natural products for her... Fragrances and stuff like that... It was a very organic way of starting the business. Our products aren’t just nice perfumes or nice shampoos. It’s not just another dog conditioner. Everything that we use to create our products is well thought out. Our brand comes from a place of love. Our range is plant-based, organic, natural and even the accessories are made with azo-free printing meaning they’re toxin-free.”

And how does Robyn see the brand developing the coming years? “We’re more dog-focused but I’d love to have a range for cats one day. I love all animals and a healing brand for animals goes beyond just dogs.”

@rorysapawthecary

“Everything that we use to create our products is well thought out. Our brand comes from a place of love. Our range is plant-based, organic, natural and even the accessories are made with azo-free printing meaning they’re toxin-free.”

Written by Reema Rahman; Images Aasiya Jagadeesh & supplied

RUMI’S

LAYLA KARDAN and HAMDAN AL KHAFAJI were inspired to create RUMI’S, the UAE’s first high-quality, convenient baby food brand, after the birth of their adorable namesake son Rumi.

“I’ve had the pleasure of calling Dubai my home on and off for the past 20-something years now,” says Layla. “I feel like I’ve grown up with Dubai… It’s where I met my husband and where we had our baby boy who has made our life complete. We treasure and value not only his health, but our health so much more now, which is what led us to develop this amazing brand. Hamdan has really spearheaded Rumi’s with his passion for health.”

With both Layla and Hamdan being creatives, the vibrant and fun packaging plays a vital part in Rumi’s brand identity. “We want to attract both the parent and the baby, so when creating the products we wanted the packaging to be

Hamdan Al Khafaji Co-founder

playful and artistic but also quite educational. We worked with a branding team called Studio Macki, which has worked with brands like NARS and Kiehl’s. We thought to ourselves, if we’re going to do this, we're going to do this right,” says Hamdan.

“As a mother, when I go to the supermarket, I’m always thinking about what kind of things I’m presenting my child with,” adds Layla.

Cleary passionate about the brand they named after their son, Hamdan goes on to say “here in the region, we’re the first baby food brand to use HPP, which is High-Pressure Processing rather than Heat Processing. This means our products maintain all their nutritional value. Our products also contain a special mix of 21 vitamins and nutrients which are essential for cognitive thinking and brain development. That’s our edge.”

COMING SOON

Layla Kardan Co-founder

We are now into our third year of the incubator programme. The standard and number of entries we continue to receive is quite incredible. It has been an immense pleasure for me and the team to watch how some of the businesses have flourished since joining the scheme. Many have now managed to secure not only additional business in the UAE, but are now exporting to other GCC countries and even into Europe which really shows just how much of an impact the incubator programme can have on supporting UAE food manufacturing, which was one of the founding principles for the scheme. We have some fantastic brands from the 2022 intake that are going through the final checks, and I’m really excited about seeing them on shelves soon.

“Being a part of the Local Business Incubator Programme is an amazing opportunity and we're grateful to Spinneys for supporting the local ecosystem and giving home-grown brands this opportunity.”

Tom Harvey

General Manager –Commercial, Spinneys

MALAY FISH CURRY

Destination: Malaysia/Singapore

Malaysian curry paste is the secret to this quick curry. The fragrant blend of coriander, cumin, fennel, black pepper, chillies, turmeric, galangal, garlic and shallots packs a punch and can be used to make a quick fish curry by mixing it with coconut milk and simmering with chunks of any firm white fish.

Prep time: 15 minutes

1 Lightly toast the whole dry spices in a frying pan. Leave to cool, then grind to a powder along with the turmeric. 2 Peel the galangal, garlic and shallots. Then, in a food processor or using a hand blender, blitz them together with a splash of water to form a purée. 3 Mix the dry masala with the fresh purée to form the curry paste. 4 Heat the oil in a large pot. Fry the fish for 5 minutes per side and remove from the pan. Add the curry paste to the pan and toast over a medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Gently add the fish fillets and simmer for 10 minutes. 5 Serve with curry leaves, rotis and lime wedges.

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Whole Coriander Seeds

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Cumin Seeds

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fennel Seeds

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Whole Black Peppercorns

4 medium-sized dried chillies

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric

Thumb-sized piece of galangal

3 plump garlic cloves

50g shallots

1 tbsp peanut oil

1 x 400g tin coconut milk

500g firm white fish fillets

To serve

Handful of fresh or dried curry leaves

Rotis

2 limes

YOU COULD ALSO TRY...

Turn this curry from a weeknight wonder into a showstopper by adding prawns, clams, scallops, or lobster to it. You can even add all four to the mix!

Malay fish curry

SWEET AND CRUNCHY TOFU

Destination: South Korea

Yangnyeomjang is a popular, pungent seasoning sauce, which is good for dipping and marinades. It is made from sesame, soya sauce, rice vinegar, dried chilli, garlic and spring onion. It works beautifully with tofu.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4

600g firm tofu

130g corn flour

SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil, for frying

For the sauce

1 SpinneysFOOD Spring Onion

2 garlic cloves

125ml soya sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD White Sesame Seeds

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Whole Black Peppercorns

1 tsp gochujang

80ml SpinneysFOOD Ketchup

85g SpinneysFOOD Organic Natural Honey

80ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

150g SpinneysFOOD Tenderstem Broccolli

To serve

400g SpinneysFOOD steamed rice

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD White Sesame Seeds

Sweet and crunchy tofu

1 Drain the tofu and pat it dry using paper towels. 2 Slice the tofu in cubes of approx. 2½cm. Place them in a large container with the corn flour. Close the lid and shake the container so that all the tofu cubes are well coated. 3 Add a generous amount of cooking oil to a large pan, ensuring you coat the entire surface. Fry the tofu cubes over a mediumhigh heat until golden and crispy. Remove the tofu from the pan and drain on paper towels. Remove any excess oil left in the pan. 4 To make the sauce, finely chop the spring onion and garlic. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Then add the spring onion and garlic to the mixture. 5 Pour the sauce in the pan and heat it over a mediumhigh heat for approx. 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Once the sauce is thicker, turn off the heat. Add the fried tofu and stir until all tofu cubes are coated with sauce. 6 Steam the broccoli and reheat the rice. 7 Divide the tofu, broccoli and rice between four bowls and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

VEGGIE

MINI OKONOMIYAKI PUFFS

Destination: Japan

Shichimi togarashi is an aromatic mixture made from Szechuan pepper, dried orange, chilli powder, nori, sesame and garlic that can be used as a table condiment or for flavouring curries, meat and noodle dishes – or in this case, Japanese savoury pancakes.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Makes: 12

1 Preheat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7. 2 Divide the oil between a 12-hole muffin pan and preheat it in the oven. 3 Make the tonkatsu sauce by whisking together the sugar, oyster sauce, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside. 4 Whisk the eggs, oil, 2 tbsp of the tonkatsu sauce and milk in a large bowl until combined.

5 Thinly slice the spring onions and add these with the coleslaw to the mix. Stir to combine. 6 Add in the flour and a pinch of salt. Stir until just combined. 7 Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. Divide the mixture between 12 muffin holes filling them halfway. Bake for 10 minutes or until puffed and golden. Stand for 5 minutes in the pan. 8 Using a small knife, release the sides of the puffs from the pan. Transfer to a serving plate. Drizzle with extra tonkatsu sauce and mayonnaise. 9 Serve topped with ginger, sesame seeds and shichimi-togarashi.

4 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil

For the tonkatsu sauce

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

2 tbsp oyster sauce

4 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Ketchup

3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

5 SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Full Fat Milk

2 SpinneysFOOD Spring Onions

200g packet undressed coleslaw mix

120g SpinneysFOOD Self-Raising Flour

Pinch of SpinneysFOOD Fine Crystal Sea Salt

To serve

3 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise

30g pickled ginger

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD White Sesame Seeds

½ tsp shichimi togarashi

Mini okonomiyaki puffs

VEGAN FAUX PHO

Destination: Vietnam

This pho uses a Vietnamese five spice mix of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, coriander and pepper.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

5cm piece fresh ginger

3 garlic cloves

1 brown onion

2 large carrots

500g mixed mushrooms (oyster, king, shiitake)

3 medium celery stalks

2 stalks of lemongrass

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil

1 whole clove

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Whole Coriander Seeds

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Whole Black Peppercorns

2 star anise

1 SpinneysFOOD Cinnamon Stick

1 brown cardamom

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 tbsp soya sauce

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

1½L SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

For the pickle

1 small red onion

1 green chilli

1 red chilli

1 garlic clove

250ml white grape vinegar

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

To serve

Buckwheat noodles

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander and Basil Bean sprouts

SpinneysFOOD Spring Onions

TOP TIP!

Make a quick Vietnamese five spice mix by combining 1 tsp each of ground anise, cloves, cinnamon, garlic powder and ground ginger. Store in a jar and use it to flavour noodles, broths, batters or sauces.

1 Peel and roughly chop the ginger, garlic, onion and carrots. Roughly chop the mushrooms, celery and lemongrass. 2 Place a large pot over a high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and fry the mushrooms until caramelised. Add the rest of the chopped aromatics and vegetables along with the spices and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Season with the nutritional yeast, soya sauce and sugar then add the water and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, prepare the pickle by finely chopping the red onion, chillies and garlic. Place in a small bowl with the vinegar, sugar and salt. Set aside. 4 Strain the broth and reserve the mushrooms. Divide the noodles between four bowls and top with the broth and reserved mushrooms. 5 Serve with the herbs, pickle, bean sprouts and chopped spring onion.

Vegan faux pho

VEGAN

CHICKEN LARB WITH GLASS NOODLES

Destination: Thailand/Laos/Cambodia

Khao Kua is a ground roasted rice mixture quintessential to larb and Thai beef salad. In Laos people also dip unripe fruit, such as pomelo, green mango, tamarind and guava, into it. Some versions (like this one) can also include lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves. Its unique texture makes this dish special. While larb is normally served with sticky rice, we’ve instead served it with glass noodles.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

For the toasted rice powder

2 lemongrass sticks

50g uncooked Thai sticky rice

10 lime leaves

2 dried galangal pieces

1 tbsp peanut oil

400g chicken mince

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Crushed Chilli

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

2 tbsp fish sauce

2 limes

2 shallots

3 SpinneysFOOD Spring Onions

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Mint

To serve Glass noodles

1 Chop the lemongrass. 2 Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the chopped lemongrass, rice, lime leaves and galangal. Toast until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally – approx. 10 minutes.

3 Remove the lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal and transfer to a pestle and mortar or food processor. Blend to form a powder. Set aside. 4 Heat the frying pan again and add the peanut oil. Fry the chicken mince until caramalised. Add 2 tablespoons of the toasted rice powder, chilli flakes, sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. 5 Finely slice the shallots and spring onions and add to the mixture. Adjust the seasoning with more fish sauce, lime juice or chilli. 6 Pick the coriander and mint leaves and toss through the mince. Serve with glass noodles.

Chicken larb with glass noodles

Recipes, food styling and photography by TheKateTin.com

1 SpinneysFOOD Fennel Seeds

2 Waitrose Cooks’ Ingredients Organic Star Anise

3 House Foods Shichimi Togarashi

4 Siblings Sticky Rice (Malagkit)

FIND A VARIETY OF SPICES, POWDERS AND OTHER INGREDIENTS FOR THESE RECIPES IN STORES.

Just add spice

Iconic spice blends, desserts flavoured with the world’s most expensive spices, delicious dahls and more

spice

Adobo

The name comes from the Spanish verb adobar, or ‘to marinate’, though it came to mean different things across the various culinary cultures subsumed into the Iberian empire – a dry marinade in the Carribbean, a wet one in Mexico, and so on. Spanish colonisers also applied the term adobo to the stewlike mix of spices and preserves eaten in the Philippines, because it seemed to resemble the blend of vinegar, salt, garlic and herbs often used back in the motherland. The additional key ingredient for Filipinos was the soya sauce introduced much earlier by Chinese traders.

Spice mixes often evoke a strange familiarity even when they’re new to the nose and palate, and often conjure images from a much more distant past: caravans of camels over desert dunes, yellowed maps marking the ancient routes across land and sea that brought chillies, cinnamon and turmeric from the ends of the Earth to the cuisines of other cultures. Each of the blends here has origins particular to a certain region, but is also part of a common human heritage that you celebrate each time you cook with them.

Panch phoran

The term sphoton means ‘explosion’ in Sanskrit, and was gradually adopted and adapted to a tricky process of tempering whole spices in hot fat developed across the eastern states of India, and particularly in West Bengal. Historian Pritha Sen has theorised that the origins of panch phoran lie in the Pala Dynasty of the 8th to 12th centuries, and its Buddhist fixation on the number five, as related to cosmology (five elements) and also to gastronomy (five key flavours). The five core spices of this mix (including cumin and fenugreek) are blended and tempered to subtly different recipes by families across the region today.

Jerk spice

This hot seasoning has steadily become the signature flavour of Jamaica, used on all kinds of meat and fish, and bottled for sale in all manner of subtle brand variations. It was first developed by the runaway slaves known as Maroons, who escaped to the mountains and made use of what plants they found growing there – scallions, scotch bonnet chillies etc – to make marinades for the wild game they were able to catch. Two prevailing theories on the name suggest it comes from the jerking motion used to turn that meat over hot coals, or to tear off chunks before serving.

Gunpowder

Around the same time that the British military were using mixtures of actual gunpowder as toothache remedies and substitutes for salt and pepper at the ragged ends of their expanding empire, they also gave the nickname ‘gunpowder’ to the firecracker heat of the South Indian spice mix known locally as milagi podi. That term, in Tamil, simply means ‘chilli powder’, but the substance itself is a bit more complex, a kind of dry chutney seasoning that blends those ground peppers with lentils, sesame seeds, cumin and coriander, usually mixed with sesame oil or melted ghee to accompany idli or dosa.

Paella spice

Paella may well be the Spanish national dish, and Valencian farmers tend to get most of the credit for first cooking chicken and rabbit with rice in the flat pan from which the name derives. But spice-wise, its origins go back to the Moorish caliphates who first brought saffron to the Iberian peninsula, and perhaps even further to ancient Persian and Indian sources of the sweet paprika, fennel and turmeric that are still used to season the best paellas.

B' zar

Also known to some as Arabic Masala, or Emirati Spice Mix, this massively aromatic blend of pepper, cumin, coriander, turmeric etc is a core ingredient of cooking across the UAE. As eating in the region becomes ever more varied and cosmopolitan, there is a nostalgic familiarity to its flavour that is entirely specific to this stretch of the Gulf, especially as used in cholent, or chicken dishes. You might think of it as a universal compound condiment, which originally formed a kind of unifying spice bridge between the respective inland and coastal cuisines of the Bedouins and the fishermen.

Mole spice

Mole basically means ‘sauce’ in the original Nahuatl language, and encompasses a whole family of wet concoctions across central Mexico. Some are relatively simple and quick to prep, others take days to make through a complex layering of dried chillies and other peppers with fruits and other seasonings. Many families in the Oaxaca and Puebla regions have inherited ancestral recipes passed down over centuries, most of which use a potent variety of chillies for flavour: guajillos, pasillas, anchos, and chipotles. Mole poblano, the most popular and widely exported variation, gains rich, deep colour and a bittersweet edge from the addition of cocoa.

BBQ spice

There’s little anecdotal evidence that the idea of rubbing, or dusting, raw meat with a ground-up seasoning before cooking was first conceived in the colonial Carribbean, but there’s a lot more documentation for the art and/or science of barbecue preparation as a particular invention of the southern United States in the 19th century. Out on the ranges, a combination of necessity and abundance led farmers and frontier folk to grill their meat over open fires, and (perhaps inspired by Native Americans), they found that adding salt, sugar, hickory etc made for agreeable crusts or glazes while cooking at relatively low temperatures.

Mixed spice

The mix in question was originally derived from various ancient spices newly discovered and imported by the British from the furthest-flung reaches of their expanding empire in the 18th century. Cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, ginger … all blended together into a sweet, mildly spicy compound that was first noted in Mrs Frazer’s 1795 recipe book The Practice Of Cookery. Today the gingerbread aroma of mixed spice creates an instant, even tearful nostalgia among Brits, especially overseas, as it has long become associated with cakes, pies and puddings most commonly eaten at Christmas – for many it is the very smell and taste and essence of childhood.

Durban curry masala

Curry aficionados will affirm that the variants developed by the huge Indian population of Durban tend to be among the fieriest in the whole diaspora, using less cream and yoghurt while leaning harder on chillies, oil and spices. Key to the heat, sweetness and rich red colour of the Durban curry is the local masala mix. Its distinct flavour profile is derived from coriander, cumin and cinnamon – said to be the preferred spices of indentured labourers arriving in South Africa from the Chennai region over a century ago. Today that blend is essential to Durban’s signature street food dish, “bunny chow”.

Ras el hanout

Arabic speakers know the name of this rich and complex mix means ‘head of the shop’, a reference to its status as the very best product that spice merchants could offer in the Morocco of the Middle Ages. The legend says two camels got into a fight in the commercial hub of Sijilmasa, spilling their cargo on the ground and forcing the trader to claim that the resulting mess of spices was a fantastic new blend he had discovered somewhere between Cairo and Damascus. Besides creating intricate flavour, its 30-ish ingredients are said to have various health-giving properties, aiding digestion and acting as an antioxidant

Harissa

During the Spanish occupation of Tunisia in the 16th century, locals developed a taste for the chillies latterly introduced to North Africa from the colonies of the New World. The story goes that shoppers at the souks would stand and wait for spice merchants to pound out a mix of those novel hot peppers with salt and olive oil – the name for that blend derived from the Arabic ‘harasa’, meaning “to break into pieces”. In the intervening centuries, its use has spread to the point that some estimates suggest that one full quarter of the world now eats harissa on a daily basis.

These spice blends taste best when freshly prepared and used, but they can be stored for up to two weeks in an airtight container.

SAUDI MEAT PIES WITH B’ZAR-SPICED PASTRY

These little pies make a delicious snack or light meal when served with a fresh tomato salad.

Prep time: 45 minutes (plus proofing time)

Cook time: 30 minutes

Makes: 8

For the b’zar pastry

100ml lukewarm water

7g instant dry yeast

160g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

150g SpinneysFOOD Wholewheat Flour

1 tsp b’zar spice

4 tbsp milk powder

1 tsp baking powder

1½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

50g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter, softened

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Egg

For the filling

1 large red onion

3 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tbsp b’zar spice

500g SpinneysFOOD Lean Organic Beef Mince

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Black Pepper, freshly ground

3 tbsp tahini or almond butter

1 tbsp black vinegar or rice vinegar

1 tbsp water

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

1 SpinneysFOOD Omega-3 Free-Range Egg

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD White Sesame Seeds

1 To make the pastry, place the lukewarm water in a large bowl, add in the yeast and set aside for 10 minutes. In a large bowl combine the flours, b’zar spice, milk powder, baking powder, salt, sugar and butter. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the water-yeast mixture, oil and egg. Using your hand or a spoon, mix to form a rough dough. Place on a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with cling film. Set aside for 1½ hours, or until doubled in size.

2 Finely slice the onion. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and b’zar to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes, or until golden and slightly caramelised. Add in the beef mince and sauté until caramelised. Season well with the salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heat-proof bowl.

3 In a separate bowl, combine the tahini, vinegar and water. Add the tahini mixture to the meat and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Finely chop the coriander and add to the meat mixture. 4 Preheat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

5 Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and roll these into smooth balls. Cover with a damp

towel and set aside to rest for 15 minutes. Roll each dough ball out into 12cm rounds and place on the baking tray. Place approx.

2 tablespoons of the filling into the centre of the dough, leaving a ½cm border and pinch the sides around leaving the centre open. 6 Whisk the egg and brush the edges of the pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds over.

7 Place in the oven and bake until golden and cooked through, approx. 20-30 minutes.

8 Serve immediately.

MASOR TENGA FISH CURRY

Panch phoran is a whole spice mix literally meaning ‘five spices’. It is a Bengali and Bangladeshi speciality and is particularly good for flavouring dahls and vegetable dishes.

Prep time: 10 minutes (plus marination time)

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

For the panch phoran spice mix

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Cumin Seeds

2 tsp brown mustard seeds

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fennel Seeds

1 tsp nigella seeds

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

For the fish curry

4 fresh fish fillets, de-scaled, with skin on ½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric

1 tsp yellow mustard seeds

1 red onion

2 green chillies

2 ripe tomatoes

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp panch phoran spice mix

1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds

1-2 tsp red chilli flakes

200ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

1 lime

To serve

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

1 To make the spice mix, combine the whole spices. 2 Place the fish on a plate and rub with the salt and turmeric. Cover and set aside for 10-15 minutes. 3 Coarsely grind the yellow mustard seeds. Peel and slice the onion. Deseed and halve the green chillies. Roughly chop the tomatoes. 4 Melt half the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the mustard seeds. Stir for a few minutes until they become fragrant. Lay the fish in the pan, skin side down, and leave to cook for 3-4 minutes. Once the skin is crisp and golden, turn and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the fish is just cooked through. Transfer the fried fish to a plate, cover and set aside. 5 Heat the remaining oil in the pan over a high heat. Add the panch phoran. Allow the seeds to splutter and pop for 1 minute. Turn the heat down to medium. Stir

in the onion and chillies. Sauté gently for 3-4 minutes, until they are just softened and golden. Then stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes until they soften. Add the mustard with the chilli flakes and cook for a further 4-5 minutes, stirring. 6 Pour in the water then add lime juice to taste. Bring to a gentle simmer. Carefully add the fried fish pieces back into the sauce, skin side up, and heat through for 2-3 minutes. 7 Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with rice.

GUNPOWDER POTATOES

This recipe is also delicious when made with cauliflower instead of potatoes

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Serves: 4

For the gunpowder spice mix

25g SpinneysFOOD Channa Dal

25g SpinneysFOOD Urad Dal

25g desiccated coconut

1 tbsp black sesame seeds

2 tbsp curry leaves (approx. 20)

6 red chillies

1 tbsp tamarind pulp

¼ tsp asafoetida

2 tsp jaggery or palm sugar

For the gunpowder potatoes

6 large potatoes

4 tbsp ghee

1 SpinneysFOOD Spring Onion

1 green chilli

1 To make the spice mix, toast the lentils in a dry pan over a low heat for 10 minutes until coloured. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. Toast the coconut the same way. When it starts turning golden, add the sesame seeds, curry leaves and chillies. Toast until the chillies are dark. 2 Add in the tamarind pulp and asafoetida and stir for 1 minute before adding the jaggery. Scrape all the ingredients into the lentils and allow to cool. Grind in a spice grinder or use a pestle and mortar to grind to a coarse powder. If storing, spread onto a tray and allow to dry for 1 hour before placing in a jar. 3 Peel and quarter the potatoes. Place in a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender. Drain and spread out onto a baking sheet and allow to cool. 4 Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Place a roasting tray with the ghee inside the oven. Once the ghee is hot, remove the tray from the oven, carefully add the potatoes and return to the oven. Roast, turning every now and then, until golden and crunchy – approx. 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and place in a bowl. 5 Chop the spring onion and green chilli. 6 Sprinkle the gunpowder spice mix over the potatoes. Add the spring onion and chilli and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

VEGGIE

Saudi meat pies with b’zar-spiced pastry

Masor tenga fish curry

Gunpowder potatoes

Adobo roasted whole duck

ADOBO ROASTED WHOLE DUCK

The holy trinity of Filipino cuisine – bay leaves, black pepper and garlic – feature in nearly every savoury recipe including the unofficial ‘national dish’ adobo. Instead of chicken, here we’ve given the dish a twist by using the spice blend to roast a whole duck. The vinegar cuts through the richness of the duck beautifully.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 3 hours

Serves: 6

For the adobo spice blend

200ml coconut vinegar or rice vinegar

100ml soya sauce

6 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Whole Black Peppercorns

4 SpinneysFOOD Bay Leaves

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Unrefined Raw Sugar

For the roasted duck

3-4 brown onions

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Black Pepper

1 whole duck (approx. 2kg)

1 To make the adobo spice blend, place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. 2 Preheat the oven to 210°C, gas mark 6½. 3 Peel and quarter the onions then place them in the bottom of a large roasting tray, leaving one aside. 4 Season the duck well inside and out with the salt and pepper and place the remaining onion quarter in the cavity. Place the duck on top of the onions. Using a fork gently pierce the skin all over – this helps to render the fat. 5 Brush the adobe spice blend all over the bird and place in the oven for 25 minutes. After 20 minutes lower the temperature to 130°C, lowest oven setting, and bake for an additional 55 minutes per kg (we baked it for 1 hour and 50 minutes more). Baste with the reserved spice mix every 10-15 minutes. Increase the temperature to 210°C, gas mark 6½, and bake for a further 20-25 minutes basting every five minutes, so that the duck skin becomes golden and crispy. 6 Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving with rice, if desired.

JERK CHICKEN BURGERS WITH PINEAPPLE SLAW

The term ‘jerk’ actually refers to the way in which meat is seasoned, smoked and grilled until tender – similar to American barbecue. It has however, become synonymous with its spice blend, which is dominated by allspice and chillies.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

For the jerk spice mix

1 tbsp allspice berries

¼ tsp nutmeg

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Whole Black Peppercorns

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Dried Thyme

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Chilli Powder

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Ginger

For the burgers

4 chicken breasts, skin removed

50g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

100ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

200g dried breadcrumbs

4 tbsp mayonnaise

4 SpinneysFOOD Burger Buns

For the coleslaw

200g coleslaw mix

200g fresh pineapple

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

1 To make the spice mix, place all the ingredients in a spice grinder and grind until fine. Set aside. 2 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. 3 Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of cling film and flatten them using a frying pan. 4 Place the flour and water in a bowl and mix to form a paste. Place the breadcrumbs in another bowl. 5 Season the chicken with the jerk spice mix then dip into the flour paste followed by the breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet. Roast the chicken pieces for 20 minutes or until golden and crispy. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with more jerk seasoning. 6 To make the slaw, place the coleslaw in a bowl. Slice the pineapple into thin strips. Chop the coriander. Add both to the slaw and mix. 7 Slice the burger buns. Spread the mayonnaise on the bottom halves of the buns then top with the chicken and slaw. Replace the tops of the buns and serve immediately.

MINI LAMB BUNNY CHOWS

Durban, in South Africa, is known as the biggest Indian city outside of India and it boasts its own curry masala blend that is a quintessential part of the city’s famous ‘bunny chow’. Curiously, the dish doesn’t have any ‘bunny’ whatsoever. It is a spicy curry, which is stuffed inside a hollowed out half-loaf of sandwich bread. The bread is used as a container so no crockery is required. This version uses bread rolls instead.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Makes: 6

For the Durban curry masala

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Coriander Seeds

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Cumin Seeds

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Cardamom Seeds

½ tsp fenugreek seeds

2 cloves

5cm SpinneysFOOD Cinnamon Stick

6 tsp mild chilli powder

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cayenne Pepper

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Ginger

For the bunny chow

1 large brown onion

5cm piece fresh ginger

4 garlic cloves

2 tomatoes

2 potatoes

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 black cardamom pods

2 small SpinneysFOOD Cinnamon Sticks

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fennel Seeds

2 tbsp Durban curry masala (recipe above)

2 tbsp tomato purée

500g stewing lamb

12 fresh curry leaves

300ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt, to taste

SpinneysFOOD Fine Black Pepper, to taste

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

1 lime

4-6 crusty Portuguese rolls

For the carrot pickle

2 carrots

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

1 tbsp white grape vinegar

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

3 tbsp boiling water

To serve SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

1 To make the Durban curry masala, toast the whole spices in a frying pan over a medium heat until fragrant. Then grind and combine with the remaining spices. Measure out 2 tablespoons and store and label the rest.

2 Peel and finely chop the onion. Finely grate the ginger and garlic. Chop the tomatoes. Peel and cube the potatoes. Set aside. 3 Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the cardamom, cinnamon and fennel seeds for 1 minute. Add the onion to the pan. Sauté for 5 minutes. Sprinkle over the 2 tablespoons of the Durban curry masala and stir to coat the onions. Add the ginger, garlic and tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the lamb, potatoes, curry leaves and water. Season well with the salt and pepper. Simmer for 40-50 minutes or until the meat and potatoes are soft. Roughly chop the coriander and stir into the pan along with a squeeze of lime. 4 To make the carrot pickle, slice the carrot into ribbons with a vegetable peeler. Combine with the remaining ingredients, cover and allow to steam for 10 minutes. 5 To assemble, slice the tops off the rolls and scoop out the soft bread. Spoon the curry into the hollowed-out halves and garnish with fresh coriander and carrot pickle before serving.

Sweet ‘n’ smoky BBQ beef brisket

TOP TIP!

Steamed tamales freeze very well so make a big batch for another day.

Mole-stuffed tamales

Jerk chicken burgers with pineapple slaw

Mini lamb bunny chows

Smoky chicken and mussel paella

SWEET ‘N’ SMOKY BBQ BEEF BRISKET

A classic BBQ rub has many regional variations, but this recipe takes brown sugar from Kansas City and paprika from the Memphis rub to combine the best of both.

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus marination time)

Cook time: 4 hours

Serves: 4

For the BBQ rub

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cumin

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cayenne Pepper

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Chilli Powder

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Black Pepper, freshly ground

4 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp onion powder

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

1 tbsp garlic powder

For the sweet ‘n’ smoky brisket

3kg beef brisket, untrimmed

2 tbsp BBQ rub mix

1 head garlic

1 brown onion

3 fresh bay leaves

6 sprigs SpinneysFOOD Fresh Thyme

50g SpinneysFOOD Unrefined Raw Sugar

750ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

250ml apple cider vinegar

250ml barbecue sauce

1 To make the spice rub, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. 2 Rub the spice mix all over the brisket and allow to marinate overnight.

3 Preheat the oven to 150°C, gas mark 2.

4 Place the brisket in a large roasting pan. Halve the head of garlic. Quarter the onion. Place the garlic, onion, bay leaves, thyme, sugar, water and vinegar in the pan. Cover with foil and roast for 3 hours then remove the foil and roast for a further hour. Brush the barbecue sauce over the brisket and continue roasting until sticky and caramelised. 5 Allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

MOLE-STUFFED TAMALES

Mole’s complexity and long list of ingredients is just one of the many reasons it is considered a dish to celebrate special occasions. Typically, it features a variety of chillies and spices (sometimes up to 20) that are ground into a paste then mixed with broth or water. The mixture is then simmered until a thick sauce is achieved. Here, we’ve used a simplified version as a stuffing for celebratory tamales.

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 50 minutes

Makes: 12

For the mole spice blend

2 dried ancho chillies

2 dried pasilla chillies

2 dried mulato chillies

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD White Sesame Seeds

2cm piece of SpinneysFOOD Cinnamon Stick

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Cumin Seeds

¼ tsp anise seeds

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Whole Black Peppercorns

¼ tsp cloves

3 tbsp cacao nibs

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Dried Thyme

¼ tsp dried marjoram

1 SpinneysFOOD Bay Leaf

For the tamales

1 brown onion

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 x 400g tin SpinneysFOOD Organic Chopped

Italian Tomatoes

12 x dried corn husks or banana leaves

680g masa harina

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cumin

1 tsp baking powder

180ml avocado oil

1½L vegetable stock

1 To make the spice blend, toast the whole spices in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, stirring, until fragrant. Mix with the remaining ingredients and grind. 2 Peel and finely slice the onion and garlic. 3 Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add all the mole spice and toast for 2 minutes then add the tinned tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature. 4 Meanwhile, soak the corn husks in hot water. 5 In the bowl of a large stand mixer, add the masa harina, salt, cumin, baking powder and whisk to combine. Add the avocado oil, then beat on a low speed until combined. Then gradually add the stock and beat on a low speed until combined. Once the stock is incorporated, increase to a medium speed and beat for 10 minutes until fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if needed. Cover the mixing bowl with a damp kitchen towel and refrigerate until ready to use. 6 To assemble the tamales, lay a soaked corn husk on a flat surface. Place 4 tablespoons of the masa harina mixture on the husk and spread it out into a rectangle large enough to enclose the filling. Place 1 tablespoon of the mole filling in the centre of the masa rectangle. Fold the corn husk in half vertically. Then very carefully, fold the corn husk in half so that the masa wraps completely around the filling, you can use your fingers to pinch it together just a little bit. Wrap the corn husk into a little burrito. Continue folding the corn husk completely over to one side so that it is a cylinder shape. Fold the top (skinny) end down to enclose one end of the tamale. One end of the tamale will be exposed, and the other will be folded over. Tie the tamale together using shredded corn husks or string. Repeat with the remaining husks, masa harina mixture and filling. 7 Add water to the bottom of pot with a steamer basket. Fill the steamer with the tamales and steam until the tamales are hot and cooked through (and

the masa separates easily from the corn husks), approx. 30 minutes. 8 Serve immediately with extra mole sauce for dipping.

SMOKY CHICKEN AND MUSSEL PAELLA

Saffron and pimentón (a mixture of smoked and sweet paprika) are essential to the flavour of authentic Spanish paella. Originally paella was a dish cooked over a woodfire by farmers and farm labourers. It was made with rice, plus whatever was found around the rice fields and countryside, such as tomatoes, onions, snails, rabbit or duck and – for special occasions – chicken. A dash of saffron was added for colour and flavour. Traditionally, paella should be eaten straight from the paellera pan with each person using his own wooden spoon.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Serves: 6

For the paella spice mix

2 generous pinches of saffron threads

3 tbsp smoked Spanish paprika

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cumin

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Black Pepper, freshly ground

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Dried Parsley

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Dried Oregano

Pinch of ground cloves

For the paella

1 chorizo sausage

3 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 chicken thighs

250ml non-alcoholic white wine

2 large red onions

1 SpinneysFOOD Red Capsicum

1 tbsp tomato paste

3 tbsp Paella spice mix

1 x 400g tin SpinneysFOOD Organic Chopped

Italian Tomatoes

1L chicken stock

500ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

500g paella rice

500g mussels

To serve

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Parsley

2 lemons

1 To make the paella spice mix, combine all the spices in a bowl and store in a jar until required.

2 Finely chop the chorizo. Place a very large frying pan or paella pan over a high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the chicken pieces and chorizo and sauté until golden brown and cooked through – approx. 15 minutes. Move the meat to the side of the pan and deglaze it with the non-alcoholic wine, scraping off the pieces on the bottom. Finely slice the onions and capsicum and add to the pan along with the tomato paste and spice mix. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.

VEGAN

Add the tomatoes, stock and water and bring to a boil. 3 Reduce the heat to a simmer and sprinkle the rice evenly over the pan. Stir to coat well then don’t stir again. Simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes. Test the rice – it should be al dente like pasta. Arrange the mussels on top and place a lid or foil on top and continue cooking. 4 When the rice is done, it will start to make a very faint crackling sound. This is the prized socarrat, or paella crust, starting to form at the base of the pan. You can turn the heat up a touch but be very careful, you want your rice crust toasted but not burned. When you start to get a subtle toasting scent remove from the heat. 5 Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

LAMB AND PISTACHIO B’STILLA

B’stilla is one of those classic sweet-savoury Moroccan dishes that is an absolute must at any celebration. One of the essential seasonings in the filling is ras el hanout, possibly the most complex of all Middle-Eastern spice blends. Ras el hanout means the ‘head of the shop’, signalling how precious the spice blend is, both because of its price and the fact that it contains up to 30 spices.

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Serves: 6

For the b’stilla

2 medium brown onions

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Parsley

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

500g lamb shoulder cubes

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Ginger

2 tsp ras el hanout, plus extra for dusting

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cayenne Pepper

2 pinches of saffron threads

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

450ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

100g pistachios

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar, plus extra for dusting

12 sheets phyllo pastry

120g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter

For the sweet and sour sultanas

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 shallot

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Unrefined Raw Sugar

70g sultanas

125ml red grape vinegar

To serve

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar

½ tsp ras el hanout

50g pistachio

1 Preheat the oven to 230°C, gas mark 8.

2 Chop the onion, parsley and coriander.

3 Heat the oil in a large saucepan then brown the lamb until golden. Add the onion, parsley and coriander to the lamb along with the spices and

salt. Sauté for 2 minutes then add the water and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the lamb is soft. Allow to cool. 4 Place the pistachios on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and finely chop. Mix with the icing sugar. 5 Shred the lamb. If the sauce in the pan is not thick, reduce it over a low heat. Mix the shredded lamb into the sauce. 6 To assemble the pie, brush 6 sheets of phyllo with melted butter and lay them on top of each other. Arrange at the bottom of a shallow 30cm round, non-stick baking dish. Spread the chopped pistachios evenly over the pastry. Spread the shredded lamb over the pastry. Brush the remaining sheets of phyllo with melted butter, lay them on top of each other and then place on top of the meat. Tuck the loose ends inside the tin and under the pie. Brush the top with butter and bake for 30 minutes. 7 Meanwhile, make the sweet and sour sultanas by heating the oil in a small saucepan over a medium-low heat. Finely slice the shallot and add to the pan. Sauté for 15 minutes or until softened and starting to caramelise. Add the sugar and cook for a further minute. Add the sultanas and vinegar and simmer for 4-5 minutes until thickened slightly. 8 Remove the b’stilla from the oven. Dust the top with the icing sugar and ras el hanout. Chop the pistachios and scatter over. Top with the sweet and sour sultanas and serve.

HARISSA HONEY HALLOUMI

This halloumi is sticky, spicy and utterly addictive.

Lamb and pistachio b’stilla

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4

For the harissa

100g dried mild chillies (like baklouti or Kashmiri)

4 garlic cloves

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea salt

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Cumin Seeds

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Coriander Seeds

1 tsp caraway seeds

VEGGIE

juice. 4 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. 5 Fry the halloumi in the pan until slightly golden on either side. Add in the harissa mixture and fry for 5 minutes or until golden.

6 Serve the halloumi immediately topped with the dukkah and rose petals, if desired.

HOT CROSS BUN SCONES

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oli

500g SpinneysFOOD Halloumi-Style Grill Cheese

2 tbsp harissa

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Organic Natural Honey

1 lime

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

To serve

1 tbsp dukkah

1 tbsp rose petals, optional

1 To make the harissa, place the chillies in a bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside for 30 minutes until tender and rehydrated. Drain the chillies and remove the stems and seeds. Place in a spice grinder along with the remaining ingredients. Blitz to a paste. Store in a jar and refrigerate. 2 Slice the halloumi into 1cm-thick slices and set aside. 3 In a small bowl, combine the harissa and honey and squeeze in the lime

Also known as ‘pudding spice’, mixed spice has a similar flavour profile to gingerbread spice and is used in a variety of festive, celebratory bakes during Christmas and Easter.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Makes: 12

For the mixed spice

½ tbsp ground allspice

½ tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

½ tbsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground mace

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Coriander

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Ginger

For the scones

520g SpinneysFOOD Self-Raising Flour

2 tsp baking powder

115g SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

75g cold SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter

50g sultanas

50g raisins

1 tbsp mixed candied peel

250ml SpinneysFOOD Fresh Full Fat Milk

250ml single cream

For the crosses

75g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil

4-5 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

1 Make the spice mix by combining all the ingredients in a bowl. 2 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Lightly grease and line a baking tray with parchment paper. 3 Place the spice mix, flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl and mix to combine. Add the butter, dried fruit and mix to combine. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the milk and cream. Using a butter knife, gradually mix in the milk and cream until combined, being careful not to overwork the dough.

4 Turn the mixture out onto a well-floured surface and gently bring the dough together with your hands. Roll out the dough until 2½cm thick then use a floured 5½cm round cookie cutter to cut out 15 rounds. Avoid twisting the cookie cutter, instead press straight down. Place the scones close to each other on the baking tray and brush them with milk. 5 To make the crosses, mix the flour, oil and water together and place in a piping bag with a small straight nozzle. Pipe crosses onto each scone. 6 Bake the scones for 15-20 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. 7 Serve with butter.

Hot cross bun scones

Harissa honey halloumi

VEGGIE

Alright dahl

Aromatic, comforting and packed with plant protein, dahl is a staple lentil dish in Indian homes, but each region has its own recipes and temperings change across the length and breadth of the country

TOP TIP!

It is always better to soak pulses overnight, or for 8-9 hours. Soaking reduces the phytic acid present in beans and lentils, which causes indigestion.

GUJARATI LAGAN DAHL

Gujarati lagan dahl, from the western state of Gujarat in India, is an aromatic dish made with split pigeon peas (toor dal), peanuts and spices. It’s sweet and sour with bit of a kick to it.

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus overnight soaking time)

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves: 4

For the dahl

160g SpinneysFOOD Toor Dal

1L SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

1 tbsp raw peanuts

2 Roma tomatoes

5cm piece fresh ginger

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Chilli Powder

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric

1 green chilli

1 tbsp jaggery or soft brown sugar

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

1 lemon

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

For the tempering

3 tbsp ghee

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Black Mustard Seeds

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Cumin Seeds

8 fenugreek seeds

1 SpinneysFOOD Bay Leaf

1 small SpinneysFOOD Cinnamon Stick

1 clove

1 dried red chilli

10 curry leaves

Pinch of asafoetida

1 Wash the lentils until the water runs clear and soak overnight. 2 Place the lentils and 500ml

of water in a pot. Place the peanuts in a muslin cloth and tie the ends together to form a small bag. Place in the pot and cover with a lid. Cook for 1 hour or until tender. Remove the peanut bag and set aside. 3 Add the remaining water to the lentils and, using a hand blender, blitz until smooth. Place the pot over a medium heat again. 4 Roughly chop the tomatoes and finely grate the ginger. Add both to the pot along with the chilli powder, turmeric, green chilli, jaggery and salt. Simmer for approx. 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 5 Meanwhile, heat the ghee in a small pan over a medium heat. When hot add the mustard seeds and wait until they start popping. Add in the cumin and fenugreek seeds and leave to sizzle. Add in the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, clove and dried chilli and sauté for 1 minute. Add in the curry leaves and asafoetida. 6 Add the tempering to the dahl and stir well. 7 Serve hot.

Gujarati lagan dahl

VEGGIE

TOP TIP!

To get the smoky flavour in this dish without the coal, add in smoked paprika or liquid smoke to taste.

Dahl makhani

Paruppu kadaiyal

DAHL MAKHANI

Dahl makhani is a popular lentil dish from the north-Indian state of Punjab. Made with whole black lentils (urad dahl) and red kidney beans (rajma), it’s a rich dahl made with butter and cream. It’s often finished with a hot coal, which imparts a smoky flavour to the dish.

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus overnight soaking time)

Cook time: 2 hours

Serves: 4

For the dahl

165g black urad dahl

60g SpinneysFOOD Red Kidney Beans

2L SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

1 leek

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp crushed ginger

2 tbsp ghee

3 tbsp salted butter, divided (use Amul butter if possible)

125ml tomato purée or tinned tomato

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Kashmiri Chilli Powder

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Garam Masala

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

365ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

4 tbsp pouring cream

Piece of charcoal, optional, to add a smoky flavour

For the tempering

5cm piece fresh ginger

3 tbsp ghee

1 tbsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Garam Masala

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Chilli Powder

To serve

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

1 lemon

1 Rinse the urad dahl and red kidney beans. Soak in 750ml of water overnight. Drain the water and place in a medium-sized pot along with 750ml of water. Place over a medium heat and cook until tender, approx. 1½ hours.

2 Rinse and finely slice the leek. Peel and crush the garlic and ginger. 3 Heat the ghee and butter together over a medium heat. Add the leek to the pan and sauté for 5-10 minutes or until golden. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add in the tomato purée, chilli powder, garam masala and salt, and cook until the oil rises to the surface. Add in the cooked dahl and stir to combine. Add in the remaining 500ml of water and lower the heat. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring now and then. 4 Once simmered, add in the cream and stir well. The dahl is ready to be served at this stage, alternatively there is one last step that is optional. 5 Place a small metal bowl on the surface of the dahl. Heat a piece of charcoal over direct heat or gas flame until red hot. Place the coal inside the bowl and pour melted ghee over the coal. Immediately close

the pot with a tight-fitting lid and set aside for 2 minutes to smoke. 6 To make the tempering, finely julienne the ginger. Heat the ghee in a medium-sized frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once melted, add the ginger and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Crush the kasoori methi with your hands into the ghee along with the garam masala and chilli powder. Cook for a further 30 seconds, swirling the pan frequently. 7 Pour the tempering over the dahl and serve topped with roughly torn coriander and a squeeze of lemon juice.

PARUPPU KADAIYAL

Paruppu kadaiyal is a dahl from the south-Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. It’s made with a few ingredients and serves as a staple in many homes.

Prep time: 10 minutes (plus overnight soaking time)

Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Serves: 4

For the dahl

160g SpinneysFOOD Moong Dal or Toor Dal

1L SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric

Pinch of asafoetida (hing)

For the tempering

2 green chillies

1 red chilli

1 small red onion

6 tbsp ghee

1½ tsp yellow mustard seeds

10 curry leaves

Pinch of asafoetida

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

To serve

Rotis, pooris or steamed rice

1 Thoroughly rinse the dahl until the water runs clear and soak overnight. 2 Place in a small pot along with 500ml of water, ground turmeric and asafoetida. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a gently simmer keeping the lid on. Cook for approx. 1 hour 15 minutes or until the lentils are soft and mushy. Take off the the heat and set aside for 5 minutes. 3 Once tender, mash the dahl using a potato masher or fork. Add enough water to reach desired consistency. 4 Remove the seeds from the green chillies and finely chop. Finely slice the red onion. 5 In a small pan, melt the ghee and add in the mustard seeds. Add the green chillies, whole red chilli and onion to the pan along with the curry leaves and asafoetida. Sauté until the onions are translucent. Set aside half of this mixture. Add half of the tempering to the cooked dahl along with the salt and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5 minutes before removing from the heat. 6 Spoon the remaining tempering over and serve with fresh rotis.

Choose from a wide variety of pulses in stores.

SpinneysFOOD Toor Dal

SpinneysFOOD Moong Dal

SpinneysFOOD Urad Dal

SpinneysFOOD Red Kidney Beans

SpinneysFOOD Moong Dal (split)

Recipes, food styling and photography by TheKateTin.com

VEGGIE

VEGGIE

GRAINS GLORIOUS

Spiced rice has a presence in almost every cuisine around the world and each country has original recipes with distinct spice blends

Funeral rice

TOP TIP!

If you’re removing the shells of the prawns, reserve and make a stock. Place the shells with any vegetable offcuts in a pot. Cover with water and simmer for 20 minutes. Skim and strain the stock. Use immediately or pour into resealable bags and freeze until needed.

Sweetcorn and shrimp jambalaya

Bibimbap

FUNERAL RICE

SPICE MIX: CAPE MALAY MASALA

Funeral rice or begrafnis rys, was traditionally served in Cape Malay homes at family gatherings such as funerals and weddings. Saffron was used in earlier times but turmeric widely took over as a cheaper alternative to give the rice its yellow colour.

ORIGINS: South Africa

WHAT’S IN IT: turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

350g SpinneysFOOD Long-Grain Basmati Rice

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

500ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

50g SpinneysFOOD Unsalted Butter

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Cinnamon or ½ cinnamon stick

6 SpinneysFOOD Cardamom Pods, shelled and seeds crushed

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric

2 SpinneysFOOD Bay Leaves

30g raisins

30g sultanas

1 Combine all the ingredients in a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Stir and cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for approx. 10-15 minutes. 2 Remove from the heat and set aside, covered, for a further 15 minutes to steam.

3 Fluff the rice using a fork and tip into a warm bowl and serve.

SWEETCORN AND SHRIMP JAMBALAYA

SPICE MIX: CAJUN SPICE

Jambalaya is a Louisiana style Cajun/Creole spiced rice dish of West African, French and Spanish influence, consisting mainly of meat (usually shrimp and chicken) and vegetables mixed with rice.

ORIGINS: US/Louisiana

WHAT’S IN IT: cumin, paprika, cajun spice, bay leaves

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Serves: 4-6

For the Cajun seasoning

1½ tsp onion powder

1½ tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cayenne Pepper

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine White Pepper

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Dried Oregano

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Dried Thyme

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Crushed Chilli Flakes

For the jambalaya

3 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil

500g chicken breast fillets

3 tbsp Cajun seasoning

1 large brown onion

1 green capsicum

1 red capsicum

2 celery stalks

3 garlic cloves

1 x 400g tin SpinneysFOOD Chopped Italian Tomatoes

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Black Pepper

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

46g okra

130g SpinneysFOOD Long-Grain Basmati Rice

750ml chicken or prawn stock

3 SpinneysFOOD Bay Leaves

500g prawns, tail off

100g sweetcorn

To serve

2 SpinneysFOOD Spring Onions

1 Combine the Cajun spices together and store in an airtight container until needed. 2 Heat the oil in a large cast-iron pot. Slice the chicken breasts into strips. Season the strips with half the Cajun spice and place in the hot oil. Cook until browned, approx. 5-10 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside. 3 Finely dice the onion and capsicums, making sure to remove the seeds. Finely slice the celery and crush the garlic. Add the onion, capsicums and celery to the pan and cook until softened. Add in the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the tinned tomatoes, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and the remaining Cajun spice. 4 Finely chop the okra and add to the pot along with the chicken and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add

in the rice, stock and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Bring to a simmer and cover. Cook for approx. 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Stirring occasionally as needed. 5 Remove and reserve the shells and tails of the prawns (see TOP TIP). Add the prawns to the pot and stir through along with the sweetcorn. Cover the pot with a lid and cook until the prawns are pink, approx. 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning, if needed. 6 Finely slice the spring onions. 7 Serve the jambalaya topped with the spring onions.

BIBIMBAP

SPICE MIX: GOCHUJANG

Gochujang is a sweet, savoury and spicy Korean condiment made with chilli powder (gochu garu), glutinous rice, fermented soyabeans, salt, and sometimes sweeteners. It can be used in marinades for meat dishes like Bibimbap, stirred into dipping sauces, or used to add a kick to stews or soups.

ORIGINS: Korea

WHAT’S IN IT: garlic, ginger, chilli, sesame, gochujang

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus overnight marination time)

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: 4

For the marinated beef

250g SpinneysFOOD Grass-Fed Beef Rib Eye or sirloin

100g shiitake mushrooms

5cm piece fresh ginger

1 garlic clove

1 tbsp soya sauce

1 tbsp soft brown sugar

2 tbsp gochujang

1 tbsp sesame oil

Squid Hokkien fried rice

To serve

2 SpinneysFOOD Organic Cucumbers

2 medium carrots

600g cooked sushi rice

100g kimchi

150g sprouts

4 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Sea Salt Flakes

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, plus more for serving

1 Thinly slice the rib eye or sirloin. Halve the shiitake mushrooms. Finely slice the ginger and garlic. 2 In a medium bowl, place the beef strips, mushrooms, ginger, garlic and the marinade ingredients. Toss to combine. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. 3 Heat the sesame oil in a large non-stick pan over a medium heat. Sauté the beef and mushrooms for approx. 5-10 minutes or until cooked and slightly caramelised. 4 Finely slice the cucumbers and julienne the carrots. 5 Divide the rice between four bowls. Top with the fried beef and mushrooms, cucumber, carrots, kimchi and sprouts. 6 Fry an egg to your liking and place it in the middle of the bowl.

7 Serve sprinkled with flaky salt and toasted sesame seeds.

SQUID HOKKIEN FRIED RICE

SPICE MIX: FIVE SPICE

Hokkien fried rice is a Fujian dish that’s made using a combination of five spice, comforting seafood flavours and fried rice.

ORIGINS: China

WHAT’S IN IT: white pepper, garlic, chilli, five spice

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

For the chilli sauce

2 red chillies

1 garlic clove

5cm piece fresh ginger

3 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil

1 tsp soya sauce

2 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked

3 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil

2 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs

150g cooked SpinneysFOOD Thai Fragrant Jasmine Rice

2 SpinneysFOOD Spring Onions

200g squid tentacles

For the sauce

100ml vegetable or fish stock

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp soya sauce

½ tsp five spice

½ tsp granulated sugar

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine White Pepper

1 tsp sesame oil

1 To make the chilli sauce, roughly chop the chillies, removing the seeds, if necessary. Finely chop the garlic and julienne the ginger. Heat the oil in a small pan over a medium heat. Add

in the chillies, garlic and ginger. Sauté for a minute or two or until fragrant. Add in the soya sauce and remove from the heat. Set aside.

2 Soak the shiitake mushrooms in hot water for 15 minutes or until rehydrated. 3 Heat 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil in a wok over a high heat then crack the eggs into the wok. Once the eggs are half cooked, push them to one side of the wok. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Fluff the cooked rice and add to the pan. Fold and cut the egg into the rice. Finely slice the spring onions and sauté through. Remove from the pan, set aside and keep warm until serving. 4 Combine the sauce ingredients in a small pot and place over a medium heat. Keep stirring until slightly reduced and syrupy.

5 Roughly chop the shiitake mushrooms. Add in the mushrooms and tentacles and cook for 5 minutes or until the tentacles are cooked. Remove from the heat. 6 Divide the rice and squid-mushroom mixture between four bowls and top with the chilli sauce.

MACHBOOS

SPICE MIX: BAHARAT

Baharat is a warm spice blend that can vary from region to region – and even household

ORIGINS: Arabian Gulf, Bahrain

WHAT’S IN IT: coriander, cumin, cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, paprika

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Sabzi polo

Machboos

Pinch of saffron

2 tbsp rose water

3 medium leeks

4 garlic cloves

3 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 dried lime

3 SpinneysFOOD Bay Leaves

1 SpinneysFOOD Cinnamon Stick

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp baharat spice

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cumin

1 tbsp smoked paprika

Pinch of ground cloves

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Black Pepper, freshly ground

4 large tomatoes

1¼L SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

4 chicken thighs

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

300g SpinneysFOOD Long-Grain Basmati Rice

To serve

½ tbsp SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil

100g toasted cashew nuts

Pinch of SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

1 Combine the saffron and rose water in a bowl and set aside for at least 30 minutes to steep. 2 Halve the leeks lengthways and widthways, then finely julienne. Crush or grate the garlic. 3 Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until caramelised and softened, approx. 5-10 minutes. Remove 1⁄3 of the leeks and reserve for serving. Crush the lime and add to the leeks along with the garlic, bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Sauté for a further 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste along with the rest of the spices.

4 Dice the tomatoes and add to the pot along with 250ml of water. Simmer for 5 minutes.

5 Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or foil.

6 Place the chicken thighs in the pot and coat them in the sauce and season with ½ teaspoon of salt. Place the lid on the pot and cook for approx. 20 minutes, turning halfway through.

7 Meanwhile, rinse the rice until the water runs clear. 8 Remove the chicken from the pot and place them on the baking tray. Season with the salt. Place in the oven for approx. 20 minutes before swithcing to the grill setting for 5 minutes, or until crisp. 9 Place the rice in the pot along with the tomato mixture, the remaining liter of water, saffron, rose water and salt and stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil then lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cook for approx. 20 minutes or until the rice is almost cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside, lid on, for 10 minutes to steam. 10 Heat the oil in a medium-sized pan over a medium heat. Add the salt and cashews. Toast the nuts until golden.

11 When ready to serve, fluff the rice using a fork and place in a large serving platter. Top with the chicken and garnish with the cashews, crispy leeks and roughly torn coriander.

SABZI POLO

SPICE MIX: SABZI SPICE

Sabzi polo is a Persian rice dish loaded with fresh herbs. This version is served with a lemon saffron dressing

ORIGINS: Iran

WHAT’S IN IT: saffron, herbs, garlic

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: 4

For the saffron dressing

2 lemons

2 small garlic cloves

Pinch of saffron

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

4 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterraean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

For the sabzi polo

200g SpinneysFOOD Long-Grain Basmati Rice

30g SpinneysFOOD Dill

15g SpinneysFOOD Chives

15g SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

15g SpinneysFOOD Fresh Parsley

15g SpinneysFOOD Fresh Mint

SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt, to taste

120ml SpinneysFOOD Mediterraean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

125ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

To serve

Handful of mixed SpinneysFOOD Fresh Herbs (coriander, parsley, mint)

1 Zest and juice the lemons. Crush the garlic.

2 In a small bowl combine the lemon juice, crushed garlic, saffron, salt, olive oil and sugar. Stir until dissolved and set aside to steep.

3 Rinse the rice at least three times. Set aside.

4 Chop all the herbs and place in a large bowl along with the lemon zest. 5 Fill a large non-stick pot with water and a generous pinch of salt, place over a high heat, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the rice to the water and cook it for 7-8 minutes until the grains are soft on the outside but still firm on the inside. Drain using a colander and mix half the herbs with the rice. 6 Place the pot back over a medium heat and make sure it’s dry. Pour 4 tablespoons of oil into the pot and heat it. Scoop the rice and herbs back into the pot. Bring most of the rice to the middle, shaping it into a mound. 7 Using the edge of a spatula, make five holes in the surface of the rice to let the steam out. Pour 125ml of water around the edges. Wrap the lid in a clean towel and put it on the pot. Let the rice steam for 15 minutes, until the steam comes out from the bottom of the pot. Pour the remaining oil on the rice. Cover and steam for a further 20-30 more minutes on a low heat.

8 Unmould the rice onto a platter and break the tahdig into pieces. Sprinkle with the remaining herbs and serve with the dressing.

Spinneys offers a variety of rice from sticky and sushi to basmati and bomba.

SpinneysFOOD

Long-Grain Basmati Rice

SpinneysFOOD Thai

Fragrant Jasmine Rice

Earth Goods Brown Rice –Short Grain

Waitrose Sushi Rice

Waitrose Bomba Paella Rice

Centre of attention

When it comes to special occasions, cultures across the globe can agree on one thing – we all enjoy celebrating with showstopping, spicy lamb dishes

Bay leaf and pepper-crusted leg of lamb with hot cross bun stuffing

Armenian lamb manti

Bengali mangsher jhol lamb curry with turmeric potatoes

BAY LEAF AND PEPPER-CRUSTED LEG OF LAMB WITH HOT CROSS BUN STUFFING

The crust on this leg of lamb will become your new favourite craving. It can easily be adapted to use any combination of herbs and spices and can be placed on top of chicken, fish, beef or even a whole-roasted cauliflower to add crunch.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours

Serves: 6

For the crust

12 SpinneysFOOD Bay Leaves

3 tsp SpinneysFOOD Whole Black Peppercorns

3 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

1 lemon

1kg deboned leg of lamb

50g SpinneysFOOD Fresh Parsley

120g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter

160g fresh bread

For the stuffing

2 red onions

2 garlic cloves

100g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter

250g SpinneysFOOD Hot Cross Buns

80ml chicken or lamb stock

1 carrot

2 celery sticks

490ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

1 Place the bay leaves, peppercorns and salt in a pestle and mortar and grind well. Zest the lemon. 2 Butterfly the lamb leg and season it on all sides with 1 tablespoon of the spice mix.

3 Place the remaining spice mix in a food processor along with the zest, parsley, butter and fresh bread to form a paste. 4 Lay a sheet of cling film on a flat surface. Transfer the crust mixture onto it and top with another sheet of cling film. Roll out thinly with a rolling pin. Set aside. 5 Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. 6 To make the stuffing, finely chop 1 onion and the garlic. Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft, approx. 5 minutes. Roughly tear the hot cross buns and toast in a dry pan until golden. Add to the first pan along with the stock. Allow to cool completely. 7 Place the stuffing in the middle of the deboned lamb leg and roll it up tightly. Tie the leg with kitchen string to secure it. 8 Roughly chop the remaining onion, carrot and celery sticks and scatter into a roasting tray. Place the lamb on top. 9 Roast the lamb for approx. 1 hour and 30 minutes, pouring 4 tablespoons of water over the lamb every 15 minutes. In the last 15 minutes, remove the lamb from the oven. Carefully remove one sheet of cling film from the thinly rolled-out crust mixture. Flip the crust onto the lamb so it covers the meat and gently press it onto the surface of the meat while removing the remaining piece of cling film. Pour 250ml of water into the

roasting tin. Return the lamb to the oven for the remaining 15 minutes of cooking or until the crust is crispy. 10 Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

ARMENIAN LAMB MANTI

These manti are a labour of love, but then again, if they weren’t they wouldn’t be worthy of a special occasion. Baking and then boiling the manti gives them a unique, chewy texture but you can also simply bake them, or boil them.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

For the pastry

280g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

30g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter

130ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

1 large egg yolk

For the filling

1 brown onion

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Parsley

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp ground allspice

½ tsp Aleppo pepper

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Black Pepper, freshly ground

160g SpinneysFOOD Free-Range Lamb Mince

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the yoghurt-garlic sauce

2 garlic cloves

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

400g Greek yoghurt

2 tsp Aleppo pepper

2 tsp ground sumac

For the mint butter

300g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Mint

2 tsp sumac

To serve

½ tsp sumac

1 tbsp pine nuts

1 To make the pastry, place the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse twice to combine. Add the butter and process until fully incorporated, approx. 10-20 seconds. Add the water and egg yolk and process until a dough ball starts to form. Transfer to a lightly floured counter. Return the bowl of the food processor to its base, but don’t clean it. 2 Knead the dough until uniform in texture then wrap and allow to rest while you prepare the filling.

3 Peel and chop the onion into quarters. Place the onion, parsley, paprika, allspice, Aleppo pepper, salt and pepper in the bowl of the processor. Blitz until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Break up the

lamb mince into small pieces and add to the food processor. Pulse to combine but don’t overmix. Set aside. 4 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease two large baking sheets. 5 Divide the dough into quarters and roll out very thinly. Cut the quarters into 30cm x 10cm rectangles then cut into 5cm strips. Cut each strip in half to form two squares. You should have 28 squares in total. 6 Using a ¼ teaspoon measure, place a small ball of filling in the centre of each strip of dough. Fold the strip lengthways in half loosely over the filling. Pinch the sides together to enclose the filling but not cover it. Place the manti on the baking sheet then press the filling down gently to flatten them slightly. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough. 7 Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool. 8 Place the manti in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, stirring as you add them to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan, and cook to warm through, then drain well.

9 To make the yoghurt-garlic sauce, combine all the ingredients. 10 Heat the butter in a saucepan over a medium-high heat until lightly golden. Add the mint leaves and sumac and cook until fragrant, approx. 1 minute, then remove from heat. 11 Spread the sauce over the base of serving bowls, then spoon the manti on top. Drizzle with the hot mint butter, sprinkle over the sumac and pine nuts. Season to taste and serve hot.

BENGALI MANGSHER JHOL LAMB CURRY WITH TURMERIC POTATOES

While the ingredient list for this recipe is long, it is worth it. This is a rich, multi-layered curry loaded with flavour. It would be all the better with tinned chickpeas added to the curry to soak up the delicious gravy. Serve alongside a large bowl of rice or fresh rotis.

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus marination time)

Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Serves: 4

1kg lamb neck

2 brown onions

4 garlic cloves

10cm piece fresh ginger

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric

1 tbsp white vinegar

4 tbsp ghee

2 SpinneysFOOD Bay Leaves

2 dried red chillies

1 black cardamom pod

4 SpinneysFOOD Cardamom Pods

4 cloves

1 SpinneysFOOD Cinnamon Stick

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

150ml yoghurt

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cumin

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Coriander

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Chilli Powder

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Garam Masala

4 large potatoes

500ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

To serve Steamed rice

1 Place the lamb in a large bowl. 2 Peel the onions, garlic and ginger. Place 1 onion along with the garlic and ginger in a blender and blitz until finely chopped. Add half of this mixture to the lamb along with ½ teaspoon of turmeric and vinegar and mix well. Allow to marinate for 3-4 hours. 3 Finely chop the remaining onion.

4 Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a saucepan. Add the bay leaves, chillies, black and green cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon. Toast for 2-3 minutes then add the onion and sauté over a medium heat until soft. Add the sugar and allow the onions to caramelise. Add the rest of the ginger-garlic paste and cook until the oil separates. 5 Add the marinated lamb and

mix well to coat. Sauté for 5 minutes then add the yoghurt and salt. Add the cumin, coriander, chilli and garam masala and stir continuously until the oil separates. 6 Peel and quarter the potatoes and rub with the remaining ½ teaspoon of turmeric. 7 In a separate pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee and fry the potatoes until golden and crisp. Add to the curry along with the water and allow to simmer gently until the meat is tender. 8 Serve hot with fresh rice.

RAS EL HANOUT LAMB RACKS WITH SAFFRON-HONEY GLAZE

The saffron-honey glaze forms a sticky lacquered crust on the lamb if basted often. If you’d like to serve extra glaze on the side, double the glaze recipe.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

For the glaze

1 generous pinch of saffron

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

175g SpinneysFOOD Organic Natural honey

For the lamb

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 x 850g lamb racks, trimmed

2 tbsp ras el hanout spice mix

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.

2 Gently grind the saffron in a pestle and mortar and add to a small saucepan with the vinegar and honey. Bring to a simmer over a low heat then remove from the heat and allow to infuse.

3 Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. 4 Sprinkle the lamb racks with the ras el hanout and rub all over. Place them in the frying pan and cook for 4 minutes or until browned. Transfer to an oven tray. Drizzle with half the glaze. 5 Roast the lamb for 12-15

Ras el hanout lamb racks with saffron-honey glaze

minutes for medium, drizzling with the rest of the remaining glaze halfway through. 6 Allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

PERSIAN GORMEH SABZI LAMB SHANKS

If you’ve made any Persian recipe before, you’ll know that the amount of herbs in this dish is not unusual. Don’t be tempted to put them in a food processor to make easy work of the chopping as it will turn them into a sauce. Serve these lamb shanks with the sabzi polo on page 61.

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus overnight soaking time)

Cook time: 3 hours 20 minutes

Serves: 4

2kg (4) lamb shanks

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Black Pepper, freshly ground

6 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 large brown onion

80g SpinneysFOOD Red Kidney Beans, soaked overnight

1L SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

3 large bunches of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Parsley

3 large bunches of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

1 bunch of SpinneysFOOD Spring Onions

1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves

4 dried Persian limes

1 fresh lime

¼ tsp crumbled saffron threads

1 Season the lamb shanks with the turmeric, salt and pepper then set aside. 2 Place a large pot over a medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Brown the lamb on all sides until caramelised. Remove from the pot. 3 Peel and chop the onion. Add to the same pan and sauté with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes, or until softened and golden. 4 Drain the beans and stir into the onions. Add the lamb shanks back to

the pot and add the water. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and cook for 2 hours. 5 Wash and dry the parsley and coriander well and chop them as finely as possible. Finely chop the spring onions. 6 Heat a separate frying pan over a medium heat and add 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the spring onion-chive mixture and sauté for 2 minutes before adding the herbs and fenugreek leaves. Cook gently until wilted and dark green, approx. 15 minutes.

7 Rinse and puncture the dried limes with a fork a few times. Juice the lime. 8 When the meat has cooked for 2 hours, add the cooked greens and dried Persian limes to the pot. Season with salt, to taste, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer for a further 1 hour. When the meat is very tender, uncover the stew and allow it to cook uncovered until the sauce is thick. Season well with salt and pepper, if necessary, and lime juice. Stir in the saffron.

9 Serve hot with rice, if desired.

Persian gormeh sabzi lamb shanks

NO HEAT, NO EAT

Test your tastebuds with these fi ery snacks from South Africa, China and Mexico

Green chilli bites with masala-mint yoghurt dip

Firecracker tofu

Get ahea d

The jalapeños can be roasted and peeled up to 2 days in advance. The salsa roja can be made up to 3 days in advance. Both should be kept in the fridge until ready to use.

Jalapeño chilli rellenos

GREEN CHILLI BITES WITH MASALA-MINT YOGHURT DIP

Chilli bites are the South African version of bhajias or pakoras, which are a popular streetfood snack in India made from chickpea flour, spices and various vegetables.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: 4

For the yoghurt dip

260g double-cream yoghurt

2 handfuls SpinneysFOOD Fresh Mint leaves

1 garlic clove

1 lemon

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Garam Masala

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

For the green chilli bites

60g chickpea flour

65g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Crushed Chilli

1 tbsp mild curry powder

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

2-3 green chillies

2 leeks

200ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil

1 Place all the ingredients for the yoghurt dip in a blender and pulse until smooth. Adjust the seasoning, if needed. Refrigerate. 2 In a medium bowl, combine the chickpea flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, spices and salt. 3 Roughly chop the coriander. Deseed and finely slice the chillies and finely slice the leeks. 4 Place the coriander, spinach and spring onion along with the dry ingredients in a bowl. While stirring, slowly pour in the water until you reach a dropping consistency, adding more water if needed. 5 Preheat a large pot of oil to 180°C, if you do not have a thermometer, test the oil with a tiny drop of flour. It will immediately sizzle up. Using a tablespoon as a measure, drop the batter into the hot oil, cooking until golden, approx. 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. 6 Serve the green chilli bites with the masala-mint yoghurt dip.

FIRECRACKER TOFU

Spicy, sweet, smoky and crunchy, this takeout-inspired tofu has three types of chilli in it to ramp up the heat.

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus marination time)

Cook time: 40 minutes

Serves: 4

800g firm tofu

2 tbsp soya sauce

For the Sriracha mix

2 red chillies

2 garlic cloves

60g SpinneysFOOD Unrefined Raw Sugar

160ml Sriracha

3 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp rice vinegar

SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt, to taste

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Crushed Chilli

40g corn flour

4 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil

To serve

3 SpinneysFOOD Spring Onions

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD White Sesame Seeds

1 lime

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.

2 If the tofu is a bit soft, wrap it in a dishcloth and press for at least 30 minutes. Slice it into 2cm cubes and combine with the soya sauce. Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

3 Remove the seeds from the chilli. Peel and crush the garlic. 4 In a small pot, combine the sugar, Sriracha and butter and place over a medium heat, stirring to dissolve. Once dissolved, remove the pot from the heat and add in the Worcestershire sauce, crushed garlic, rice vinegar, salt, chilli flakes and sliced red chilli. 5 Remove the tofu from the soya sauce and toss with the corn flour. Heat the oil in a large non-stick or cast-iron pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, fry the tofu in batches, cooking for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels.

6 Place the fried tofu in a large bowl and toss with the Sriracha mixture until fully coated and place on the lined baking tray. Place in the oven for 30 minutes, turning halfway. 7 Finely slice the spring onions. Serve the tofu with the spring onion, sesame seeds and lime.

JALAPEÑO CHILLI RELLENOS

Chilli rellenos is a Mexican dish traditionally made with poblano chillies that are coated in a fluffy egg batter, fried until golden and served with a salsa.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Makes: 2-4

For the Mexican spice

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Chilli Powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Crushed Chilli

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Dried Oregano

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cumin

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Sea Salt Flakes

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Black Pepper

1 pinch SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

1 pinch ground cloves

For the chilli rellenos

8 jalapeños

50g white Gouda

1 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Egg

20g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

1 tsp Mexican spice (see above)

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

For the salsa roja

6 Roma tomatoes

½ small red onion

2 garlic cloves

1 pickled jalapeño

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

To serve

1 lime

50g SpinneysFOOD Feta Cheese

1 To make the Mexican spice, combine all the ingredients in a bow. Set aside. 2 To make the chilli rellenos, begin by roasting the chillies over an open flame, or alternatively place them on a tray in an oven set to grill and cook until their skins are blackened all over, approx. 5-10 minutes. Transfer the chillies to a zip-top bag and seal. Set aside until cool. 3 To make the salsa roja, quarter the jalapeños, tomatoes, peel and halve the red onion and peel the garlic. Then, place the tomatoes, onion, garlic cloves, jalapeño, coriander and salt in a blender and blitz until smooth. 4 Heat the oil in a medium pot over a medium-high heat and add in the salsa. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally for 6-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. 5 Once completely cool, make a cut down the centre of the jalapeños and remove any extra seeds. 6 Coarsely grate the Gouda and stuff each jalapeño with the grated cheese. Be careful to not overstuff, making sure you can still seal the jalapeños. 7 Preheat a large pot of oil to 180°C, if you do not have a thermometer, test the oil with a tiny drop of flour. It will immediately sizzle up. 8 In a large bowl, crack in the egg white and reserve the yolk. Using a hand beater, whisk or stand mixer, beat the white to stiff peaks then fold in the yolk. 9 In a separate bowl, combine the flour, Mexican spice and salt. Coat the stuffed jalapeños with flour and dip in the egg batter to coat completely. Fry each chilli for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden. Drain on paper towels. 10 Zest the lime and crumble the feta. Scatter both over the chilli rellenos and serve immediately alongside the salsa roja.

VEGGIE

VEGGIE

LUXURY selection

Spoil Mum with these tantalising dishes made with some of the world’s most expensive spices such as fennel pollen, vanilla pods and mahleb

Fennel pollen pavlovas

Golden saffron parpadelle

Mahleb and cheese khachapuri

Triple vanilla bean crème brulée

FENNEL POLLEN PAVLOVAS

Fennel pollen, otherwise known as ‘the spice of angels’, has an anise-like licorice flavour with notes of citrus and honey that enhance both sweet and savoury dishes.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Serves: 8

For the fennel pollen Pavlova

6 large egg whites

280g SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

20g corn flour

2 tsp white vinegar

1 tbsp fennel pollen

For the filling

750ml single cream

375g crème fraîche

120g SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar

½ tsp fennel pollen

To serve

1 tsp fennel pollen

Handful of fennel flowers

1 Preheat the oven to 120°C, lowest gas mark. Grease and line 2 large baking trays. 2 Place the eggs whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until soft peaks form. Gradually add the caster sugar, beating well after each addition, until the meringue mixture is thick and glossy and the sugar has dissolved. Add the corn flour, vinegar and fennel pollen and whisk well. Divide the mixture to form 2 large pavlovas. 3 Place in the oven for 1-1½ hours or until crisp but still chewy in the middle. Turn off the oven and allow the pavlovas to cool completely in the oven – this will prevent them from cracking. 4 To make the filling, place the cream, crème fraîche, sugar and fennel pollen in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until stiff peaks form. 5 Spoon half the filling over one Pavlova then top with the second Pavlova. Spoon the remaining filling over the top.

6 Serve with an extra sprinkle of fennel pollen and a few fennel flowers.

GOLDEN SAFFRON PARPADELLE

Make the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate. When ready to serve, gently melt over a very low heat, stirring constantly. If the sauce splits, add a tablespoon or two of boiling water while whisking until the sauce comes together.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

160ml hot SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

Large pinch of saffron threads

160ml non-alcoholic white wine or chicken stock

100g cold SpinneysFOOD Unsalted Butter, cubed

160ml crème fraîche

SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt, to taste

500g tagliatelle

1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2 In a small bowl, gently crush the saffron threads between your fingers to break them up and release their flavour. Pour the hot (not boiling) water over the crushed threads and allow to steep for 10-15 minutes. The longer the better.

3 Add the non-alcoholic wine or chicken stock to a saucepan. Place the pan over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until the liquid reduces by half, approx. 3-5 minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium-low. Swirl in 2 cubes of the butter, one piece at a time, stirring constantly to emulsify. Follow with the crème fraîche, as well as the saffron and its liquid and a good pinch of salt. Stir to combine and simmer briefly until slightly thickened, approx. 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. 4 Cook the pasta according to the package directions or until al dente. Transfer the pasta directly to the sauce with tongs, along with the final cube of butter. Toss to coat until the butter has melted. Loosen the sauce with a small amount of pasta cooking water, if needed. Season with salt to taste. 5 Divide the pasta among bowls and top with a sprinkling of saffron threads. Serve immediately.

MAHLEB AND CHEESE KHACHAPURI

Khachapuri is the signature bread of Georgia, typically stuffed with cheese and topped with eggs. This version is made by combining ground mahleb with the dough to give it an almond-rose flavour.

Prep time: 30 minutes (plus proofing time)

Cook time: 40 minutes

Makes: 6

For the dough

185ml SpinneysFOOD Full Fat Milk

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp bread flour

1 tbsp instant yeast

320g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

35g SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

13g mahleb powder

1 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Egg

1 large egg yolk

50g SpinneysFOOD Unsalted Butter, softened

For the filling

200g SpinneysFOOD Mozzarella

230g SpinneysFOOD Ricotta

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Parsley

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Chives

3 SpinneysFOOD Spring Onions

1 SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Egg

100g goat’s cheese

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Black Pepper, freshly ground

1 SpinneysFOOD Free-Range Egg, for brushing

1 Combine 4 tablespoons of the milk, water and flour in a medium-sized saucepan. Whisk over a medium heat until you achieve a mashed potato

texture. Set aside. 2 Heat the remaining milk until lukewarm. Add the yeast and stir. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes or until frothy. 3 In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, salt, sugar and mahleb. Whisk together then fit the mixer with a dough hook. On a low speed, slowly add the milk mixture and the flour paste. Follow with the egg and egg yolk. Mix on medium-low until thoroughly incorporated. Gradually add the softened butter. Continue to mix the dough for 5-8 minutes until smooth. 4 Place the ball of dough, seam-side down, in a greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm area for 1½ hours. 5 Meanwhile, coarsely chop the mozzarella and crumble the ricotta. Finely chop the herbs and spring onions. Lightly beat the egg. Combine the cheeses, herbs, spring onion, egg and seasoning. 6 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. 7 Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Working with a piece at a time, roll out to a rough oval and leave to rest for 15 minutes. Divide the filling between each oval, leaving a 2cm border. Fold in the border to form a raised edge, then pinch and twist the ends to form a boat shape. Transfer to an oven tray. Brush the edges of the dough with egg wash and place in oven. 8 Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden and cooked through. 9 Serve immediately.

TRIPLE VANILLA BEAN CRÈME BRULÉE

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus infusion time)

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves: 6

3 vanilla pods

375ml single cream

4 large egg yolks

80g SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

50g SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar, for sprinkling

1 Split the vanilla pods and scrape out the seeds. Reserve the pods. Place the cream, vanilla pods and seeds in a small saucepan and heat gently over a low heat. Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for at least 1 hour or even better, refrigerate overnight. 2 Return the pan to the heat and heat until barely simmering. 3 Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until creamy. Pour the hot cream mixture carefully into the egg yolk mixture, while whisking. Strain into 6 ramekins.

4 Preheat the oven to 140°C, gas mark 1. Place a roasting tray half filled with water in the oven.

5 When the water starts steaming, carefully place the ramekins in the tray (make sure the water level reaches the same level as the custard layer in the ramekin) and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the custard jiggles like jelly. 6 Remove the ramekins from the hot water and allow to cool at room temperature before setting in the fridge.

7 When ready to serve, sprinkle a thin layer of sugar over the surface of each custard then tip off the excess. Wipe the edge clean with a damp cloth. Caramelise with a blow torch until golden.

8 Serve immediately.

VEGGIE

VEGGIE

Island surprise

The word spice may not spring to mind when we think of Irish cuisine, but caraway and coriander seeds, cloves, nutmeg, mace and ginger have been present in Ireland’s culinary history since the time of the Vikings, who had trade ties with the East. Here we’ve taken classic recipes and given them a spicy twist

CHEESY IRISH OAT AND CARAWAY SODA BREAD

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Makes: 1 loaf

For the soda bread

2 tsp caraway seeds

170g Flahavans Irish Oats

300g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour, plus more for dusting

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

350ml buttermilk

1 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Egg

For the topping

50g Irish Cheddar

1 tbsp Flahavans Irish Oats

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, or grease a large oven-proof cast-iron pan. 2 Toast the caraway seeds. Place the oats in a blender and pulse until finely ground. 3 In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients including the caraway seeds and oats and whisk together. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg

together. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add in the buttermilk mixture. Mix until just combined, and the dough will look very shaggy. If it’s too wet to handle, add in some flour, if it’s too dry add in some extra buttermilk. 4 Form into a ball and place on on the baking tray or cast-iron pan. 5 Using a sharp knife, score a cross in the centre of the dough. Place the dough in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, before lowering the temperature to 180°C, gas mark 4. Bake for a further 25 minutes, or until golden. 6 To test if the bread is done, take it out of the oven, turn it over and knock on the bottom. If it sounds hollow, it’s done.

VEGGIE

Cheesy Irish oat and caraway soda bread

ROASTED SIDE OF IRISH ORGANIC SALMON WITH CHEESE AND ONION CRISP CRUST AND POACHED LEEKS

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus brining time)

Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Serves: 4

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Sea Salt Flakes

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fennel Seeds

800g Irish organic salmon side, skin on

For the crisp crust

½ a small bunch SpinneysFOOD Fresh Parsley

½ a bunch SpinneysFOOD Fresh Dill

1 lemon

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

80g Keogh’s Mature Irish Cheese & Onion crisps

3 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 tbsp Kerrygold Pure Irish Salted Butter

For the poached leeks

6 medium leeks

200g Kerrygold Pure Irish Salted Butter

1 Mix the sea salt flakes with the fennel seeds and sprinkle all over the salmon. Cover and chill for 1 hour, then rinse well under gently running cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper towels. 2 Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. 3 Roughly chop the parsley and dill. Zest the lemon.

4 Place the chopped herbs, lemon zest, wholegrain mustard and salt in a blender and blitz to form a paste. 5 Lightly crush the crisps. 6 In a bowl, combine the herb paste, crisps and olive oil. 7 Place the salmon, skin down, in a large roasting tray. Press the crisp mixture on to the top of the salmon. Place in the oven on the lower rack to roast for approx. 40 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of roasting dot the butter over the top. 8 Rinse then halve the leeks lengthways. Heat the butter in a large pot and fry until foamy. Add the leeks, cut side down and cook for 5 minutes or until golden. Cover the surface with a disc of baking paper (otherwise known as a cartouche). Poach the leeks for approx. 20-25 minutes, or until tender. 9 Serve the salmon with the poached leeks and a salad, if desired.

Roasted side of Irish organic salmon with cheese and onion crisp crust and poached leeks

IRISH GINGERBREAD BUNDT CAKE WITH BUTTER CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Serves: 4-6

For the gingerbread Bundt

200g Kerrygold Pure Irish Salted Butter, at room temperature

VEGGIE

300g SpinneysFOOD Light Muscovado Sugar

2 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs

175g SpinneysFOOD Forest Honey

400g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

2 tsp fresh ginger

1 tsp baking powder

250ml ginger ale, at room temperature

For the butter chocolate ganache

170g Butlers 70% dark chocolate

115g Kerrygold Pure Irish Unsalted Butter

Pinch of SpinneysFOOD Sea Salt Flakes

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Spray a 2½L bundt tin with baking spray. 2 In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together and beat until pale and fluffy, approx. 8 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until well combined. Stir in the honey. 3 Finely grate the ginger. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, sea salt, cinnamon, ginger and baking powder. 4 Add 1⁄3 of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, then pour in 1⁄3 of the ginger ale. Continue alternating between the flour and ginger ale. Mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the Bundt tin. 5 Place in the oven and bake for approx. 1 hour or until golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly before removing the cake from the tin and placing it on a cooling rack. 6 In a small pot, place the chocolate, butter and salt flakes and combine over a medium-low heat. Stir until melted. 7 Serve the cake drizzled with the ganache.

Irish gingerbread Bundt cake with butter chocolate ganache

SUGAR &

spice

Take your Ramadan and Easter baking to new heights with baharat, sumac, mace and more

Egyptian cinnamon and rose pudding

Sumac and white chocolate whirls

Hot cross concha buns

EGYPTIAN CINNAMON AND ROSE PUDDING (OM ALI)

Don’t be afraid to bake the phyllo until a deep golden brown as it will ensure the pastry stays extra crunchy, which perfectly offsets the creamy, fragrant custard underneath.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4-6

60g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter, melted

1 (500g) package phyllo sheets, thawed

1 x 397g tin sweetened condensed milk

500ml single cream

1 tsp rose water

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

100g pistachios

To serve

2 tbsp dried rose buds

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Brush a 28cm x 38cm oven dish with a little of the melted butter. 2 Working with one sheet of phyllo at a time, gather up the phyllo and scrunch it to create pleats. Place it in the buttered dish and repeat with the remaining sheets so they fill up the dish. Brush with the melted butter making sure to cover all the phyllo well. 3 Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until light golden brown. 4 Meanwhile, combine the condensed milk, cream, rose water and cinnamon and whisk together. 5 Remove the phyllo from the oven and pour over the cream mixture. Scatter over the pistachios. Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes or until deep golden brown. 6 Allow to cool slightly, approx. 10 minutes, then sprinkle the dried rose buds over. 7 Serve immediately while hot or at warm room temperature.

HOT CROSS CONCHA BUNS

Concha buns or pan dulce are soft and sweet buns with a crunchy sugary topping from Mexico. The spice mix in them is similar to the spices used in hot cross buns, so we’ve combined the two to create a special treat.

Prep time: 30 minutes (plus proofing time)

Cook time: 20 minutes

Makes: 16

For the hot cross bun spice mix

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp ground mace

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Coriander

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Ginger

For the bun dough

350ml SpinneysFOOD Full Fat Milk

2 tsp instant yeast

800g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

1 tbsp hot cross bun spice mix

110g SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

5 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range eggs

1 vanilla pod

100g raisins

100g candied citrus peel

60g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter, softened

For the topping

220g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

20g cocoa powder

½ tsp hot cross bun spice mix

220g SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

200g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter, softened

1 To make the hot cross bun spice mix, simply combine all the spices in a bowl and mix well. Set aside. 2 Heat the milk until lukewarm and place it in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the yeast and mix to dissolve. Allow to stand for 15 minutes or until it begins frothing. 3 Meanwhile, combine the flour, spice mix, sugar and salt. Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds. 4 Add the eggs to the milk mixture along with the vanilla seeds and mix well. Add the flour mixture, raisins and candied peel and mix to form a soft dough. Add the butter and knead the dough for 5 minutes or until smooth. Cover with cling film and allow to proof until doubled in size. 5 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 6 Meanwhile, make the topping by sifting together the flour, cocoa powder, spice mix, icing sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and mix to form a soft dough. Cover and set aside. 7 Turn the bun dough out onto a floured surface and divide it into 12 pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place on two lined baking sheets.

8 Divide the topping into 12 balls and, working one at a time, flatten the topping balls using a tortilla press or the bottom of a pie dish. Place the flattened topping onto each dough ball. Using a sharp knife, score a cross into the top of each. Cover the dough balls and leave in a warm place until they’ve doubled in size.

9 Bake the buns for 15-20 minutes or until risen and golden. 10 Serve warm with butter.

SUMAC AND WHITE CHOCOLATE WHIRLS

While the addition of sour sumac is unusual in a dessert, it creates absolute magic when combined with sweet white chocolate. The flavour combination is reminiscent of raspberry and is addictive.

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus chilling time)

Cook time: 15 minutes

Makes: 20 whirls

135g SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar

270g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

300g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

40g corn flour

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

3 tbsp sumac, plus extra for sprinkling

1 tbsp milk

200g white chocolate

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Sift the icing sugar. 2 Cream the butter, icing sugar and vanilla together until very light and fluffy –approx. 8 minutes. Sift the flour, corn flour and salt then add to the butter mixture along with the sumac and milk. Mix until just blended and the dough is smooth. 3 Place the dough into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe 5cm long swirls onto the baking trays. Refrigerate for 15 minutes then bake for 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Allow to cool. 4 Melt the white chocolate. 5 Dip one end of the cookies into the white chocolate then sprinkle with extra sumac. Allow to set before storing in an airtight container.

CHEAT’S SIMNEL CUSTARD SLICES

These custard slices use cream crackers instead of puff pastry. The filling is subtly spiced with cinnamon, ginger and citrus and along with the marzipan topping, gives the slices a simnel flavour.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Makes: 16 squares

1 x 200g packet unsalted cream crackers

1 vanilla pod

3 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs

1 lemon

1 orange

65g cake flour

60g corn flour

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

100ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

1L SpinneysFOOD Full Fat Milk

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Ginger

220g SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

60g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter

80g smooth apricot jam

250g marzipan

1 Line a 20cm x 30cm cake tin with baking paper. Arrange a layer of crackers on the bottom. 2 Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds. Separate the eggs yolks from the whites. Zest the lemon and orange. 3 In a bowl, make a paste with the cake flour, corn flour, salt, water, vanilla seeds, egg yolks and 125ml of the milk. 4 Heat the remaining milk in a pot over a low heat. Add in the zest, vanilla pod, spices, sugar and butter. Then add to the paste while

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Cheat’s simnel custard slices

Dark chocolate and baharat ganache cake

Giant sharing ma’amoul

whisking. Return the mixture to the pot and cook until the custard is thick, stirring continuously. Set aside to cool down. 5 Whip the egg whites until stiff then fold into the lukewarm custard. 6 Pour the custard over the crackers and place another layer of crackers on top. Allow to set in the fridge until completely cool. 7 Warm the apricot jam and brush over the top of the crackers. 8 Roll out the marzipan between two sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick then transfer it onto the crackers and cut to fit. Brûlée the top of the marzipan with a blow torch. 9 Slices into squares and serve.

DARK CHOCOLATE AND BAHARAT GANACHE CAKE

We’ve used Arabic baharat in this recipe. It is made from a blend of black peppercorns, allspice, cloves, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and nutmeg. Prep time: 40 minutes (plus standing time)

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4-6

For the chocolate cake

200g good-quality dark chocolate

500ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

2 tsp Arabic baharat spice

250ml SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil

450g brown sugar

4 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs, at room temperature

115g cocoa powder

325g cake flour

2½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the ganache

340g 70% dark chocolate

400ml single cream

2 tbsp tahini paste

125ml sour cream

½ tsp baharat spice

Pinch of SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line 2 x 20cm springform cake tins with parchment

paper. 2 Chop the dark chocolate and place in a bowl. 3 In a large saucepan, bring the water and baharat to a boil, then add the oil and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and then pour it over the chopped chocolate. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool slightly. 4 Whisk the eggs lightly, then stir into the chocolate mixture. 5 Combine the dry ingredients and fold them into the mixture. Allow the mixture to stand, covered, for 1 hour. 6 Pour the batter into the tins and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then unmould and allow to cool completely. Level off the cakes using a sharp bread knife. 7 To make the ganache, chop the chocolate and place it along with the cream in a metal bowl. Place it over a pot of barely simmering water. Stir the chocolate and cream gentle every now and then until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the tahini, sour cream, baharat and salt. Allow the mixture to cool completely to room temperature, stir occasionally (you can chill the mixture for just a few minutes to kickstart the setting process, then allow it continue to cool naturally at room temperature). Once cooled to a thicker consistency, whisk by hand to thicken just until spreadable consistency (do not whip vigorously or with electric beaters). 8 Place one cake on a serving plate. Spread a generous layer of the ganache over the top of the cake. Place the second cake on top and spread the remaining ganache over the surface. 9 Allow the chocolate cake to chill for at least 2 hours, or until ready to serve.

GIANT SHARING MA’AMOUL

Any festive occasion in the Middle East would be incomplete without ma’amoul. Here we’ve followed the trend of ‘giant sharing’ bakes to these traditionally small cookies. We used a stencil to create the pattern on top but you could also simply dust it.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Serves: 4-6

For the pastry

250g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter, softened

60g SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

50g corn flour, plus extra for dusting

250g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

For the filling

1 orange

1 lemon

65g SpinneysFOOD Seedless Khodri Dates

55g dried figs

45g raisins

110g walnuts

55g candied citrus peel

55g 70% dark chocolate

2 tsp espresso, cooled

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

2 tsp orange blossom water

10g ghee or butter

20cm mandala stencil

To serve

SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar, for dusting

1 Preheat the oven to 180˚C, gas mark 4.

2 Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy – approx. 8-10 minutes. Add the corn flour and all-purpose flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface to 30cm round. Transfer to a 20cm fluted tart tin and gently press the pastry into the tin. Refrigerate the tart for 30 minutes.

3 Prick the pastry base using a fork and blind bake on the lower rack of the oven for 15 minutes. 4 Zest and juice the orange. Zest the lemon. 5 To make the filling, chop the chocolate and place it along with the other ingredients in a food processor. Blitz to a rough paste. Spread into the pastry shell. 6 Roll out the remaining dough to a large 20cm disc and place on top of the filling. Trim the edges of the pastry to fit the tart. 7 Bake the ma’amoul for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before unmoulding upside down onto a cooling rack. 8 Place a mandala stencil on top of the ma’amoul and dust liberally with the icing sugar. Remove the stencil and serve.

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Easter would be incomplete without decadent baked treats. They taste even better with a dash of spice

Hawaij-spiced carrot cake with halva buttercream

HAWAIJ-SPICED CARROT CAKE WITH HALVA BUTTERCREAM

Hawaij is a Yemeni sweet spice blend usually used in tea, coffee and other sweets, but it goes perfectly with carrot cake.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 8

For the cake

80g carrots (approx. 1 medium-sized)

135g Lurpak Unsalted Butter, softened

180g SpinneysFOOD Demerara Sugar

2 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs

115g sweet potato or pumpkin purée

135g SpinneysFOOD Self-Raising Flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Ginger

½ tsp ground cardamom

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Pinch of ground mace

Pinch of ground cloves

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

50g walnuts

For the halva buttercream

200g Lurpak Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

200g smooth tahini

2 tbsp single cream

1 tsp vanilla bean extract,

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

200g SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar

Orange and green food colouring

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease and line 2 x 20cm sandwich cake tins.

2 Grate the carrot into a bowl and set aside.

3 Cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well in between each addition. Beat in the sweet potato purée. 4 Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Add in the spices and salt and whisk together. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg batter. Stir in the grated carrot and walnuts. 5 Divide the batter between the tins and bake for approx. 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes, comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely then remove from the tins. 6 To make the buttercream, place the butter and tahini in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment. Beat on a medium speed until light and fluffy. Meanwhile, sift the icing sugar. Add in the cream, vanilla and salt then beat until smooth. Lower the mixer speed and beat in the icing sugar until just combined. Pause the mixer to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl then increase the speed back to medium and beat until light and fluffy, approx. 4 minutes.

7 Place a quarter of the buttercream into two small bowls and tint each with the orange and green food colouring. Place in small disposable piping bags and set aside. 8 Sandwich the

cakes together with the rest of the buttercream, leaving enough to cover the top and sides. Using the coloured buttercream, pipe small carrots onto the cake. 9 Slice and serve.

CANNOLI CHEESECAKE

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 75 minutes

Serves: 8-10

For the crust

150g Lurpak Unsalted Butter

200g Marie biscuits

1 tbsp cocoa powder

½ tsp fine instant coffee powder

For the filling

2 x 250g SpinneysFOOD Ricotta Cheese

1 x 250g SpinneysFOOD Mascarpone Cheese

200g SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

3 tbsp SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

4 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs, at room temperature

1 lemon

250ml sour cream

Recipes, food styling and photography by TheKateTin.com

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Cannoli cheesecake VEGGIE

100g dark chocolate chips

SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar, to dust

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease a 20cm springform cake tin. 2 Melt the butter and set aside to cool. 3 Place the biscuits, cocoa powder and coffee in a food processor and blend until fine. Add the butter and pulse to combine. Press the mixture into the base and up the sides of the cake tin. 4 Bake for 15 minutes, or until a dark golden brown. Allow to cool. 5 Wrap the outside in foil to make it watertight. 6 Reduce the oven temperature to 120°C, lowest gas mark setting. 7 In a food processor, add the ricotta, mascarpone, sugar, flour, cinnamon, vanilla bean paste and eggs. Grate in the lemon zest. Pulse on low speed until just combined and smooth, being careful not to overmix. 8 Pour the cheesecake batter into the crust and spread evenly. Bake for 1 hour, or until the edges are set and the centre is still jiggly when moved. 9 Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature. The refrigerate until completely cooled and firm, 6-7 hours or overnight. 10 When the cheesecake is firm, remove it from the springform pan and place on a serving plate. Spread the sour cream over the

top and sprinkle with chocolate chips and icing sugar. Serve at room temperature.

SWEDISH SEMLOR BUNS

Prep time: 30 minutes (plus proofing time)

Cook time: 30 minutes

Makes: 9

For the buns

10g instant dry yeast

125ml SpinneysFOOD Full Fat Milk

75g SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

1 tbsp freshly ground cardamom

1 tbsp mixed spice

1 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Egg

325 g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

½ tbsp baking powder

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

100g Lurpak Unsalted Butter, softened

1 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Egg

1 tbsp water or milk

For the almond filling

100g whole almonds

100g SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

Pinch of SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

100ml SpinneysFOOD Full Fat Milk

Pinch of cardamom powder

¼ tsp almond extract (optional)

For the cream topping

250ml single cream

250ml crème fraîche

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar, for dusting

1 Stir together the yeast and milk in a large bowl until dissolved. 2 Add the sugar, freshly ground cardamom, mixed spice and egg and stir. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and add to the wet ingredients. Mix until the dough just comes together. 3 Place the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Work the dough for 10-15 minutes, or until it is soft and elastic. The dough will be a little sticky but don’t be tempted to add more flour. 4 Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the dough rest for 10 minutes.

5 On a floured surface, divide the dough into nine equal-sized pieces. Shape each piece into a ball until it is smooth and shiny. Gently transfer the balls to a baking sheet lined with

Swedish semlor buns

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parchment paper, leave some space between them so they can rise. Cover the balls with a clean kitchen towel and leave to rise for at least 90 minutes, or up to 2 hours. 6 Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. 7 To prepare the filling, spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant. Allow to cool. Combine the almonds, sugar, salt, milk and cardamom, if desired, in a food processor. Pulse until everything comes together, the mixture should be quite runny but with a slightly chunky texture from the almonds. Place the almond filling in the fridge while you go through the other steps. 8 Increase the oven temperature to 225°C, gas mark 7½. 9 Whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl. Gently brush the buns with the egg wash. 10 Bake the buns for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool. 11 Using a serrated knife, slice the tops of the buns to create caps. Make a small well in the middle of the bun. Spoon the almond filling into the well in each bun. 12 In a medium bowl, beat the cream and crème fraîche to soft peaks. Add the sugar and beat in. 13 Pipe the cream onto each bun and place the ‘lid’ on top. Dust with the icing sugar to form a cross on each bun.

Serve immediately (these are best eaten on the same day).

HOME-MADE POP TARTS

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus chilling time)

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 12

For the pop tarts

360g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

½ tsp vanilla bean paste

250g cold Lurpak Unsalted Butter, cubed

3-4 tbsp ice cold water

125ml raspberry jam

For the glaze

235g SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar

3 tbsp milk

1 tsp lemon juice

Pinch of SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

Pink food colouring

To serve Funfetti sprinkles

1 Place the flour, sugar, salt, vanilla bean paste and cold butter in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand and no large chunks of butter remain. Add in the ice-cold water, one tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. 2 Turn the dough out of the food processor and divide into two equal pieces. Form them into flat oval discs and wrap in cling film. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 days, or freeze for up to a month. 3 When you’re ready to make pop tarts, turn the dough out on a floured surface and roll out into a large circle to approx. 5mm thickness. Using rectangular cookie cutters and a knife, cut out rectangles from the pie dough. 4 Place a teaspoon of jam in the middle of one rectangle. Place the other piece on top. Use a fork to make indents along the border of the pop tart, then poke the fork lightly in the centre of the pop tart to allow air to escape. Repeat with the remaining dough. 5 Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the dough is light golden brown. Allow to cool while you make the glaze. 6 To make the glaze, combine all ingredients in a mediumsized bowl and whisk together until smooth and homogenous. 7 Spoon the glaze evenly over the cooled pop tarts, top with sprinkles and serve.

Home-made pop tarts

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TOP TIP!

Soaking the dried limes helps remove the bitter taste from them and allows for their beautiful flavour to shine.

CLASSIC fare

GHORMEH SABZI

Prep time: 30 minutes (plus soaking time)

Cook time: 2-2½ hours

Serves: 8

7 dried limes

30g dried chives or 900g fresh chives

650g SpinneysFOOD Fresh Parsley

550g SpinneysFOOD Spring Onions

100g small red onions

8g dried fenugreek

110g SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Black Pepper

1kg SpinneysFOOD Free-Range Australian Lamb Cubes

3 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

480g SpinneysFOOD Organic Red Kidney Beans

1 tbsp dried lime powder or lemon juice if needed

1 Soak the dried limes for 4 hours (rinse every 1½ hours). Rinse and drain before

using. Soak the dried chives for 30 minutes, then drain and squeeze out the excess water. Set aside. 2 Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley leaves. Rinse and finely chop the spring onions. Peel and chop the onions.

3 Place a large pot over a medium heat, add the spring onions, parsley and chives and sauté, without oil, for approx. 10 minutes, until the excess liquid has evaporated. 4 Add 100ml of oil, fry for approx. 10 minutes then turn off the heat. Add the dried fenugreek and mix everything together. It is important not to fry the fenugreek as it can impart a bitter taste. Set aside. 5 In a large pot, over a high heat, sauté the onions in the remaining oil until translucent. Add in the turmeric and black pepper. Add the lamb and fry until browned. Add approx. 2½ litres of boiling water and allow the liquid to come to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes. 6 Add the herbs and spring onion mixture and season with the salt. Leave to simmer for a further 1 hour 30 minutes.

7 Drain and rinse the beans then add to the pot along with the soaked limes. Simmer for a further 20 minutes. 8 Adjust the salt, if necessary, and add the dried lime powder or lemon juice. Remove from the heat. 9 Serve with steamed rice.

Zahra Abdalla shares an old family recipe for Persian herb stew that’s perfect for a Nowruz celebration. Although it takes time to prepare, the final outcome is well worth the time and effort

Ghormeh sabzi

Little cooks

Children will love these recipes to the moon (and stars) and back!

TOP TIP!

Give these chai crescent cookies a chocolate flavour by replacing 2 tablespoons of flour with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.

Moroccan almond and chai crescent Eid cookies

TOP TIP!

Place the hummus in a resealable container and store in the fridge to enjoy for up to 1 week.

Cucumber moons, pita stars and carrot hummus

MOROCCAN ALMOND AND CHAI CRESCENT EID COOKIES

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Makes: 30 cookies

For the chai spice

2 tsp ground cardamom

2 tsp ground allspice

2 tsp ground nutmeg

4 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

2 tsp ground cloves

6 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Ginger

For the crescent cookies

150g almond flour

150g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

2½ tsp chai spice

70g SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar

100g SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

150g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter, cold

2 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla essence

To serve ½ tsp chai spice

25g SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar

1 Preheat the oven 160°C, gas mark 3. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. 2 Combine the chai spice ingredients. 3 In a medium bowl, sieve the almond flour, all-purpose flour, chai spice, icing sugar and caster sugar together. Cube the chilled butter. Add the cubed butter to the flour and rub in using your fingertips to make fine breadcrumbs. Add in the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Form a dough using a k-beater or your hands. 4 Place on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Divide into 4 equal sizes and wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 15 minutes. 5 Roll one portion of the dough into a 2cm-thick log and divide the log into 2cm-long pieces. Using your hands, roll each piece to approx. 5cm long then curve slightly to make a crescent shape. Transfer to the baking trays. 6 Bake for approx. 20 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely. 7 Combine the chai spice and icing sugar. Roll the cooled biscuits in the mixture and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

CUCUMBER MOONS, PITA STARS AND CARROT HUMMUS

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serves: 2-4

For the carrot hummus

250g carrots

1 garlic clove

90ml SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cumin

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Crystal Sea Salt

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Black Pepper

½ lemon

1 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

90g SpinneysFOOD Organic Chickpeas

For the Hawaij spice

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Cumin Seeds

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Whole Black Peppercorns

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric

½ tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Coriander

4 SpinneysFOOD Cardamom Pods

2 cloves

To serve

2 pita breads

2 SpinneysFOOD Organic Cucumbers

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.

2 Halve the carrots and place in a roasting dish along with the garlic clove. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with cumin, ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Place in the oven to roast for approx. 30 minutes or until golden and tender. Set aside to cool slightly. 3 Cut the pita bread into stars and place on a lined baking tray in the oven until golden, approx. 5-10 minutes. 4 Juice the lemon. 5 In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, water and ½ teaspoon of salt. 6 Place the cooled carrots in a blender along with the chickpeas. While the blender is running, slowly pour in the tahini mixture and blend until the hummus is smooth. Adjust seasoning, if necessary. 7 To make the Hawaij spice, heat a small frying pan over a low heat. Combine all the spices in the pan and toast for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Grind the toasted spices in a spice mill or using a mortar and pestle. Save in an airtight container for up to a month. 8 Slice the cucumbers and cut it into moons and half moons. 9 Place the carrot hummus in a serving bowl and top with extra olive oil and hawaij spice. 10 Serve with the cucumbers moons and pita stars.

GALAXY SMOOTHIE BOWLS WITH CINNAMON SESAME GRANOLA

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

For the cinnamon sesame granola

250g rolled oats

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

50g coconut oil

70g SpinneysFOOD Organic Natural Honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Almond Nut Butter

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Unrefined Raw Sugar

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD White Sesame Seeds

For the galaxy smoothie

3 frozen bananas

150g SpinneysFOOD Blueberries

500ml SpinneysFOOD Full Fat Milk

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Almond Nut Butter or Peanut Butter

3 scoops vanilla protein

1 tsp blue food colouring

¼ tsp black food colouring

To serve

1 tsp sprinkles

50g frozen blueberries

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. 2 In a large bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon and salt. 3 In a separate bowl, combine the coconut oil and honey and place in the microwave for 2 minutes to melt. 4 Pour the coconut oil mixture over the dry ingredients along with the vanilla extract and stir to combine. 5 Spread the mixture on the baking tray. Bake for 20-30 minutes, tossing the granola halfway. Remove from the oven and cool completely. 6 Place all the smoothie ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. 7 Remove ¼ of the smoothie mixture and tint with the blue food colouring. Tint another ¼ black. Keep ½ of the mixture plain. 8 Divide the mixtures between four bowls and swirl using a skewer or a spoon. Top with the sprinkles and blueberries and serve with the granola.

ADVIEH SPICED FRENCH TOAST STARS WITH DATE SYRUP

Advieh is an aromatic Persian spice blend that can be used in either sweet or savoury dishes.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

For the advieh spice

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cumin

½ tsp ground cloves

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

2 tsp dried rose petals

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Black Pepper, freshly ground

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric

2 tsp ground cardamom

For the French toast

250ml SpinneysFOOD Full Fat Milk

3 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp advieh spice

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter

8 thick slices bread, preferably brioche

To serve

100ml date syrup

100g strawberries

1 Layer all the spices in a jar with a tight lid. Shake well and make sure the spices are fully

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TOP TIP!

Make your smoothie extra flavourful by adding a teaspoon of chai spice before blending.

Galaxy smoothie bowls with cinnamon sesame granola

Advieh-spice

French toast stars with date syrup

Roasted tomato and lentil soup with baharat spiced puff pastry stars

mixed. 2 In a shallow bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, advieh spice and salt together in a shallow bowl. 3 Lightly butter a large frying pan and place over medium-high heat. Soak both sides of the bread in the egg mixture and place in the hot pan. Fy for 3-5 minutes on either side until golden. Repeat this process with the remaining bread. 4 Using a star cutter, cut the toast into stars. 5 Serve with extra advieh, date syrup and strawberries.

ROASTED TOMATO AND LENTIL SOUP WITH BAHARAT SPICED PUFF PASTRY STARS

Baharat means spices in Arabic. This spice mix is most commonly found in Middle Eastern, Turkish and Greek cuisines and can vary slightly from region to region.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Serves: 4

For the roasted tomatoes

1kg Roma tomatoes

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200g SpinneysFOOD Cherry Tomatoes

6 garlic cloves

3 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cumin

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Black Pepper, freshly ground

For the soup

1L vegetable stock

200g SpinneysFOOD Masoor Dal

For the baharat puff pastry stars

½ sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour, for dusting

½ tbsp baharat spice

To serve

125ml yoghurt

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Black Pepper, freshly ground

½ tsp baharat spice

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.

2 Quarter the Roma tomatoes and keep the cherry tomatoes whole. Place the tomatoes in a

Live well

Spices with powerful health benefits; foodie adventures in Zanzibar and India, plus Helen Farmer’s dating tips

Park Hyatt Zanzibar sits in the heart of Stone Town

soothing spices

These wholesome drinks and meals incorporate the healing properties of turmeric, cinnamon, pepper, cardamom and fenugreek to keep you energised and sated

TURMERIC

Turmeric comes from the root of the tropical curcuma longa plant, a perennial in the ginger family. Its main active ingredient is curcumin, which gives the spice its signature yellow colour and has shown a number of health bene ts in clinical tests.

1

Curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties, that may help relieve effects of chronic conditions where inflammation begins to affect body tissues.

2

Another study of curcumin’s antioxidant properties suggested that the pigment may actively neutralise free radicals in the body.

3

Curcumin may also help mitigate the effects of depression.

HALDI DOODH (GOLDEN MILK) SMOOTHIE

This quick and easy breakfast smoothie incorporates the antioxidant properties of turmeric combined with black pepper to enhance absorption.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2

2 bananas, frozen 500ml chilled milk, or alternative milk of choice

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric ½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Black Pepper, freshly ground ¼ tsp ground cardamom ¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon ¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Ginger ¼ tsp ground cloves

1 Slice the bananas into smaller pieces. 2 Place the bananas along with the other ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. 3 Pour into glasses and serve.

Haldi doodh (golden milk) smoothie

VEGGIE

PEPPER

Pepper is harvested from the berries of pepper vines at various stages of maturity, resulting in different coloured peppercorns: green (unripe, preserved), black (mature, sundried) and white (fully ripened).

Piperine, a bioactive compound in black pepper, boosts the absorption of curcumin (an active ingredient in turmeric), which isn’t readily absorbed by the body.

Moroccan pepper-poached eggs

One teaspoon of black pepper contains 13 per cent of the daily recommended intake of manganese, which is shown to benefit bone health, metabolic function and healing after injury.

Pepper is generally rich in antioxidants, flavonoids and bioactive compounds, the most vital being piperine, the natural alkaloid that gives the spice its pungent taste. Piperine also helps lower the risk of heart disease and neurological disorders, and increases the proliferation of nutrients available for absorption into the bloodstream.

MOROCCAN PEPPER-POACHED EGGS

This hearty dish harnesses the power of cayenne pepper, which is believed to reduce inflammation and suppress the appetite. Along with garlic and ginger, which control blood sugar levels, this recipe makes a delicious suhoor meal.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2

1 large brownonion

4 large garlic cloves

5cm piece fresh ginger

200g fresh tomatoes

200g red capsicums

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tbsp ras el hanout

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cayenne Pepper

1 tbsp smoked paprika

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Black Pepper, freshly ground 3-4 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs

To serve

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

Wholewheat pita bread

1 Finely chop the onion. Peel and crush the garlic. Peel and finely grate the ginger. Finely chop the tomatoes and slice the red capsicums. 2 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. 3 Sauté the onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes and capsicums until softened. Add the spices and cook for 2 minutes then season well with the salt and black pepper. 4 Create 3-4 indents in the sauce and crack the eggs into each. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer until the egg whites start to turn opaque. Place a lid on the pan and turn off the heat. Allow to stand for 2-3 minutes or until the whites are set and the yolks are soft. 5 Roughly chop the coriander and sprinkle over the eggs. 6 Serve hot with toasted wholewheat pita bread on the side.

VEGGIE

Cinnamon consists of dried and rolled inner layers of bark from a small evergreen tree in the laurel family. Native to Sri Lanka, it’s now further cultivated in Myanmar, Vietnam, India, Indonesia and the Seychelles.

OVERNIGHT SPECULAAS OATS WITH APPLES AND SEED CRUNCH

Ginger and cinnamon assist in controlling blood sugar and oats help lower blood pressure. This hearty breakfast will keep you feeling full all day.

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus refrigeration time)

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2

For the speculaas oats

1 Granny Smith apple

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Organic Natural Honey

Pinch of SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

2 tbsp speculaas spice mix (see box)

180ml SpinneysFOOD Full-Fat Milk or milk alternative

1 tbsp chia seeds

2 tbsp nut butter (we used cashew-coconut butter)

1 tsp vanilla extract

45g rolled oats

For the seed crunch

2 tbsp sunflower seeds

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Organic Natural Honey

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Roughly chop the apple and place in a pan with 1 tablespoon of honey, a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of the speculaas spice. Place the pan over a low heat. Stir occasionally and simmer until the apples are soft and tender.

2 In a small bowl combine the milk, chia, remaining honey, 1 tablespoon of speculaas spice, nut butter and vanilla extract. Add the oats and stir well. 3 In two small jars with lids, spoon half the apple mixture into the bottom of the jars, top with half the oat mixture. Repeat the layering with the remaining apple and oat mixtures. Refrigerate overnight. 4 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. 5 To make the seed crunch, toss all the ingredients together. Roast the seed mixture, stirring every 5 minutes until crunchy – approx. 15 minutes. 6 Serve the chilled oats with the seed crunch or microwave to serve warm.

CINNAMON

HOW TO MAKE

SPECULAAS SPICE MIX

5 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground mace

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Ginger

Pinch of SpinneysFOOD Fine White Pepper

Pinch of ground cardamom

Pinch of SpinneysFOOD Fine Coriander

Pinch of ground star anise

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Various studies have shown that a supplementary ¾ teaspoon of cinnamon per day can also reduce triglycerides, cholesterol and blood sugar in individuals with metabolic disease.

1 Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. 2 Store in a sealed jar.

Overnight speculaas oats with apples and seed crunch

It’s loaded with antioxidants and actively brings down levels of C-reactive proteins and other markers of inflammation.

The active compound cinnamaldehyde is credited with most of the spice’s evidence-based health benefits.

VEGGIE

Researchers have linked the antioxidant qualities of cardamom to a proven capacity for lowering blood pressure, while its diuretic effect tends to promote healthy, regular urination.

Various ancient cultures chewed cardamom pods as a remedy for bad breath, and present science tends to bear them out – extracts in test tubes have been shown to work against the mouth bacterias that cause dental cavities.

CARDAMOM

GREEN TEA AND CARDAMOM LEMONADE

Apart from adding a citrusy note to this drink, cardamom also has a many health benefits. It has antibacterial qualities, may lower inflammation and certain studies have shown that it could boost heart and liver health.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2

3 tsp SpinneysFOOD Cardamom Pods

5cm piece fresh ginger

80ml SpinneysFOOD Organic Natural Honey

500ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

2 green tea bags

125ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

To serve

SpinneysFOOD Ice Balls

SpinneysFOOD Fresh Mint

1 Lightly crush the cardamom pods with a pestle and mortar and add them to a small saucepan. Slice the ginger and add to the pan along with the honey and water. 2 Simmer gently to allow the flavours to infuse then remove from the heat and add the tea bags. Allow to stand until cooled. 3 Strain the syrup then add the lemon juice. 4 Pour into glasses over ice and serve garnished with mint.

Green tea and cardamom lemonade

Another relative of ginger, cardamom is a spice derived from the seeds of several plant variants within the Zingiberaceae family. The harvested pods are graded by width –the fattest contain the most seeds, and are generally more valuable.

VEGGIE

FENUGREEK

This three-leafed member of the Fabaceae plant family grows across Southern Europe and Asia. Cultivated as a cooking ingredient for centuries, and especially prevalent in Indian cuisine, it also demonstrates an impressive range of health benefits.

The available evidence shows that fenugreek can lower blood sugar levels, boost testosterone and increase milk production in breastfeeding mothers.

2

Nutritionists have called for deeper research into the possibility that these leaves may also reduce cholesterol levels and inflammation, and help control appetite. Several studies in animals suggest antidiabetic properties too, as fenugreek seems to improve insulin sensitivity and help regulate the absorption of glucose into the gut.

1 3

Alas, it can have intestinal downsides, too – negative effects of its active compounds can include bloating and diarrhea, so it’s best to consume this particular herb in moderation.

Lentil meatballs in fenugreek sauce

LENTIL MEATBALLS IN FENUGREEK SAUCE

According to a few studies, fenugreek helps reduce cholesterol levels and lowers inflammation, but more research is needed in these areas.

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus soaking time)

Cook time: 50 minutes

Serves: 4

For the meatballs

190g brown lentils

100g quinoa

1 tsp ground fennel seeds

2 tsp ground fenugreek

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cumin

750ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

For the sauce

6 garlic cloves

5cm piece fresh ginger

1 lime

6 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Black Pepper, freshly ground

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 x 400g tin coconut milk

1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Organic Natural Honey

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cayenne Pepper

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

170g firm tofu

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander, plus extra to serve

1 Place the lentils, quinoa, fennel, fenugreek, cumin, water and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Drain and set aside.

2 Peel and finely chop the garlic and ginger. Zest and juice the lime. 3 Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan then sauté the garlic and ginger until golden. Add the turmeric and black pepper. Sauté for 1 minute before adding the tomato paste, coconut milk, fenugreek leaves, lime zest and juice, honey, cayenne pepper and salt. Set aside. 4 Preheat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. 5 To make the meatballs, place the tofu and 2 tablespoons oil in a food processor and blend until smooth. Place half the lentil-quinoa mixture in the food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped but not a paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the remaining mixture and chopped coriander. Season to taste. Roll into balls and place on the baking tray. Roast the meatballs for 20 minutes until golden. 6 Bring the sauce to a simmer then add the meatballs. 7 Serve sprinkled with extra coriander.

VEGGIE

spice

Written by Tiffany Eslick; Photography by Tiffany Eslick & supplied

island

Zanzibar is one of those names that conjures extraordinary and exotic images. Its layered heritage includes influences from all over including India, Portugal and Oman whose sultans turned the archipelago (which includes Pemba) into an epicentre of trade. Over the centuries, a bounty of tropical fruits and spices were introduced to the islands and fertile growing conditions meant prosperity. Our content director Tiffany Eslick recently journeyed to Stone Town – where her stay at Park Hyatt gave her a glimpse into the nation’s past, its welcoming and proud people and diverse cuisine

PARK HYATT ZANZIBAR

Legend has it that it was Zanzibar’s first Sultan, Sayyid Majid bin Saïd al-Busaidi who sourced the seeds for the Muyuni mango tree that sits in the serene courtyard between the Park Hyatt’s Mambo Msiige and Zamani Residences. The former is a building that’s charted the island’s history for more than 100 years; the mid19th-century mansion with ornate doors was built by a wealthy Omani trader and has been respectfully restored. The latter is a modern wing – but one that has been sympathetically designed. Together these stately structures sit above the white sands of Shangani Beach, offering alluring views of the ocean from a sweeping terrace, guests’ private balconies, or a perfectly positioned infinity pool.

The hotel’s location is also ideal for those wanting to explore the World Heritage-listed Stone Town. It’s just steps from Forodhani Gardens, the House of Wonders, the Arabian Fort and the bustling harbour.

When leaving or returning to the hotel, you’re sure to pass the magnificent mango tree. An artist in residence paints under its shade, and like the tree itself, any of their works would keep Zanzibar memories close by.

SUPPORTING LOCAL

Working with the artist (who also offers art classes) is just one of many examples of how the Park Hyatt supports local initiatives. In fact, doing so is always top of mind for the brand – especially when it comes to its F&B focus.

“We always look around our properties, drawing inspiration from culinary influences of where we are,” says Nicolas Cedro, the hotel’s GM. “This is important for so many reasons. In terms of food, freshness and taste are just two. There’s a richness in Zanzibar – and we must promote this,” he adds.

It’s Zanzibar’s street-market set ups, the abundance of produce, quality spices and unique local recipes which steered Nicolas and his team of chefs in the direction of making and presenting delicious dishes, in a creative way, while empowering entrepreneurs from the community.

“It’s important that our guests are able to meet our suppliers, too,” says Nicolas. At breakfast, Juma and Al-Haji start everyone’s day with beaming smiles, while they prepare fresh drinking coconuts and zesty oranges respectively. Previously street vendors, both men have been able to improve their family’s futures because of their partnerships with Hyatt. Side note: Juma’s coconuts are served with local spice syrups. And adding cinnamon to coconut water is possibly my current preferred flavour combination.

There’s also the Barefoot Mamas of Zanzibar from whom the hotel sources honey. Sales of this go towards building solar panels in villages. And organic fruits and many vegetables are provided straight from nearby farms by Fatma of Green Groceries Zanzibar.

Perhaps the most encouraging story is that of Saleh, a fisherman who has worked with the hotel since it opened. He’s grown his fleet from one dhow to nine now – thanks to the demand from Park Hyatt, its off-site restaurant Beach House and its separate in-flight catering business on the island. He continues to work in a sustainable manner as it’s important to him to protect what his home offers, for generations to come.

THE FOOD, OH THE FOOD!

For someone who wants to try Zanzibari specialities, it’s quite possible to satiate that need without stepping foot outside the Park Hyatt. Of course, I’m not encouraging a lack of exploration.

Post cinnamon-infused coconut, I started each morning on the Dining Room’s terrace, under a canopy of Indian almond trees, relishing a big bowl of urojo. This comforting traditional soup comes with chicken mishkaki (skewers), kachori (fried lemon and chilli potato balls), bajiya (mung bean falafel), coconut chutney and crispy cassava chips. It sounds heavy – I assure you it’s manageable – and there will still be room for freshly baked bread with a dollop of passionfruit jam, fruits cut à la minute and a delicious cup of Tanzanian coffee. Oh, and dosas – you can’t skip these.

Lunch and dinner are both good occasions to dine at the hotel’s on-site outlets – and its sister restaurant, The Beach House, helmed by Italian chef Popi, nearby. Obviously fresh fish and seafood feature heavily across all the menus. It’s also only fitting that some, or as much of Saleh’s daily catch be tried.

Stand-out dishes for me include a seafood paella – the recipe comes from Nicolas’ mother-in-law and is one that was a hit under his tenure as an acclaimed chef in Spain. (It’s always a bonus when the GM has a culinary background). The rock lobster bisque with cinnamonscented foam and ravioli was subtle and smooth. And the Tanganyika Fisherman’s Seafood Platter looked exquisite with its bounty of lobsters, prawns, snapper,

OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Park Hyatt Zanzibar offers beautifully appointed, spacious rooms; the hotel sits on the sands of Shangani Beach; Arabesque touches meet contemporary style throughout the property; the mango tree; urojo; chef Mussa; Juma and Al-Haji

calamari and reef coral cigales. The latter, with their sweet meat, were something new for me to try. And everything, from snapper and passionfruit ceviche to seared Yellowfin tuna, or a Portuguese seafood vindaloo to a succulent black-pepper-crusted steak, is treated simply, but superbly. “That’s because I want my chefs to always respect the product,” says Nicolas.

Watching the sun sink into the Indian Ocean from the hotel’s veranda – or at Beach House where DJ El Brown spins Afro-house beats – is de rigeur from 5pm onwards. And for dessert? “Always the cheesecake,” says Nicolas. “It’s the best”.

EXPLORING

Visiting a spice farm may sound too much of a tourist-trap to some, but let Park Hyatt organise this for you – and it will be an insightful and memorable excursion. I met Yussuf from Zantours through this experience – an ardent historian who lives to share information about his country, the only place, beside Mecca, he ever dreams to be. “When it comes to this island, I’ve left no stone unturned,” says Yussuf. “I know everything – but take me away, and I know nothing.”

Together we visited Zito farm: a smallscale ‘plantation’ with a bounty of treasures including ginger, lemongrass, turmeric, allspice, cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. The latter, Yussuf says, came from Indonesia. “No spice is more important to Zanzibar than cloves,” he adds. They’re mainly grown on Pemba Island due to excellent growing conditions.

I learnt that vanilla and pepper are both parasite plants; that cinnamon is known as the queen of the spices and every part of this tree can be used, including the root, which has a strong eucalyptus scent – this is great for steaming when you have the flu. Nutmeg and its fuschia-pink mace case are both powerful

ingredients. “We have a saying,” says Yussuf, “no nutmeg, no wedding!”

One of his mottos is: “Whatever you learn today, don’t be satisfied with that – there will always be changes tomorrow and new things to learn.” With this in mind, I jumped at the chance to attend a cooking class with Park Hyatt’s chef Mussa, to see what more I could find out about spices and how they’re used in traditional food. We started with samak wa kupaka (a Swahili favourite with grilled red snapper that’s coated in a coconut and tomato

sauce with hints of coriander, cumin, ginger, garlic and lime). We also made a delicious Zanzibari-style chicken biryani – with layered Mbeya rice (produced in villages of Tanzania and a bit like sticky rice) that was topped with dough. Both dishes, though using an abundance of spices, were not too hot or overpowering, like almost everything I tasted during the trip. The cuisine allows so many flavours to each have their moment to shine.

For more information, visit hyatt.com

DON’T MISS street-food fi nds and Stone Town tips

Whether at Forodhani night market, or secreted away in back alleys, you’ll come across vendors selling green mangoes (some carved like flowers) that are covered with chilli salt. Pick up a bag and shake it well – this snack’s sweet-spicy combo of tangy fruit and hot seasoning is addictive.

Just about everyone who has visited Stone Town will recommend Lukmaan Restaurant. Get there early and start downstairs by perusing counters filled with breads and baked goods, as well as the live cooking stations, before placing your order. The octopus curry, mbaazi (pigeon peas with coconut) and chapati are memorable.

Zanzibar’s favourite candy, known as ubuyu in Swahili, is made from baobab seeds (a superfood) which have been dyed red and sweetened. All you need to do is suck on them, but be warned, they leave a stained tongue, lips, and fingertips! Babu Issa’s are the best in town. Look for him nearby Lukmaan.

Somewhat like a passionfruit but super sour and with much bigger seeds, the mabungo fruit is a rare find, but, luckily Tanzania and more especially, Zanzibar is one of the very places it grows. In season, mabungo is widely available at the markets. The pulp has a creamy texture and it’s juiced and sold fresh.

An outlier on the list as it’s not a food, but a cultural must – Bao is a traditional board game in East Africa which is fun to master. Ask anyone to teach you how to play – from the wizened men on streetcorners engaging in this pastime, to shop owners who sell the game’s artistically carved boards.

For someone who wants to try Zanzibari specialities, it’s possible to satiate that need without stepping foot outside Park Hyatt

OPPOSITE PAGE: An array of spices are available to purchase at Zito Farm.

THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Up the allspice tree; Zanzibari-style biryani; Yussuf Said; Beach House; nutmeg with its mace casing; vanilla; Park Hyatt Zanzibar’s infinity pool is perfectly positioned; seafood paella at Beach House.

Southern spice

India had trade ties with the Roman Empire as far back as 30 BCE. Wars were fought, empires crushed and sea routes were discovered to move spices from the Far East to the Middle East, Europe and beyond, with India at the epicentre of it all. On a recent trip to South India, deputy editor Karen D’Souza explored the continuing legacy of spices in regional cuisines

Winding my way through Kerala’s Highlands, all I can see is miles of rolling emerald hills studded with tea and coffee estates interspersed with thickly forested hillsides. There’s a slight nip in the air and delicate mist clings precariously to treetops.

Part of India’s Western Ghats, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Thekkady is a biodiversity hotspot home to a wealth of flora and fauna, including tigers, elephants, great Indian bison and great Indian hornbills. Pepper, turmeric, ginger, cardamom, along with several other spices, grow here in abundance, which is what attracted Arab, Dutch, Portuguese and English traders to India’s Malabar and Coromandel coasts centuries ago. It is also the reason for my visit to two CGH Earth Group properties in South India – Spice Village in Kerala and Visalam in Tamil Nadu. CGH Earth has built its portfolio of properties based on three core values: adopting local ethos; benefitting the community; and sensitivity to nature. Each property offers immersive experiences that highlight their region’s culture and culinary traditions.

My first stop, Spice Village, “is a reimagined tribal village set in a botanical garden. It is luxury that complements nature and promotes conservation,” explains Harikrishnan Nair, the general manager.

At 914m above sea level, it is a lush oasis filled with birdsong occasionally broken by the calls of Nilgiri langurs visiting from the nearby Periyar Tiger Reserve. Cottages here are modern interpretations of the local Mannan tribe’s huts, complete with elephant-grass thatched roofs

crafted by the tribals. The interiors are light and airy with cool stone floors and minimalist décor.

The 14-acre property is criss-crossed by pathways flanked by trees so tall that I crane my neck to get a look at their tops. The canopy is home to a few giant Malabar squirrels, which I catch sight of during a tour of the grounds with resident naturalist Prateesh, who draws my attention to giant palms that have been around

OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Spice Village has been built to blend seamlessly with its mountain environs; Visalam’s garden is a delightful spot for breakfast; Chettinad thali; giant sieves are used to sort cardamom to find 8mm pods, which are exported to other countries.

THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Green, black and white pepper come from the same plant; Sudheer PA explains the intricacies of growing cardamom and pepper during a visit to his plantation; a deluxe cottage with a private garden at Spice Village.

since the Jurassic era; a Robusta coffee tree from which he snaps off a bean and shows me the raw fruit – for some reason I’d never imagined a coffee bean being white; aromatic allspice and curry leaf trees, and much more.

“Kerala is the land of spices. You will learn more about it during the spice plantation tour tomorrow,” Hari tells me during dinner at 50 Mile, Spice Village’s concept restaurant where

Photography by Karen D’Souza , Ankiet Gulabani & supplied

each ingredient, apart from salt, is sourced from within a 50-mile radius of the property in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint and support local businesses.

Chef Praveen K, executive chef at Spice Village, was tasked with creating a set menu that reflected local traditions. “We got recipes from the tribe. We also learned that they don’t use spice powders, barely any oil, no salt, nor do they eat rice,” explains Praveen. “They make spice pastes from scratch using fresh turmeric root, red chillies, coriander seeds and other aromatics, which they grind on a large stone.”

In keeping with that tradition, Praveen’s team avoids using mass-produced spice powders and blends as far as possible. The green peppercorn grilled beef I’m served is marinated in a paste made from fresh green peppercorns, ginger, garlic and curry leaves and then slow-cooked to allow the flavours to develop. This along with braised mutton and a local vegetable stew are served with kodo and little millet. Incidentally, I had harvested some of the veggies in the stew from the organic farm on the property, which gave me a whole new appreciation for the term ‘farm to table’.

The following morning, I stroll up a path into the Cardamom Hills. Dappled sunlight dances across the branches of trees, many of which I realise are familiar aromatics like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and I also spot black stone flower, an edible lichen that grows on tree trunks.

We veer off the path to scrabble up the hillside where I’m suddenly surrounded by cardamom plants. “We can collect anywhere from 90,000-95,000 kilogrammes of cardamom

from an area of 5,000 square kilometres during peak harvest season in July and August,” says Sudheer PA, plantation owner and spice exporter. Thekkady’s mild climate, high altitude and heavy rainfall have created the perfect conditions for cultivating spices. “Cardamom, pepper, ginger and turmeric are the four spices that are native to the Western Ghats. The rest of the spices came from other countries.”

Sudheer points to pepper vines growing on coral trees whose trunks have spikes on them which support the vines as they grow. “Green, black and white pepper come from the same plant. We pick tender green pepper in November, which is then dehydrated to get rid of 65 per cent of their water content. A harvest of 10-11 kilogrammes yields only one kilogramme of peppercorns. This type of pepper is more aromatic rather than spicy.”

I also learn that mature dark green pepper is harvested in March. The peppercorns are washed then left to dry on mats for four days, after which they turn black. If peppercorns are left on a tree until May, they turn red. They’re then put in sacks which are immersed in water for 25-30 days. The water is changed daily. After that period, the peppercorns are taken out

of the water, gently massaged to remove their skins then exposed to sunlight. This results in white pepper.

This experience also includes lunch at Sudheer’s house. His wife Shafi, an incredible cook, makes traditional chicken curry cooked over a wood fire, iddiyapam (also known as string hoppers in Sri Lanka), fish fry and, what I think is, the most delicious chutney in the world – from fresh nutmeg fruit ground together with curry leaves, garlic, ginger, green chillies, salt and freshly grated coconut. The resultant condiment is sour, tangy with a mild bite and I end up eating spoonfuls of it straight out of the grinder.

My next destination, Visalam, lies a few hours away in a flat, dry region in Tamil Nadu known as Chettinad, which is made up of 71 villages. The wealthy mercantile Chettiar community that had flourishing businesses in Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore right up until World War II, built opulent mansions here with teak from Burma, marble and chandeliers from Italy and glazed ceramic tiles from England. Most of these mansions now lie derelict, but a few lucky ones have been saved from decay by hotel chains or families that continue to pay

The community’s ties with Southeast Asia also introduced them to mace, nutmeg, cloves and star anise, which they incorporated into their fiery cuisine.

for their colossal upkeep. The community’s ties with Southeast Asia also introduced them to mace, nutmeg, cloves and star anise, which they incorporated into their fiery cuisine.

Visalam was a gift from a father to his only daughter. Built in 1939, it retains all its old-world charm with high-ceilinged rooms and suites surrounding a central courtyard. Photos of the owner’s family still line the walls of communal areas along with relics from bygone eras such as a radio from the early 1900s along with a gramaphone.

This boutique hotel’s idyllic garden, with bright splashes of orange, pink and white bougainvillea, is where breakfast is served every morning. It’s where I sit down with Sam John, general manager, who tells me more about the property. “When CGH Earth took over the house, we did a little restructuring...installed modern bathrooms, added the swimming pool and renovated the kitchen. And this area (he gestures to the garden around us) were stables where horses and cows were kept.”

The kitchen is my next stop for a traditional lunch served on a banana leaf. Should you opt for this meal, I’d recommend skipping breakfast if you are to successfully make your way through all 17 items on the menu. I start with spiced buttermilk, pickles, sambar and traditional vegetable preparations before moving on to Chettinad chicken curry, mushroom biryani, fish fry and end on a sweet note with parippu payasam, a dessert made from lentils.

One of the activities on offer here is a cooking class with Vasantha, a lady from the local village who used to cook for a Chettiar family before she joined Visalam. Although she doesn’t speak English, I watch and learn as she prepares mushroom pepper fry. Apart from the iconic Chettinad masala powder, it is also flavoured with whole spices including fennel seeds, dried red chillies, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, peppercorns and kalpasi (black stone flower), which is a trademark of Chettiar cuisine. That might seem like a tastebud overload to some but “we don’t compromise on authenticity,” says Sam. “We may reduce the spice slightly on request, but our chefs don’t play around with the recipes.”

Visalam is surrounded by villages that are home to well-maintained mansions that are open to visitors, small handloom weaving units as well as an ancient rock-cut temple built in the 9th century CE. On my last day, I set out with my guide Shiva, who is passionate about local history, to see famous Athangudi floor tiles being made. A skill passed down through generations, artisans create handmade tiles using a mixture of cement and local soil set on glass plates. They often use their own artistic imaginations to decorate the tiles with free-hand designs using bright colours like red, green, yellow and blue. I couldn’t resist buying one as a keepsake of a most memorable trip to my home country.

For more information, visit cghearth.com

OPPOSITE PAGE, FROM LEFT: Black stone flower, or kalpasi, is an edible lichen that features prominently in Chettiar cuisine; Sapadu shala, the kitchen at Visalam, is also where guests can enjoy lunch served on banana leaves.

THIS PAGE, FROM TOP: The traditional lunch on a banana leaf is always served in a particular order and there’s a specific order in which this meal must be eaten; Visalam’s expansive grounds are ideal for strolls after indulgent meals; Spice Village has an exceptional variety of flora, including medicinal plants.

SPICE UP YOUR (LOVE) LIFE

Hands up who spends most of their time with their partner crashed on the sofa? Maybe a movie or dinner if you’re feeling adventurous? Time to make some memories with Alphabet Dating, says Helen Farmer

“Shall we just see what’s on Netflix?” I asked for the tenth night in a row. And by the time we’d decided what to watch, it was bedtime, we’d bickered, and it felt like another wasted evening. I’d seen a friend of a friend on Instagram posting about something called Alphabet Dating that sounded like it might be the solution to our boredom-inducing routine.

The premise is simple: for each date night, think of an activity that starts with A, then B, C, and so on, so by the end of all 26, you’ll have tried some new things, been to places that wouldn’t have normally occurred to you, and (hopefully) have some fun along the way.

We decided to go for it, committing to a date (evening or weekend afternoon) twice a month, alternating which person oversaw organising it. We started keeping notes on our phones whenever an idea presented itself, and got started.

Here in the UAE we’re lucky that there are lots of choices, but you might need to get a bit creative depending on time, budget and the letter you’re on.

Some of our favourites included fragrance making, a hot air balloon ride, trekking at Showka Dam, virtual reality night, jet skiing, painting kits at home and sailing. It all sounds very active and adventurous, but we also had a few more low-key dates (a beach day,

Christmas movie night, quarter-pounders in the car park at High Joint and J is for jigsaws, when I was unwell one night, for example!). Looking back, it was one of the best things we’ve done as a couple – we got to know our city, and each other, really well. I learned that my husband truly doesn’t like heights, and I love him for trying ziplining, and with the upper body strength of a toddler, I can safely say I will never try bouldering again. But even a bad date can be a great memory.

Here are my top tips for alphabet dating…

1 Put it in the diary! It’s too easy to push back a date because you’re tired or there’s a clash.

2 Make sure the organising is shared equally, or one person could end up getting resentful of the admin.

3 Keep your eyes open to new openings and events – an exhibition or concert might just work perfectly.

4 Ask friends for recommendations, or search for #alphabetdating on Instagram for inspiration.

5 Keep a list of ideas on your phone so you don’t forget a good one.

6 Get outside of your comfort zone – you can watch TV on every other night.

7 Take pictures!

I have to say, I’m tempted to do it again and sometimes find myself sending links to my husband. Ceramics, escape rooms, improv, learning to cook, horse riding, kayaking, a theme park… And if anyone has some good ideas for X, let me know because an X-ray is not on the list.

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