Carrot, cardamom & caramelised onion soup

Ingredients 5 carrots, 1 potato, 2 onions, 6 cardamom pods, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1 clove garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 30 minutes

I love soup. I find all the chopping, stirring and pureeing very soothing, the warm smells that fill the house comforting, and I love ladling out steamy bowls of soup for people to dunk hot crispy bread into, dressing it with ever more creative croutons or swirls of cream and yoghurt. Some soups, like this spiced bowl of sweet carrotty joy, are so packed full of flavour that they don't even need any vegetable stock. This works just as well with sweet potato but the silkier soup will come from using a good waxy potato.

1) Peel and finely slice the onions, then slice the rings in half before adding the slices to a hot pan with the olive oil. Stir them well, breaking the strips of onion up, then leave to completely caramelise, stirring only when you see them begin to turn brown.

2) Crush one clove of garlic and add to the pan, along with the freshly ground cardamom seeds, ginger and allspice. Stir well and leave to sizzle for a few minutes.

3) Peel and dice the carrots and potato, then add to the pan. I like to stir them for a minute or two to add a little colour before adding the water.

4) Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes until the carrots and potato are soft, then add to a blender to puree thoroughly before serving.

Carrot, apple & cardamom salad

Ingredients 1 Carrot, 1 apple, 1/2 tsp freshly ground cardamom, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 orange.

Preparation: 5 minutes

To say a salad is supposedly a simple affair for lazy Summer days, the majority that I make involve very little of the "chuck it in a bowl and scoff it" mentality. But whilst life is too short for artfully decorating a plate with blobs of apple gel and dill emulsions at home, I do believe a little marinating goes a long way.
This salad is breathtaking in its simplicity - shaved apple and carrot with a gorgeous, zingy orange and cardamom dressing to bring out the flavour of the carrot and stop the apple from browning (should you wish to brown bag it.)

1) Peel the carrot and apple, discard the skin and then simply carry on peeling! Transfer the slivers of fruit and vegetable flesh into a bowl and set aside.

2) Combine the olive oil with the juice of the orange, season with a tiny smigdeon of salt (no, not a pinch - a smidge!), black pepper and the cardamom.

3) Pour the dressing into the bowl, toss the carrot and apple until the cardamom and pepper is evenly distributed and either serve or set aside until required.

Chocolate & cardamom fondants

Ingredients       150g dark chocolate, 300ml double  cream, 10 cardamom pods, 2 egg yolks,  50ml milk.

Serves: 6 preparation: 15 minutes


Chocolate fondant is the ultimate in indulgence - a firm pudding top filled with sinfully rich liquid chocolate, it's quick to make and it's something people always like to eat. A big thanks too for my friend Pete for keeping me supplied with ramekins!


1) Break open the cardamom pods and grind the seeds to a fine powder. Add to a pan along with the cream.


2) Bring the cream to the boil and remove from the heat immediately.


3) Break the chocolate into small pieces and stir into the cream, whisking until it has become completely incorporated.


4) Separate the egg yolks from the whites and discard the whites. Fold the yolks into the chocolate and cream mixture. The mixture will begin to stiffen as it cools and as the egg yolks become combined so add the milk, a little at a time and whisk through until it is just pourable.


5) Pour into ramekins and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes. They are ready when the tops have become firm but the insides are still liquid. Serve immediately with ice-cream or cream.

Chocolate & cardamom ganache

Ingredients 150g dark chocolate, 300ml double cream, 10 cardamom pods

Makes: 50 chocolates preparation: 1 hour


Niki Segnit says that cardamom makes dark chocolate taste expensive and I absolutely agree. I like my chocolate dark and bitter, something with a seductively high melting point. The citrus and eucalyptus properties of cardamom give this thick, indulgent treat an exotic twist. Pour it into a tart case and chill, or serve it as it stands with ice cream or fruit for dessert.


1) Crack open the cardamom pods and grind the seeds to a fine powder in a mortar and pestle and add to the cream.

2) Break the chocolate into small pieces and stir into the cream on the hob.

3) Allow it to come to the boil and then remove it immediately from the heat. Whisk through to ensure the chocolate has become completely incorporated.
Pour into moulds and leave to set.

Cardamom & apricot glazed pork loin

Ingredients Pork loin, 5 apricots, 10 cardamom pods, 1 tsp butter, 2 tbsps jam sugar.

Serves: 2 Preparation: 45 minutes

Ever wondered why the apricots in a Danish pastry taste so magnificent? So sweet yet tangy? It's all in the cardamom baby! These two ingredients are perfect partners and make a glorious glaze for pork.


1) Slice the apricots in half and remove the stones. Add them to a pan with 1 cup of water and the jam sugar.


2) Remove the cardamom seeds from the pods and grind to a fine powder in a mortar and pestle. Stir into the apricots and bring to the boil until the apricots have softened. Stir in the butter.


3) Sear the meat in a pan for a few seconds, then score the meat lightly with a knife and spoon the apricot over the top.


4) Roast in the oven for 30 minutes and serve.

Cardamom & orange glazed carrots

Ingredients 4 carrots, 2 tablespoons butter, cardamom pods, 45ml orange juice

Serves: 4 preparation: 20 minutes


Carrot and orange are perfect partners - sweet and tangy and rich in colour but I like to go the extra distance and really enhance the citrus with cardamom for a more exotic twist.


1) Peel the carrots and slice off the top and bottom. Discard the ends and slice the carrot into 1/3 of a centimetre discs.


2) Slice open the cardamom pods and grind the seeds in a mortar and pestle


3) Parboil the carrots in hot, salted water for 5 minutes along with the cardamom pod skins. Remove these with a spoon before straining the carrots in a colander.


4) Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan and add the orange juice and crushed cardamoms. Stir through the carrots on a medium heat until they are coated in the spiced glaze. Sautee for 5 minutes and serve.

Fig & feta rice salad

Ingredients Long grain rice, wild rice, oranges, cardamom pods, feta.

1) Mix the rice together and boil for 20 minutes. Strain and set aside.


2) Zest 4 tangerines and squeeze the juice. Add to a milk pan with a handful of cardamom pods and simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes. Stir through the rice.


3) Slice the figs and feta cheese into chunks and stir through the rice. Serve hot or cold.