Roast beetroot & carrot curry

Ingredients 1 can coconut milk, 1 can chickpeas, olive oil, 1 white onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 beetroot, 2 carrots, 1 tbs cumin, 1 tbs turmeric, 1 tbs coriander, chilli powder to taste.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 1 hour

Autumn to me means a glut of roasted vegetables and beetroot with its luscious silky purple juices is never far from my mind. Using roasted vegetables in curry is somewhat unusual, I know, but that magical alchemy gives a better flavour and texture and they look so beautiful without all the colour leaching away. I like to roast a job lot at the beginning of the week to put in the fridge for salads, pasties, and to make stews and soups. They're incredibly cost-effective and this curry is utterly delicious.

1) Peel the carrots and beetroot, drizzle with a little oil and roast in a covered dish for 40 minutes.

2) Peel and dice the onion and sautee in the oil until soft. Add the garlic, spices and chickpeas and stir through.

3) Spoon the thick cream which will have risen to the top of your can of coconut milk (discarding the water below) into the pan and stir through. Allow to simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes (or until the chickpeas are soft) then add the carrot and beetroot and garnish with coriander. Serve with rice or naan.

Lavender curry

Ingredients 400g Coconut milk, 1 tsp lavender, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 white onion, 400g spinach, 1 courgette, butter or ghee, 2 cloves garlic

Serves: 2 preparation: 30 minutes

My personal curry tastes appeal more to the Thai style "soupy" green curries, but lavender could be used in a thicker Indian style Korma sauce if you prefer.
The exotic fragrance and flavour works in the same way coriander or mint does to cut the spices, and as in previous recipes - lavender is a perfect partner to coconut.

1) Grind the lavender with the spices in a mortar and pestle and set aside.

2) Finely dice the onion and add to the pan with the butter or ghee. Cook until the onions are soft, then add the garlic and spices and stir through.

3) Slice the courgette and cut each slice into quarters. Add to the pan and stir through, before adding the coconut milk.

4) Turn down the heat and allow to simmer gently until the courgette has begin to soften. Add the spinach and stir through until it has wilted, though not begun to lose its colour. Serve with rice or naan bread.

Spinach & aubergine curry

Ingredients  8 baby aubergines, 2 tbsp garam    marsala, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tsp mustard    seeds, 2 tbsps ghee or vegetable oil, 200g spinach, 1 white onion, 1 bulb garlic, passata, salt, olive oil, 1 red chilli pepper.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 45 minutes


I love curry, the scent of toasting spices, the gentle bubbling inside my enormous cast iron wok and that delicious high one gets from the exotic heat of the chillies. This dish is rich with flavour and has the most amazing buttery soft textured aubergines. Give it a try - perfect with my peshwari naan - this is the ultimate winter warming comfort food.


1) Slice the tops from the baby aubergines and slice in half lengthways, then horizontally. Arrange in an ovenproof dish with the skins down and sprinkle with salt to draw out the bitter juices. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes.


2) At the same time, put an entire bulb of garlic into an ovenproof dish and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.


3) Put the mustard seeds and spices in the wok and toast for about 2 minutes - once the mustard seeds begin to pop, it's time to add the ghee (about 2 tablespoons) and stir through.


4) Peel and dice the onion and finely chop the chillies, then add to the spiced ghee and stir through until the onion has softened completely (5-10 minutes).


5) Once the aubergines and garlic are cooked, add the aubergines to the pan along with just enough passata to bring the ingredients together.


6) Peel the garlic and mince through the press until you are left with the puree. Stir into the curry and add the spinach leaves.


7) Once the spinach has wilted it's ready to serve.

Yoghurt spiced chicken

Ingredients 8 Chicken legs, tablespoon cumin, tablespoon turmeric, 300ml Greek yoghurt, salt, black pepper.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 2 hours


1) Stir the turmeric and cumin into the yoghurt and season with salt and black pepper. Pour in the chicken legs and stir, making sure the chicken is thoroughly coated. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.


2) Roast the chicken in the oven for one and a half hours at 170 degrees