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This colorful and interesting mixture of vegetables, cooked in a spicy sauce, is excellent served with Pulao Rice and Naan Bread

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 250 gm turnips or swede, peeled; 1 aubergine (eggplant), leaf end trimmed;
• 350 gm new potatoes, scrubbed; 250 gm cauliflower;
• 250 gm button mushrooms; 1 large onion; 250 gm carrots, peeled;
• 6 tbsp vegetable ghee or oil; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 5 cm ginger root, chopped finely;
• 1-2 fresh green chillies, seeded and chopped; 1 tbsp paprika, 2 tsp ground coriander;
• 1 tbsp mild or medium curry powder or paste; 450 ml vegetable stock;
• 425 gm chopped tomatoes; 1 green pepper, seeded and slice; 1 tbsp cornflour;
• 150 ml coconut milk, 2-3 tbsp ground almonds; salt and fresh coriander sprigs, to garnish.

Cooking method:

• Cut the turnips or swede, aubergine (eggplant) and potatoes into 1 cm cubes. Divide the cauliflower into small florets. Leave the mushrooms whole, or slice thickly if preferred. Slice the onion and carrots.
• Heat the ghee or oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, turnip, potato and cauliflower and cook gently for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, ginger, chillies, paprika, ground coriander and curry powder or paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
• Add the stock, tomatoes, aubergine (eggplant) and mushrooms and season with salt. Cover and leave to simmer gently for about 30 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add the green pepper and carrots, cover and continue cooking for a further 5 minutes.
• Smoothly blend the corn flour with the coconut milk and stir into the mixture. Add the ground almonds and leave to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring all the time. Transfer to serving plates and serve hot, garnished with sprigs of fresh coriander.

If you invite several people to dinner or to a buffet meal nowadays there is a strong chance that one of them may be a vegetarian. These kebabs are easy to make and taste delicious.

Makes 10-12

Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes, sliced;
• 1 medium onion, sliced; ½ medium cauliflower, cut into small florets; 50 gm peas;
• 1 tbsp spinach paste; 2-3 green chillies; fresh coriander leaves;
• 1 tsp fresh ginger root, finely chopped; 1 tsp fresh garlic, crushed;
• 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 pinch turmeric; 1 tsp salt; 50 gm bread crumbs;
• 300 ml oil and fresh chilli strips, to garnish.

Cooking method:

• Place the potatoes, onion and cauliflower florets in a pan of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer until the potatoes are cooked through.
• Remove the vegetables from the pan with a perforated spoon and drain thoroughly.
• Add the peas and spinach to the vegetables and mix, mashing down with a fork.
• Using a sharp knife, finely chop the green chillies and fresh coriander leaves.
• Mix the chillies and coriander with the ginger, garlic, ground coriander, turmeric and salt.
• Blend the spice mixture into the vegetables, mixing with a fork to make a paste.
• Scatter the breadcrumbs on to a large plate.
• Break off 10-12 small balls from the spice paste. Flatten them with the palm of your hand to make flat, round shapes.
• Dip each kebab in the breadcrumbs, coating well.
• Heat the oil in a heavy frying-pan and shallow-fry the kabobs, in batches, until golden brown, turning occasionally.
• Transfer to serving plates and garnish with fresh chilli strips. Serve hot.

Makes: 40 rolls

Ingredients:

• 225 gm fresh bean sprouts, 115 gm tender leeks or spring onions, 115 gm carrots, 115 bamboo shoots sliced, 115 gm white mushrooms, 3-4 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp light brown sugar, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, 20 frozen spring roll skins defrosted, 1tbsp corn flour paste, flour for dusting, oil for deep-frying.

Cooking Method:

• Cut all the vegetables into thin shreds, roughly the same size and shape as the bean sprouts.
• Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the vegetables for about 1 minute. Add the salt, sugar, soy sauce and wine or sherry and continue stirring for 1½ – 2 minutes. Remove and drain the excess liquid then leave to cool.
• To make the spring rolls, cut each spring roll skin in half diagonally, then place about 1 tbsp of the vegetable mixture one-third of the way down on the skin, with the triangle pointing away from you.
• Lift the lower flap over the filling and roll once.
• Fold in both ends and roll once more then brush the upper edge with a little corn flour paste, and roll into a neat package. Lightly dust a tray with flour and place the spring rolls on the tray with the flap-side down.
• To cook, heat the oil in a wok or deep –fryer until hot, and then reduce the heat to low.
• Deep-fry the spring rolls in batches (about 8-10 at a time) for 2-3 minutes or until golden and crispy, then remove and drain.
• Serve the spring rolls hot with a dip sauce such as soy sauce or Spicy salt and pepper.