Month: Jan 2023

Meatballs and noodles

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Meatballs, vegetables, sauce, noodles. Everything delicious, a brilliant quick weeknight dinner.

  • 400g pork mince
  • 4 tbsp dried breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 5 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
  • 200ml chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp soft light brown sugar
  • 400g fresh noodles, such as udon or flat rice noodles
  • 100g mange tout, sliced in half lengthways
  • 100g baby corns, quartered lengthways
  • Fresh coriander, chopped
  1. In a bowl, mix together the minced pork, breadcrumbs, about half the spring onions, the egg, garlic, 1 tsp sesame oil, chilli and salt
  2. Using your hands, roll into around 16 meatballs
  3. Heat the veg oil in a large, deep, lidded frying pan over medium-high heat
  4. Add meatballs and use tongs to brown them all over
  5. Remove the meatballs, turn the heat down and add the remaining 1 tsp sesame oil
  6. Add the ginger and cook for around 30 secs before adding the chicken stock, soy sauce, brown sugar and hoisin
  7. Stir to combine and bring to a bubbly simmer
  8. Return meatballs to the pan and put the lid on
  9. Cook for 6 mins then scatter the baby corn over the top and put the lid back on for 2 mins
  10. Then add the mange tout to the pan and cook with the lid on for a further 2 mins
  11. Add the noodles to the pan and use the tongs to fold everything together until completely coated in sauce
  12. Serve garnished with the remaining spring onion and fresh coriander

Squash with tamarind, cashew nuts and coconut

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Sweet and sour, spiced and fragrant. Beautiful shades of orange and red, you can use any variety of squash for this dry curry. Scoop it up with delicious dosa, naan or chapati. Feeds 4

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 15 fresh curry leaves
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 star anise
  • ½ fenugreek seeds
  • ½ tsp kashmiri chilli powder
  • 30g fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 big red chilli, finely chopped
  • 200g tinned chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tamarind concentrate
  • 1 tbsp soft light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 kg squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into roughly 2cm cubes
  • 1 generous handful cashew nuts, toasted
  • 1 handful desiccated coconut, toasted
  1. Heat the oil in a large pan. When it’s hot, add the mustard seeds which will sputter and pop
  2. Add the curry leaves and fenugreek
  3. Stir into the oil, turn the heat down and add the cinnamon, star anise and chilli powder
  4. Stir in, frying for 30 secs or so then add the ginger and chilli
  5. Stir and fry until fragrant, then add the tomatoes, tamarind, sugar, salt and 100ml water
  6. Cook over a medium heat for 5 mins until it forms a velvety sauce
  7. Tumble in the squash cubes and stir them gently until they are coated in sauce
  8. Cover the pan, lower the heat and cook for about 40 mins, stirring occasionally until the pumpkin is soft but not collapsed
  9. Add the cashews, cover and cook for a further 5 mins
  10. Stir in the toasted coconut and serve

Delicious with this split pea daal, and you’ll use up a whole tin of tomatoes if you make them both!