37 25 MAY 2023 BOOKS OF THE WEEK INDIAN-THEMED RELEASES Tandoori Home Cooking Maunika Gowardhan In her third book, chef Maunika recreates the tandoor-cooked, street-food dishes she enjoyed growing up in Mumbai. Recipes include her chicken tikka, which bene ts from a doublemarination process, pan-charred garlic naans and rotis cooked by the ame of a hob. There are spice blends, grilled veg and paneer sides, tadkas to temper cooked dishes, chutneys, raitas and salads. Many involve “cooking skills used for generations in India,” she writes, “but not always been widely known outside India.” Comfort & Joy Ravinder Bhogal “I was raised in a culture where vegetarianism is the norm,” writes Ravinder, whose Indian family brought her to the UK from Kenya aged seven. This meat-free recipe collection displays the innovative qualities anyone familiar with her restaurant, Jikoni, might expect. Her Beiruti jewelled noodle rice is studded with pine nuts and barberries and served with tahini sauce. Sweet and sour dal is bulked out with scraps of gram- our pasta. And Jerusalem artichokes and carrots are crumbed and cooked in a katsu curry. Modern South AsianKitchen Sabrina Gidda “Authenticity. What is it? Does it mean we have to cook in the only way we have ever known?” Not for debut author Sabrina, whose recipes are inspired by her South Asian heritage but also re ect her West Midlands upbringing and experience as a chef. The result is an eclectic collection that includes butter chicken pu - pastry pie, a Punjabi panzanella with chickpeas and nigella seeds, and a coconut sh curry that got top marks on Great British Menu. Spice Kitchen Sanjay Aggarwal “I want to help you become as con dent using spice blends as you are with black pepper,” writes spice merchant and rst-time author Sanjay. “I want to demystify cooking with spices and remind you that you don’t need endless time, fancy equipment or a full pantry [to make] amazing meals.” Many of the recipes are rooted in his family’s KenyanIndian heritage, like his mum Shashi’s chickpea curry. Others look further a eld, from a Cajunstyle potato and chorizo hash to a tofu curry ramen with a Japanese togarashi spice blend. Photographs: Getty Images, James Strawbridge, Eden Project Communities In season BROAD BEANS If you like your fresh produce hassle-free, now is the time to make the most of broad beans. Newly in season, their pods contain bright green, sweetly avoured pulses, which bring a summery lightness wherever they’re used. Wait until the end of summer, though, and their waxy skins thicken, which means the beans need slipping out of them as well as extracting from their pods – a process called double podding that can be a bit of a fa . There are many reasons to strike while the iron is hot. The young, tender beans have a particular a nity with cured pork – whether with Spanish chorizo and feta on atbreads, or with Italian pancetta and mint in a bowl of conchiglie. They’re great in a hot smoked salmon and soft-boiled egg salad and add freshness to frittatas, risottos and crostini. Find recipes for these ideas and more at waitrose.com. Their uses don’t end with the beans, either. The pods are a brilliant addition to summery stocks, with their fresh, green notes bringing vibrancy to soups such as a Provençal pistou, vegetable risottos, and braised veg dishes such as petits pois à la Française. GOING GREEN Runner bean, broad bean and pecorino risotto (left); Diana Henry’s hot smoked salmon with warm soft-boiled egg, soured cream and broad beans (right) If you enjoyed the communal aspects of The Coronation – perhaps at a street party or picnic in the park – you might like to know that the Big Lunch is on 1 June. It’s an annual series of get-togethers designed to get neighbours sharing food, fun and friendship. You can organise your own lunch – pick a day, invite the neighbours, share catering duties if you wish. Or you can join a local lunch that’s already been organised. Either way, you can play your part in fostering friendlier, safer, more interconnected neighbourhoods – all over a nice spot of lunch. Visit edenprojectcommunities.com for details. Come together for a Big Lunch
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