Beetroot. Earthy, versatile, raw or cooked, beetroot is a colourful and delicious addition to our table.

Roasted Eggplant with Special Miso Sauce

The thing about #SpecialMisoSauce* is that it is rich and dark and almost overwhelming in its deep flavours, so it is perfect for dishes in which you want the sort of umami that things like fish sauce or anchovies usually provide. Not that it tastes the same but it does have that same affinity for certain ingredients.

And we all know just how well miso pairs with eggplant anyway – it is a classic combination in the miso-loving parts of the world. So in this dish we brought together eggplants and the Special Miso Sauce for wonderful results and a very simple dish.

*Click on the hashtag link to see where to get the recipe.

Here is another of my loved rustic soups. It is a health-boost in a bowl, this soup. I usually don’t make it until later in the Wintery cough-and-cold season, but if it seems a bad season I make it early. It was a staple during lockdowns.

Chickpea Soup with Parsley and Turmeric.

Saffron Rasayana for the Weary

Are you weary? Stressed? In need of some relaxation? I have a rasayana for you – saffron in milk with honey and ghee. Always use less honey than ghee in the recipe. Amazingly, this drink relaxes and destresses. You feel your breath ease and deepen and worries vanish.

The art and science of #rasayana is about lengthening the lifespan, and individual rasayana recipes can be considered as tonics or something that enhances well being. Rasayanas not only include food but behaviours and practices.

India does yoghurt better than any other country IMHO. In particular, the dishes where yoghurt forms a delectable sauce either with other ingredients, or on its own.

This Parsi dish is amazing. When I first had it, at the home of a Parsi family, the whole room ceased speaking. The sign of an amazing dish when all conversation stops. Cooked with love.

Mushrooms and Peas | Khumbe Matar

One of the classic dishes of India is mushrooms and peas in a tomato gravy.

I often make it with a range of mushrooms – brown mushrooms, baby mushrooms, sliced king oyster mushrooms and even shimeji mushrooms. It gives a mix of textures and flavours.

Here I have also topped the dish with finely sliced snow peas. It adds crunch and freshness to the dish without confusing the “pea” taste.

White Bean, Basil, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Turmeric Spread

You know we like our spreads and dips, especially classic Italian ones. These days, on the #NaturopathPrescribedDiet I serve them on rice crackers. The Pure Harvest ones with quinoa are one of my favourites. We keep the cupboard well stocked with a variety of them.

This spread is a simple recipe that purees beans seasoned with olive oil, garlic, turmeric, lemon juice and fresh basil, and can be made mostly out of cupboard ingredients.

It is divine in flavour and texture, with a multitude of uses. We made it a lot during Covid lockdowns when it was difficult to get fresh ingredients. So we substituted a lot. Parsley for basil, or coriander, or chives. I have even used rocket and baby spinach. Or simply left the basil out. It is so versatile.

We often add sun-dried tomatoes and fennel seeds - it is a fabulous idea that came out of #Moosewood by #MollyKatzen – we've adopted this combo and use it in all sorts of things now.

Fried Upma with Ricotta

Upma is a delicious breakfast dish and snack from South India, made from rava. Rava (also called Rawa, Sooji, Suji or Upma grain) is a semolina product that is cooked with spices and sometimes finely chopped vegetables for a stunningly delicious dish.

#Ottolenghi, in his book #PlentyMore takes his version of Upma and allows it to set before pan frying wedges. It is a delicious way to use Upma and a great use of left-overs. Rather than use his recipe, I cook Upma in a more traditional South Indian way, using his method to pan fry it, then serve it with either seasoned yoghurt or ricotta.

Rava, like semolina, is a granulated wheat flour that has a grainy texture to it. There are two types available, a fine-grained version and a coarser-grained one that is better for making Upma. In general, sooji will have a finer grain than rava.

I cook Upma until it is thick and holds shape. One variation has a looser consistency but if making the fried upma, it is best to cook it until quite thick.

As an aside and just for your information if you are interested: There are many different types of rava, perhaps thousands of regional variations. Some of the variations are because different wheats are used. Eg Bansi Rava, also known as samba wheat, is a very fine powdered flour unlike the more coarsely granulated Rava. It is made from a variety of wheat called samba godumai that has a long body and slightly sharp edges on both sides.

Another famous Rava is Bombay Rava which has a very coarse texture that is a little bigger than regular Rava. It is made from whole wheat grains of mottai godumai wheat.

There is another type, chamba rava, which is a by-product of wheat flour. Semolina, on the other hand, is always made from Duram wheat.

Amaranth Leaves are the leaves of the varieties of edible amaranth plants. They are very easy to grow, and come up year after year, so keen gardeners are never without this vegetable in their gardens. The leaves can vary from green to red, and you will often see bunches in Asian green groceries.

The leaves and the grain are exceptionally high in protein as well as amino acids, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, and zinc - a vegetarian's dream plant.

I cook them in Indian dishes, as the leaves are quite common in India so there is a great variety of recipes. Amaranth varieties are used in Asian cooking too. Known as Chinese Sinach or Een choi, it is often sold as whole plants with roots.