Meat free Lent XXVIII: Tandoori Veg kebab

Bee – All Saints’ Church

This is a great, simple meal which my family enjoy.

Serves 8

For the bulgur wheat:
150g (5½ oz) bulgur wheat 
900ml (1½ pints) boiling water 
1 tbsp lemon juice 
1 tbsp rapeseed oil 
¼ tsp salt 
¼ tsp ground black pepper

For the skewers: 
I sweet potato, halved lengthways and cut into 1 cm (½ inch) slices
 1 courgette, cut into 5 mm (¼ inch) circles 
1 red onion, cut into thin wedges 
100g (3½ oz) natural yoghurt 
1 tbsp tandoori masala 
¼ tsp chilli powder 
¼ tsp salt 
Oil, for brushing

For the dressing: 
100g (3½ oz) natural yoghurt 
¼ tsp ground cumin 
                    A pinch of salt

1.       Put the bulgur wheat into a heatproof bowl and cover with the boiling water.  Leave to soak for 20 minutes, then drain well. 

2.       Wipe out the bowl and return the bulgur to it.  Add the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper and mix well.  Set aside.

3.       To prepare the kebabs, par-cook the sliced sweet potato in a pan of boiling water for 2 minutes only.  Rinse and drain.

4.       Put the courgette and onion into a large bowl and add the sweet potato slices.  In a small bowl, mix the yoghurt, tandoori masala, chilli powder and salt together and pour this all over the veg.  Stir to make sure the veg are well covered with the marinade.

5.       Preheat your barbecue or grill.  Take the skewers and thread the veg onto them.  Brush a little oil over the top.  When the barbecue or grill is hot, cook for 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden.

6.       In a small bowl, mix the dressing ingredients.  Spread the bulgur wheat on a serving platter, lay the skewers on top and drizzle over the dressing to serve. Best eaten immediately!

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Meat free Lent XVII: Chickpea and spinach curry

Today’s recipe comes from

Dr Peter Toon – St Stephen’s Church

This is an easy and tasty curry, and mostly uses ingredients from the freezer or cupboard so is a good stand-by.

 One jar or tin of chickpeas 
half a pack of frozen spinach 
one tin chopped tomatoes 
one onion 
one vegetable stock cube 
garlic, ginger, cumin, chili flakes and garam masala (or a mild or medium curry powder)

1.       Drain the chickpeas and reserve the liquid.

2.       Finely chop and fry an onion in oil (I use sunflower).

3.       Add a couple of chopped cloves of garlic or a squeeze of garlic paste and some fresh ginger and fry a little more.

4.       Add some ground cumin and a few chili flakes (not too much) and stir well. (You can vary the spices at this stage – mustard seeds, coriander, cardamon, or turmeric are all possible, or you could use curry powder though this tends to makes a less interesting flavour).

5.       Add the tomatoes and chickpeas and the powdered stock cube.

6.       Cook uncovered for 10 minutes or so until the sauce is reduced to a thick paste.

7.       Add the frozen spinach (you can defrost it first and drain off the water if you have time) and a little salt and again cook until the sauce is thickened.

8.       Add the garam masala if you have not used curry powder and stir in well.  Serve with rice or an Indian bread.