Rules in recipes are all well and good, but sometimes a little freewheeling is just what is needed. I like to keep my cupboards stocked well with ingredients that add big flavour quickly. Little jars, pastes, oils, a good stack of quality nuts and, of course, spices mean that you can turn the most humble of ingredients into something delicious.
A staple and longstanding favourite of mine is to create a type of “chaat” style salad. Chaat can be a plethora of vegetables and fruits, savoury snacks and crispy items, brought together with pungent and vibrant masala, creamy yoghurt, a tang from tamarind or citrus, and my favourite – a handful of something crunchy to give texture and interest. In this recipe, I love the use of cured lemon paste to give the chickpeas a wonderful freshness. With a little chilli heat and a crunch of a coriander stalk, it makes for an exciting forkful.
My approach to salads is often more is more, favouring a layered assembly, with different textures, dressings and interesting toppings – a little cupboard investment can carry you a long way. I recommend making up a batch of dukkah so it’s easy to reach for when you need to add a little sprinkle of something special to a dish.
The key is quality. Invest in great oils and vinegars – and swoop on long shelf-life items like a magpie. You’ll often use a little less of the good stuff to get you into the realm of flavour you need to make a difference. And remember: there is no prescriptive way to use ingredients – get them into your cupboards and play, this is where the magic happens!
Sweet potato and achari chickpea salad with spiced nut dukkah
Prep 15 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side
2 large sweet potatoes
2 tbsp Belazu Garlic Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra to serve
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp Maldon salt
1 jar Belazu Chickpeas
300g Greek yoghurt
Small bunch coriander, leaves picked, stalks chopped
4 tsp Belazu Cured Lemon Paste
1 green chilli, finely chopped
4 spring onions, chopped
Small handful mint leaves
4 radishes, finely sliced
For the dukkah
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
120g tin Belazu Smoked Chilli Nut Mix
Belazu Chickpeas come perfectly seasoned to add straight to salads, soups and hummus
To make this dish, start by peeling the sweet potatoes and cutting into wedges. Mix with the garlic oil, mustard seeds, ground cumin, ground coriander and Maldon salt, then cook at 200C (185C fan)/gas 6 for 15 minutes on a lined baking tray until tender.
For the dukkah, gently toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a frying pan until you can smell the aroma of the spices, remove from the heat after 3-4 minutes and allow to cool. Tip into a food processor with the nuts, and blitz until the mix resembles very coarse sand. This will keep for a couple of weeks in an airtight container.
Drain the chickpeas and mix well with the chopped coriander stalks, lemon paste, green chilli and a good glug of garlic oil.
To serve, spread the Greek yoghurt on a large plate and top with the roasted sweet potato. Scatter on the chickpeas followed by the spring onions and the spiced nut dukkah. Finish with the coriander leaves, mint and radish, and a little extra drizzle of oil, and serve with warm chapatis.
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