I had seen a recipe for Cabbage Thoran in my weekly veg box (together with the cabbage). Unfortunately, the company's online cataloguing is not akin to the quality of their produce. So, this is a recipe that seems similar.
My other pantry ingredients were:
- slumbering salad potatoes and cherry tomatoes - sweated with obligatory onions, the tail end of a sweet pepper, a green chilli and allspice seasoning. Some similar ideas are on this heavily advert riddled site
- a finely sliced onion - fried to a crisp garnish (idea from Reza Mahamad, thank you)
- desiccated coconut, left over from cooking a Jam and Coconut Sponge - toasted
- basmati rice, just plain - because I love the distinct flavour and knew it would tie everything together
- a last leg-ged cucumber chunk, some wilting mint leaves and the bottom of a pot of goat (I prefer the flavour - try it if you can) yoghurt pot - whisked with a little milk
Ha-riss-ah pot on a Couscous Sdader
The giants took to couscous, which proved a fab way to 'force feed' veg into their unsuspecting tummies. The secret is, pack with flavour (otherwise it will be like eating chopped cardboard).
I always include portion-appropriate stock cubes into some saved veg water to begin the plumping. Adding chopped flavour improvers like cucumber, sweet peppers, celery, mint, coriander or nuts (from pine to walnut and hazelnuts) AND PLENTY OF SEASONING. This will help to pack the right flavour punch.
This time, I used the last of a packet of parsley, including stalks (garden produce long since purged #BadCropReplenishment) and toasted some sliced almonds, left over from making a bakewell tart. Not too many add ins as I believed there would be enough flavour in the smothering Ha-riss-ah pot that would encompass it.
My other pantry ingredients were:
- squash - diced and roasted with olive oil and thyme (from the garden!)
- red and brown onions, sliced and sautéed - adding garlic later, so it doesn't burn to bitterness
- runner beans - stripped of sides, sliced and gently simmered (providing liquid for the couscous)
and of course:
- the aforementioned preserved lemons - pips removed and chopped to smallness, adding a sour background hint
- harissa and rose harissa to add the spicy back notes
- umami paste (found in the fridge door)
So there we are, enough of my ramblings ... do tell me though, am I the only one who has a pantry habit?
