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Pink turbans and rose petals

May 24, 2009 12 Comments Filed Under: Food, Recipes, Uncategorized

Cava with rocket flower
Cava with rocket flower
Asparagus mimosa, served with chives and sage butter, decorated with violas
Asparagus mimosa, served with chives and sage butter, decorated with violas
Crystallised roses drying
Crystallised roses drying
The edible flowers from FirstLeaf in Wales. The edible flowers from FirstLeaf in Wales. The flowers came with an explanatory sheet.
The flower and herb butter
The flower and herb butter
Bombay mix, salt and pink peppercorns, flower butter
Bombay mix, salt and pink peppercorns, flower butter
Smoked aubergine and pea curry and saffron basmati rice
Smoked aubergine and pea curry and saffron basmati rice
Baby plum tomatoes, red onions pickled in green chilli and red wine vinegar, calendula petals and geranium leaves
Baby plum tomatoes, red onions pickled in green chilli and red wine vinegar, calendula petals and geranium leaves
Hardeep Singh Koli
Hardeep Singh Koli 
Hardeep Singh Koli
I think he’s done this before
Rosewater kulfi, crystallised rose petals, violet and lavender shortbread, gold leaf
Rosewater kulfi, crystallised rose petals, violet and lavender shortbread, gold leaf
Paul. A. Young's Indian coriander chocolates.
Paul. A. Young’s Indian coriander chocolates.
Where have all the flowers gone? The icebowl melteth.
TV and radio presenter Hardeep Singh Kholi arrived in his Jag on Friday morning, smelling of musk, jasmine…something exotic and touchyfeely. 

“You smell great” I say “What is it?” 

“Very expensive Tom Ford aftershave” 

Just like on TV, Hardeep has a warmth about him and a certain amount of bravery. He has the balls to turn up at a strange woman’s house and get stuck into cooking. 

“This feels….sexy” he says.

He works quickly and efficiently, all the while juggling constant phone calls from agents, friends, business contacts. 

“It’s always better to make curry the day before. This way the spices are really infused into the dish”

His curry secret? 

“Use whole spices first of all then add ground spices later. You need both to get that authentic flavour”.

Hardeep negotiating while cooking a curry
Fry onions and whole spices in vegetable oil. Afterwards add plum tomatoes quartered.
To smoke your aubergines, put them in the oven until the skins are crispy. Then strip off the skins and whizz them up in the food processor. You will end up with the ‘caviar’ of the aubergine. You add this to your base sauce and leave overnight. 
30 minutes before you serve the curry, add frozen petit pois and chopped coriander.
Hardeep also, in double quick time, made a tomato, onion, green chilli and coriander salad as well as a green apple chutney
The tomato salad, almost a salsa, Hardeep described as 

“It’s more of a room temperature type salad in which the tomatoes meld with the rest of the ingredients.” 

He marinated the red onions and green chillis in an entire bottle of red wine vinegar which gave it a lovely rosy hue. This was left overnight. Just before service, we garnished this salad with petals from Chrysanthemums and Calendulas, bestowing the final dish with a rich deep saffron and ochre colour scheme, so popular in India.

 Green Apple Chutney Recipe

White wine or cider vinegar
Yet more coriander
Granny smith apples
Green chillies
Core the apples, then whizz all the ingredients up in a food processor, leave overnight. It couldn’t have been easier or it emerged, tastier. This was served in the rose icebowls. The green complemented the colour of the iced roses perfectly. We decorated with Rose geranium leaves and Borage flowers.

 Bombay Mix Recipe: 

The authentic version contains ‘sev’ a mix of gram flour and water pushed through a ricer to make small vermicelli strands which are then deep fried. I omitted the ‘sev’ not having the equipment. However you can make a very tasty Bombay mix without the ‘sev’. 
  • Fry separately in ghee or vegetable oil, absorbing the excess on kitchen roll, the following ingredients: 
  • cashews
  • peanuts
  • almonds
  • pine nuts
  • pistachios
  • pumpkin seeds
  • green chillis
  • curry leaves
  • fresh coriander leaves…until they are crispy.
  • Then chop up dates, add to the mix with green sultanas, turmeric, fennel seeds, salt, pepper, date sugar, ground coriander, cumin.
  • Mix together, season to taste.
Fry coriander, curry leaves, fennel seeds.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sara Bradshaw

    May 24, 2009 at 6:30 am

    looks delicious

    Reply
  2. Kavey

    May 24, 2009 at 10:04 am

    Looks wonderful, am most envious of the kulfi and the chocs! 🙂

    Reply
  3. MsMarmitelover

    May 24, 2009 at 1:44 pm

    Thanks Sara, I see you live local.
    The kulfi is soo easy Kavey. Always a winner.

    Reply
  4. Alex

    May 24, 2009 at 5:30 pm

    So pretty!

    And re: ‘Rosie’s Pop-up’ post below… Bloggers are definitely sniffed upon by the meejah (“they’re amateurs!” etc) but in several cases they have more knowledge that the current crop of people on mags and papers because it’s their passion, not paycheque.

    Also, it’s fashion, not food, but Wee Birdy is now working at Time Out and Susie Bubble is at Dazed… Part of your nouveau punk counter-revolution perhaps?

    Reply
  5. The Curious Cat

    May 24, 2009 at 6:41 pm

    Once again lush looking and inspiring!

    Reply
  6. Scarlett the Heavenly Healer

    May 24, 2009 at 9:30 pm

    Oh my word – that kulfi looks just beautiful.

    Hope to catch up with you soon…X

    Reply
  7. MsMarmitelover

    May 24, 2009 at 10:38 pm

    Thank you everyone.
    Alex, yes things are changing. People are talking out loud about newspapers dying.
    Bloggers/blogging/the internet is the future. I never watch TV. I get my news from the internet.
    At least bloggers don’t “phone it in” which has been my experience with some journalists. They do actually get off their arses and investigate.

    Reply
  8. Helen

    May 25, 2009 at 11:35 am

    This has got to be my favourite underground menu so far, I wish I had been there! I am definitely going to try making the aubergine curry.

    Reply
  9. eatmynels

    May 26, 2009 at 11:02 am

    amazing!! that would have been a massive stroke of luck having Hardeep! Nice one!

    Reply
  10. Anonymous

    May 27, 2009 at 11:43 am

    This looks AMAZING! I cannot believe you actually made your own Sev – really impressive and what a mission. Hardeep is clearly a legend. I am definitely going to have a go at making that pea and aubergine curry this weekend.

    Reply
  11. Helen Yuet Ling Pang

    May 31, 2009 at 6:52 am

    This must have been an amazing evening! I’ve made kulfi before, so this has inspired me to make some more this year!

    Reply
  12. Samantha

    June 5, 2009 at 4:48 pm

    Your blog is great – just heard you on Radio 2 with Chris Evans. I'm definitely a Marmite Lover, so had to check you out.

    It's exciting to see an underground movement gaining ground like this ….

    Bright Blessings.

    visit my blog at http://www.everydaywitch.com

    Reply

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MsMarmiteLover aka Kerstin Rodgers.

Chef, photographer, author, journalist, blogger. Pioneer of the supperclub movement.

This is my food and travel blog, with recipes, reviews and travel stories. I also stray into politics, feminism, gardening.

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msmarmitelover

Kerstin Rodgers/MsMarmiteLover
Got the sewing machine out last night and hemmed t Got the sewing machine out last night and hemmed the top of these toile de jouie curtains in my summer house shed. The days are lengthening a little which brightens up my mood. Self care= trying to get up and washed. Trying to leave the house once a day. Keeping my hands busy. Finding small ways to be creative. #coronaloner #sewingmachine #curtains #shedsofinstagram #sheshed #springiscoming #supperclub #stayingsane #selfcare #lockdown3
Pasta aglio olio. I’m turning into a vampire. I Pasta aglio olio. I’m turning into a vampire. I get up later and later every day. I’m living in a twilight world- dim skies, getting nothing done. Next week it’s my birthday and every year I’m at my lowest ebb just before my birthday. Lockdown on your own is tough. My motivation, my mojo has disappeared. #lockdown3 #coronaloner #pastadinner #nofilter #january2021 #januarychallenge #selfemployedwomen #single #aquarius #0degrees
On the heath on Sunday. Must. Walk. More. #coronal On the heath on Sunday. Must. Walk. More. #coronaloner
Tonight’s lockdown dinner with my bubble. Proper Tonight’s lockdown dinner with my bubble. Proper pesto alla genovese with trofie, small boiled salad potatoes, steamed green beans (good tip: steam the beans in a colander plopped on top of the potatoes or pasta), good quality pesto sauce ( mine from local microbakery @seansloaf ), good olive oil (@pomoragoodfood), torn fresh basil, a few pine nuts. This turns this student dish into a balanced meal of carbs, veg and a little protein.  It’s cold outside, I’ve lit the fire. Covid rages in Kilburn high road in north west london. The rate is 1 in 30 london wide but I feel it’s higher in this poor inner london area. We have a high BAME population who are particularly vulnerable. It’s a little bit anarchic on my high street: cars perched on kerbs waiting for hijabi women, braving pound shops and Aldi . We are all covered up now. In winter masks keep your face warm, but you have a choice between safety and being able to see. I’ve not managed to prevent the inevitable steaming up of my glasses when wearing a mask. Nothing works.  #january #londonwinter #pestopasta #pestoallagenovese #vegetarian #pasta #trofie #supperclub #covid_19 #lockdownlife #lockdown3 #bubblegang
Galette des Rois, made yesterday in 12th night. Mi Galette des Rois, made yesterday in 12th night. Minus Crown and king as I cannot find either. This one is made with Tonka bean. Plus homemade puff pastry (well worth the effort). According to ike delorenzo at The Atlantic:  The tonka bean, a flat, wrinkled legume from South America with an outsize flavor that the US government has declared illegal. Nonetheless, it proliferates on elite American menus. The tiniest shavings erupt in a Broceliande of transporting, mystical aromas.
The taste of the tonka bean is linked strongly to its scent. "Scents," I should say, as the tonka bean has many at once. I register the aromas of vanilla, cherry, almond, and something spicy—a bit like cinnamon. When served cold—say, in tonka bean ice cream—the taste is like a vanilla caramel with dark honey. When warm, perhaps shaved over scallops, it moves toward spiced vanilla. Additionally, the aroma of the tonka bean shavings (it's almost always shaved) is so affecting that it seems like an actual taste in the way that opium, which has no taste in the traditional sense, "tastes" like its rich, flowery smoke.  Here is the recipe: 

Tonka bean galette des rois

Serves 8
Ingredients
* 140 g caster sugar
* 125 g salted butter, softened
* 100 g ground almonds
* 2 eggs, medium
* 1 tonka bean, grated
* 2 packs ready made butter puff pastry on a roll
* 1 yolk for brushing the pastry
Instructions
* Preheat your oven to 200c.

* Blend the butter with the sugar then add the almonds. Make sure it’s well mixed. Add in the 2 eggs one at a time, then add the tonka bean.

* If using a block: divide the puff pastry into two and roll out to 5mm thick. 
* Make two circles about 15 cm’s each in diameter. Lay one circle on a silicone mat/parchment paper on a baking tray and fill with the almond cream leaving a 3 cm border around the edge. 
* Paint the border with the egg yolk. Then lay the other circle on top, sealing the edges with a fork. 
* You could then carve designs into the top. Make a little slit in the middle to let steam escape then brush the top with the egg yolk
Mapo tofu is probably my favourite Sichuan dish. T Mapo tofu is probably my favourite Sichuan dish. This is a vegan version. ***

Ingredients:
- 400 g box of soft tofu not silken
- 5 soaked dried shiitake mushrooms, diced, keep water
- 1 red bell pepper, finely sliced
- 400 g fresh shiitake mushroom, sliced thinly
- 400 ml vegetable stock
- 1 thumb fresh ginger, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 tbsps groundnut or vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp fermented bean paste
- 1 or 2 small red chillies, minced or a spoonful of Chinese chilli paste
- 1 tsp heaped sichuan peppercorns, finely ground
- 2 tbsps soy or tamari sauce
- 2 tbsp cornflour in 3 tbsps water, mixed into a slurry
- 4 spring onions, finely sliced
- large pinch fresh coriander leaves

Prepare the tofu by cutting it into one inch cubes and soaking it in hot but not boiling salted water. Drain after 15 minutes.
Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms, covering them in boiling water. Leave until soft, then dice the mushrooms. Retain the mushroom soaking water and add to the vegetable stock water.
Prepare the other ingredients so they are ready to stir-fry: red bell pepper, fresh mushrooms, ginger, garlic.

Using a wok or deep frying pan, add the oil and heat to frying temperature. Add the bell peppers,fry for a couple of minutes, then add fermented bean paste, chilli paste or chillies, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sichuan pepper.
Add the mushroom/vegetable broth and simmer on high for a couple of minutes.
Carefully add the cubes of tofu, taking care not to break them too much.
Add the cornflour slurry, stirring for a couple of minutes.
Serve with rice or noodles, garnishing with spring onions or chives and or coriander leaves.  #veganuary #mapotofu #sichuanfood #tofu  #shitakemushrooms #supperclub #londonchef #msmarmitelover #ham&highcolumn #eatplants #lockdown3 #selfisolation #coronaloner #cooking #recipe #cookingfromscratch
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Another thing the Japanese are brilliant at is san Another thing the Japanese are brilliant at is sandwiches. They use the softest, whitest, fluffiest bread. Their mayonnaise kewpie is gorgeous I don’t know why. Perhaps someone here can explain? Here I’ve used sourdough as it’s what I have; kosho which is a Yuzu citrus and green chilli condiment and the aforesaid kewpie Mayo to make an egg 🥚 sandwich.  I’m not a big egg fan but I suddenly had the urge. Also I’ve noticed when I eat eggs it satiates my hunger for hours. All that protein.  #sandwich #sandwiches #japanesesandwich #kewpiemayo #kosho #eggsandwich #sourdough #supperclub #cookingforone #solo #londonlife #lockdownlondon #recipe #snack #sundaysnack #sando
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Writing about tofu which I think has an unfair rep Writing about tofu which I think has an unfair reputation in this country. It’s so flexible and is a brilliant flavour sponge. Here I’m preparing my soft tofu for a Japanese dish: agedashi tofu. I first pressed it in a clean tea towel with a weight on top to firm it up a bit but not too much. Then I dusted it with cornflour and I will deep fry it in oil. Then I will serve it in a broth of dashi/mirin and tamari sauce, sprinkled with finely chopped spring onions and togarashi pepper from Japan. I would usually add some finely mandolined daikon radish but couldn’t find any. It’s a subtle dish of texture: soft yet crispy. After Christmas I’m desperate for light zingy fresh flavoured food. #supperclub #tofu #vegan #vegetarian #agedashitofu #newyearsday #cookingagain #lunch #asian #japanesefood
Happy new year from my bubble to yours! Keep holdi Happy new year from my bubble to yours! Keep holding on...
#happynewyear #happynewyear2021 #supperclub #hootenanny
Some of my Christmas food 🥘 lots of veg includi Some of my Christmas food 🥘 lots of veg including mashed swede with cheese and butter. I put pomegranate seeds with my sprouts, and cooked my carrots in marmalade ( worked v well), the mushroom wreath fell apart as I was transferring it to a tray 😤, roast potatoes and parsnips, then a cheese spread with fruit nuts, quince cheese (homemade), Chocs @lindtuk 😍 @guylian_uk @disaronno_official @baileysofficial @taylorsportwine and Brazil nuts. Plus a pavlova wreath ready to be topped with whipped cream and persimmons. 
#christmasdinner #vegetarianchristmas #vegetarianchristmasdinner #supperclub #londonchristmas #liqueurs #christmasspread #grazing #cheeseboard #port #pavlova
Christmas has started! Home-cured smoked beetroot Christmas has started!  Home-cured smoked beetroot and aquavit salmon with homemade blinis, creme fraiche, dill, Prosecco.  The fire is lit 🔥, the tree is up, 🎄the presents 🎁 are wrapped, we have a #brexit deal- a Christmas miracle. Peace and harmony. #christmas #christmasinengland #homemade #christmaseve #blinis #smokedsalmon #prosecco🍾 #londonchristmas
Done some doorscaping, the latest trend in Christm Done some doorscaping, the latest trend in Christmas decorating. It might also cheer up passersby. #christmas #christmasdecor #doorscaping #doorsofinstagram #londonchristmas #doorwreath #doordecor #doorsoftheworld #doordecoration #exteriors #london #supperclub #covidchristmas
Look at my gorgeous Nordic pine Christmas tree 🎄 from @pinesandneedles with some family ornaments and beautiful foodie ornaments from @gisela_graham  it’s 7 foot high and no drop. My parents brought over the candle lights. I’ve also used paper ornaments (apples and pears cut from maps) from @dionne_leonard which I first commissioned for a supper club.  #christmas #christmastree #christmasdecor #foodiedecorations #glassbaubles #supperclub #christmasinlondon
More #fbmarketplacefinds I find meeting the seller More #fbmarketplacefinds I find meeting the sellers interesting. It’s often about moving on whether through death, a change of circumstances, moving country, loss of a job. Today I visited a gorgeously renovated Edwardian house where the owners, an antique dealer & a master decorator had died with 18 months of each other of cancer.  The sister was there emptying the house, an incredibly painful experience. The husband who died was an expert in putting up lincrusta wallpaper which I’ve pictured here. All that craftsmanship and knowledge lost now.  The piece I got on Sunday, the teal chinoiserie cabinet, was from a Spanish guy returning to Spain. He’d lost his job as a hotel manager, the hotel, a big one, has now closed. The marble coffee table and arepas grill was from a Spanish couple who’d had a restaurant here for 40 years. They are now returning to Spain. Other slides: green Edwardian fireplace tiles, William Morris wallpaper, 2 small scalloped coffee tables, a knife and fork cutlery hook set.  A fireplace for my bedroom if I can find someone to put it in. #lockdownstories #covidstories #movingon #decor #interiors #bargains #secondhandstyle #edwardianstyle #williammorris #tiles #wallpaper #scallopededge #teal #chinoiserie #whitemarble #vintage #kitchenalia #supperclubrefurb #london #lincrustawallpaper
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My new/old rise and fall light over the dining tab My new/old rise and fall light over the dining table. Found for £50 on #fbmarketplace  but originally from @thefrenchhouse.net_ one of my favourite shops. Every day, a little more progress. #supperclubrefurb #supperclub #londonflat #interiors #lighting #riseandfalllights #lightingisimportant #frenchstyle #vintagestyle #rusticstyle #turquoise #diningtabledecor
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Still working on my glass cupboard. I’ve hung up Still working on my glass cupboard. I’ve hung up all my wine bottle openers and cork screws. My favourite is the zigzag bottom left. If you find them at a flea market in France, if you are lucky you may get it for around 35 euros.  #supperclub #londonflat #londoninteriors #corkscrews #frenchkitchenalia #zigzag #tirebouchon #oakcupboard #diy #diyprojects
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