A different kind of curry

When I cook curry, I always make a centrepiece dish. This is usually fish or fake chicken based and accompanied by dhal and at least one vegetable curry.

I also tend to stick to Sri Lankan curries, as they're what I was raised on, and when I can, I like to eat them with my fingers. Sri Lankans say food tastes better like that - and they're not wrong.

Be sure not to let any food go beyond your second finger joints though for it's considered most uncouth. Also, resist the temptation to drum your fingers on the plate to discard unwanted rice grains. I was warned as child that to do so was to tap on someone's grave!

Despite my allegiance to Sri Lankan curries however, every so often I get a hankering for a curry that’s quite different in flavour. This recipe was introduced to me by my friend and ex-editor Rachel (check out her brilliant blog at www.veggielazy.wordpress).

It was devised by Cauldron to go with their terrific marinated tofu pieces and is called Rendang Malaysian Tofu and Coconut Curry.

It has a wonderful flavour owing to an abundance of spices and a lovely sweetness from the sugar, coconut and star anise that coats your mouth.

Apologies for the pic by the way, we were so desperate to get our chops around it that only the dregs were left when I remembered to capture it!

Rendang Malaysian Tofu and Coconut Curry

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10-15 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins

3 tbsp desiccated coconut
2 garlic cloves, chopped
6 shallots or 1 onion, chopped
2 stalks lemongrass, peeled and sliced finely
2-3 red chillies
2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
250ml tin coconut milk
1 tsp tamarind pulp, dissolved in 1tbsp water
4 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 x 150g Cauldron Tofu Marinated Pieces
2 tbsp fresh coriander, roughly chopped, plus extra to garnish

1 Heat a dry frying pan, add the coconut and toast until lightly golden.
2 Heat some oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan. Add the garlic, onions, lemongrass, chillies, ginger, turmeric, salt and sugar and cook for five minutes, stirring until fragrant.
3 Add the toasted coconut, the coconut milk, 125ml water, tamarind, star anise and cinnamon stick and bring to the boil, stirring constantly.
4 Reduce the heat and simmer gently for a further five minutes, then add the tofu pieces and carry on cooking gently for another 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped coriander, garnish with coriander leaves and serve with chilli fried spinach and rice.

Mad mixes

I’ve always been fascinated by crazy combinations of flavours à la Heston Blumenthal, and one in particular that really captured my imagination was chocolate and beetroot cake. I first heard about this a few years back and was quite excited at the thought of such an unusual marriage.

I finally gave this cake a go last weekend, and can wholeheartedly confirm that the mix is just brilliant! Surprisingly, you only get the slightest hint of beetroot and this fades as each day passes; by day two it was imperceptible.

Aside from bringing extra sweetness, it seems that beetroot’s main function in this recipe is to keep the cake super moist. So much so that on day 1 of the cake’s existence it was almost puddingy in consistency. My co-taster Charlotte noted that it was ever so slightly redder in colour, also.

If you love chocolate cake you will not be disappointed by this deliciously rich recipe which keeps its moist, velvety texture for days afterwards. I have to add that I quite enjoyed the touch of beetroot on day one, too, not to mention the opportunities this cake affords for playing ‘guess the unusual ingredient’ with tasters! It’s a fun way to work out who among your friends has a delicate palate…

Chocolate Beetroot Cake

100g drinking chocolate
230g self-raising flour
200g golden caster sugar
100g dark chocolate (minimum 60% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
125g unsalted butter
250g cooked beetroot
3 large eggs
To serve
Icing sugar for dusting

Prep time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 50 mins
Use: 18cm (7in) round cake tin
Makes: 8 slices

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 5. Butter and flour the cake tin.
2 Sift together the drinking chocolate and the self-raising flour, then mix in the sugar.
3 Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl suspended over a saucepan of barely simmering water.
4 Now purée the beetroot in a food processor, whisk the eggs, then stir them into the beetroot.
5 Add the wet beetroot and chocolate mixtures to the dry ingredients and mix together well.
6 Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for around 50 mins or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to stand in the tin for 10 mins before turning onto a wire rack to cool. Serve dusted with icing sugar.