Make the most of storecupboard spices in these special weekend dishes
Garlic prawns with paprika & sherry butter
This is a speedy dish and makes a great starter as well as a special supper.
■ Serves 2 ■ Prep 8 mins ■ Cook 6 mins
25g salted butter, softened
1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
(pimentón)
1 tbsp dry sherry
½ lemon zested, plus a squeeze
of juice
1 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
pinch of dried chilli flakes
12 large, raw, shell-on prawns
½ small bunch of flat-leaf parsley,
finely chopped
crusty bread, to serve
1 Mash the butter, paprika, sherry and lemon zest in a bowl with a fork. Add some black pepper and leave to stand at room temperature.
2 Heat the oil in a medium frying pan and gently fry the garlic and chilli flakes for 1-2 mins or until fragrant. Add the prawns and half the prepared butter, and toss for 2-4 mins or until pink. Remove from the heat and briefly stir in the remaining butter until just melted. Scatter over the parsley, add a squeeze of lemon juice and serve with crusty bread.
PER SERVING 210 kcals, fat 17g, saturates 8g, carbs 2g, sugars 1g, fibre 3g, protein 10g, salt 1g
The smoky spice
Smoked paprika is known as pimentón in Spain, and is widely used in Spanish cooking. This vivid red spice is different to Hungarian paprika in both look and flavour. To make pimentón, red peppers are dried over wood smoke and then ground to make a smoky, earthy spice. It comes either picante (hot and spicy) or dulce (mellow and sweet). The finest Spanish pimentón has DOP status so remember to check the packaging when buying.
Hyderabadi qabooli biryani
This uses plant-based dairy to make it suitable for vegans, so swap for butter and dairy yogurt if you’re not vegan.
■ Serves 6 ■ Prep 30 mins plus resting ■ Cook 1 hr
200g chana dal (split dried
chickpeas), soaked for 2 hrs
in plenty of cold water
2 tsp ground turmeric
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2-3 medium onions, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, crushed
3cm piece of ginger, finely grated
½ tsp kashmiri chilli powder or
mild chilli powder
2 heaped tbsp dairy-free yogurt
2 tbsp dairy-free spread, melted
good pinch of saffron, soaked in
2 tbsp of just-boiled water
1 tbsp each chopped mint and
chopped coriander
2 bird’s-eye green chillies, cut
lengthwise
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp rose water (optional)
3cm piece of ginger, cut into
slivers
lemon wedges, raita and a tomato
and red onion salad, to serve
FOR THE RICE
450g basmati rice
4 pods green cardamom
3 bay leaves
4 cloves
1 Simmer the chana dal in a large pan with 1 tsp of the turmeric and 900ml of water for 30 mins. It should be completely cooked
