This simple, creamy root vegetable soup uses a mix chosen for how beautifully the flavours blend together – sweet potato, carrots, celeriac, parsnip, potato, garlic and onion. Nourishing, never boring, and flexible too – in case your harvest basket is missing one or two! 😅

Confession: I don’t harvest, and I don’t live in the country

I’m calling this a harvest root vegetable soup so it sounds like I casually threw in whatever we dug up from the garden during our latest harvest. But the truth is, there was no harvesting involved, and I definitely don’t live in the country. I’m smack bang in the middle of Sydney!

I just wanted to give it a cute name – “root vegetable soup” just doesn’t quite have the same ring to it! 😅 So hopefully I got your attention and now I can convince you to try this recipe. Did it work??!

Root vegetables make great soups because each one brings a different flavour into the pot, and the higher starch content means you get a creamy soup texture without using gallons of cream. A generous serving of this one comes in at just 350 calories – win!

It’s simple to make, and versatile too – switch vegetables out of season or pricey for whatever reason.

Rare soup made with water, not stock

I also love that this soup is nourishing but not boring, and made with water rather than stock. Usually, simple soups made without stock can taste flat because it lacks savoury depth or richness to carry the flavours of the other ingredients. But here, we have a secret ingredient that compensates – curry powder!

No, it doesn’t make it taste Indian. It doesn’t even put it into wannabe-curry territory, it just adds warm earthy spice flavour that lifts the flavours so you don’t need to buy or make vegetable stock for this soup to be tasty.

In fact, most people who tried this soup didn’t even pick that there was curry powder in this, but could tell there was “spicing of some kind” (the official feedback!).

What goes in root vegetable soup

Here’s what you need to make this country harvest root vegetable soup. No harvesting required! 🤣

The harvest root vegetables

Root vegetables are vegetables that are grown underground. Here are the ones we use – as mentioned above, this is a specific combination chosen so no single vegetable flavour stands out too much, but instead compliment each other. But, it’s a flexible recipe – see notes below for comment on substituting.

• Onion and garlic – essential flavour base!

• Carrots – 2 medium ones, or 1 very large one

• Potato and sweet potato – These add creaminess and thickness to the soup in a way that other less-starchy root vegetables cannot, while the sweet potato also adds sweetness. Substitute – Feel free to double up on either of these, they are a good substitute for each other.

• Celeriac – A knobbly root vegetable with a texture like radish and flavour like celery (hence, the name, I presume!). Substitute – 3 celery sticks, swede, turnip.

• Parsnip – Looks like a white carrot, with a sort of nutty, sweet, earthy flavour. It’s unlike any other vegetable actually, I can’t think of something to compare the flavour to! Substitute – swede, turnip.

Changing the root vegetables – Swap and substitute as you like, especially with the listed root vegetables. Just keep in mind that celeriac and parsnip have stronger flavours, so if you use more, the flavour will be more dominant in the soup.

Non root vegetables – It’s ok! You can use non-root vegetables in this too! However, note that using vegetables with higher water content and lower in starch (like zucchini, capsicum/bell peppers) will make the soup less thick and creamy, and the soup colour will be affected if you stray from orangey/beige toned vegetables. I take no responsibility if yours turns out an un-appetising colour!!

Everything else for the soup

And here are the other things you need for this root vegetable soup. No stock – just water! (See above section for comment on this).

• Curry powder (mild, not spicy) – As explained above, this is the “secret ingredient” which makes this soup tasty even though we’ve only used water rather than vegetable stock. I just use Clives (or Keens, though I prefer Clives here) – regular grocery shop Western curry powder.

• Cream – Just half a cup of cream gives this soup a nice mouthfeel without making it calorie heavy. Substitute with milk and butter – see recipe notes.

• Dried thyme – Just a touch of dried herb for flavour. Substitute with fresh thyme, or dried oregano.

• Butter and oil (forgot to put in photo!) – The recipe needs 3 tablespoons of fat to effectively sauté the vegetables. Using just butter gets a little too butter-heavy in flavour so this recipe calls for a combination of oil plus butter. But – fine to use all of either! 🙂

How to make Country Harvest Root Vegetable Soup

Sauté (5 minutes) > simmer (15 minutes) > blitz (1 minute) > dinner!

1. Sauté the onion and garlic for 2 minutes until the onion starts to soften.

2. Add the root vegetables, thyme and curry. Stir well for a few minutes. We’re not trying to cook the vegetables, just give the surface a gentle toasting which also brings out the flavour of the thyme and curry powder.

3. Simmer – Add the water, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft (check with a knife).

4. Cream – Add the cream and simmer for another 1 minute.

5. Blitz with a stick blender, or in batches in a blender (remove the lid insert and cover the hole with a folded tea towel).

6. Blitzed and ready to serve!

Proof of thick and creaminess:

Garnishing and serving

I know it’s really un-original but a little drizzle of cream always seems to go a long way when serving soup. I only use 1 teaspoon or so per bowl, but it tastes like I’ve used so much more – great bang for your calorie buck!

Climbing a little higher on the originality scale is the suggestion to add a small pinch of curry powder for subtle boost of curry flavour. Then sliding right back down into un-original territory – finish with a sprinkle of parsley and pepper. 🙂

Ah well. Maybe my garnishing ideas won’t win any innovation awards. But the soup itself will hit the spot, especially if it’s a grey dreary day like it is here in Sydney! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Country harvest root vegetable soup

Recipe video above. I don't harvest and I don't live in the country. I just didn't think "Root Vegetable Soup" did this recipe justice – so I got creative to get your attention!😅

Root veg are great for naturally creamy soups thanks to the higher starch content, though we give this a luxe boost with a scant 1/2 cup of cream. Nourishing, never boring, and flexible too – in case your harvest basket is missing items! Love that it's made with water not stock – curry powder adds a flavour boost so it doesn't taste flat. Bonus – LOW CAL!

Course Main, Soups, Starter

Cuisine Western

Keyword creamy farmers soup, harvest soup, root vegetable recipe, root vegetable soup, root vegetables

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 5 – 6 as a main

Calories 362cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp (15g) unsalted butter
• 1 onion , chopped into large dice
• 3 garlic cloves , chopped
• 1 tbsp curry powder (I like Clive, but any will do, Note 1)
• 1 tsp dried thyme leaves (Note 2)
• 1 1/2 litre (6 cups) water
• 2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt (halve for table salt)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup thickened cream (heavy cream, or regular), plus extra for garnish (Note 3)

Root vegetables (Note 4):

• 1 large potato (~300g/10oz), peeled, cut into 2.5cm/1" cubes
• 1 medium sweet potato (350g/12oz), peeled, cut into 2.5cm/1″ cubes
• 2 medium carrots , peeled, cut into 1.5cm/0.5″ pieces
• 1 small/medium parsnip (150g/5oz), peeled, cut into 1.5cm/0.5″ pieces
• 1 small celeriac (600g/1.2 lb), peeled, cut into 1.5cm/0.5″ pieces (~2 heaped cups)

Serving/garnish (optional):

• Warm crusty bread
• Parsley , finely chopped
• Pinch extra curry powder
• Pinch black pepper

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Sauté – Put the olive oil and butter in a large heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, cook the onion and garlic for 2 minutes until the onion is softened.
• Add root vegetables, thyme and curry powder. Cook for three minutes stirring regularly, until the outside of the vegetables starts to soften.
• Simmer 15 minutes – Turn stove up to high. Add water, salt and pepper. Stir, then once it comes to a simmer, lower heat to medium high and simmer rapidly for 15 minutes (no lid) until all the vegetables are soft (check with knife).
• Stir in cream, simmer for 1 minute.
• Blitz – Remove from heat and use a stick blender to blitz until smooth. (Note 5 for blender) Adjust to taste – water to thin, salt and pepper if needed, extra cream for more indulgent.
• Serve in bowls. Drizzle with cream, pinch of curry powder, parsley and pepper. Serve with warm crusty bread!

Notes

1. Curry powder – I’m talking regular grocery shop Western curry powder. Neutral enough so no one will think you’re trying to make a curry but adds interest so it doesn’t just taste like pureed vegetables without having to buy vegetable stock.

2. Other herb options – fresh thyme leaves or dried oregano, Italian mix or herbes de provence.

3. Cream gives this a nice finish for mouthfeel. Sub with 1/3 cup milk plus unsalted butter (I’d use about 2 tbsp /30g).

4. Root vegetables – Feel free to swap out and use more of any of the listed. Pumpkin is a great all-rounder sub for any of them.

• Parsnip and celeriac – if you increase these, they will dominate as they have stronger flavour than the other veg. They can also be exxy – sub with swedes or turnip.
• Potato – Any all purpose or starchy potato is fine here, I used Sebago (the dirt brushed ones in Australia).
• Non-root veg will also work but as they are typically more watery and less starchy, soup will likely be thinner and less creamy.

5. Blender – Do in batches, remove lid insert and cover the hole with a folded tea towel. Blitz, repeat.

Leftovers will keep for 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.

Nutrition per serving assuming 5 very generous servings as a main (serves ~8 as a starter). Excludes bread (how am I to know how much butter you slather yours with??!).

Nutrition

Calories: 362cal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 1140mg | Potassium: 1177mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 20390IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 2mg

More simple, nourishing-but-not-boring soups

Healthy doesn’t have to mean bland!

Pumpkin Soup

Celeriac Soup

Creamy Carrot Soup

Healthy Creamy Zucchini Soup

Healthy Creamy Broccoli Soup

No Chop Roast Butternut Pumpkin / Squash Soup

Creamy HEALTHY Soup – just 45 calories!

Broccoli Soup – Thick & Creamy!

Soups

Life of Dozer

Wow. 700 birthday wishes for Dozer and counting in just one weekend – he’s officially more popular than any recipe I’ve ever published!!! He’ll be expecting a parade and public holiday in his honour next year….what are you doing to me? All this attention is going to his head!!!🤣

The post Country harvest root vegetable soup appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Inspired by the gigantic beef sausage rolls at B85 Artisan Bakery in Camden, Sydney, these are meaty and juicy and cheesy. Everything you dream a mighty sausage roll to be! RTM‘s Chef Stephen put it best: I’m gonna maul these. 😂

Finally, epic beef sausage rolls – in Camden of all places!

I’ve always liked the idea of beef sausage rolls, but the reality never quite lived up to it. They’d just taste like meatloaf in puff pastry or were disappointingly dry – probably why classic sausage rolls are made with pork which is naturally softer and juicier than beef.

But that all changed the day I spotted the beef sausage rolls at B85 Artisan Bakery, a charming little artisan bakery tucked away in Camden, a semi-rural suburb on the outskirts of Sydney. A hidden gem loved by locals, they offer baked goods that rival trendy bakeries popping up all over inner Sydney – from sourdough to focaccia, pastries to croissants.

But those beef sausage rolls. Oh my. First – they’re BIG. Generous amount of filling with layers upon layers of puff pastry. And then there’s the flavour: cheese and jalapeño. Genius. The cheesy hit makes the filling outrageously moreish, while the little bits of jalapeño add a wee bit of barely-there-spiciness that cuts right through the richness and adds enough interest so you know you are not eating meatloaf.

But my favourite part? The cheesy, crusted ends where the beefy filling oozes out. I want to bite the ends off all of them!

And, well, you know where this conversation is headed. Yup, you guessed it – I went home and recreated my own version. 🙂

And this is RTM‘s Chef Stephen mauling one (I know, he’s got a way with words, don’t he? 😂).

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make these statement jumbo sausage rolls. A beef stock cube (better than salt!), parmesan, cheese and juicy box-grater shredded onion are my flavour secret weapons here that pushes the savouriness of the filling into OMG territory!

Cheese jalapeño beef filling

Filling

• Onion – A whole peeled brown onion, grated to keep the pieces fine enough to cook through without sautéing separately. Plus, the onion juices add extra flavour and make the filling extra juicy. Tried and loved technique I regularly use for family favourites like meatloaf and Italian meatballs!

• Panko breadcrumbs – larger crumbs than regular breadcrumbs = softer filling. 🙂 Find them at regular grocery stores these days (Asian section) though they’re cheaper in Asian stores!

• Beef mince (ground beef) – the fattier the better! Juicier and better beef flavour – because fat is where all the flavour is.

• Beef stock cube – Better flavour than salt! This is one of the flavour secrets here. I like OXO brand because it crumbles effortlessly into powder. You could also use 1 teaspoon of powder (the jar type).

• Cheddar cheese – Like the B85 OG, I use cheddar cheese though honestly, any shreddable cheese that melts will be great here, except I don’t recommend mozzarella (not enough flavour or salt) or parmesan/pecorino and similar (next ingredient). PS Pre shredded cheese is ok here! 🙌🏻

• Parmesan cheese – I sneak in a bit for a flavour boost which does make it a little OTT on the savouriness scale!! So, you will totally survive without it, I promise. 🙂

• Pickled jalapeno – See rave above for this is so good! Find it in the pickle aisle ($3/500g). Note though, I am not sure B85 uses pickled jalapeño, it could be fresh. I like using pickled for convenience, because it’s softer (so melds better), milder and also for the tang which is welcome in this otherwise rather rich filling.

• Salt and pepper – We need a little extra salt on top of the stock cube.

• Egg – For binding the mixture. Without, it will crumble apart.

• Garlic – Because I couldn’t stop adding flavour.

For the puff PASTRY

• Frozen puff pastry – butter is better! It tastes better (butter!) and puffs better and flakes better. The packet will say “BUTTER Puff Pastry”. If it’s silent, it means it is made with oil which doesn’t have as much flavour. (Or, check ingredients).

  You will need 2 sheets. The standard Australian size is 24cm squares (9.5″). Use it semi-frozen still when it’s just pliable enough to wrap around the filling, it is much easier to handle and also easier to cut in half.

  Note: The puff pastry in the photo above and video is not butter puff pastry which is more yellowy. I accidentally bought a stack of non-butter puff pastry and I have to use it up.

• Egg, separated – We use the white part for sealing the pastry and the yolk for brushing to make it bake a beautiful deep golden brown, and also to make the sesame seeds stick.

• Sesame seeds – Like B85, I like to use white and black sesame seeds. But you won’t be arrested if you just use one or the other, or go naked! (ie no sesame seeds).

How to make B85 Beef Sausage Rolls

This base recipe makes 4 jumbo sausage rolls like the ones sold at B85. Or, you can make 8 regular size ones or 16 party sausage rolls.

1. Onion juice soaked panko – Grate onion into a bowl using a box grater. Keep all the juices – it’s the best bit! Makes the filling extra juicy and tasty. Then mix in panko so it soaks up the juices (softens, puffs when cooked = softer filling).

2. Everything but cheese – Then add all the other filling ingredients except the shredded cheese and mix it well with your hands. Get right in there and squeeze/squish until it’s combined well.

3. Crumble in cheese – Add the cheese then use your fingers to kind of “crumble” it through the mixture before mixing firmly with hands. Reason: If you don’t disperse first, then the shredded cheese gets squeezed into wads rather than mixed evenly throughout.

4. Logs – Take the 2 puff pastry sheets out of the freezer. Then divide the filling into two equal portions and shape into a log on the pastry.

   Party sausage rolls – make 4 equal logs by cutting each sheet in half, then cut each log into 4 to make 16 pieces in total.

5. Roll to enclose the pastry with the filling, finishing with a double layer on the base sealed with egg white. Trim off the excess – about 2cm / 0.8″.

   Tip: paint off cuts with egg white, sprinkle with salt and lots of parmesan, bake 20 minutes = parmesan sticks!

6. Finish – Cut each log in half to make 4 big sausage rolls in total. Paint with egg yolk, sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

7. Bake part 1 – Bake for 35 minutes in a hot 200°C/425°F (180C fan-forced). This slightly higher oven temperature makes the puff pastry golden and crispy, while the inside cooks through without drying out.

8. Elevate on rack – Then, working quickly, transfer the sausage rolls to a rack and bake for a further 15 minutes until they are very golden.

   The rack transference step is to elevate the base out of the juices that comes out of the beef so it can become crispy. It will never be ultra crispy because the filling is ultra juicy, but it’s not floppy, soggy and undercooked like too many sausage rolls are.

   Party sausage rolls – Bake 30 minutes on the tray, then 10 minutes on a rack at the same temperature.

Give them 5 minutes to cool a bit so you don’t give yourself 3rd degree burns. Then it’s game on – grab the biggest one for yourself!

The above are B85 jumbo size (makes 4). Here are party sausage roll size (makes 16), directions are in the recipe cards for these (slightly shorter bake time).

And proof of juicy insides:

Sausage roll etiquette 101

If you ever bring a knife and fork near my sausage rolls, they’ll be confiscated! These Aussie legends must be eaten with hands, with Aussie tomato sauce (ketchup also acceptable).

And if you’ve got golden flaky pastry shards all down your top, in your lap, in your hair and a ring of them surrounding your chair, that’s how you know you’ve eaten it right.

I hope you get a chance to try these! While perhaps not an exact replica of the B85 Jalapeño Cheese Beef Sausage Rolls (their flaky pastry alone is far superior to store bought), I think it captures the moreishness that makes them so unique and so memorable.

And it’s just downright tasty. So, so good! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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B85 Beef Sausage Rolls – with jalapeño and cheese

Recipe video above. Copycat of the legendary beef sausage rolls at B85 Artisan Bakery in the quaint Sydney suburb of Camden, these are next-level good! These are big, bold, juicy, cheesy, and loaded flavour, and I especially love how the tangy pickled jalapeño cut through the richness.

These are JUMBO, like the B85 ones. See Note 6 for party sausage rolls.

Course Snack

Cuisine Australian

Keyword beef sausage rolls, sausage rolls

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4 jumbo sausage rolls or 16 party size (Note 6)

Calories 942cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1 small onion , peeled, whole
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (Note 1)
• 500g/1 lb beef mince (ground beef), fattier the better
• 1 egg
• 2 garlic cloves , minced with garlic press or finely grated
• 1 beef stock cube , crumbled (OXO is my favourite) or 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for table salt, +25% for flakes)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/3 cup pickled jalapeno , roughly chopped (~3mm) (Note 2)
• 1 1/2 cups (150g) cheddar , shredded, or other cheese of choice (Note 3), pre-shredded ok
• 1/2 cup (50g) parmesan , shredded using box grater (pre-shredded ok)
• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry , butter is better (24cm / 9.5" squares) (Note 4)
• 1 egg , separated

Sprinkling:

• 1 tsp white sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp black sesame seeds (or more white)

Serving:

• Aussie tomato sauce or ketchup

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Abbreviated recipe:

• Toss grated onion and panko, then mix everything else except cheeses. Then mix in cheese. Divide in 2, wrap in pastry, seal with egg white. 3 slits, brush with yolk, sprinkle with sesame. 35 minutes at 200°C/425°F (180C fan) then 15 minutes on a rack.

Full recipe:

• Preheat oven 200°C/425°F (180C fan-forced).
• Onion soak – Grate the onion in a bowl using a box grater, reserving all the onion juices. Add panko breadcrumbs and toss to wet.
• Everything else but cheese – Then add beef, egg, garlic, stock cube, salt, pepper and jalapeño. Mix well with hands to combine.
• "Crumble" in cheese – Add cheeses, then use fingers to firstly “crumble” the cheese through the beef before mixing well with hands (this method prevents cheese from clumping together).
• Roll – Barely thaw puff pastry (stiffer = easier to handle). Divide meat into 2 equal logs. Roll up in the puff pastry, then overlap the base with double layer, sealing with egg white. Finish with the seam side down and trim off surplus puff pastry (about 2 cm/0.8").
• Finish sausage rolls – Cut each log in half. Cut 3 diagonal slashes on the top of each sausage roll. Brush with egg yolk, sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake – Place the sausage rolls on a paper lined tray. Bake for 35 minutes, then transfer onto rack (to elevate out of fat, Note 5). Bake a further 15 minutes until pastry is deep golden and underside is crispy.
• Cool on rack 5 minutes before attacking! Serve with Aussie tomato sauce or ketchup.

Notes

1. Panko breadcrumbs – Japanese breadcrumb makes the filling softer because the crumbs are larger. Staple at supermarkets in Australia these days, usually the Asian section (cheaper at Asian stores). Regular breadcrumbs work too but the filling will not be as soft.

2. Pickled jalapeno – Find them in the pickle section, they are relatively good value ($3 for a decent size jar). Use leftovers to make your tacos more interesting, use in sandwiches!

3. Cheese options – Anything shreddable that melts will be great here, except mozzarella (too mild, not salty enough) or hard cheeses like parmesan/pecorino (too salty). Cheddar is used at the bakery.

4. Puff pastry – Butter puff pastry is better (tastier, puffs better) than non-butter puff (ie puff made from oil)

5. Rack elevating – The juicy filling releases a lot of liquid, making the base soggy. The best fix I found is to elevate the rolls on a rack towards the end of baking. Note: The base will never be shatteringly crispy because the filling is so juicy, but it won’t be soggy.

6. Regular and party size sausage rolls – Make 4 logs by cutting 2 sheets of puff pastry in half. Cut each into 4 (party sausage rolls) or 2 (regular size), place on 2 trays. Bake 30 minutes on the tray then 10 minutes on a rack (same oven temp).

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days though the pastry will lose crispiness. Best way to reheat is in the oven at 180C/350F (160C fan) for around 12 – 15 minutes.

Freezing – Once wrapped in pastry they can be frozen. Thaw then bake per recipe. Best not to brush with yolk until just before cooking (it gets sweaty when it thaws).

Nutrition – I never said these sausage rolls are diet food! But the calories shown below are higher than reality because it doesn’t factor the meat fat and juices that comes out while baking.

Nutrition

Calories: 942cal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 68g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 30g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 216mg | Sodium: 1610mg | Potassium: 634mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 847IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 480mg | Iron: 6mg

Life of Dozer

The Australian Book Industry Awards took place the night before last. Because it was in Melbourne, Dozer wasn’t able to attend so he sent me to accept the award on his behalf. Cookbook of the year!

Of course I wanted to show you a sweet photo of me showing the trophy to Mr D. But truthfully, all he cared about was the cabanossi hiding in my hand. 😂

The post B85 Beef Sausage Rolls appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Named as such because the chickpeas are so meltingly creamy, this is a recipe inspired by a chickpea curry I had from Afghan Sufra in Lakemba, an area of Sydney known for its wonderful Middle Eastern and sub-continental food scene. I’m obsessed!

Melting Afghan Chickpea Curry

Today’s recipe is inspired by a chickpea curry I had from a casual eatery called Afghan Sufra in Lakemba. Known for its authentic Afghan food, I was drawn in by the smell of smoky grilled meats and walked out with a generous spread of takeaway – for research, of course!

In amongst the loot was a chickpea curry that came with a gigantic flatbread – incredible value at $10, enough to feed two generously, if not three. I enjoyed the flavour of it so much I became fixated on recreating it. And here it is!

Why I love this Afghan chickpea curry so much

To be honest, throughout the creation process, the recipe diverged from the original – my sauce is thicker rather than watery, I use less oil, and I cheat with canned chickpeas so I can make it on demand. But the spirit of the Afghan flavours are there, and distinguishable from other generic curries (you know what I mean!)

You’ll love how the sauce is thickened naturally using dried lentils cooked until they break down, and the neat trick to make the chickpeas beautifully creamy with just a pinch of baking soda. Two tricks I learnt from this Parkistani Lahori Chanay recipe from Sugar Spice & More on which this recipe is based. Though, the spicing ratios I created with reference to the chickpea curry in Parwana, a wonderful Afghan cookbook by Durkhanai Ayubi, and many “debates” with JB (see FAQ below for tales!).

I know this is a weird photo, but it’s my attempt at proof of creamy chickpeas – so soft you can “smear” them with the back of a spoon:

Ingredients in Afghan chickpea curry

Here’s what you need to make this. Just drop by your local grocery store!

1. THE Spices

Because we’re using a combination of spices, it means you can substitute and still end up with a tasty meal, even if the flavour is not exactly what it was intended to be. Handy!

• Cinnamon sticks (oops, photo below! 🙂 )- Sticks rather than powder sort of perfumes sauces in a more delicate way, especially when you toast it in the oil like we do here. If you don’t have sticks, cinnamon powder can be used instead. Just add it with the other powdered spices.

• Coriander and cumin powder – One of these can be substituted with either Garam Masala (better) or curry powder (like Clives, Keens – just regular western brands). If you do both though, it’s too much.

• Cardamom powder and ground cloves – One of these can be substituted with all spice or mixed spice.

• Turmeric powder – Substitute with a small amount of saffron powder (imitation is fine) plus ginger powder.

Note: I’ve seen versions of Afghan curries call for whole rather than ground cardamom and cloves. But for the sake of convenience and to make this midweek friendly, I’ve opted for powder. Picking out little cardamom pods and cloves or fiddling with spice sachets is beyond my reach on Mondays! Cinnamon sticks though, we can manage. 🙂

2. THE CURRY

• Dried red split lentils – Red lentils cook faster than other types, and split red lentils cook even faster (because they are literally the lentils split in half). They only take 10 minutes to cook but we deliberately overcook them here with a total simmer time of 45 minutes so they breakdown and thicken the sauce naturally.

  See expandable box below for using other types of dried lentils / split peas.

• Chickpeas – I use canned for convenience, as I’ve been making this as a mid-weeker. To use dried, use 1 1/2 cups (250g), once cooked this equates to around 3 cans of chickpeas.

• Baking soda (bi-carbonate soda) – The magic ingredient that makes these chickpeas meltingly tender and creamy inside! It’s magical. 🙂 We only use 1/4 teaspoon in a giant pot of curry, a tiny amount you won’t be able to taste.

• Ghee – A clarified butter commonly used in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking for its rich buttery flavour and high smoke point. Sold at large grocery stores here in Australia these days. Substitute in a pinch with butter or coconut oil.

• Ginger and garlic – Fresh, for maximum flavour impact! Finely grated.

• Bay leaves – Preferably fresh though dry is totally fine.

• Vegetable stock – The liquid for simmering. I tried with water and it was ok…..but I felt it was missing body.

How to make Melting Afghan Chickpea Curry

A nice, straightforward recipe. There’s a total simmer time of 45 minutes but it’s low maintenance, you don’t need to worry about stirring.

1. Toast cinnamon sticks – Melt the ghee (or butter) then toast the cinnamon sticks. This brings out the flavour and flavours the ghee too.

2. Sauté – Add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook for 3 minutes until the onion is translucent. Keep it moving so the garlic and ginger doesn’t catch.

3. Spices and lentils – Next, add the spices and toast them for 30 seconds, then in go the lentils. Stir to coat them in all the tasty spice flavour. Right about now, you know you’re onto something really tasty!

4. Simmer lentils – Add the stock and salt. Stir well and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on.

5. Chickpeas – Then add the chickpeas, water and bakings soda. Simmer for a further 30 minutes with the lid off.

6. Ready to serve! During this second simmer time, the baking soda will work its magic and turn the chickpeas into the most creamy chickpeas you’ve ever had, and the lentils will breakdown to thicken the sauce. It will be like a thick soup consistency, not as thick as the sauce of popular Indian curries, like butter chicken. But it shouldn’t be watery – if it is, just keep simmering

   Then, it’s ready to serve!

What to serve with this Afghan chickpea curry

Serve in a bowl next to a steamy mound of basmati rice (I put it on the side rather than on top because the sauce is runnier than creamy curries). Or in a bowl like a hearty stew with flatbreads for dunking.

If you can find traditional Afghan flatbreads, lucky you! Especially the giant ones the size of small yoga mats – everybody loves ripping into them! Ryde locals – find them at Bahar Persian Food, Paradise Supermarket and 32 Bakehouse on Church Street. Excellent value ($6 for 2 big breads around 60cm/2 feet round), freezes perfectly.

Else – anything dunk-able will suffice, like shop bought Lebanese bread, flatbreads, or make your own. I promise this will still be one of the most fabulous chickpea curries you’ve had in a very long time. 🙂 Just wait until you experience those creamy chickpeas! – Nagi x

Melting Afghan Chickpea Curry FAQ

Why is it called “melting”?

How long will this keep?

Can I make this with other dried lentils or split peas?

How did you and JB work together to create this recipe?

Watch how to make it

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Melting Afghan chickpea curry

Recipe video above. I never knew chickpeas could be so meltingly creamy by adding a smidge of baking soda! I also love how the sauce is thickened by cooking lentils until they breakdown, two neat tricks picked up from this Pakistani Lahori Chanay by Sugar Spice & More. Combined with an Afghan spice mix from the chickpea curry in Parwana, a wonderful Afghan cookbook by Durkhanai Ayubi, adapted in pursuit of recreating the chickpea curry I had from Afghan Sufra in Lakemba, an area of Sydney known for its wonderful Middle Eastern and sub-continental food scene. I’m obsessed!

Course Main

Cuisine Afghan, Middle Eastern

Keyword afghan curry, Chickpea curry, easy chickpea curry

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 5 – 7 with rice

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp ghee , substitute unsalted butter or coconut oil (for vegan)
• 2 cinnamon sticks (sub 1/2 tsp powder, add with other spices)
• 1 onion , finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated garlic
• 2 bay leaves , preferably fresh else dried
• 1/2 cup dried red split lentils (Note 1)
• 1 cup water
• 1 litre vegetable stock , low sodium
• 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
• 3 x 400g/14oz cans chickpeas , drained (Note 2)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda / bi-carbonate soda (makes chickpeas creamy, optional)

Spices (Note 3):

• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 3/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Serving:

• Basmati rice and/or Afghan bread (Note 4), or other flatbread
• Yogurt (I like to slightly thin with water so it can be drizzled)
• Fresh coriander / cilantro leaves , roughly chopped

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Sauté – Melt the ghee in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the cinnamon and toast for 30 seconds. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and bay leaves. Cook for 3 minutes until the onion is translucent (stir regularly so the garlic & ginger don't catch).
• Spices and lentils – Add the Spices and stir for 30 seconds. Add the lentils and stir to coat in the spices.
• Simmer lentils – Add the stock and salt. Stir, bring to a simmer. Lower the head to medium, put the lid on and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Simmer chickpeas – Add the chickpeas, water and baking soda. Increase the heat to make it simmer again. Then lower the stove slightly and leave to simmer gently for 30 minutes without a lid or until the lentils mostly broken down to make a thin gravy (you can cook an extra 10 minutes to thicken more if you want).
• Serve with rice on the side and Afghan or other flatbreads for dunking, drizzled with yogurt and sprinkled with fresh coriander if you want (I do).

Notes

1. Dried split lentils – deliberately selected as they cook fast (10 minutes), then we overcook so they break down a bit to thicken the sauce naturally. Other types of dried lentils/split peas, whole red lentils etc take longer so you’ll throw out timing, see the ingredients section for times for different types. Canned lentils – haven’t tried though I know it won’t be quite the same, it should work: drain, add with chickpeas (ie skip the entire lid-on simmer step). 

2. Chickpeas – This is even better if you cook your own dried chickpeas! 🙂 You will need 720g (4 1/2 cups) of cooked chickpeas – start with 1 1/2 cups of dried chickpeas.

3. Spice subs – Try not to skip or sub the turmeric and cardamom as they are what distinguishes this from Indian and other sub-continent curries made with similar spices. But, here are suggestions for swap outs (still tasty, though not as intended).

• Either coriander or cumin with curry powder or Garam Masala
• Cardamom or cloves – all spice or mixed spice
• Turmeric – 1/4 tsp imitation saffron powder plus 1/2 tsp ginger powder

4. Afghan bread – soft bread flatbread similar to Indian flatbreads that can be the size of small yoga mats! Ryde locals – find them at Bahar Persian Food, Paradise Supermarket and 32 Bakehouse on Church St, excellent value, freezes perfectly. Everybody loves ripping into the gigantic sheets of bread!

Leftovers will keep for 4 to 5 days in the fridge, or freezer for 3 months.

Life of Dozer

Director Dozer. He doesn’t realise it’s vegetarian. He didn’t use to care but these days he does, he only gets up when it’s “worth it”. 😂

Oh – he determined that this was definitely worth it. 🤣

The post Melting Afghan chickpea curry appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

An easy, one pot chicken pasta recipe that feels a little bit rustic-fancy thanks to a swirl of whipped ricotta and smattering of sun dried tomato. Pro tip: use the oil from the sun dried tomato to sauté the chicken. Free flavour!

A one pot chicken pasta that’s a little bit (rustic) fancy

Whipped ricotta is a recent revelation for me. I’d seen it around for years, but assumed “whipped” meant dragging out the stand mixer – aka, too much effort for a Tuesday night.

Until my brother rolled his eyes and said, “It’s just ricotta, milk, and parmesan whisked by hand.” And just like that, in 10 seconds, lumpy ricotta turns into something creamy and dreamy – like savoury whipped cream, which then melts when dolloped on hot pasta.

Think of it as a lower fat version of cream. Swirl it through your midweek pasta and all of a sudden, it goes from “yum” to “are we in a trendy trattoria??!”. Definitely moves a quick one-pot pasta recipe into guest-worthy territory!

Actually, whipped ricotta had a starring role in my second cookbook, Tonight, as an easy way to elevate virtually any roasted vegetable to event-worthy (see the handy How to Roast Any Vegetable chart on page 218). I boldly said it would be your “new favourite sauce to create a statement veg side”. I stand by that! 🙂

Here it is with blistered cherry tomatoes in Tonight. Exceptional with roasted carrots, asparagus, broccoli, broccolini, mushrooms – pretty much any roasted vegetable!

Ingredients for Whipped Ricotta One Pot Chicken Pasta

While I’m providing commentary and substitution tips, there’s no need to get too pedantic about the ingredients for this recipe because it’s a reliable, fairly flexible midweeker. If the exactness of ingredients matter for a recipe, you will know! I will harp on and on about it!!

The whipped ricotta

Just ricotta, milk and parmesan for a savoury flavour boost (though I would absolutely make this without).

• Ricotta – The ones sold in tubs at grocery stores aren’t great, then tend to be a little powdery. For better quality, buy it over the deli counter or get the vacuum-sealed ricotta sold in baskets. My go-to is Paesanella brand which is a widely available these days, even over the deli counter at grocery stores.

• Milk – Any fat % is fine here.

• Parmesan – For a flavour boost. Also, because the whipped ricotta is used here in place of the obligatory parmesan sprinkle that is typically used for pastas, so I like to build it in.

FOR THE ONE POT CHICKEN PASTA

Here’s what you need for the pasta. The sun dried tomato adds fabulous flavour pops, plus we use the oil from the jar to cook the chicken. Free flavour – and free oil!

• Chicken – I like to use boneless thighs as they stay juicier than breast in this form of cooking, where the chicken pieces are cooked with the pasta. But breast or tenderloin will work just fine in this recipe.

• Sun dried tomato – Get the strips in oil. As noted above, we use the oil to cook the chicken – honestly, it adds lovely tomatoey flavour! If you accidentally got whole or tomato halves, have fun chopping….oily…slimy! Been there, done that! I’d still make this recipe if I didn’t have sun dried tomato but I’d add something to compensate. Something briny like chopped olives, capers, chargrilled capsicum or any anti-pasto type thing.

• Canned tomato – I use crushed as it’s already semi broken down so it makes a nicer sauce. Though diced is fine too.

• Tomato paste – For extra tomato flavour boost. I’d still make this if I was out.

• Pasta – I used fusilli (spirals) but anything short and not too big will work. Think, penne, ziti, macaroni, small shells, farfalle (bow ties), casarecce, orecchiette. But not as small as risoni/orzo or as large as rigatoni.

• Garlic and onion – Essential flavour base! Goes a long way with these one-pot pasta recipes.

• Wine – Adds extra depth of flavour into an otherwise simple, quick-cook sauce. Preferably a dry white wine though I don’t hesitate to use leftover flat champagne, rose, red wine. Non alcoholic is an acceptable substitute though don’t go out of your way to get it.

• Chicken stock/broth – The cooking liquid. Better than water. Though, water is actually pretty good too (we tried), just add a tad more salt. I always use low sodium stocks because I like to control the amount of salt myself.

How to make Whipped Ricotta One Pot Chicken Pasta

Is it technically a one pot recipe if I ask you to use a separate bowl to make the whipped ricotta?? Forgive me! (But it’s worth it, I promise).

1. Make whipped ricotta – Just mix the ricotta, parmesan and milk together using a hand whisk. At first, it will seem lumpy and thoroughly unimpressive, but after about 10 seconds of vigorous whisking it will loosen and transform into a soft creamy mixture almost like softly whipped cream. Adjustment note: Different brands of ricotta have different consistencies, so add a touch of extra milk if needed.

2. Sun dried tomato oil – Pour oil straight out of the jar into the pot and heat over high.

3. Seal chicken – Put the chicken into the pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until the surface is sealed, but the inside is still raw, then take it out. It won’t brown, that’s ok. It’s still got flavour on it and it will absorb a stack more flavour in the next steps.

4. Saute – Leave the residual fat in the pan (some from the chicken, some sun dried tomato oil). Then sauté the onion and garlic first until the onion is translucent (about 3 minutes). Then cook the sun dried tomato and tomato paste for 1 minute. This will cook out the raw sour flavour in the tomato paste and bring out the flavours in the sun dried tomatoes.

5. Liquids and raw pasta – Add the wine and let it simmer for 1 – 2 minutes until mostly evaporated, stirring the base of the pot. This will cook out the alcohol (making it kid friendly) and loosen the gold bits stuck on the base of the pot (it’s called fond) which is free flavour that will make your sauce taster.

   Then stir in the cooked chicken (plus any juices accumulated in the bowl) and raw pasta – get it nicely coated in all that flavour – before adding the stock, canned tomato, salt and pepper.

6. Cook – Bring the liquid to a boil then lower the heat to about medium high so it’s simmering energetically but not wildly boiling. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes at first then every minute for the last 5 minutes to ensure it doesn’t catch on the base of the pot. You might find you need to lower the heat towards the end if it is getting stuck to the pot.

7. How to tell it’s ready – When the liquid has been mostly absorbed by the pasta – but it will still seem a little too soupy – the pasta should be just done, ie al dente. This means it’s not overly soft but there is no hard raw uncooked pasta inside.

   A little too soupy is good. Pasta absorbs liquid at a shockingly high rate. So a little too liquidy when it comes off the stove is good because it means the pasta will be perfectly slippery and saucy rather than dry and stodgy by the time you take the first bite.

8. Swirl with whipped ricotta – Just before serving, stir the basil through the pasta, then either transfer all the pasta into a large serving bowl or indvidual bowls. Then dollop large scoops of the ricotta across the surface of the pasta and randomly smear it (or let people do that part themselves). There are no rules here! You could just put one big dollop in the middle of the pasta. Then it’s time to dig in!

Sneaking in extra vegetables

My mother did an excellent job brain washing me as a kid so I have it drilled in my head that it’s not a proper meal without a sufficient amount of vegetables.

I feel like this recipe is a wee bit short. The canned tomatoes and onion count, but it’s not very much per person.

If you want a quick addition of extra vegetables, feel free to stir in a couple of handfuls of baby spinach or add a grated zucchini and carrot at the same time you sauté the onion.

Else, make up a quick leafy side salad or steam some broccoli and toss with a simple salad dressing. It’s all you need – the pasta is juicy and bold on flavour, so you can keep the side dish simple.

Love to know what you think if you give this a go! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Whipped ricotta one pot chicken pasta

Recipe video above. Meet your new favourite one-pot recipe! I'm sharing this as a guest-worthy dish based on a simple mid-week recipe. It's quite amazing how just a little dollop of creamy ricotta can transform a regular bowl of pasta into something you'd expect to get at a rustic trattoria! Love how it melts into a flood of creamy goodness on your hot bowl of pasta – thicker than cream, and much lower fat.

Course Main

Cuisine Western

Keyword Chicken Pasta Bake, One Pot Pasta, whipped ricotta

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 – 5 people

Calories 647cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Chicken:

• 500g/1 lb chicken thigh fillets , cut into small bite size pieces (or breast or tenderloin)
• 1/2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Pasta:

• 220g/ 7 oz jar sun-dried tomato stripes in oil , drained (RESERVE OIL) (Note 1)
• 3 tbsp oil from the sun dried tomato jar
• 1 small onion , finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (ok if you don’t have)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine , optional (Note 2)
• 400g/14 oz canned crushed tomato
• 350g / 12oz fusilli pasta (spirals) , penne, ziti, macaroni, small shells or similar, uncooked
• 1 litre / 4 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium (sub water plus 1/2 tsp salt)
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup basil leaves , roughly chopped (can survive without), plus extra for garnish

Whipped ricotta:

• 1/2 cup ricotta (Paesanella is my preferred brand), full fat
• 4 tbsp milk , preferably full fat
• 1/4 cup (packed) finely grated parmesan , sub pinch of salt

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Whipped ricotta – Put the ingredients in a bowl. Whisk vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds until it becomes the texture of softly whipped cream. Add milk to loosen, if needed.
• Seal chicken – Heat sun dried tomato oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Add the chicken. sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes until the outside is sealed but the inside is still raw. Remove with slotted spoon into a bowl.
• Sauté – In the same pot, add the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the tomato paste and oil drained sun dried tomatoes (reserve any remaining oil for another use). Cook for 1 minute.
• Deglaze – Add white wine and let it simmer rapidly for 1 – 2 minutes, stirring regularly, until mostly evaporated.
• Cooking liquid – Add pasta and cooked chicken along with any juices accumulated in the bowl. Stir to coat in all the tasty flavours. Add the stock, canned tomato, salt and pepper.
• Cook 15 minutes – Give it a good stir, let it come to a boil then lower the heat to medium high so it's simmering rapidly but not boiling like crazy. Cook for 15 minutes (no lid), stirring every 2 minutes or so at first then more regularly towards the end, so the base doesn't catch. Lower the heat a touch towards the end, if needed.
• How to tell it's done – Most of the liquid should be absorbed and the pasta should be just cooked (al dente), though still a little soupy (that's good, it gets absorbed quickly while serving). Stir in the basil.
• Serve – Transfer into a serving bowl or divide between bowls. Dollop the whipped ricotta on top then randomly smear (or let everyone do that themselves), it will get all melty. Dig in!

Notes

Serves 4 hearty appetites or 5 regular people.

1. Sun dried tomatoes – Adds a great pop of flavour into the sauce plus the chicken gets free flavour by using the oil from the jar to cook it. Recommend getting strips to save yourself from chopping. Substitute – compensate with olives, capers or something similar that’s a bit briny.

Jar size – I use all the sun dried tomatoes in a 220g/7oz jar which is actually 120g/4oz sun dried tomatoes and 100g/3 oz oil (we use 45ml/3 tbsp for cooking). If you have a larger jar or sun dried tomatoes not in oil, use 120g /4 oz of sun dried tomatoes which is 1 cup tightly packed.

2. Wine – I use Chardonnay, though anything not too woody or sweet will work find here, else leftover champagne (flat is fine!), red wine or rose. Non alcoholic – just leave it out.

Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Loosen with a touch of water. Pasta will freeze ok, but not the whipped ricotta.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 647cal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 1624mg | Potassium: 1059mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 900IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 288mg | Iron: 4mg

Some of my favourite one pot pasta recipes

One pot creamy tomato beef pasta

Really Quick Broccoli Pasta

One pot chicken risoni with crispy salami

One Pot Cajun Beef Pasta with lots-of-veg

One-Pot Sausage Meatball Pasta

One-pot Greek chicken risoni (orzo)

One pot pasta recipes

Life of Dozer

Dozer’s first day back at the beach following 6 weeks out of action with a hip injury!

A little bit wonky on his feet and restricted to just 10 minutes of swim time (it took 15 minutes to waddle from the car to his friends!😅), but it was still worth the 40 minute drive each way just to see him so happy. ❤️

I don’t even know how he hurt himself – could’ve been a midnight possum chase, slipping trying to get up off wooden floors (the one little naked patch remaining, 98% of the floor is covered in rugs for him!).

He’s a fragile old boy these days. 😔 But I will do whatever it takes to protect him and keep him happy – even if it means covering the entire house in yoga mats!!

Honestly, I credit the trip to Newcastle last weekend for the leap forward in his recovery. I thought it was going to be too much for him because he was moving around 10x more than he has in a single day for the past 6 weeks.

But actually, it seems like it was good for him because the improvement in his mobility has been phenomenal in just the past week. He can get up by himself again and is happy going for walks. Yay Dozer! And thank you Newcastle, for the positive energy that gave Dozer a recovery boost! ❤️

PS I suspect seeing his girlfriend also helped. This is Jarrah (below, left). She’s owned by a good friend of mine. We got our fur balls around the same time so they have grown up together. Though somehow, Jarrah grew up to be a very well behaved, charming girl whereas mine ended up a little entitled and bratty…..🤔

The post Whipped ricotta one pot chicken pasta – with sun dried tomatoes appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.