Winter Warming Inspired Dishes
Serving up cozy vibes, one delicious plate at a time.
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 sprig fresh curry leaves
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 4 large floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm cubes
- 1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes
- 500ml vegetable stock
- Juice of a lemon
- A large handful of fresh coriander, chopped
- Salt to taste
How To Make Fragrant Potato Curry
- Bloom: Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Fry cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and curry leaves for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Sauté: Stir in chopped onion and cook for 8 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic, grated ginger, and green chillies, cooking for another 2 minutes.
- Toast: Turn heat to low. Stir in the turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder, garam masala, and ground coriander, toasting for 60 seconds.
- Simmer: Add canned tomatoes and salt, cooking for 5 minutes. Toss in the cubed potatoes to coat in the spice paste, then pour in the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer gently on low heat for 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- Finish: Uncover the pot. Lightly smash a few potato cubes against the side of the pot with a spoon to thicken the gravy. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in fresh lemon juice, and garnish with fresh coriander before serving.
Ingredients:
For the Spicy Meatballs:
- 500g minced meat (beef, pork, or a 50-50 blend)
- 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp milk (to soak the breadcrumbs)
- 1 small onion, very finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 large egg, beaten
- A handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and black pepper
For the fiery marinara sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1-2 tsp dried chilli flakes (depending on your spice preference)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cans (400g each) whole peeled tomatoes (crushed by hand)
- 1 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
- Fresh basil leaves
To serve:
- 400g spaghetti
- Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
How To Make Spicy Spaghetti and Meatballs
- In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs and milk together; let it sit for a few minutes until it forms a paste. In a large bowl, combine the mince, the soaked breadcrumbs, grated onion, garlic, Parmesan, oregano, chilli flakes, egg, parsley, a generous pinch of salt, and black pepper. Mix gently until just combined.
- Roll the mixture into golf-ball-sized meatballs. Heat olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the meatballs in batches until browned on all sides (they don’t need to cook through yet). Transfer them to a plate and leave the flavorful oil in the pan.
- Turn the heat down to medium. Add the chopped onion to the pan and cook for 5 minutes until translucent. Stir in the sliced garlic and chilli flakes, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste, cook for another minute, then pour in the crushed tomatoes and sugar. Bring to a simmer.
- Gently lower the meatballs and any resting juices back into the sauce. Turn the heat down to low, cover the skillet, and let everything simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the lid for the last 5 minutes if you prefer a thicker sauce. Stir in a handful of torn basil leaves at the very end.
- While the sauce finishes, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of heavily salted boiling water until it is just shy of al dente (about 2 minutes less than package instructions). Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the noodles.
- Add the drained spaghetti directly into the skillet with the sauce and meatballs. Toss gently on low heat for a minute or two, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water if needed to help the glossy sauce cling to the noodles.