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Deliciously Different Savoury Recipes To Try This Week

Deliciously Different Savoury Recipes To Try For Dinner This Week
Murdoch Books

Instead of turning to your usual pasta or steak recipes for dinner this week, try these vibrant and delicious savoury recipes from Lee Holmes’ new Ayurvedic cookbook Eat Right For Your Shape.

What is Ayurveda, you ask?

Often connected with yoga and meditation, Ayurveda is an ancient Indian healing system emphasising the union between mind, body, senses and soul. The practice of Ayurveda has three main objectives: to prevent disease, to encourage wellbeing and promote longevity.

In regards to eating, Ayurveda is about eating a colourful, flavourful diet that is specific to your unique mind-body type.

Whether you believe in the Ayurvedic system or not, there’s no denying the power of food in helping us feel nourished -- especially those which are warming and comforting.

Tuna Tikka Curry

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 tuna steaks
  • ghee, for frying
  • salad leaves and Carrot and beetroot raita, to serve

Marinade

  • 260 g (1 cup) sheep’s milk yoghurt
  • 2 green chillies, seeded and chopped
  • handful of coriander leaves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon mustard oil
  • 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
  • ¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted in a dry frying pan

METHOD

  1. Rinse the fish, pat dry with paper towel and place in a large shallow dish.
  2. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a blender. Add this mixture to the tuna and mix gently with a spoon to coat. Cover and refrigerate for two hours.
  3. Heat a little ghee in a large frying pan over medium heat or on a barbecue hotplate and cook the tuna for 4-5 minutes on each side or until cooked to your liking.
  4. Serve with salad leaves and carrot and beetroot raita.

Carrot and Beetroot Raita

Serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS

  • 520 g (2 cups) sheep’s milk yoghurt
  • 1 raw beetroot, peeled and grated
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small capsicum, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • Himalayan salt, to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl by mixing gently with a spoon.

Eggplant Bharta

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large eggplant
  • extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
  • 1 tablespoon ghee
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2.5 cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • ½ small green chilli, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 tomato, finely chopped (to yield ½ cup)
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • Celtic sea salt, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves, to serve (optional)
  • Indian dosas, to serve

METHOD

  1. Cut three or four slits in the eggplant, then brush the eggplant with a little olive oil. Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat, then fry the eggplant for 10 minutes, turning frequently, until it is soft and charred. Remove from the heat. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin. Mash the flesh and set aside.
  2. Heat the ghee in a clean frying pan over medium heat and add the cumin seeds. Cook for one minute, then add the onion and cook for another minute. Add the ginger, garlic and chilli, then cook, stirring frequently, for one minute. Add the tomato and ground turmeric, coriander and cumin, then continue to cook, stirring frequently, for three minutes. Add the mashed eggplant, garam masala and salt. Stir to combine and cook for a further two minutes.
  3. Top with the coriander leaves (if using) and serve with Indian dosas.

Fragrant Fish Stew

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 750 g white fish fillets, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Celtic sea salt, to taste
  • grated zest and juice of 1 lime
  • 50 g (¼ cup) ghee
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 green chillies, seeded and finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2.5 cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 10 curry leaves
  • 1 teaspoon asafoetida
  • 250 ml (1 cup) rice milk
  • 250 ml (1 cup) fish or chicken stock (preferably homemade)
  • freshly cracked black pepper, to serve
  • cooked brown rice, to serve

METHOD

  1. Place the fish in a bowl and sprinkle over the turmeric, cumin and a little salt. Add the lime zest and pour over the lime juice.
  2. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
  3. Heat the ghee in a large frying pan over medium heat, then add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until translucent.
  4. Add the chilli, garlic and ginger, and cook for two minutes. Stir through the cardamom, curry leaves and asafoetida, then add the milk and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the drained fish fillets and cook gently for five minutes or until just cooked.
  5. Season with salt and pepper, and serve on brown rice.

Broccoli Bhajis

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 300 g (2½ cups) besan (chickpea) flour
  • 2 tablespoons brown rice flour
  • pinch of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
  • Himalayan salt, to taste
  • 500 ml (2 cups) filtered water
  • extra virgin coconut oil, for shallow-frying
  • 120 g (2 cups) broccoli florets
  • Chia jam and Carrot and beetroot raita, to serve

METHOD

  1. Sift the flours, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a medium bowl. Gradually add the water, stirring well to avoid lumps.
  2. The mixture should have a smooth, paste-like consistency.
  3. Heat some coconut oil (about 4 cm/1½ inches deep) in a medium, heavy-based saucepan over medium–high heat. Once the oil is hot (a small broccoli floret should sizzle and float), working in batches, dip the broccoli florets in the batter to coat well.
  4. Drop into the pan and cook until crisp on all sides. Lay on paper towel to drain off any excess oil while you cook the next batch.
  5. Serve warm with chia jam and carrot and beetroot raita.

Recipes and Images from Supercharged Food: Eat Right For Your Shape by Lee Holmes (Murdoch Books).

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