Dish

104 DISH

Baked Sweet Potato and Coriander Falafels (vg)

Depending on how hungry everyone is, you may have leftover

falafels. Serve warm for lunch the next day stuffed into pita

breads with plain yoghurt and salad.

500 grams sweet

potato, cooked

400-gram tin cooked

chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 large egg

1 teaspoon each ground

coriander and cumin

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ cup packed coriander, plus

extra for garnish

¾ cup chickpea flour

(garam flour)

finely grated zest 1 lemon

sea salt and ground pepper

To cook

sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Serving suggestions

Spiced Coconut and Tomato

Sauce (see recipe below),

sliced spring onions and

chopped cherry tomatoes,

coriander, lime wedges, naan

breads or hot brown rice

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.

Falafel: Place all the ingredients in a food processor and season

generously with salt and pepper. Pulse to combine.

Using two teaspoons, scoop out heaped spoonfuls and place on a

lined baking tray. Leave them looking rustic. Sprinkle with sesame

seeds and bake for 20 minutes.

To s e r v e : Spoon the Spiced Coconut and Tomato Sauce into

shallow bowls and top with the hot falafel. Serve with warm naan

bread and garnishes. Serves 4

Spiced Coconut and Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon mild

curry powder

1 teaspoon each ground ginger,

cumin and turmeric

1 teaspoon sambal oelek or

other chilli paste

400ml-tin coconut cream

6 medium vine tomatoes,

halved, seeds squeezed out

and roughly chopped

Put the oil, onion, garlic and all the spices in a sauté pan. Cover

and cook for 10 minutes until soft, adding a splash of water when

needed to keep the spices from catching. Stir in the coconut

cream and ½ cup water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15

minutes then stir in the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes

until just soft.

Chicken with Cinnamon and Lemon Rice

I’m sure by now I have cooked enough one-pan chicken recipes
that I could write a book – this one would definitely be included.

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus

extra to serve

6 chicken thighs, skin on,

bone in

1 cup basmati rice,

rinsed and drained

1 large onion, thickly sliced

20 green olives

1 lemon, thinly sliced,

pips removed

1 tablespoon dried oregano

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon chilli flakes

2½ cups chicken stock

sea salt and ground pepper

To s e r v e

thick plain yoghurt and

chopped parsley

35cm ovenproof sauté pan

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.

Heat the oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan. Season the chicken
with salt and pepper and brown the skin side of each piece.
Transfer to a plate.

Add all the remaining ingredients to the pan and stir together.
Nestle the chicken, skin-side up into the rice but not covering
the skin, and bake uncovered for about 40 minutes or until the
chicken is fully cooked through and the rice is tender.

Serve with dollops of yoghurt and top with parsley and a drizzle
of olive oil. Serves 4

COOK’S NOTE: If you don’t have a suitable ovenproof sauté

pan, brown off the chicken in a regular pan and set aside.

Scrape the oil and any sticky bits into a large ovenproof

baking dish, then add all the remaining ingredients and

proceed with the recipe.

COOK’S NOTE: I like to roast the sweet potatoes for the

falafel. Peel and slice into 2cm pieces, toss with oil, salt and

pepper and roast until very tender. Cool before using.