Diwali recipes brought to you by Romy Gill, MBE and Maldon Salt

Hot and Spicy Whole Roasted Chicken, Whole Roasted Sweet Potato and Leafy Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients for roasted chicken

1.5kg of whole chicken

2tsp tandoori masala

1tso chilli powder

3tsp Greek yoghurt

3 large cloves garlic, grated

4tsp honey

few small stem of thyme

½ juice of lemon

5tsp olive oil

1&1/2 tsp Maldon salt

Ingredients for roasted sweet potato

6 medium size sweet potatoes, sliced in the middle

1tsp Maldon salt

1tsp black pepper

1tsp chilli flakes

1tsp garlic granules

4tsp olive oil

Ingredients for the salad

Bag of salad leaves (any preferred)

4tsp honey

½ juice of lemon

½ tsp Maldon salt

1/2tsp crushed black pepper

4tsp olive oil

Hot and spicy whole roasted chicken served, whole roasted sweet potato and leafy salad

Method

For the chicken:

1. In bowl add tandoori masala, chili powder Greek yogurt, grated garlic cloves, honey, thyme stems, half juice of a lemon, oil and salt and whisk it together, and then apply the paste to the whole chicken properly, leave it in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours before roasting.

2. After 2 hours take the marinated chicken out and leave in the room temperature for while the oven is getting hot.

Preheat the oven at 180C. Place the chicken on a baking tray and cover the chicken with a foil, make sure to seal the tray with foil on all the sides properly. Put the chicken in the oven and cook for one hour 30 minutes.

Leave to rest for 10 minutes before eating.

For the sweet potatoes:

1. Preheat oven at 180C

2. While the oven is getting hot marinate the potatoes, and then layer them on the baking tray and bake them for

40 minutes.

For the leafy salad

1. Make the dressing in a small jar with 4tsp honey, ½ juice of lemon, ½ tsp Maldon salt, 1/2tsp crushed black pepper 4tsp olive oil.

2. Give the jar a shake before drizzling the dressing on the salad.

Moong Bean Dal

Serves 6

Ingredients

250g moong beans

1&1/2 tsp Maldon salt

1tsp turmeric

1litre water plus 20ml extra

Ingredients for the tadka

4tsp ghee

6 spring onions, chopped with greens

15g ginger, peeled and grated

2-3 green chillies, chopped (bird’s eye or similar)

1 large tomatoes chopped

10g fresh coriander, chopped with stems

1tsp garam masala

4tsp natural yogurt

Method

1. Soak the lentils for couple of hours or overnight. Wash and drain the water from the soaked lentils. Add the lentils to a medium-sized saucepan with the salt, turmeric and water. Cook the lentils until soft for about 40 minutes on medium heat and occasionally stir.

2. While the lentils are cooking, we make the tadka. Heat the ghee in a frying pan, once the ghee has melted, add chopped spring onions and cook for a minute. Add the grated ginger, chopped green chillies, cook for 3 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, chopped coriander into the pan and cook for another 4 minutes. Lower heat, add yogurt, garam masala combine and add the tadka to the moong dal. Add water rest of the water to the pan, swirl and add the water to the dal.

3. Mix, cook on low heat for about 5 minutes. Leave to rest before eating with any flat bread or rice.

Lemon Rice with Peanuts and Curry

Leaves

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients

200g basmati rice

4tsp ghee

8-10m fresh curry leaves

1tsp black mustard

1&1/2 tsp Maldon salt

1tsp turmeric

juice of one lemon

75g toasted peanuts

Method

1. In a saucepan add water ½ tsp salt and water, bring it to boil for 6-7 minutes on medium heat. Then drain the water and keep the rice aside.

2. In a pan dry toast the peanuts on a low heat in a pan. Toast them until light brown. Remove from heat and remove them in a bowl. In the same pan add ghee, once ghee has melted add the mustard seeds and curry leaves as soon as they start to pop add the toasted peanuts, rest of the salt, turmeric, mix. Tip in the rise mix and cook with a lid for 5 minutes on low heat. Once all done add the lemon juice, mix and serve hot as a side dish or on its own.

Stuffed Courgettes with Lamb Mince

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 courgettes, cut into half

300g lamb mince

3 large cloves of garlic, grated

1 banana shallots, diced small

1tsp paprika

1tps ground black pepper

1tsp turmeric

2tsp ground coriander

1& 1/2tsp Maldon salt

2tsp tomato puree

small handful of mint, chopped large handful of panko bread crumbs (if you love the crispy crunch more than do add more)

6tsp olive oil

Method

1. Cut the courgettes into half and then scoop the flesh. Then mash the flesh and mix with the lamb mince, garlic, diced shallots ground black pepper, paprika, turmeric, ground coriander, 1tsp salt, tomato puree and mint chopped.

2. Heat 3tsp oil in a pan and add the mixture to the oil, and then cook the mixture for 6-7 on high heat. Once the mixture is half cooked, keep aside to cool down.

3. Preheat the oven, 180C while the oven is getting hot, fill the courgettes with the mixture. Sprinkle rest of the salt, and panko bread crumbs and rest of the oil. Cook until golden brown10 minutes.

4. Enjoy with a flat bread and a leafy bread on the side

Roasted broccoli stem with zaatar, chilli flakes and salt, served on creamy feta.

Serves 4

Ingredients

12 broccoli stems

1 heaped tsp of zaatar spice blend

1/2tsp chilli flakes

1/2tsp Maldon salt

2tsp olive oil

small handful of toasted almond flakes

1packet of feta

6tsp of chilli sauce

20ml olive oil

10ml milk

sprinkle of Maldon salt

Method

1. Preheat oven at 170C, and then on a baking tray add the broccoli stems to a mix of the zaatar, chilli flakes, ½ tsp of Maldon salt and 2 tsp of olive oil. Mix them together and roast for 8-10 minutes.

2. Crumble the feta in a food processor and add the chilli sauce, 20ml olive oil, 10ml milk and a sprinkle of Maldon Salt and blend together to make it into a fine paste.

3. To serve spread the feta on a large plate, and then place the roasted broccoli, sprinkle with toasted almond flakes.

Orange and Cocoa Cake

Serves 8 - 10

Ingredients

100g butter melted, extra to apply inside the cake tin

50ml butter milk

200g dark muscovado sugar

2 medium eggs

100g plain flour

1tsp baking powder

3 tbsp cocoa powder

1tsp Maldon salt

2tbsp smooth peanut butter

juice of two oranges and zest of one orange

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C, prepare a 20cm baking sheet, spread the butter, and then place right size baking sheet in the tin. Keep aside.

2. In a bowl add sugar, melted butter and whisk, then crack the eggs and beat the mixture all together. Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, ½ tsp salt, peanut butter, juice of oranges, 1/2tsp orange zest, and then combine properly.

3. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, spread evenly. Bake the cake for 25 minutes, sometimes the ovens are different so until it is well risen.

4. Remove, leave the cake in the tin until cool. Carefully turn the cake of on to the wire pack and peel off the parchment.

5. Before eating sprinkle rest of the salt and orange zest.

That's Food and Drink would like to thank Romy Gill, MBE and Maldon Salt for helping us put this delicious Diwali feature together. 

To learn more please visit https://maldonsalt.com.