A world of flavour
Ten years of travelling the world in search of images and stories as a freelance photojournalist and as the Expedition Photographer-in-Residence at London’s Royal Geographical Society have given me a wealth of memorable experiences. Not the least of these have involved the diverse and delicious meals I have been privileged to eat in generous people’s homes and remote expedition camps, at simple street stalls and fashionable restaurants, and in dozens of countries. I started to collect recipes whenever possible, in the hope of being able to reproduce the best at home.
In 1989 I met Carolyn, already an accomplished cook, who similarly found discovering and eating exotic foods one of the greatest pleasures of travel… and in 1991 we opened the World Food Café in London. Our new book contains the best recipes we have found on our journeys and here are a couple of favourites. We hope you will enjoy cooking and eating them as much as we do.
World Food Café Vegetarian Bible by Chris and Carolyn Caldicott, with photography by Chris Caldicott (Frances Lincoln Limited, £20).
North Africa
Fennel and orange salad with orange flower water dressing
Serves 6
Ingredients
3 Little Gem lettuces, broken into separate leaves
2 medium fennel bulbs, very finely sliced
2 large oranges, finely sliced
2 carrots, grated
large handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
For the dressing:
juice of ½ a small orange
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 dsp orange flower water
1 dsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
salt, to taste
Method
Layer the lettuce, fennel, orange and grated carrot on a large plate. Combine the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad and garnish with the chopped parsley. Chill in the fridge until really cold before serving.
SRI LANKA
Okra and potato curry
Serves 4
Ingredients
400g baby new potatoes, cut into cubes
20 curry leaves
½ tsp turmeric
2 large red onions, cut into thin semi-circles
3 tsp soy sauce
3 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp dill seeds
3 green chillies, finely chopped
300g okra, cut into 2.5cm chunks
400ml coconut milk
2 dsp lime juice
salt to taste
Method
In a saucepan, boil the potatoes in 350ml of water until soft, along with half the curry leaves, the turmeric, half the sliced red onions and the soy sauce.
Meanwhile, in a wok, heat the oil and add the dill seeds. When they start to crackle add the rest of the curry leaves, followed by the chilli and the remaining onions. Fry until the onion starts to turn golden brown. Add the okra and fry gently until it starts to soften. Add the boiled potato mixture (including the liquid), the coconut milk, the lime juice and salt to taste, with 125ml of water. Gently simmer for 5 mins, taking care not to boil as the coconut milk will separate. Serve with rice.
INDIA
Pau bhaji
Serves 4
Ingredients
450g new potatoes, peeled and cubed
½ a medium cauliflower, cut into small florets
3 medium carrots, diced
150g fresh peas, shelled
150g green beans, topped, tailed, cut into 1cm lengths
5 tbsp sunflower oil
2 medium red onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tbsp pau bhaji spice mix (see below)
450g tomatoes, pulped in a food processor
150g fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped
2 handfuls of coriander leaves, chopped
6 soft bread rolls
For the pau bhaji spice mix:
3 bay leaves
1 dsp coriander seeds
1 dsp cumin seeds
2.5cm piece cinnamon stick
½ tsp black peppercorns
2 star anise seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp ground chilli
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp amchoo and ¼ tsp hing – both available from www.theasiancookshop.co.uk
Method
In a saucepan boil the potatoes until soft. Remove from the heat and drain, then mash them with 85ml of water. Boil the cauliflower, carrots, peas and beans until soft, drain and set to one side.
In a large wok, heat the oil and fry the onion and garlic until the onion softens. Add the pau bhaji spice mix and stir well for 1 min. Add the pulped tomatoes and spinach, bring to the boil, then reduce heat. Simmer gently until the sauce reduces and the oil returns. Add the mashed potatoes, drained vegetables and salt to taste. Stir well to combine all the ingredients and gently cook on a low heat for 5 mins. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve on soft bread rolls halved, toasted and buttered.
PERU
Andes potatoes
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1kg new potatoes, peeled and boiled until soft
200g feta cheese
250ml milk
4 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow Scotch Bonnet chilli, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1kg onions, thinly sliced
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp turmeric
150g sweetcorn kernels
salt, to taste
1 egg per person, fried or poached
about 20 black olives
handful of coriander leaves, chopped
Method
Slice the boiled potatoes into 0.5cm thick slices. In a blender, combine the feta cheese and the milk until smooth. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the chilli, garlic and onion until soft and golden brown. Add the black pepper and turmeric, fry for 1 min, lay the sliced potatoes on top and then add the corn. Pour the milk and cheese into the pan. Gently simmer until the sauce has reduced. Add salt to taste if necessary (remember that feta is salty). Serve topped with an egg, black olives and a garnish of coriander leaves.
THE CARIBBEAN
Marinated butternut squash and sweet peppers with hot tomato sauce
Serves 6
Ingredients
450g butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
2 large red onions, cut into 2cm chunks
3 red peppers, cut into 2cm cubes
For the marinade:
1 tbsp chopped thyme
1 tbsp chopped chives
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp olive oil
1 dsp honey
For the tomato sauce:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ to 1 Scotch bonnet chilli, finely chopped
115g okra pods, chopped into 1cm rounds
400g ripe tomatoes, cut into cubes
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp chopped thyme
1 tbsp lime juice
salt and black pepper
Method
Parboil the squash in a saucepan of boiling water until it is just starting to soften but is still firm. Drain and place in a large bowl with the onions, peppers and marinade ingredients. Stir well to coat all the vegetables with the marinade and set aside for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Heat the sunflower oil in a saucepan. When hot, add the onion, garlic, chilli and okra, and gently fry until soft. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme and lime juice, and bring to the boil; cover the pan and simmer until the sauce has reduced and the oil returns. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Skewer the onions, peppers and butternut squash and cook either on the barbecue or under a hot grill until brown on all sides. Any remaining marinade can be added to the tomato sauce and heated through. Serve the skewers topped with the sauce, with rice on the side.
In 1989 I met Carolyn, already an accomplished cook, who similarly found discovering and eating exotic foods one of the greatest pleasures of travel… and in 1991 we opened the World Food Café in London. Our new book contains the best recipes we have found on our journeys and here are a couple of favourites. We hope you will enjoy cooking and eating them as much as we do.
World Food Café Vegetarian Bible by Chris and Carolyn Caldicott, with photography by Chris Caldicott (Frances Lincoln Limited, £20).
North Africa
Fennel and orange salad with orange flower water dressing Serves 6
Ingredients
3 Little Gem lettuces, broken into separate leaves
2 medium fennel bulbs, very finely sliced
2 large oranges, finely sliced
2 carrots, grated
large handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
For the dressing:
juice of ½ a small orange
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 dsp orange flower water
1 dsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
salt, to taste
Method
Layer the lettuce, fennel, orange and grated carrot on a large plate. Combine the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad and garnish with the chopped parsley. Chill in the fridge until really cold before serving.
SRI LANKA
Okra and potato curry Serves 4
Ingredients
400g baby new potatoes, cut into cubes
20 curry leaves
½ tsp turmeric
2 large red onions, cut into thin semi-circles
3 tsp soy sauce
3 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp dill seeds
3 green chillies, finely chopped
300g okra, cut into 2.5cm chunks
400ml coconut milk
2 dsp lime juice
salt to taste
Method
In a saucepan, boil the potatoes in 350ml of water until soft, along with half the curry leaves, the turmeric, half the sliced red onions and the soy sauce.
Meanwhile, in a wok, heat the oil and add the dill seeds. When they start to crackle add the rest of the curry leaves, followed by the chilli and the remaining onions. Fry until the onion starts to turn golden brown. Add the okra and fry gently until it starts to soften. Add the boiled potato mixture (including the liquid), the coconut milk, the lime juice and salt to taste, with 125ml of water. Gently simmer for 5 mins, taking care not to boil as the coconut milk will separate. Serve with rice.
INDIA
Pau bhaji Serves 4
Ingredients
450g new potatoes, peeled and cubed
½ a medium cauliflower, cut into small florets
3 medium carrots, diced
150g fresh peas, shelled
150g green beans, topped, tailed, cut into 1cm lengths
5 tbsp sunflower oil
2 medium red onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tbsp pau bhaji spice mix (see below)
450g tomatoes, pulped in a food processor
150g fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped
2 handfuls of coriander leaves, chopped
6 soft bread rolls
For the pau bhaji spice mix:
3 bay leaves
1 dsp coriander seeds
1 dsp cumin seeds
2.5cm piece cinnamon stick
½ tsp black peppercorns
2 star anise seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp ground chilli
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp amchoo and ¼ tsp hing – both available from www.theasiancookshop.co.uk
Method
In a saucepan boil the potatoes until soft. Remove from the heat and drain, then mash them with 85ml of water. Boil the cauliflower, carrots, peas and beans until soft, drain and set to one side.
In a large wok, heat the oil and fry the onion and garlic until the onion softens. Add the pau bhaji spice mix and stir well for 1 min. Add the pulped tomatoes and spinach, bring to the boil, then reduce heat. Simmer gently until the sauce reduces and the oil returns. Add the mashed potatoes, drained vegetables and salt to taste. Stir well to combine all the ingredients and gently cook on a low heat for 5 mins. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve on soft bread rolls halved, toasted and buttered.
PERU
Andes potatoes Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1kg new potatoes, peeled and boiled until soft
200g feta cheese
250ml milk
4 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow Scotch Bonnet chilli, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1kg onions, thinly sliced
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp turmeric
150g sweetcorn kernels
salt, to taste
1 egg per person, fried or poached
about 20 black olives
handful of coriander leaves, chopped
Method
Slice the boiled potatoes into 0.5cm thick slices. In a blender, combine the feta cheese and the milk until smooth. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the chilli, garlic and onion until soft and golden brown. Add the black pepper and turmeric, fry for 1 min, lay the sliced potatoes on top and then add the corn. Pour the milk and cheese into the pan. Gently simmer until the sauce has reduced. Add salt to taste if necessary (remember that feta is salty). Serve topped with an egg, black olives and a garnish of coriander leaves.
THE CARIBBEAN
Marinated butternut squash and sweet peppers with hot tomato sauce Serves 6
Ingredients
450g butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
2 large red onions, cut into 2cm chunks
3 red peppers, cut into 2cm cubes
For the marinade:
1 tbsp chopped thyme
1 tbsp chopped chives
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp olive oil
1 dsp honey
For the tomato sauce:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ to 1 Scotch bonnet chilli, finely chopped
115g okra pods, chopped into 1cm rounds
400g ripe tomatoes, cut into cubes
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp chopped thyme
1 tbsp lime juice
salt and black pepper
Method
Parboil the squash in a saucepan of boiling water until it is just starting to soften but is still firm. Drain and place in a large bowl with the onions, peppers and marinade ingredients. Stir well to coat all the vegetables with the marinade and set aside for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Heat the sunflower oil in a saucepan. When hot, add the onion, garlic, chilli and okra, and gently fry until soft. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme and lime juice, and bring to the boil; cover the pan and simmer until the sauce has reduced and the oil returns. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Skewer the onions, peppers and butternut squash and cook either on the barbecue or under a hot grill until brown on all sides. Any remaining marinade can be added to the tomato sauce and heated through. Serve the skewers topped with the sauce, with rice on the side.