Recipes by Rukmini Iyer from The Green Cookbook – Paneer curry and tagliatelle with mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach

EASY please!

Quick to cook and wash, Rukmini Iyer’s vegetarian dishes are fabulous for busy people.

Paneer curry with spinach, cream and lemon

Serves 4

7

Preparation time 15 minutes

Cooking time 20 minutes

Cals 492, saturated fat 21g

• 400g paneer, cut into 1cm cubes
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 chopped onion
• ¹/_twoteaspoon of ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon of powdered ginger
• ¹/_twoteaspoon pepper flakes
• 200g spinach
• 150ml plain cream
• 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt, plus more as needed
• ¹/_two lemon, just juice
• Basmati rice, naan or flatbread, to serve

1 Place the diced paneer in a large heatproof bowl, cover with freshly boiled water and set aside for 10 minutes.

Drain the paneer well and dry it with a kitchen towel.

2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over low heat and add the cumin seeds.

Let it sizzle for 30 seconds, then add the onion and fry over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly until golden.

3. Add the remaining spices and chilli flakes to the pan with the onions and fry for 30 seconds over low heat before adding the spinach.

Cover and let the spinach cook for a few minutes before removing the lid and stirring until completely wilted.

Transfer the spinach and onion to a high-speed blender and let cool.

4. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan and add the paneer.

Fry over medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden.

5. Mix the cooled spinach with the cream and sea salt.

Once the paneer is fully browned, add the spinach sauce back to the pan, stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

6. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice and a little boiled water to thin the sauce, then taste and adjust the salt as needed.

Serve hot with rice, naan or pita bread.

Tagliatelle with mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach

Serves 2 servings

7

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 12 minutes

Cals 730, saturated fat 19g

• 80-100g of tagliatelle per person
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra as needed
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 250g brown mushrooms, sliced
• 200g cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 150g spinach
• 100ml double cream
• ¹/_two lemon, juice only, plus extra as needed
• Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
• Grated Parmesan to serve

1 Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil.

Cook the tagliatelle according to package instructions or until cooked to your liking (10 minutes works for me).

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the garlic and mushrooms with a pinch of salt.

Fry for 5 minutes and add the cherry tomatoes.

Cook gently for 2-3 minutes – the aim is to soften rather than completely break down – then add the spinach and allow to wilt.

Add the cream, another teaspoon of salt and a good amount of ground black pepper and stir.

Let it bubble for a minute and then turn off the heat.

3. Your tagliatelle should be ready.

Drain, reserving a mug of the cooking water, return the tagliatelle to the pan and add the mushroom and tomato sauce.

Toss gently to coat the pasta, adding a little pasta water and a little olive oil, if needed, to loosen the mixture.

Add lemon juice, taste and adjust salt as needed, squeeze more lemon if desired.

Serve in warmed bowls with more black pepper and a little parmesan.

All-in-one orzo with baked feta, tomatoes and olives

Serves: 2

7

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

• 200g of orzo
• 450ml boiling vegetable broth
• 300g plum or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 50g pitted olives, cut in half
• 200g feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• A few handfuls of fresh basil leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper

Serve

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Chili flakes, optional

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

2. Place the orzo in a medium roasting pan, pour over the boiling broth, stir and top with the tomatoes and olives.

Place the block of feta cheese in the middle of the plate and drizzle with olive oil, a few fresh basil leaves (reserve some for later) and a good amount of freshly ground black pepper.

Place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes.

3. Carefully remove the baked feta cheese with a slice of fish and mix the orzo well with a wooden spoon before serving, then replace the feta cheese as shown in the photo.

Scatter over the reserved basil leaves and top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a few pepper flakes.

Once cooked, let the dish rest for a few minutes before serving hot.

• The green Rukmini Iyer’s cookbook (£25, Square Peg) launches on Thursday.

3 of the best…Blenders

Smoothies, sauces and cocktails are at your disposal!

KitchenAid Go Cordless Personal Blender, £179

7

Style and substance meet in this cordless beauty, which handles ice well and comes with a 16-ounce bottle and lid for cooling on the go.

Morphy Richards compact blender, £69.99

7

This compact countertop saver comes with three simple modes, chop and pulse up to 700ml at a time.

A good all-around budget.

Zwilling Power Blender, £249

7

The sleek, silver 1.8L machine is perfect for making frozen cocktails – there are six automatic settings, and the ice is no match for its “piranha teeth” from knife master Zwilling.