Mango Chutney Crackers

I don’t know where this idea came from, it just pretty much popped into my head when I was thinking of making my curried lentil soup the other day. Seemed logical to make something that would compliment the soup I was making, to match the spices. Something crisp and crunchy to go with smooth soup.

So I present these cracker shortbreads flavoured with sweet tangy mango chutney and cumin seeds. Not sure why I’ve never used mango chutney in any other cooking. They also make a nice cracker to serve with cheese (dairy-free or not, depending on your preferences and needs) or with a dip.

Mango Chutney Crackers

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

Makes about 12

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tbsps dairy free margarine

2 tbsps mango chutney

1/2 tsp curry powder

Pinch of salt

Cumin seeds to sprinkle

Rub the margarine into the flour, curry powder and salt until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the mango chutney and gently bring together to form a soft dough
Roll out and cut out shapes, sprinkle with cumin seeds.

4. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake at 180 degrees for 12 minutes

Curried lentil (Dhal) Soup

Lentil soup reminds me of being off school as a child and eating a steaming bowlful, balanced on a tray whilst watching trashy daytime TV – pure cosy comfort!

I’d also call this recipe a ‘nifty thrifty’ recipe – packed full of spicy flavour and goodness but costing pennies to make. You can’t argue with that.

Ideal served with my tasty cumin and mango chutney crackers (recipe very soon) or a naan, roti, chapati or whatever your bread of choice. Enjoy.

Curried Lentil Dhal Soup

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan)

Serves 4

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp curry powder of choice

140g red lentils, washed and picked through

1 small potato, peeled and roughly chopped

1l vegetable stock

Sauté the onion in oil until translucent, add the carrot and continue to cook until starting to colour
Add the garlic and stir until you can smell the fragrance. Stir in the curry powder and briefly fry to cook out any rawness
Add the lentils and potato. Pour over the stock and simmer for 15 minutes until the lentils and potatoes are cooked through
Liquidise as desired, I prefer to leave a little texture. Serve piping hot.

Curried parsnip soup

It’s time to get the roots out! The first frost has been and gone and it’s time to indulge in some serious warming food. In my opinion, you can’t get much more wintery than parsnips – well maybe Brussels, but they are more controversial (for the record – I like them when they’re done right).

The toasty, spicy curry flavour works so wonderfully with sweet, rooty parsnips and you end up with the smoothest, silkiest soup ever, no cream needed to achieve this. What could make a better wintery lunch or light supper with some fresh warm bread? Any one dimensional dish is made better with additions of garnish / texture, and I’ve used some vegetable crisps here for a bit of crunch.

Curried Parsnip Soup (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan)

Serves 3-4

1 onion, roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tbsp oil
5-6 medium sized parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 an apple, peeled and chopped
2 tsp curry powder of choice
750ml vegetable stock
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and pepper
handful of vegetable crisps

– Sweat the onion in the oil until just starting to get a hint of colour
– Add the garlic and cook until fragrant
– Add the curry powder and ‘cook out’ for a few minutes to remove any raw spice flavour
– Add the parsnips and apple and stir well to coat evenly with the spices
– Pour in the stock
– Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the parsnips are soft and well cooked
– Blitz with a hand blender or in a liquidizer for an even smoother soup
– Add the lemon juice and seasoning, taste and add more if required.
– Serve topped with vegetable crisps