Tag: Frugal

“Tarhana” – the art of culinary resurrection

Possibly the world’s most ancient convenience food, this is preserving genius, relying on fermentation, patience, sunshine and nothing else. Take the bounty of summer (tomatoes, peppers, onions and herbs), ferment with yoghurt, flour and herbs and dry it in the sun. Smash it into granules and store in a dry place until you want to bring it back to life.

Come winter all you need to do is rehydrate your tarhana and all those cultures spring back to life dessert flower like. Add some tomato/pepper concentrated puree (“salcası”), a bit of garlic and some stock and you have a pretty instant, extremely nutritious and very satisfying “tarhana soup“.

Continue reading ““Tarhana” – the art of culinary resurrection”

Golden Goddess Soup


Golden Goddess Soup/ Dahl

This is my go-to January/February blues tonic. It warms, revitalizes and gives me the central heating I crave – so I glow like a “goddess”! If you are want to cleanse after the season of excess, if you are doing “Veganuary”,  if you are feeling the “SAD” then this is your liquor!

The method is simplicity itself and as it thickens it becomes  “dahl” to serve as a nourising and cheap meal.

Ingredients: for 6-8 generous portions

  • 500g red lentils
  • 1 large onion chopped lazily
  • 5 cloves of garlic chopped in half
  • 2 tbsp olive oil,
  • 50g-100g ginger, peeled with teaspoons – chopped roughly
  • 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
  • 3 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp cardamom pods (remove before blitzing)
  • 1.5 litres of organic vegetable stock
  • Optional: 300g boiled carrots, pumpkin, squash (use leftovers)
  • Salt to taste

How To

  1. Lightly fry the onions and spices and garlic until just translucent. Do not brown.  Add any veggies the stock and the lentils and the ginger.
  2. Bring to the boil
  3. Lower to a very gentle simmer and cook until the lentils and veggies are soft – approximately 30minutes
  4. Take out the cardamom pods
  5. Blitz until smooth. If it is thick – reserve a portion to eat as dahl with rice. Thin the remainder with water to serve as your soup.
  6. I like to serve the soup garnished with olive oil and fresh coriander but thick yogurt is nice too.  The dahl I serve with rice, a fresh chutney and slices of avocado.