West Indian style bangers and mash

You British foodie purists will probably say this is blasphemy, but we dabbled with the good ol' classic bangers and mash. Well, it has elements of the classic, but in fact if you dissect it, it actually contains none of the essential ingredients. There is no meat for one. Or [much] potato. Or gravy really.... but it does shout comfort food, and my goodness does it taste good.

It's not a looker, but it doesn't half pack in some great West Indian-esque flavours. Enjoy!

West Indian style bangers and mash

Serves 3
'Chorizo' style smoky spicy sausages:
115g dried sosmix (e.g. Granose)
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chilli flakes
2-3 sprigs thyme

Roasted butternut squash mash:
1 butternut squash
2 red skinned potatoes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Butter (optional)

West Indian coconut gravy:
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
Coconut cream
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 veg stock cube
5-6 sprigs fresh thyme

Steamed broccoli with toasted soya cumin mixed seeds:
1 Broccoli head
Large handful mixed seeds (sunflower, sesame, poppy, linseeds, whateve you have on hand)
Soya sauce
1/2 tsp ground cumin

1. Turn the oven onto 220 degrees.
2. Peel and chop the butternut squash into 6-8 lenghways pieces. Deseed.
3. Place on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and salt
4. Place in the oven and cook for 40 minutes, or until soft and slightly charred in places
5. Meanwhile, add the sosmix to a bowl. 
6. Chop the garlic and add, along with the thyme leaves, chilli and smoked paprika. 
7. Follow the packet instructions for amount of water needed, stir and leave for 3-4 minutes
8. Finely chop the onion and garlic for the gravy, and add to a pan on a medium heat with a splash of olive oil. Cook down to soften the onions, about 10-15 minutes.
9. Add the stock cube, chilli flakes, thyme and coconut cream. Add a splash of water to thin the gravy out. 
10. Place on a low heat to thicken and let the flavours develop
11. Roll sosmix into 12 chipolata style sausages. Place in a frying pan with a splash of olive oil and fry, turning occasionally.
12. Bring a pan of salted water up to a boil. Peel the potatoes, chop and add to the pan. Boil for about 10 minutes.
13. Place a steamer over the potato pan. Chop the broccoli into florets and steam for 8-10 minutes.
14. Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat. Add the seeds to the pan and toast for 2-3 minutes. Add cumin powder and a splash of soya sauce. Take off heat and set aside. 
15. Once the squash is done, place in a bowl and mash with the potatoes. Check seasoning and add olive oil/ butter for richness.
16. Plate up the squash mash, sausages, broccoli and seeds.

Jamaican rice and peas with saffron rice

Madhur Jaffrey is definitely my favorite food author. I have 3 cookbooks by her and counting. My favorite cookbook by her is Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian. It is my vegetarian bible. Every recipe I have made has been delicious. Unlike many vegetarian cookbooks that try to replace meat with alternatives, she uses traditional vegetarian recipes from all over the world. I would highly recommend it, although you will  need to build up quite a collection of different spices that need to be tracked down from international supermarkets.

This recipe is so hearty and filling. It is also amazingly cheap and can be made in bulk to feed a crowd (something I seem to always end up doing). Don't be fooled by the name, there are actually no peas involved at all, but red kidney beans. I also added chickpeas to this recipe to bulk it out a little more, but you can use whatever you have on hand.

Jamaican rice and peas with saffron rice

 Serves 4-6
2 cans kidney beans
1 can chickpeas 
475 ml Coconut milk
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme or 3/4 tea spoon dried
4 tablespoons of finely chopped chives or 6 tablespoons finely sliced spring onions (white and green)
1 Scotch bonnet chilli, or other chilli to taste (I used crushed chilli flakes because that is what I had)
2 cloves garlic
1 finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon of ground allspice*
1 teaspoon paprika

1. Heat a splash of olive oil to a pan and add the onion. Fry for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the coconut milk, chilli, thyme, chives, ground allspice and paprika. 
4. Turn the heat down low, cover the pan and simmer for 25 minutes. 
5. Check seasoning by tasting. Remove the chilli (if using fresh whole) and sprigs of thyme before serving.

Saffron rice
300g basmati rice
Pinch saffron
Vegetable stock cube
Chilli flavoured olive oil

1. Add 1 part basmati rice to 2 parts boiling water (from kettle) to a pan on a medium heat.
2. Add the stock cube and saffron.
3. Cover tightly and turn heat to low.
4. Cook for 12 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed by the rice
5. Try not to stir the rice or remove the lid, as this lets the rice steam and not become sticky
6. Check that the rice is cooked, adjust seasoning if necessary and fluff up the rice. 
7. Serve and drizzle with chilli olive oil

*Allspice is a Jamaican peppercorn that you can pick up in international supermarkets, or online if you don't have access to such stores. It has a flavour of a mix of ginger, cloves cinnamon, so if you can't access this lovely spice, you can use a blend of those spices. They look like peppercorns the size of peas. I buy it whole and crush the spice in a pestle and mortar.

One happy customer !