<![CDATA[Jaymini Bedia

<![CDATA[Jaymini Bedia - Blog]]>Wed, 06 May 2026 05:32:53 +0100Weebly<![CDATA[Nuts-About-Potatoes Curry]]>Wed, 03 Feb 2021 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.jayminibedia.co.uk/blog/nuts-about-potatoes-curryI know it's a mouthful, but this Nuts-About-Potatoes curry (AKA Chicken Potato/Roast Potatoes Curry) is deeeelish. A simple blend of nuts (any that take your fancy!) with a ginger, garlic and onion base makes a tasty showstopper fit for any dinner party.

Recipe (serves 4):
750g baby potatoes

1 medium white onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 thumb ginger, peeled

1/2 cup tinned chopped tomatoes, blitzed until smooth

Seeds from 2 cardamom pods, ground
Pinch of black pepper
4 tbsp ground almonds (see Tips for alternatives)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

4 tbsp vegetable oil

Masala:
2 heapted tsp dhana jeeru
1 tsp hardar
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
Pinch red chilli powder (or to taste - see Tips for more details)
1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tbsp corriander leaves to garnish

Method:

Preheat oven to 200c
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the baby potatoes
Par-boil for 7 minutes or until the potatoes are half-cooked
Drain and shake the potatoes vigorously in a colander
Tip onto a baking tray and toss in 2 tbsp of the vegetable oil and a pinch of salt
Roast for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are crispy and golden
Meanwhile, add the onion, garlic, ginger and 1/4 cup cold water into a food processor and blitz into a puree
Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in a large pan on a high heat
Add the puree and stir for 5 minutes, ensuring that it does not burn
Reduce the heat to medium
Add the cardamom, black pepper, nutmeg and ground almonds and stir for 3 minutes
Stir in the tomatoes, plus 1/4 cup of cold water
Add in all of the Masala spices
Stir well, cover and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes
Turn off the heat
Add the crispy roasted potatoes into the pan and coat in the sauce
Garnish with corriander and serve with hot, buttery rotli, papad and a leaf salad

Tips:

Baby potatoes are the best potatoes for this dish, but if you don't have any and are desperate to make it, then fear not! You can use regular potatoes; keep them chunky as you would for a roast
I don't peel the potatoes for this recipe, but feel free to if you want to (and have the patience to...)
If you don't want to use almonds then you can substitute them for any nuts you like! Originally this dish was made using peanuts; I have used almonds, cashews and pistachios in the past. If using whole nuts then measure out about 1/3 cup and then blitz into a powder. Different nuts will bring a different flavour to the curry so go ahead and get creative - you can even use a blend of nuts!
This sauce is meant to be thick, but if you prefer a more "saucy" curry then add up to 1 cup more water before simmering to loosen it up
For extra creamy-ness, stir through a couple of tablespoons of (soya) yoghurt just before serving

Enjoy! If you have tried this recipe then please feel free to comment below and let me know how it went. If you have any questions then please ask and I'll do my best to answer!

For more recipe's, inspiration and general musings follow me on Instagram @jemplusthree

]]><![CDATA[Crispy Garlic Mogo: oven-style]]>Wed, 25 Nov 2020 12:23:18 GMThttp://www.jayminibedia.co.uk/blog/crispy-garlic-mogo-oven-styleThis Diwali was very different to most. Our excitement at being able to meet friends and family was soon quashed as we were on lockdown here in the UK. Thanks, COVID19! Nevertheless we worked hard to pull out all the stops and try to make it a fabulous Diwali for our kids. And as we all know - fabulous means food, right?! I am not much of a fryer and whilst some dishes just don't quite make it in their non-fried forms, other dishes rise to the challenge. Enter: Crispy Garlic Mogo. It's crispy. It's garlicky. And it's roasted! The perfect party food for when you'd rather bung something in the oven and play with your kids than stand around frying stuff.

Ingredients (serves 6 - 8):
1 kg frozen mogo (cassava) chips, boiled (see method)
5 large cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Pinch of red chilli powder (or to taste)
1 tsp sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp chopped fresh corriander

Method:

To cook the mogo, place it in a large pan of boiling water and boil on a high heat for 30-35 minutes, until the mogo has softened. Drain and set aside
Preheat oven to the highest temperature (mine was set at 250c)
Add 1/2 of the oil into a large roasting tin, or split between 2 smaller tins
Add the mogo along with the garlic, salt, pepper, chilli poweder, sugar and half of the lemon juice. Mix well to coat the mogo evenly
Cover the dish(es) with tin foil and place in the centre of the hot oven for 30 minutes
Remove and reduce the oven temperature to 220c
Add in the remaining lemon juice, corriander and oil, and mix well
Place uncovered in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, mixing in between to ensure the the mogo is crispy but not burnt
Serve hot with green corriander chutney, red tomato chutney and brown dates chutney

Tips:

The best thing about this dish is that you can ramp up the spice level to your taste - add in fresh green chillies for an extra kick, or simply add more red chilli powder
If you do not have fresh garlic you can use garlic paste instead. As much or as little as you like!
Oil...I always tend to use less, but you can add more if the mogo seems too dry. The best time to add it is when you are returning it uncovered to the oven, and then when checking it in the final stages of cooking to get the crispiness on-point
I love it when the garlic caremalises in the oven and the taste of the charred corriander...mmm...but if you're not so keen then add the garlic at the second stage (when returning to the oven uncovered) and use the corriander as a garnish when serving
If you do not have chutneys, fear not! I think we get through half of the mogo before anyone remembers to dip into the chutney
Mogo is a great party dish as it works well with lots of other things. On Diwali, I served it along with my filo samosa, bombay mix, boiled chickpeas, yoghurt and chutneys to make a Chaat-style meal. This was great as everyone could pick and choose how they wanted to eat
Leftover - if there are any, can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you want to eat them, you can gently reheat in the oven to get them crispy again; OR if you have an airfryer then that'll do the trick!

]]><![CDATA[Muth nu Shak (Moth Beans Curry)]]>Wed, 25 Nov 2020 11:52:02 GMThttp://www.jayminibedia.co.uk/blog/muth-nu-shak-moth-beans-curryBeans, pluses, lentils...I still need to learn the difference between them all. When I discovered the English translation to Muth was Moth beans, I must admit to losing some of my love for them...but it didn't last long! This deliciously simple curry requires a little bit of forward-planning as you need to soak the beans the evening before cooking. But once that's done it is so quick and easy, you'll be whipping up a full Gujarati meal in no time at all!

Ingredients (serves 4):
1 cup muth, soaked overnight in cold water
1/3 cup chopped tinned tomates
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp rye
1 tsp jeeru
1 tsp ginger paste
1 - 2 tsp garlic paste
2 tsp dhana jeeru
3/4 tsp hardar
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
Red chilli powder to taste
1 tbsp chopped corriander to garnish (optional)

Method:

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker on a high heat
When the oil is hot, add the rye and wait for it to sputter
Add jeeru, ginger, garlic and stir until the aroma is released
Add tomatoes and all spices. Stir in 2-3 tbsp water and allow to simmer on a medium heat for 2 minutes
Meanwhile, drain and thoroughly rinse the pre-soaked muth
Add the muth into the cooker. Stir well, cover and apply the whistle
Cook on a medium heat until 1 whistle has blown
Turn off the heat. Allow the steam to release naturally from the cooker
Garnish with corriander and serve with hot, buttery rotli

Tips:

Be sure to turn off the heat after one whistle has blown, or else the beans will be mushy and overcooked. They'll still taste good, but the texture won't be as great!

]]><![CDATA[Crispy Seaweed]]>Wed, 25 Nov 2020 11:27:00 GMThttp://www.jayminibedia.co.uk/blog/crispy-seaweedThis is not just ordinary crispy seaweed. This is sweet-and-salty, oven-baked, crisp-to-perfection, kale superfood seaweed. Yes, KALE! It's a superfood, and this crispy seaweed version is super awesome at disguising itself as the real deal...it's just better!

Ingredients:
Kale (can use from frozen, stalks removed
Sugar, to taste
Salt, to taste
1tbsp Vegetable oil

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c
Place the kale in a roasting tin, and add the oil and seasoning
Mix to coat evenly
Place in the centre of the oven, for 10-15 minutes, mixing and checking at regular intervals to ensure that the kale crisps up evenly and does not burn
Serve as an accompaniment or as a starter dish

Tips:

You can use fresh or frozen kale for this dish; just be sure to remove the stalks
I had a couple of cabbage leaves which I also threw in - they did not crisp up in the oven, but still tasted good!
I had regular granulated white sugar to hand, but soft brown sugar would work well for this dish
I have not added any measurements, as the amount of seasoning really depends on how much kale you are using. So just work to taste!

]]><![CDATA[Smoked Tofu Cabbage Rolls]]>Wed, 25 Nov 2020 10:45:57 GMThttp://www.jayminibedia.co.uk/blog/smoked-tofu-cabbage-rollsThese easy-peasy smoked tofu cabbage rolls were a spontaneous concoction at a time when I was at a loss for what to cook, and had some odds and ends sitting in the fridge. Anyone who knows me will know that I am a sucker for Chinese food, and will droolingly seize any opportunity to eat it. Whilst I cut out the eggs and fish-based sauces which are commonly used in veggie Chinese cuisine, I don't have to battle with finding dairy alternatives, as they don't form part of the usual ingredients.

Ingredients (makes 8 rolls):
8 leaves Savoy cabbage
1 pack (approx. 230g) smoked tofu, crumbled
2 large field mushrooms (or 6 average mushrooms), finely diced
2 sticks celery, finely diced
1 tsp ginger paste
2 - 3 tsp white miso paste
2 tsp vegetable oil
8 cocktail sticks

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200c
Gently steam the cabbage leaves for about 7-10 minutes on a medium heat to soften
Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan, on a high heat and add the celery. Cook until it begins to char
Add ginger, miso and mushrooms. Stir fry for 1 minute
Stir in tofu and cook for 3 minutes
Remove the mixture from the heat and split into 8 portions
Place one portion into the centre of one cabbage leaf. Fold each side into the centre. Then fold the the top down and the bottom up, and secure using a cocktail stick
Place in a lightly oiled roasting tin and baked for 12-15 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown
Serve individually, or with a tasty vegetable chow mein to form part of a main meal

Tips:

Be careful not to overcook the cabbage when steaming, else it will fall apart when you are trying to wrap into rolls!
I used white miso paste as that's what I had to hand, but I'm sure you can use regular miso paste
If you have other veg to use up (carrots, peppers) you can chop them up finely and chuck them in - anything goes!
Feel free to add more seasoning - garlic, soy sauce, black pepper would all work well

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