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indian

Recipes

Anti-Inflammatory Squash and Lentil Coconut Curry

anti infl curry

This dish is perfect to make on a Monday and keep tucking into for the next few days

Difficulty: Easy
Storage: Fridge 3-5 days
Travel to work: In Tupperware
Heat: Microwave

This is a perfect anti-inflammatory dish. Inflammation is incredibly important. It helps the body fight foreign invaders and also has a role in repairing damage. Without inflammation, pathogens like bacteria could easily take over our bodies and kill us. Although acute (short-term) inflammation is beneficial, it can become a major problem when it is chronic (long-term) and inappropriately deployed against the body’s own tissues.
It is now believed that chronic, low-level inflammation plays a major role in almost every chronic disease. This includes heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s and various degenerative conditions.

Therefore, anything that can help fight chronic inflammation is of potential importance in preventing and even treating these diseases.

This dish contains Tumeric and Ginger: to highly regarded anti-inflammatory foods.
It is also vegetarian – so rates highly to keeping an alkalised ph in your body

Ingredients:

  • 1 butternut squash
  • 7 cloves garlic
  • Knob fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped
  • 3 red onions
  • 2 white onions
  • 2 tsp or more tumeric
  • 300ml of chicken stock
  • 500g red lentils
  • 1 tsp black pepper and Salt
  • 1 bar creamed coconut
  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • Spinach or Seasonal Greens (1 bag)
  • 1 lemon
  • coriander
  • Spring onions
  • Fresh chilli

Method:

  1. Peel the squash and dice into chunks and place into the pan with the garlic, onion, ginger. Sizzle until onions are browning and the squash starts to ever so slightly soften. Add the creamed coconut, coconut milk and chicken stock. Simmer
  2. Simmer for 10 minutes, add the red lentils, black pepper, turmeric and chilli if using, stir and let simmer on medium for a further 15-20 minutes until the lentils are soft.
  3. Add more water if the consistency is too thick.
  4. In the last few minutes, add the greens and stir through.
  5. Turn off the heat, add the sea salt and pepper, the juice of a lemon.
  6. Stir through the roughly chopped coriander and sprinkle spring onions on top to serve

Eh Voila – Delicious and Nutritious!

Recipes

Mira Manek: Healthy Indian Cuisine

On Wednesday I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Mira Manek the beautiful chef behind Mira Manek Blog and the #HealthyIndian.

Inspired by yoga to return to the food that her mother, grandmother and aunts have cooked over the years: She began her journey on combining own home cooked food with healthy and fresh ingredients to bring about a new concept of Indian food as healthy and not heavy.

I arrived with my BFF, Lucy, to a MasterClass in Healthy Indian Cuisine to be met with a Feast.

I could only describe it as a prequel to an Indian Christmas

Vegetarian and pre-dominantly Gluten-Free: I cannot wait till her book is released new year.

feast

Lucy and I stood in awe as more and more fresh, delicious and enticing food began arriving out of the kitchen

fruit

The platters of fresh ingredients had us salivating!

drinks

We decided to get some non-alcoholic cocktails to distract us as Mira set up her event

drink shoreditch

lucy

 

The Feast was incredible. Mira presented us with Chickpea Flour Pancakes with Coriander Chutney and Chilli Beet.

sweetcorn

Charred Sweetcorn, Grilled Masala Aubergine, Gorgeous Courgette Rolls… the food just kept coming and coming. Fresh, delicious, colourful – at one point I thought my eyes were deceiving me!

mira manek

Spinach, Beet and Chickpea Pancakes, Kale Salad, Aubergine and a Fennel Almond Cocktail…I made my way to a chair to delve in and listen to Mira teach us how to make the delightful feast in front of us.

 mira mira1

Oh I forgot to mention there was pudding too…

mira manek1

Lucy and I shared a plate as our bellies were so satiated from the mains…

We were indulged with Divine Mocha Cake with Nutmeg & Mocha Cashew Frosting, Raw Mocha Flapjacks with Nutmeg, and Almond Cocktails. The main event for me though was the Saffron and Cardamon Cheesecake

I have not given the full menu for the feast that was provided but my goodness this lady is one to watch! Get over to her website and Instagram.
She hosts link ups for yoga breakfast and supper clubs.

She will be the hot new thing of 2016! 

We said our thank you’s and goodbyes to Mira and headed out into the Autumn Evening to sip on a mint tea and enjoy the sounds of City of London Sinfonia.

Orchestra  symphonie tea

Perfect end to a perfect evening.

You can find all the details of recipes on Mira Manek blog http://www.miramanek.com/blog/where all her recipes, dates and more are stored.

Hosted at Shoreditch House