Meat-free recipes: Make Colin Fassnidge’s lentils with tofu and chia pudding with coconut tuiles for dessert

For a meat-lover like Colin Fassnidge, you might think tofu would be off the menu. But this week, he’s sharing a delicious lentil and tofu dish that’s so good, you won’t even realise it’s vegetarian. With mushrooms, eggplant and loads of spices, this dish is the perfect way to warm up on a cold day.

Clarissa Feildel is sharing her twist on a comfort food classic: rice pudding. Made with chai and vanilla and served with crispy coconut wafers, or tuiles, this dessert is creamy and packed full of flavour. Best of all, if you’re hosting a dinner party, you can make it up to three days in advance.

Colin Fassnidge’s Lentils With Tofu and Vegetable

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 100ml olive oil, plus extra for shallow frying
• 2 brown onions, finely sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 2cm cubes
• 250g brown and king brown mushrooms, sliced
• 2 birds eye chilies, finely chopped
• 1 bunch curry leaves, (4 stalks), plus extra fried leaves to garnish
• 3 to 4cm piece fresh turmeric, finely grated
• 5cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
• 3 cups yellow lentils
• Water or stock, to cover
• 250g firm tofu, cut into 2cm cubes
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
• Roti or Naan, to serve

Method

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, cook stirring for 5 minutes or until golden.
2. Add garlic and eggplant, cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden. Stir in brown mushrooms, chilli, curry leaves, turmeric, ginger and lentils.
3. Add enough water to cover lentils. Stir in tofu. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally for about 15 to 20 minutes, adding extra water/stock as needed, until lentils are just tender. Stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Serve curry with roti or naan and garnish with fried curry leaves.

Clarissa Feildel’s Chai Rice Pudding

Prep Time: 30 minutes plus 5 hours chilling time

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Serves: 4

Rice Pudding

• 1 litre (4 cups) whole milk
• 4 to 5 Chai tea bags
• 130g (⅔ cup) good quality Arborio rice
• 130g (⅔ cup) caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 200mls thickened cream

Coconut Tuile

• 60g plus clarified butter (ghee), plus extra for brushing
• 150g (2 cups) shredded coconut (I use McKenzie’s)
• 130g (½ cup plus 1 tablespoon) caster sugar
• 125g egg whites (you will need about 5 large eggs)
• 40g (⅓ cup) plain flour

Method

1. Bring milk to a gentle boil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Add tea bags. Simmer gently for five minutes. Remove tea bags, ensuring all liquid has been extracted.
2. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until rice is tender. Add sugar and vanilla extract. Cook, stirring for a further five minutes, or until sugar has fully dissolved. Transfer to a large bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for five hours.
3. Meanwhile to make coconut tuiles, preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two large baking trays with baking paper and brush with extra clarified butter. In the base of a food processor, process coconut until desiccated.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites until foaming. Whisk in sugar and butter until sugar has dissolved. Stir in coconut and flour until well combined. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
5. Spoon ½ tablespoons of the coconut mixture onto prepared trays, allowing room for spreading. With dampened fingers, press the mixture into thin rounds. Bake tuiles for 5 to 7 minutes, or until edges are golden. Using a palate knife, lay tuiles over a rolling pin to shape. Tuiles will harden upon cooling. Repeat with remaining mixture.
6. Before serving pudding, beat cream to soft peaks. Remove rice pudding from refrigerator and gently fold in cream. Serve with tuiles.

Tip: Tuiles can be made up to three days ahead and stored in an airtight container.

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