Last week I travelled down to London for the first of our cookbook shoots.
Our photographer, Steve Lee, has been shooting Dairy Diary images for over 15 years and is a master of his craft.
As well as working with us he has also photographed with many top chefs and food writers, including Michelle Roux, Antonio Carluccio and Phil Vickery.
We also work with acclaimed food writer Sara Lewis, who effortlessly makes each recipe look so delicious. Completing our small (but perfectly formed!) team is Olivia Wardle who sources all the gorgeous props and lovely Douglas Lee, who assists with everything from setting up the lighting to making the coffee.
Everyone works really hard behind the scenes to make the books look so fantastic.
Nothing is ‘staged’ or cheated; the food
is created exactly as per the recipe, then
photographed as quickly as possible
while it’s still fresh.
We shot some absolutely stunning images, which I can’t wait to share with you, but we have to wait for those, so instead I’m going to share my favourite recipe from our previous shoot.
Look out for this in our BRAND NEW COOKBOOK, coming very soon.
Chana Dhal with Roast Vegetables
Calories 319 per portion
Fat 9g (1g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing
For the dahl
- For the dahl
- Yellow split peas 300g (11oz)
- Rapeseed oil 1 tbsp
- Red onions 2, peeled and chopped
- Garlic 2–4 cloves, peeled and chopped
- Root ginger 5cm (2in) piece, finely chopped
- Red chilli 1, deseeded and chopped
- Fresh coriander 25g (1oz), stalks and leaves chopped separately
- Bay leaves 2
- Garam masala 2 tbsp
- Ground cumin 2 tsp
- Whole plum tomatoes 400g can
- Vegetable stock 600ml (1 pint)
- Limes 2, juice squeezed
For the roasted vegetables
- Rapeseed oil 3 tbsp
- Cauliflower 450g (1lb), broken into florets
- Large Chantenay carrots 450g (1lb), halved lengthways or quartered if thick
- Celeriac 300g (11oz), peeled and cut into wedges
- Garam masala 2 tsp
- Cumin seeds 2 tsp
- Ground turmeric 1 tsp
- Black mustard seeds 1 tsp
- Curly kale 110g (4oz), large stalks removed and chopped
- Naan breads 6, warmed, to serve
Instructions
- Soak the split peas overnight in cold water, then rinse and drain.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, chilli, chopped coriander stalks, bay leaves and spices and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the tomatoes, the stock and the peas. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 1½–2 hours until the peas have softened.
- For the roasted vegetables, preheat the oven to 180°C/160°fan/Gas 4. Heat the oil in a large roasting tin for 5 minutes. Coat the cauliflower, carrots and celeriac in the oil and roast for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the spices and stir well. Add the kale and roast for a further 15–20 minutes until the kale is crisp and the carrots and cauliflower just tender.
- When ready to serve, add the lime juice and half the coriander leaves to the dhal. Serve with the roast vegetables and naan bread and garnish with the remaining coriander.
Cook’s tip
If you prefer, cook the dhal in the oven at 150°C/130°fan/Gas 2 for 2 hours.
#tripletested
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