Meat Free Mowgli: Simple & Delicious Plant-Based Indian Meals

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Put the cauli florets into a saucepan. Measure/weigh how much water it takes to cover the cauliflower florets in the pan and then add 4 per cent of this weight (of the water) in salt to the water (so if you are using 500mlof water, you’ll need to add 20gof salt). Environmentalists are calling for us to reduce our meat intake and Indian cuisine, being naturally healthy, flavoursome and meat-free, is fast becoming the go-to cuisine for modern families. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, wide pan that has a lid over a medium heat. When hot, add the cinnamon and stir for 30 seconds, or until fragrant, then add the red onion. Cook for 4–5 minutes, then stir in the garlic and ginger paste and cook for a further minute. Add the chopped aubergine and potato with the salt and stir together before adding the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, spices and the sugar. Cover with the pan lid and cook for 8–10 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften. Unroll the pastry sheet and place on a lined baking sheet (you can use the paper the pastry came wrapped in for lining the sheet). Spread the cooled filling mixture over the surface of the pastry sheet, leaving a gap of about 2.5cm/lin around the edges. Sprinkle over the coriander and red chilli. To create a pretty effect, score the edges of the pastry sheet and brush with a little milk.

Meat Free Mowgil also has a section called The Mowgli Spice Box where Nisha has put together a list of key spices that bring instant, bold flavour to dishes. These Mowgil spices are used in the various recipes in this cookbook, and Nisha has explained how to use them and when to add them to dishes to maximise flavours. You’ll come across all the Mowgil spices you’d expect to find in Indian cuisine like cumin seeds, cardamom and ground coriander, but there are also less common spices like amchur (dried green mango powder) and asafoetida (a gum from a variety of giant fennel). In a large bowl, combine the squash with all the other ingredients, except the lemon juice and coriander, and stir to combine. Leave to marinate for 15–30 minutes, or longer if you have the time. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Coffee: sometimes I want to cry when I smell a good bag of ground coffee. It reaches into my heart; coffee is my absolute drug.

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Place 4 ovenproof ramekins in a baking dish, then carefully divide the yogurt mixture among them. Pour enough boiling water into the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins, then cover the dish tightly with kitchen foil. Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes, or until set, then remove from the oven and let cool. This is a vegetarian take on the classic Parsi dish of meat (usually mutton) cooked in a lentil and vegetable base, known as dhansak. The Parsi community originally migrated from Persia to India, settling on the coast of Gujarat. Their cuisine still heavily reflects their ancient Persian origins. Hearty and comforting, a good dhansak should be spicy, tangy and a little sweet. Here, aubergine/eggplant replaces the traditional mutton and soaks up the flavours of the sauce just as beautifully. It can easily be eaten on its own or with some chapatis and brown rice. A simple kachumber (onion and cucumber salad) makes a perfect side dish. I worked as a barrister on domestic violence for 20 years and the mantra of abusers was: “I shout because I care. I shout because I’m a perfectionist.” And that’s the mantra in many professional kitchens. There is nothing attractive about that. I rail against that “Yes, Chef!” military discipline. It’s pernicious and it needs to change.

Place the cauliflower on the baking sheet and roast it in the oven for 45 minutes–1 hour, or until cooked through. A sharp knife or skewer should easily go all the way through the cauliflower with no resistance.

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This is a typical Bengali dessert. Baked yogurt is gently sweetened with a light tang and has a firm texture rather like cheesecake. For a pretty pink colour, try to find a genuine Indian rose syrup (in the Asian aisles of supermarkets or in Indian grocers). Other rose syrups will not give such a depth of colour, but will still taste wonderful. You can either make this in a large dish or in individual dishes. Either way, it is the perfect dessert for entertaining as it can be made ahead of time and is super easy.” Add the paneer and cook for 3–4 minutes, or until starting to colour all over, then add the diced mango, cashews, coconut cream and measured water. Cover with the pan lid and simmer for 6–8 minutes, or until the paneer is cooked through, adding a splash more water if needed. I want salt to be seen as extraordinary. To be perceived as so much more than a cheap commodity and instead be seen as an essential gourmet ingredient that is as important as a chef’s knife, as vital to cooking as using a hot pan. I want salt to be something you are excited about, not a last resort that is sprinkled over bland food to try and improve it as it’s served. Nisha is a self-described “ curry evangelist“. Inspired by “how Indians eat at home and on their streets”, she infuses her food with bright flavours and healthy ingredients, to delight tasters. After initially training and working as a barrister Nisha changed careers after identifying a gap in the market for the Mowgli offering and wanted to share her love of everyday Indian cooking with the public. Having first opened in Liverpool in 2014, Mowgli has gone on to enjoy incredible success and critical acclaim and has now grown to 15 restaurants in 8 years, with more to follow. Nisha’s previous books include Pimp My Rice, Mowgli Street Food, The Spice Tree and 30 Minute Mowgli. Place 4 ovenproof ramekins in a baking dish, then carefully divide the yogurt mixture among them. Pour enough boiling water into the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins, then cover the dish tightly with kitchen foil.