We have an array of producers in the UK who are doing amazing things, and now seems an especially good time to celebrate them. One is Hodmedod’s, which works with British farmers to grow indigenous, unusual and nutritious crops on home soil, from British quinoa to fava beans.
Here, I’m making use of its brilliant black badgers, or carlin peas, which have been grown in Britain for over 500 years and are as close as we come to a chickpea.
The other British ingredient I’ve sought out is Anglum, a halloumi-style cheese produced by Kupros Dairy in north London. It’s halloumi by another name, but from a little closer to home. They also make London Fettle – a salty, tangy, feta-type offering. I love the tapestry of cultures food helps us stay rooted to: halloumi-style cheese produced in London and quinoa and pulses from British farms just highlight the inclusive spirit of food in this country.
Black badger chana masala (above)
We’re right at the end of the British tomato season, and this recipe uses fresh ones, which I will be making the most of for the next few weeks. I hope the dry spices will already sit on your shelf, and I use vinegar to add acidity here rather than a lemon.
Prep 15 min
Cook 45 min
Serves 4-6
400g tin Black Badger carlin peas or 250g home-cooked
(available at Hodmedods and other online shops)
Cooking oil – I use coconut
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 small thumb root ginger, peeled
1 small bunch fresh coriander, leaves and stems
1-2 green chillies, roughly chopped, seeds and all (depending on heat)
1 tbsp ground coriander
1-2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
6 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
Salt
2 large handfuls shredded seasonal greens
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
If you’re cooking your own black badgers, first soak them in boiling water for an hour, then rinse, put in a pan with plenty of water, and simmer, covered, for 40-45 minutes, until tender. Drain, saving 150ml of the cooking water.
Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan over a medium heat and, when hot, add the cumin. Fry, stirring, until aromatic, then add the onion and turn down the heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly, until golden brown.
Meanwhile, use a food processor or stick blender to mash the garlic, ginger, most of the coriander (reserve some for serving) and chillies into a paste.
Transfer this to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring so it doesn’t catch on the bottom, then add the ground coriander, chilli powder and turmeric (and a splash of water to loosen, if needed), and cook for a couple more minutes.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, then the black badgers: if you’re using the tinned variety, add all the water from the tin, too; if you’ve cooked the badgers yourself, add the reserved cooking water. Season with salt, bring to a bubbling simmer, turn down the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes, or until thickened.
Stir in the greens, cook for a few minutes until wilted, then add the garam masala and vinegar. Leave to cool slightly before serving with the remaining coriander.
Anglum (British halloumi) and squash fritters
I use both rice and plain flour here, which I think is the key to the crispness of these fritters. If using two flours is a step too far, then plain, spelt or rice by themselves would work fine. If you are vegan, you could use grated firm tofu in place of the Anglum and skip the egg, adding a little water to loosen, if needed.
Prep 20 min
Cook 15 min
Makes 12 (serves 4)
100g rice flour
100g plain or white spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 bunch mint, leaves picked, half reserved, the rest roughly chopped
¼ butternut squash, peeled (about 250g)
1 x pack Anglum (about 225g)
from Kupros Dairy online or Farmdrop
Salt and black pepper
1 large organic egg
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Olive oil
Salad leaves or greens, to serve
Mix the flours, baking powder and chopped mint in a large bowl. Grate in the squash and cheese, mix well and season with salt (you may not need much, as the cheese may be salty) and black pepper.
Add the egg and vinegar, and mix well. If the batter looks too dry, add a little milk or water until it is spoonable.
Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan on a medium heat and add a generous drizzle of olive oil. Divide your mix into 12 balls, then squash each one down into a rough round. Carefully fry four to five fritters at a time, for a couple of minutes, until the edges are well-set, then flip and cook for another couple of minutes. Keep going until all your batter has been used up - drain on a plate covered with kitchen towel, then keep the cooked fritters warm in a low oven.
Serve three or four fritters per person with some vinaigrette-dressed salad leaves or flash-fried British greens. Leftover fritters keep well in the fridge for several days: just reheat them in an oven heated to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 for about 10 minutes.
