Sweet Potato Muffins

I had some sweet potatoes that needed using up so, I totally winged this recipe and I'm amazed how they turned out! I've never had much luck with muffins recipes, but these turned out light, fluffy and delicious! They're accidentally vegan, if only because I didn't have any butter or eggs so I used vegetable oil and tofu! Tofu, in a cake you say? Madness! But they turned out great, you'd never know!

Makes 10

• 250 g sweet potato, finely grated
• 250 g self raising flour
• 2 tbsp rye flour (or wholemeal, optional)
• 120 ml vegetable oil
• 100 g tofu, mashed
• 50 g golden raisins or sultanas
• 170 g sugar
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp ground ginger

1. Mix everything up in a big bowl to a smooth consistency.
2. Preheat your oven to 190C.
3. Spoon into muffin cases (I use silicone ones, much easier). The mixture should come to the top of the casing so it bulges outward in the classic muffin-top shape.
4. Pop into the hot oven for 25-30 minutes.
5. Leave to cool, pop on the kettle, and enjoy!

Variations

For that extra bit of indulgence and style give them a cream cheese icing, like a carrot cake. They're quite delicious by themselves.

Orange zest would also be a good touch, I didn't have any! For a nutty crunch add a handful of chopped walnuts, pecans or sunflower seeds.

Bhindi Masala (Curried Okra)

It's been a while since I made anything Indian but in the supermarket I spotted frozen okra, and decided to experiment with something spicy to chase away the winter chill!

I've hardly every cooked okra, or bhindi as it's called in the Subcontinent. Bhindi Masala is a classic Punjabi dish that's flavoursome but without much heat. Apologies to purists but I added Quorn to give it texture and protein: leave it out if it offends you! I used frozen okra/bhindi which seems quite widely available and is simpler to deal with for novices like myself.

Either make the spice paste with dry spices, or substitute a mild curry paste like a Rogan Josh - it will say on the jar how much to use. Don't overcook okra as they can get a slimy if overdone.

• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small thumb gingeer
• 2 tsp paprika or medium chilli powder
• 3 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 tsp ground coriander or whole seeds
• 300g frozen chopped okra/bhindi
• 4 Quorn fillets, defrosted (omit for a vegan version)

1. Put all the ingredients except the okra and Quorn in a blender with a splash of vegetable oil and whiz till a smooth paste.
2. Fry the Quorn fillets on both sides in a frying pan for a few minutes until browned. Remove and chop into chunks.
3. In the hot pan, fry the spice mixture for five minutes or so until the onions have lost their pungency. I recommend turning your extractor fan to maximum!
4. Add the frozen okra along with the chopped Quorn and stir in, making sure everything is well coated. Add about a cupful of water to make a thick sauce.
5. Cook for about ten minutes on a moderate heat until the okra cooks through and everything comes together, 
6. At the end, take off the heat and stir in a tablespoon of natural yoghurt. Serve on a plate with a spoon of yoghurt on top and a sprinkle of paprika for garnish.

Serve with rice and/or flatbreads - my next post will show you how simple it is to make quick flatbreads from scratch!