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In India, savoury filled pastries such as these tend to be bought from bakeries rather than made in the home. Coriander and fenugreek seeds give the chicken filling a depth of flavour that contrasts beautifully with the light and crisp puff pastry (I use ready-made puff pastry, which makes this snack quick and easy to prepare). Frying the fenugreek seeds in oil brings out their full nutty taste. The coriander seeds are dry-roasted separately first, then lightly crushed to add crunchy hits of flavour.

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Makes 10

plain flour, for dusting

500g (1lb 2oz) ready-rolled

puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

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For the filling

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds

2 onions, roughly chopped

300g (101/2oz) boneless, skinless

chicken breasts, cut into 1cm

(1/2in) cubes

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 tablespoons tomato purée

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 tablespoons double cream

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In a large pan, dry-roast the coriander seeds for few minutes over a low

heat until they start to change colour. Transfer the seeds to a mortar and

crush them lightly with the pestle.

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Using the same pan in which you dry-roasted the coriander seeds, heat

the oil over a medium-low heat and add the fenugreek seeds. Fry for about

1 minute until the seeds start to change colour, then add the onions and

cook for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Add the chicken, crushed

coriander seeds, salt, chilli powder and ground coriander and mix well.

Add the tomato purée and cook for roughly 10 minutes until the chicken is

cooked through. Then stir the garam masala and cream into the chicken

mixture and take the pan off the heat. Leave to cool.

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Preheat the oven to 190°C (375ºF), Gas Mark 5. Lightly flour a baking tray.

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On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle

measuring roughly 50cm x 25cm (20in x 10in). Keeping one of the longer

edges of the rectangle closest to you, divide the pastry horizontally in half,

then cut vertically across both halves at 10cm (4in) intervals to produce

10 small rectangles of pastry.

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Put 1 heaped tablespoonful of the cooled chicken filling on one side of

a pastry rectangle, avoiding the edges, then brush the edges with some

beaten egg. Fold the rectangle in half and seal the sides by pressing with

a fork. Repeat with the remaining pastry rectangles and filling. Brush the

tops of the parcels with beaten egg.

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Transfer the parcels to the prepared baking tray and bake them for

35–40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. These pastries are best

eaten on the day they are made. The filling will keep, refrigerated, in an

airtight container for up to 4 days.

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Pistachio, cardamom and white chocolate cake

I like to encourage people to bake with the ingredients they love, but to use them with innovation. For this cake I use one of my favourite spices, cardamom, which has a fl oral, citrusy quality that combines gorgeously with pistachios and milky white chocolate. This flavour combination reminds me of sweet, spicy, milky Indian desserts. They’re lovely and comforting… just like this cake.

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Serves 10–12

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For the cake

225g (8oz) unsalted butter,

softened

225g (8oz) caster sugar

4 large eggs

250g (9oz) self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cardamom seeds,

crushed to a fine powder

100ml (3 ½ Ìýoz) milk

50g (1 ¾ oz) pistachio nuts,

roughly chopped

50g (1 ¾ oz) white chocolate chips

For the icing and decoration

150g icing sugar, sifted

150g (5 ½ oz) white chocolate

150g (5 ½ oz) unsalted butter,

softened

few drops of vanilla extract

handful of pistachio nuts,

finely chopped

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Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF), Gas Mark 4. Grease 2 x 20cm (8in)

round cake tins and line them with nonstick baking paper.

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To make the cake, cream the butter and sugar together with an electric

whisk or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, 1 at a time, ensuring that each addition is well incorporated

before adding the next. Now add the flour, baking powder, cardamom and

milk. Beat for 1 minute until the mixture is light and creamy. Now fold in

the pistachios and white chocolate chips with a spatula. Once mixed, fill the

prepared tins equally with the batter. Bake for 30 minutes until a skewer

inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Leave the cakes to

cool in the tins.

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Once the cakes are completely cool, make the icing. Break the white

chocolate into a heatproof bowl and set it over a pan of steaming water until

melted, ensuring that the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water beneath

it. Leave it to cool slightly. Now cream the butter in a separate bowl and add

the melted chocolate and vanilla extract. Mix well until light and creamy.

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Spread half the icing on 1 cake, then align the second layer on top. Spread

the remaining icing on top and sprinkle with the chopped pistachios. This

cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

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