Aubergine and green bean curry

I've made twice as much of the curry paste as you need for this gorgeously rich curry – partly because it's easier to blend that way, but also because it's useful to have a second batch to hand for this or another veg curry. Keep it in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze it. Serves 3-4.

For the curry paste

3 shallots (or 1 onion), peeled and finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

1 thumb-sized pieces ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

1 lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers removed, finely sliced

3 green chillies (medium-hot), deseeded and roughly chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

0,5 tsp ground turmeric

For the curry

2 large aubergines

About 3 tbsp sunflower oil

150ml passata, or sieved roasted tomatoes

200ml tin coconut milk

150g french beans

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 handful chopped coriander leaves

40g cashews or almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)

Lime wedges, to serve

Put all the curry paste ingredients in a blender with a tablespoon of water; whizz to a coarse paste. If necessary, stop the motor a few times so you can scrape down the sides.

Cut each aubergine in half lengthways, cut each half into three lengthways, then halve each piece, so you end up with 12 wedges from each aubergine.

Heat two or three tablespoons of oil over a medium-high heat in a large, nonstick frying pan. Sauté the aubergine wedges in batches, until lightly browned, adding more oil as needed. As you remove each cooked batch from the pan, lay the wedges on kitchen paper to drain.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large, deep saucepan and add half the curry paste (refrigerate the rest for another use). Fry over medium heat, stirring constantly, for three to four minutes, then add the aubergines and stir for a minute or two until coated with the spice mixture. Add the passata and coconut milk, and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Add the french beans and simmer until tender – about five minutes.

Season generously, then stir in the chopped coriander. If using the nuts, scatter them over the top. Serve with lime wedges and rice.

Mexican tomato and bean soup

This fresh, piquant soup combines many of the ingredients you might find in a feisty salsa, but in this case they're all "souped up". Add more chillies if you like it hot; a handful of fresh sweetcorn kernels, sliced straight from the cob, is a good addition, too. Serves four to six.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

2 red onions, peeled and finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1-2 medium-hot fresh green chillies, such as jalapeño, deseeded and finely chopped

½ tsp ground cumin

600ml vegetable stock

200ml tomato passata, or sieved, roasted tomatoes

400g ripe tomatoes, cored, deseeded and finely chopped

400g tin black beans or black-eyed beans, drained and rinsed

1 handful fresh oregano leaves, roughly chopped

Pinch of sugar

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Juice of 1 lime

1 small handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped

To finish

4-6 tbsp soured cream (optional)

1 small handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium-low heat and sauté most of the onion (reserve a little for garnish at the end), stirring from time to time, for about five minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, chillies and cumin, and stir for a minute. Add the stock, passata, fresh tomatoes, beans, oregano and sugar, season and bring to a boil. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, remove from the heat and add the lime juice and coriander. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Serve topped with dollops of soured cream, if you like, and scattered with more coriander and freshly ground pepper.

Chillies/bell peppers stuffed with beans

I use fat, mildly piquant poblano chillies for this (buy them from peppersbypost.biz). If you can't get large, stuffable chillies, use small red or yellow bell peppers. Serves six as a starter, two to three as a main course.

6 large, fresh poblano, Beaver Dam or Hungarian hot wax chillies

1 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil

2-3 shallots (or 1 medium onion), peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

150g-200g tomatoes

400g tin beans (butter, borlotti or pinto), drained and rinsed

1 small bunch coriander, leaves picked and chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp hot smoked paprika

Sea salt and ground black pepper

For the garlicky yoghurt (optional)

6 tbsp full-fat plain yoghurt, or soured cream

½ clove garlic, crushed

Heat the grill to high. Put the chillies on a baking tray and grill, turning from time to time, until the skin begins to char. Leave until cool enough to handle, then peel off the skin, taking care to keep the chillies whole. Cut around and remove the stalks and a flap of flesh to form a "lid". Scrape out the seeds and membranes from inside the chillies and lids, and tip out any juice.

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat, then gently sauté the shallots and garlic until soft – about 10 minutes. Cut the tomatoes in half and grate their flesh straight into the pan, holding back the skin. Simmer for a minute or two to reduce slightly, then remove from the heat.

Add the drained beans to the pan and roughly mash some of them with a fork so they break up a little – don't overdo it, you want plenty of them to stay whole. Add coriander, cumin and paprika, mix and season. Stuff the mixture carefully into the chillies and top with the "lids". Place in a lightly oiled oven dish and bake for 20 minutes.

While the chillies are baking, combine the yoghurt with the crushed garlic, season and set aside.

Serve hot, with garlicky yoghurt and some crisp, green salad.

Chickpea stew with harissa and preserved lemons

Serves 4 generously, as a main course

tomatoes, stalks removed 800g

red peppers approximately 250g

olive oil 110ml

red wine vinegar 3 tbsp

cumin seeds 1 tsp

chickpeas 2 x 400g cans

preserved lemons 60g

harissa paste 1 tsp

a handful of basil leaves

To serve:

soft, Middle Eastern-style bread

1. Set the oven at 200C.
2. Cut each tomato into six and put into a baking dish.
3. Cut the peppers in half, tear out their stalks and seeds, cut the flesh into short chunks then add to the tomatoes.
4. Add 75ml of the oil, plus the vinegar, cumin and a grinding of black pepper and sea salt. Roast for 50 minutes to an hour until the pepper is soft and the tomatoes are soft and juicy.
5. Transfer the tomatoes and peppers from the roasting tin to a saucepan.
6. Drain the chickpeas of their canning liquid and rinse them under the cold tap. Mix the drained chickpeas with the tomatoes and peppers.
7. Chop the preserved lemon, discarding the soft inner pulp. Stir the harissa, chopped lemon and remaining olive oil into the chickpeas, place the pan over a moderate heat and leave to simmer for 10 minutes or till it is thoroughly hot and juicy.
8. Season with salt and coarse black pepper.
9. Fold the basil leaves into the tomatoes, letting them wilt in the heat. When the chickpeas are hot, transfer to a serving dish and serve with warm bread.

A quick flatbread

Makes 6 small flatbreads

strong, white, plain flour 450g

sea salt ½ tsp

caster sugar a good pinch

dried yeast a 7g sachet

warm water 300ml

Put the flour into the bowl of a food mixer then add the salt and sugar. Empty the yeast into a bowl, pour on enough water to make a thin paste, then stir in the rest. Pour on to the flour and mix until it forms a soft ball. Tip the dough out on to a floured board and knead, until it feels springy and elastic. Set aside in a bowl covered with a tea towel.

If you prefer to do this by hand, add the yeast and water to the flour and salt, mixing with your hands. Mix in the sugar then turn the lot on to a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 9–10 minutes, folding the far edge of the dough towards you and pushing it back into the dough. It should feel soft, springy and alive. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for an hour or so.

Set the oven to 250C. When your dough is about four times the size it was, break it into six pieces and push each into a slipper shape. Dust with flour and put them on a baking sheet. Bake at 250C for 5 minutes then turn the oven down to 220C. Continue baking for a further 5 minutes until the underside sounds hollow when you tap it.