Tandoori fried Halloumi and Tarka Daal

I’ve had a few requests from friends for something like this so here it is: another veggie one using Halloumi.

I’m a fan of Halloumi, it’s versatile and a nice robust centre for any veggie meal. Combined with some Indian staples this is one of my favourite meat free dishes. Indian cuisine has a huge amount to offer with delicious, nutritious, cheap, easy food which is so much more than your average Friday night take away curry analogue. In fact this blog has some excellent, creative south western Indian ideas. I tend to make the tarka daal in large batches and freeze it as it keeps well proving quick delicious meals when you’re in a hurry.

Start with the daal, measure out multiples of 250g of the chana daal (yellow dried split peas) and rince them until the water is clear. Add 1L of water for every 250g of peas, season, bring to the boil then simmer until they are tender; usually about 45mins of slow simmering, sometimes less.

skim off most of the foam as it develops on the top.

Meanwhile make the curry component. For this you need some variation on the following:

left to right: Garam masala, cumin seed, coriander (fresh and powdered), tomato, chilli, onion, root ginger, turmeric. 

There are loads of variations on this so don’t feel constrained by this recipe, almost any ‘curry’ will do, this is what I like however.

Chop the veg, and toast the cumin seeds to wake the flavours, add groundnut oil then the veg and fry until softened. I’ve chosen not to chop the chilli here to keep some of it’s heat in, chopping will make the dish hotter. I’ve also added far more chilli to this dish, again personal preference.

Finely chopped stock veg like carrot and celery go well here.

Add the tomato, some tomato purée, seasoning, the ground spices in your preferred ratio.

Top tip: to loosen the mixture and get the most from your tomato rinse the tin with some water from the boiling peas.

At this stage I add 2 cardamom pods and a star anise, again entirely optional. Put some rice on using the absorption method (rinse the rice, add 2 measures of water for every measure of rice, season with salt and maybe turmeric, bring to the boil, stir once, leave for 2 mins, cover and remove from the heat, allow the rice to take up the water) then simmer everything until the flavours have combined and the peas are cooked.

lots of good things happening right now!

Once cooked add the 2 components together and mix. Taste and adjust the seasoning as you see fit; if the consistency is too runny heat for a little longer over a low heat being careful the mixture doesn’t catch. Chop the coriander leaf and mix through.

 The last part is the Halloumi. Chop the cheese and dust in equal parts flour and Tandoori Masala, season to taste.

Spice mix, flour and salt on a plate

chop one block of Halloumi

mix the spice, flour and salt.

turn and coat all the slices

Fry in a some very hot oil being careful not to overcrowd the pan.

Fry until the flour and spice turns golden

Serve with generous amounts of lime pickle and mango chutney.

My go-to Halloumi starter

At the request of a vegetarian friend of mine here’s a short one today: Halloumi, what a cheese! Allowing vegetarians to pretend their eating meat since ancient Egyptian times; thanks Cyprus!

Check out my cheese flaps!

A go to super simple starter I’ve been cooking for years but that goes down really well is fried Halloumi with a lime, caper and coriander dressing.

The dresing

Start with the zest and juice of a lime or two and add them to a jar with some capers and their juice.

Jars for the saving of washing up.

Bung in some olive oil, I’m using home made lemon, ginger and chilli oil. Fresh ginger cut fine works well at this point.

Hat tip to my good friend Mike for this batch of oil.

Add a little sugar, a little Dijon mustard (optional) and a large bunch of chopped coriander.

This will keep in the fridge for a surprisingly long time so make plenty!

Done!

Halloumi

Cover a plate with about 3 parts flour to one part good paprika. I have a Hungarian friend who brings the stuff direct from source. Hungarian Paprika, I have been convinced, being the best in the world.

Seasoning mix, with a little salt and pepper.

Hungarian Paprika, this is a seasoning variety. A meal sprinkled with this and served with a measure of my friend’s father’s palinka is a wonderful thing: egészségedre!

Slice the cheese and then turn in the seasoning mix.

Ready for the pan.

Shallow fry the cheese in extremely hot, good quality rapeseed oil aiming for that sweet spot where it’s crispy on the outside, gooey in the middle. If it goes squeaky through a tiny bit of over cooking then I think it’s just as tasty! The key is to move them as little as possible to allow a crust to form.

Like non-meat meat! for mighty boosh fans – “cheese is a type of meat, a tasty yellow beef!”

Serve A on B and enjoy!

Put the rest of the dressing on the table for the extra spoons that will inevitably go!

Other Halloumi recipes coming soon:

• Tandoori fried Halloumi with veg curry and aromatic rice
• Halloumi and polenta strips with tomato vegetable ratatouille
• BBQ Halloumi, tomato and basil salad.

Charles

Tandoori Halloumi, veg curry and aromatic rice with home made raita.

Halloumi and polenta with vegetable ratatouille.

Update: I used this as a quick starter for our valentines meal this year, disgustingly adorable I know but I’d been out all day watching rugby so needed to claw it back a bit!

same recipe but heart shaped with fried, buttered dough balls.