Henry Firth and Ian Theasby, nicknamed by The Times as ‘the vegan Jamie Olivers’, are on a mission to show the world just how versatile cooking plant-based foods can be. Their first cookbook was the highest-selling vegan cookbook ever, and now their new cookbook Bish Bash Bosh! is set to make us feel inspired to get creative in the kitchen all over again.
This is an extract from Bish Bash Bosh! by Henry Firth and Ian Theasby (HQ Non Fiction, $39.99)
CURRY HOUSE JALFREZI
The spicy and flavourful jalfrezi has now overtaken tikka masala as Britain’s favourite curry! This curry stock can be prepared in advance and frozen or kept in the fridge in an airtight container, so make a big batch to save time. Be sure to taste the curry as you go to get the perfect balance, as spices can vary in strength and flavour.
SERVES 3–4
Ingredients
1 large aubergine
4 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
1 onion
1 red pepper
small bunch fresh coriander
5 green bird’s-eye chillies
1 tsp garam masala
3 tbsp curry powder
8 tbsp tomato purée
12 cherry tomatoes
½–2 tsp hot chilli powder
500g cooked basmati rice, or
use 2 x 250g bags microwavable
basmati rice, to serve salt
FOR THE CURRY STOCK
1 onion
2-inch piece fresh ginger
5 garlic cloves
500ml + 1 tbsp water
½ fresh red chilli
3 cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
¼ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground fenugreek
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp paprika
Method
Preheat grill to 200°C | Baking tray | Medium saucepan on a medium-high heat | Liquidiser
First cook the aubergine | Trim the aubergine and cut it into 2cm chunks | Spread over the baking tray | Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons oil and a good pinch of salt | Toss to coat | Grill for 15 minutes, turning occasionally | Remove when golden brown all over but not burnt
Meanwhile, make the stock | Peel and finely chop the onion | Peel the ginger by scraping off the skin with a spoon and grate | Peel and grate the garlic | Put the ginger and garlic into a bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon water to make a paste
Finely chop the red chilli and tomatoes | Pour the oil into the saucepan | Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes | Add a teaspoon of the ginger and garlic paste | Add all the remaining spices and half the water and stir | Simmer for 10 minutes, until browned and reduced completely | Pour in the rest of the water, stir and transfer to the liquidiser | Blend to a smooth liquid | Clean out the pan
Back to the curry | Peel and finely slice the onion | Cut the pepper in half and cut out the stem and seeds, then finely slice | Pick the leaves from the coriander | Finely chop the stems and roughly chop the leaves | Trim and finely slice two of the chillies | Quarter the tomatoes
Pour the remaining oil into the clean saucepan | Place over a high heat | Add the onion, pepper and sliced chillies and fry for 3 minutes, stirring regularly | Stir in the chopped coriander stems and remaining ginger and garlic paste | Add the curry powder, garam masala, ¼ teaspoon hot chilli powder, tomato purée, grilled aubergines and stock | Taste and add more salt, garam masala and chilli powder if needed | Stir in the tomatoes | Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly
thickened
Transfer to a serving dish | Cut the remaining chillies in half lengthways and use them to garnish the curry along with the chopped coriander leaves | Serve with the rice
CAMEMBOSH! HEDGEHOG
This always generates big smiles in all who behold it! Big thanks to Ellie from KindaCo (makers of incredible plantbased cheeses) for the original recipe, which we collaborated on together in the early days of BOSH!. Tapioca flour is crucial for the gooeyness, so do seek some out. To get ahead, make the cheese the day before and keep it in the fridge.
SERVES 6
Ingredients
75g cashews
1 x 400g fresh tiger loaf
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp tapioca flour
1½ tsp salt
3 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
150ml warm water
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 tsp olive oil
black pepper
FOR THE HERB OIL
2 garlic cloves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
8 tbsp olive oil
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C | Line a 12cm ovenproof dish with parchment paper | Small saucepan of boiling water on a medium heat | Pestle and mortar, optional | Baking sheet | Kettle boiled
First make the cheese | Add the cashews to the pan of hot water and boil for 20 minutes to soften | Remove from the heat, drain and leave to cool
Prepare the loaf | Use a bread knife to cut even slices across the top of the loaf, 3cm apart, making sure you don’t cut all the way through as the base needs to remain intact | Turn the loaf 90 degrees and cut across the first slices to make a criss-cross pattern
To make the herb oil, peel and roughly chop the garlic | Remove the leaves from the rosemary by running your thumb and forefinger from the top to the base of the stems (the leaves should easily come away) and finely chop | Put the garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper into the mortar and bash them with the pestle to make a paste (or put the ingredients in a small bowl and use the end of a rolling pin) | Pour the olive oil into the mortar and mix with a fork
Put the loaf on the baking sheet | Use a pastry brush or teaspoon to drizzle the herb oil deep inside the cuts | Put the baking sheet in the oven and cook for 25–30 minutes, until golden and toasted
Meanwhile, finish the cheese | Peel one of the garlic cloves and put it in the liquidiser | Add the drained cashews, tapioca flour, salt, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar and warm water | Blend to a smooth cream
Pour the cashew cream into the saucepan, taste and season | Put the saucepan on a medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes until slightly thickened | Pour into the parchment-lined dish
Peel the remaining clove of garlic and cut it into sticks | Remove the rosemary needles | Gently push the garlic sticks and rosemary needles into the top of the cheese so that they stick out the top | Drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle over a little black pepper
When ready to serve, put the cheese in the oven alongside the bread and bake for the final 12–15 minutes until the cheese has formed a skin and the colour has darkened
Take the bread and cheese out of the oven | Serve immediately
MINI BANOFFEE MERINGUES
It’s a joyous and magical experience to watch a drizzle of chickpea water turn into a fluffy, sweet meringue mix! If you have one, use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment for this recipe as in our experience hand-whisks don’t have the power to get to stiff peaks.
MAKES 18
Ingredients
140ml aquafaba (the
drained water from 1 x
400g tin chickpeas)
½ tsp cream of tartar
100g caster sugar
2–3 bananas
25g dark chocolate
FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE
150g caster sugar
120ml coconut milk
a pinch of salt
½ tsp dairy-free butter
FOR THE CASHEW CREAM
150g cashews
600ml coconut milk
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ banana
Method
Stand mixer | Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper | Preheat oven to 180°C | Frying pan | Small saucepan | Liquidiser
Pour the aquafaba into the mixer | Turn the mixer on to high and leave it running | Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat | After 2 minutes add the caster sugar, one spoonful at a time | Beat on high for 10–15 minutes | It’s ready when the aquafaba has magically transformed into a thick, meringue-like mixture that won’t fall off a spoon turned upside down
Spoon the meringue mixture on to the lined baking sheets to make nests about 8cm wide, no more than 1½cm high and smooth on top, leaving 5cm between them | You should end up with about 18 nests (you can draw 8cm circles on the parchment paper, then flip over the paper and use them as templates)
Put the trays in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 100°C | Bake for 2 hours, then turn off the heat, leave the door closed and let the meringues cool completely, preferably overnight | Cooling the meringues overnight in the oven allows them to set properly and reduces the chances of them cracking due to sudden changes in temperature.
To make the caramel sauce, put a frying pan on a medium heat | Pour in the sugar, 75ml of the coconut milk and the salt | Bring to a boil, whisking continuously | Once the mixture has turned caramel in colour, remove from the heat | Add the rest of the coconut milk and the dairy-free butter, stir through and transfer to a bowl
To make the cashew cream, put the small saucepan over a medium heat | Add the nuts and 400ml of the coconut milk | Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until most of the coconut milk has evaporated | Transfer to the liquidiser | Add the icing sugar, vanilla and remaining 200ml coconut milk | Add the banana half to the liquidiser | Blend until really smooth.
Place your meringue nests on serving plates | Peel 2–3 bananas and cut them into long diagonal slices (the longer they are the more beautiful they will look) | Lay half the slices on top of the meringues | Cover the bananas with dollops of coconut cream | Top with 1 or 2 more banana slices and lashings of caramel syrup | Finely grate over the chocolate and serve.
