FOOD & DRINK
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50 PLUS MAGAZINE
PAUL FOSTER
GREAT BRITISH CHEFS. Paul Foster is the owner and Head Chef at Salt in Stratford-upon-Avon.
From the industrial reaches of Coventry to sunny California, Paul Foster has made a name for himself cooking well-executed food with a focus on taste. His signature style of taking humble ingredients and giving them a gastronomic twist has seen him well placed as head chef at restaurants across the UK.
VEGAN CHICKPEA AND TOMATO BHUNA A quick, flavourful vegan curry that’s delicious either on its own or as part of a larger spread, this recipe from Paul Foster takes top quality tomatoes and chickpeas and cooks them in a spice-tempered oil with plenty of lime juice for freshness and acidity.
Ingredients • 3 large onions, chopped • 200ml of sunflower oil • 1 star anise • 5 cardamom pods • 1 tsp cumin seeds • 1 stick of lemongrass, bashed • 1 knob of ginger, 2 inches long, half chopped, half grated • 4 garlic cloves, chopped • 2 limes, zested and juiced • 1 tbsp of curry powder • 400g of Mutti Polpa chopped tomatoes, (1 tin) • 2 tbsp of Mutti Concentrato tomato purée • 300g of chickpeas, drained from a tin • salt • 1 handful of coriander, finely sliced • basmati rice, and/or flatbreads, to serve
Method • Pour the oil into a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and place over a medium heat. Add the star anise, cardamom, cumin seeds, lemongrass, garlic and the chopped ginger. Fry for a few minutes until very fragrant and the ingredients turn golden, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly • 20
Pass the oil through a fine sieve into a clean pan, discarding the solids. Place the pan back over a medium heat and fry the onions for 5 minutes until soft but not coloured. Pour in enough water to just cover the onions,
then leave to simmer until the water has evaporated and the onions start to release the absorbed oil, stirring regularly •
Add the curry powder and cook out for 2 minutes, then stir in the tomato purée and cook for a further minute. Pour in the tomatoes and chickpeas, give everything a good stir, then leave to simmer gently for 30 minutes
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When ready to serve, stir in the grated ginger along with the lime zest and juice. Season with salt, garnish with the coriander and serve with rice and/or flatbreads
