Qorma e Zardak

I was really hoping that the number of flavours in this would distract him from thinking this was just carrot & split pea stew. It would be fun to tell him dinner is carrots and peas and see how much protesting he does. It’s from Afghanistan

2 medium onions, chopped

2 tbsp oil

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 Scotch bonnet chilli

1 cm fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp ea cumin & coriander

600g whole baby carrots, trimmed (Chantenay would be great)

300g yellow split peas

1 tbsp tomato puree

3 large tomatoes, chopped

Salt to taste

2 tsp vinegar

500ml veg stock

Fry the onions and when they soften, add the ginger, garlic and chilli. After a few minutes, add the spices, carrots and split peas. After a few more minutes, add the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes. Stir in and add the vinegar and stock and add the salt. Cook for 45 mins to 1 hour. A whole hour to spend with the young man. Treat him to a beer – watch TV with him, whatever he wants. Let it be his time.

Serve with flatbreads and the following salad:

½ cucumber

3 tomatoes

4 spring onions

Handful each coriander and mint (traditionally slightly more mint than coriander)

1 small onion

2 green chillies

Salt

Juice of 2 lemons

Chop everything up and squeeze over the lemon juice.

Not just carrots & split peas by a long shot. Generally the boy seems not to be put off vegetarian food so long as it’s interesting. He also has some theory about how fresh veg will improve his football. Watch him pick the chillies out of the salad though.