LAMB KOFTAS WITH A SPICED TOMATO SALAD AND WHITE BEAN PURÉE / EASY YOGHURT NAAN / UPSIDE DOWN PINEAPPLE AND CARDAMOM CAKE

A couple of years ago on a heady and gluttonous trip to Rajasthan, I watched an actual princess (I’m not joking) in Udaipur make kofta as she told the story of an elderly Nawab (or king) of Lucknow who had lost his teeth but none of his appetite, so his chefs devised wee patties of ground meat that were silky smooth and soft enough for the old boy to eat. The kofta recipe below is based on the notes I took. It’s gorgeous.

Take note of that yoghurt naan recipe. It’s a banger. Make a point of trying to remember the very simple quantities, because once you do, you’ll find yourself making it like clockwork. It is very handy in a bind, and takes all of fifteen minutes from beginning to end.

Some things, like a kiwifruit hollandaise or just about anything in aspic, are best left in the past, but there’s something almost obscenely, guiltily good about an upside down cake. What’s not to like? The theatricality of the big flip and reveal; the delicious caramelisation of the fruit. You can do it with plenty of different fruits but I rather fancy pineapple in this cake. Splendidly retro.

Have a lovely week, everyone.

S xx