Dhal Poached Eggs With Herby Raita Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onions for 5 mins until they start to colour. Stir in the spices, garlic and chilli, and cook for a few more seconds until aromatic.
• Add the lentils, chickpeas and stock, then cook, uncovered, for 15 mins until the lentils are tender. Stir in the spinach until wilted.
• Remove half the dhal from the pan and leave to cool. Will keep chilled for up to three days. Break 4 eggs, spaced apart, into the lentils that are left in the pan, cover and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 mins.
• Meanwhile, put all the ingredients for the raita in a bowl and blitz together using a hand blender.
• Serve the eggs and dhal with half the raita and scatter over a few extra coriander leaves, if you like. The remaining raita will keep chilled for up to three days. Reheat the remaining dhal in a pan over a medium heat until bubbling. Add a drop of water if it looks dry, then cook the eggs in the hot dhal as described in step 3 and serve with the remaining raita.

Steps:

• Cook the spinach in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat for a few minutes until wilted. Transfer to a food processor, then return the pan to the heat and melt the butter. Cool the butter for a minute, then pour into the food processor with the spinach. Crack in one egg and blitz until the spinach is finely chopped (a few green flecks are fine).
• Mix the flour, nutmeg and baking powder together, then add to the food processor and blitz to combine. Pour in 250ml milk and blitz for another 1-2 mins until a batter forms. If you prefer thinner pancakes, add another 50ml milk. Pour the batter into a jug or bowl.
• Mix the yogurt with the harissa in a small bowl to taste. Set aside. Return the pan to a medium-low heat. When the residual butter in the pan is sizzling, pour in a ladleful of batter and cook for 2 mins until the top of the pancake is nearly set. Flip and cook for another 1 min until cooked and lightly golden. Transfer to a baking tray inside a low oven to keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the batter, making four to six pancakes.
• Crack the remaining eggs into ramekins. Bring a pan of water to a simmer, add a drop of vinegar and stir to create a gentle whirlpool. Tip in one egg and cook for 3-4 mins until the white is set. Lift onto kitchen paper to drain using a slotted spoon. Repeat with the remaining egg. Top the pancakes with the harissa yogurt, poached eggs and a sprinkling of nigella seeds, if you like.

Steps:

• Put the sugar into a medium pan with 150ml water. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then add the apricots and simmer for 15 mins until soft. Take off the heat, splash in the rosewater and leave to cool. Spoon into glasses to serve, topped with a few dollops of the yogurt and a scattering of nuts.

Steps:

• First, make the salsa by mixing together all the ingredients. Season and put in the fridge while you make the sweetcorn cakes.
• For the cakes, put the cottage cheese and eggs in a large mixing bowl, whisk together until smooth, then stir in the sweetcorn, coriander and garlic. Fold the flour, spices and bicarbonate into the batter and season.
• Heat 1 tsp sunflower oil in a non-stick frying pan. When the oil is hot, spoon 3 tbsp of the batter mixture into the pan for each cake - you should be able to cook 3 cakes at a time. Fry for 3-4 mins until golden brown on the underside, then flip over and cook for another 3-4 mins or until golden and cooked through. Repeat until all the batter is used up, putting the cooked cakes in a low oven to keep warm while you fry each batch.
• Bring a large pan of water to the boil, then turn down until barely boiling. Crack one egg at a time into a small bowl, then gently slide into the water. Cook the eggs for about 4 mins until the whites are firm but the yolks are still runny, then remove from the water with a slotted spoon.
• To serve, divide the cakes between 4 plates, then top each stack with some slices of avocado and a poached egg. Season the eggs with black pepper, then scatter over the rocket. Serve with the salsa and lime wedges on the side.

Steps:

• The salmon fillets need to be skinless and boneless, so if you can't get your fishmonger to do it, you'll need to do it yourself: to remove the pin bones, stroke your hand along the flesh side of the fillets and use tweezers or pliers to pull out any bones you come across. Then, to remove the skin, you'll need a very sharp knife, preferably a filleting knife. Take each fillet in turn and place skin -side down on the board with the narrowest end facing you. Slide your knife in between the skin and the flesh from the tail end, and wiggle your knife to loosen and pull away the skin. Firmly take hold of the tail skin you have loosened and, working away from yourself, cut along the length of the fish, while moving the knife side to side. Keep the blade of your knife as flat and close to the skin as possible so as not to leave any flesh on the skin. Repeat with the second fillet.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Take a very large sheet of extra-wide foil (turkey foil works well), and lightly brush with olive oil. Place one salmon fillet on the foil and scatter over the sliced lemons, dill and half the fennel, and season generously. Place the second salmon fillet on top, domed side up. Season and drizzle with the wine.
• Top with a second sheet of greased foil and fold up the edges to enclose the salmon in a parcel. Make the parcel quite loose so there is room for the steam. Lift onto a large baking tray and cook for 1 hr then remove and allow to rest in the foil for 10 mins.
• While the salmon cooks, make the mayonnaise. Place the yolks and the mustard in a medium bowl, adding a pinch of salt, if you like. Pour the oil into a jug as you will need a controlled steady stream. Briefly whisk the eggs and start to drizzle on the oil very slowly, starting with a few drips at a time while continuously whisking.
• Continue adding the oil. When the mayonnaise starts to come together, you can add the oil slightly quicker. Continue until all the oil has been added. If the mayonnaise curdles at any point, you can rescue it by cracking another yolk into a clean bowl and whisking the curdled mayonnaise into the fresh egg. Continue doing this then add any remaining oil.
• When your mayonnaise is made, slowly stir in the vinegar and enough of the lemon juice to your taste - add more if you like it quite lemony. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the chopped herbs. Keep chilled until the salmon is ready.
• Mix the cucumber with some of the dill and the rest of the fennel. When the salmon has rested, cut the foil open and use two fish slices to carefully transfer the fish to a long serving platter. Sprinkle with the dill and garnish with lemon cheeks. Serve with the herby mayonnaise and cucumber salad.