Meera says: “Classic. Spot-hitting. Dinner material.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• ½ cucumber (150g)
• 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• fine salt
• rapeseed oil
• 3½ tbsp ancho chilli flakes
• 6 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 350g jasmine rice
• 1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk
• 2 x 280g packs of extra-firm tofu, drained
• 5 tbsp cornflour
• ½ tsp Chinese five-spice
• 50g roasted salted peanuts, ground in a pestle and mortar

Method

First, make the cucumber pickle. Cut the cucumber in half lengthways, scoop out the seeds using a teaspoon and discard, then slice into thin – say 3mm – half-moons. Put the cucumber into a bowl with the vinegar and ½ teaspoon of salt, mix to combine and leave to one side.

Next, get the sambal going. Put 6 tablespoons (90ml) of oil, the ancho chilli flakes and the garlic into a saucepan, stir and set over a medium heat. When the garlic turns a pale gold and the chilli flakes crisp and sizzle (which may take around a minute), add the tomatoes, sugar and 1½ teaspoons of salt. Mix, cover with a three-quarter cocked lid and leave to bubble away over a gentle heat, stirring every now and then, for around 12 minutes, until rich, thick and delicious.

In the meantime, put the rice into a sieve and wash it under the cold tap until the water runs clear. Put into a pan with the coconut milk, 160ml of water and ½ teaspoon of salt, bring up to a boil, then cover the pan and turn down the heat to a whisper. Leave to cook for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave, lid on, to steam.

Pat the tofu blocks dry with kitchen paper, then cut them in half lengthways to form four slabs (around 7cm x 7cm x 3½cm).

Mix the cornflour, five-spice and ½ teaspoon of salt on a flat dish with a lip. Coat each side of the tofu slabs with the mixture, then transfer to a second plate. Put a thin layer of oil into a non-stick pan over a medium to high heat, lower in as many tofu blocks as will comfortably fit, and fry for 2 minutes on each side until golden and crisp, frying the edges by holding the tofu with tongs. Repeat with the remaining tofu.

To serve each portion, scoop a quarter of the rice into a small bowl, pack well and place a dinner plate over the top, then carefully flip upside down. Place a generous spoonful of sambal under and over the top of the tofu, and decorate with the cucumber pickle and crushed peanuts.

Meera says: “The only thing I know of to be more successful than this recipe in dispatching a whole bag of carrots is a horse. Roasted, the carrots’ natural sweetness counters the intensity of the aromatics and spices in this curried laksa and, along with the coconut milk, balance it out perfectly. On a separate note, it’s taken me ten years to finally write a recipe that uses a kilo of carrots for a main course. I’m so proud of it, I may just frame it and put it up next to my Grade 1 piano certificate in the downstairs bathroom.”

Note: Most of the ingredients in this recipe go straight into a blender to create the laksa paste. You can buy tofu puffs in Chinese supermarkets and online. Laksa noodles (medium rice vermicelli) are difficult to source; when I can’t find them, I use wheat ramen noodles or rice sticks instead.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the quick picked bean sprouts:

• 100g bean sprouts
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp salt

For the laksa:

• 1 kg carrots, peeled
• 2 tbsp + 75ml rapeseed oil
• 1 brown onion, chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 3cm x 3cm ginger, chopped
• 2 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves and the top third discarded, the rest chopped
• 15 fresh curry leaves
• fine salt
• 4 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 2 tsp mild curry powder
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 2½ tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk
• 240g (around 16) tofu puffs
• 320g medium rice vermicelli noodles
• 20g fresh Thai basil, leaves picked, to serve

Method

To make the pickle, pop the bean sprouts into a small heatproof bowl with the vinegar, salt and 150ml of freshly boiled water and leave to one side for 10 minutes, then drain.

Meanwhile, halve the carrots lengthways and chop into 3cm chunks. Place in a single layer on a large roasting tray or two, drizzle over 2 tablespoons of oil and sprinkle over ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix with your hands and roast for 40 minutes.

While the carrots are roasting, make the laksa paste. Place the 75ml of oil in a small blender along with the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, curry leaves,1¼ teaspoons of salt, chilli powder, curry powder and sugar and blend to a smooth paste. Scrape every last bit of the paste into a large pot, then rinse out the blender and keep to one side – you’ll need to use it again. Heat the paste in a large saucepan or pot over a medium flame for 12 minutes, stirring regularly, then add the soy sauce, coconut milk, carrots, tofu puffs and 850ml of water.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 8 minutes, then take a heaped ladleful of the carrots with some of the liquid and pop it into the blender. Blitz until smooth, then add back to the pot and stir. Turn the heat off and pop a lid on, while you cook the noodles according to packet instructions.

To serve, distribute the noodles across four bowls, then ladle the laksa and carrots between the bowls. Place a small pile of pickled bean sprouts on top, along with a few Thai basil leaves. 

Meera says: “Pad kra pao, which translates as ‘holy basil stir-fry’, is a contender for the most popular and beloved street-food dish of Thailand. I like to call it ‘kraPOW!’ because its starring ingredient, holy basil, has a very vibrant clove-meets-pepper flavour which, tossed through at the last minute, gives whopping great strength, beauty and vitality to this dish.”

Note: Kecap manis is a sweet, spice-infused soy-based sauce and, like holy basil, can be found in East Asian supermarkets. If you can’t find holy basil, substitute it with Thai basil.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 large aubergines (650g), cut into 2½cm cubes
• rapeseed oil
• salt
• 300g fine green beans, tailed
• 1 x 280g pack of extra-firm tofu, drained
• 4 banana shallots (250g), finely sliced
• 2cm x 2cm ginger, grated
• 7 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 3 bird’s-eye chillies, finely chopped
• 1½ tbsp rice vinegar
• 3 tbsp kecap manis
• 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1ó tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 25g fresh holy or Thai basil, leaves picked and torn
• 1 lime, halved

To serve:

• optional: 1 bird’s-eye chilli, finely sliced
• cooked jasmine rice (p 306)

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/gas 7.

Tip the aubergine on to a large baking tray (or two) lined with baking paper – make sure the cubes have plenty of room – drizzle with 4 tablespoons of oil, scatter over a teaspoon of salt, mix and roast for 30 minutes. Put the beans on top, stir so that the beans are coated in the oil

and roast for another 10 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender.

Pat the tofu dry with kitchen paper and cut into 1ócm cubes. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wide non-stick frying pan and fry the tofu until crispy and brown all over, then transfer to a plate.

Heat 2 more tablespoons of oil in the same pan, then add the shallots, ginger, garlic and chillies and fry, stirring, for 10 minutes, until the shallots are nice and soft. Add the vinegar, kecap manis, soy sauce and sesame oil, stir everything together and cook for 2 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the roasted vegetables, fried tofu and half the basil.

Squeeze over the lime, scatter with the remaining basil, add a little extra sliced chilli if you wish and serve with jasmine rice.