Rachel and Esther say: “Trade in the classic, old-school coronation chicken for this fresh and fragrant veggie version (which can easily become vegan) made with spiced roasted wedges of cauliflower, a fresh yoghurt dressing and lots of fresh herbs. The spices are ramped up with the addition of Kashmiri chilli powder and heady garam masala. You can use this sauce in other ways, too. Mix it with chickpeas (garbanzos) or hard-boiled chopped eggs and squish it between sourdough for a delicious vegetarian coronation sandwich.” 

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 50g (2 oz/generous ½ cup) flaked (slivered) almonds
• 1 large cauliflower
• 3 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1½ tablespoons vegetable or rapeseed (canola) oil
• 50 g (2 oz) pomegranate seeds
• 3 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
• ½ bunch of coriander (cilantro), leaves picked and torn
• small handful of mint leaves
• 1 green chilli, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon nigella seeds
• sea salt

For the dressing:

• 150g (5 oz) full-fat (whole) Greek yoghurt or soy dairy-free yoghurt
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons mild curry powder
• 2 tablespoons mango chutney
• juice of 2 limes

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (350°F/gas 6). For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Season with salt and set aside in the fridge.

Toast the flaked almonds in a small dry frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Leave to cool slightly.

Sit the cauliflower on a cutting board and cut it into 6 wedges, keeping the leaves attached. Toss the cauliflower and leaves with the garam masala, turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder, oil and a good pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl. Spread out onto a large baking sheet and roast for 25–35 minutes until tender; you should be able to pierce it with a cutlery knife.

Arrange the cauliflower on a serving platter, then spoon over the yoghurt dressing. Scatter over the toasted almonds, pomegranate seeds, spring onions, coriander, mint, sliced green chilli and nigella seeds, and finish with a little extra salt, if you like. Serve.

Extra ideas

• Garam masala is delicious when roasted with nuts.

Rachel and Esther say: “The combination of oozy burrata and crunchy, fragrant coriander seeds was made famous at Ottolenghi’s London restaurant Nopi. He pairs his with sliced ripe peaches or blood orange according to the season. This salad, inspired by the fragrant pop of coriander seeds and its creamy cheese pairing, uses ripe summer tomatoes, (bell) peppers and a vinegar and caper dressing that cuts through the rich flavours. In the winter, swap the tomatoes and peppers for roasted long-stem broccoli or thickly sliced roasted Delicia pumpkin, for an equally delicious plateful.” 

Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main

Ingredients

• 3 large red (bell) peppers
• 4 large ripe tomatoes, quartered
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• pinch of chilli (hot pepper) flakes or Aleppo chilli pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• small handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
• 2 burrata cheeses
• toasted focaccia or sourdough, to serve

Method

Heat the grill (broiler) to its highest setting. Place the peppers under the grill and cook for 20–30 minutes, turning once, until blackened and charred. Set aside to cool completely, then peel off the skins, remove the seeds and slice the flesh into 1 cm (1⁄2 in) strips. Transfer to a bowl.

Heat a griddle pan over a high heat until almost at smoking point. Add the tomatoes and griddle for 1–2 minutes until they have char marks. Add these to the bowl with the peppers.

Add the coriander seeds and chilli flakes to a small, dry frying pan (skillet) and toast over a medium heat for 3 minutes until fragrant. Transfer to a pestle and mortar and lightly grind, then add to the bowl with the peppers and tomatoes. Whisk the olive oil and vinegar together in a small bowl, then pour this over the top. Stir in the capers, salt and most of the basil.

Spoon everything on to a plate and top with the burrata, the remaining basil and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with toasted focaccia or sourdough.

Extra ideas

• Fry crushed coriander seeds in butter, then drizzle over a pumpkin soup.
• Use coriander seeds to top a dip – they work well on top of hummus or a yoghurt-based dip with lots of dill and olive oil.
• Marinated spiced lemon olives – Mix 150 g (5 oz/generous 1 cup) black and green olives (pitted or unpitted) with 150 ml (5 fl oz/2⁄3 cup) extra virgin olive oil, 1 sliced preserved lemon, 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds and some sprigs of lemon thyme. Pour into a large jar, cover with a lid and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 2 days. Enjoy alongside a cold drink as an aperitivo.

Rachel and Esther say: “Ancho, as one of the milder Mexican chillies, has a mellow fruitiness that lends itself well to pairing with other fragrant flavours, such as lime and coriander. The fregola (a small pasta shape from Sardinia) gives this salad a substantial bite that takes it into dinner or lunch territory. If you want to enjoy it as a side, simply omit the prawns (shrimp) and increase the amount of corn. It’s delicious served alongside smoky barbecued meats.” 

Serves 4 

Ingredients

• 200g (7 oz/generous ¾ cup) fregola, giant couscous or pearl couscous
• 300g (10½ oz) extra-large king prawns (jumbo shrimp)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 teaspoons ancho chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
• large bunch of coriander (cilantro), half chopped, half torn
• 4 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
• sea salt

For the dressing:

• 3 limes, grated zest of 1 and juice of all 3, plus extra wedges to serve
• 4 tablespoons rapeseed (canola) oil or olive oil
• ½ garlic clove, finely grated
• ½ red chilli, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 green chilli, seeded and thinly sliced

Method

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the whole corn-on-the-cobs and boil for 5 minutes, then drain and leave to steam-dry for 5 minutes. Heat a large griddle or frying pan (skillet) over a high heat. Add the corn and cook for 15 minutes, turning frequently until blackened and charred. Set aside to cool.

Cook the fregola in a saucepan of salted water according to the packet instructions. Drain and leave to cool slightly before transferring to a large bowl. Sit the corncobs on their ends and, using a serrated knife, cut downwards to remove the corn kernels. Stir these into the fregola. Set aside.

To make the dressing, whisk together the lime zest and juice, rapeseed oil and garlic in a small bowl. Add the chillies and season with salt.

Shell the prawns if they are not shelled already. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a high heat, then add the prawns and fry for 1 minute. When they begin to turn pink, quickly mix in the ancho chilli powder, ground coriander and paprika, and cook for a further 1 minute. Season with salt.

Pour the dressing over the fregola and corn, then add the chopped coriander and spring onions and toss together. Pile on to a serving plate, then top with the prawns and torn coriander and serve.

Quick tips

• Add 2 teaspoons ancho chilli powder to your favourite chilli con carne recipe.

The Modern Spice Rack by Rachel Walker and Esther Clark (£22, Hardie Grant) is out now