This month’s recipe features a vegetarian dish which would work just as well for a starter. However served in slightly bigger portions, as below, it makes an impressive main dish for vegetarians. You could really use your imagination and substitute pretty much anything you like for the filling.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 8 medium Desiree potatoes, peeled
• 8 cups water
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Oil for frying

For the filling

• 4 dried figs cut into ½ cm dices
• 1 tablespoon raisins
• 1.5 tablespoons paneer, cut into ½ cm dices
• ½ tablespoon cashew nuts, fried and crushed lightly
• 1 popadom, fried and crushed lightly
• 1 inch piece of ginger, chopped
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
• ½ teaspoon salt
• juice of ½ lime

For the marinade

• 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon single cream
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the sauce

• 400g tomatoes cut in half
• ½ inch piece of ginger, crushed
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 2 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ cup water
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 25g butter, diced
• 3 tablespoons single cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves, crushed to a powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Method:

Trim the potatoes from all sides using a sharp knife to make them cylindrical in shape. Now, scoop out the inside part using a pointed peeler or knife to leave a shell, hollow from one side with ½ cm thick edges and bottom. Repeat the same for the other potatoes. Cut the trimmings into ½ cm dices and keep aside.

Boil the water with salt and turmeric in a sauce pan. Place the potatoes in it and bring to a boil again. Drain and dry the potatoes using kitchen paper.

Heat the oil for frying in a deep frying pan and fry the potatoes in a medium heat until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove and leave to drain on kitchen paper. Now, fry the potato dices until they are golden brown. Drain and dry on kitchen paper.

To make the filling, mix all the ingredients with the fried potato dices and stuff the potato shells with them.

For the sauce, put the tomatoes in a large sauce pan with the ginger, garlic, whole spices and water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the tomatoes have completely broken down. Puree in a blender and strain through a fine sieve into a clean pan. Bring to a boil again, add the chilli powder and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken. Whisk in the butter a little at a time to give a glossy sauce. Add the cream, fenugreek leaves and seasonings, mix well and remove.

Mix all the ingredients of the marinade and lightly apply it on the outside part of the potato shells. Transfer them to a roasting tray, place in an oven preheated to 180°C and roast for 10 minutes. Take out and serve with the sauce.

Tip: If you wanted you could use a slow barbecue to cook the shells after filling them. The trick while cooking them is to fry them real slow so they get cooked properly and do not get too much colour.