Note: I have known Dev personally for a number of years so I can’t say it wouldn’t influence my review. But the book is brilliant so please check it out. Dev’s book is available from Amazon.
Masterchef contestant Dev delighted the judges with unusual yet invigorating flavour combinations and this is even more evident in his first book. Filled with vibrant colours, original pairings and delicious photography, Dev’s recipes will inspire you to try something a little different for dinner tonight: melon and tofu salad, red lentil kedgeree, banana peel rendang. This book is very definitely a journey and a surprisingly personal work. Journey to Flavour is more than a cookbook, it’s a lifestyle.
Drawing on both his personal experiences and his travels around the world, Dev has created truly fusion food that wows you with combos you’ve never heard of yet still feel right. Take this vegetable and red lentil dahl:
A dahl is as wholesome and comforting as you can get, familiar to millions. But the touch of pomegranate seeds bring it back to life again.
Or maple-seared peaches with a tofu and rocket salad:
Peaches are nothing new in a salad but the addition of maple and tofu takes it in a spectacular new direction leaving it feeling fresh and exciting.
None of the recipes are difficult either – lots of pan-frying, oven roasting – nor time consuming so don’t feel you are going to have to burden your cupboard with dozens of spices you will never use again.
Dev is passionate about hearty, healthy food that still feels vibrant and indulgent, underpinned by clear message of reducing our carbon footprint. Please try out some of his recipes – you won’t be disappointed. Check out this sample recipe below.
Buy Journey to Flavour on Amazon
pumpkin and sage tempeh katsu curry with toasted pumpkin seeds
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 5 garlic cloves finely diced
- 3 teaspoons ginger finely grated
- 2 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 2 cups pumpkin cubed
- 1 heaped tablespoon white miso
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 4 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 250 g tempeh cubed
- 3 cups plant milk
- sesame seeds to garnish
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan, add diced onion and sauté until almost transparent. Add garlic and ginger and fry for another minute or two. Add sliced carrot, cubed pumpkin, curry powder and garam masala. Stir around and fry off for a minute or two. Now add the miso paste, peanut butter, vinegar, maple syrup, soy sauce and stir it in and fry another minute.
- Now add the plant milk to the pan and let it simmer for 20–25 minutes on gentle heat till the pumpkin and carrot are softened and cooked through. Now cool this mixture a bit and blend to a smooth and creamy sauce. The sauce should be salty from the soy sauce and miso paste but add a bit more salt if required.
- In a separate saucepan heat a tablespoon of olive oil and add the cubed tempeh and fry till the surfaces are a little browned. It should smell nutty. At this point add in the pumpkin katsu sauce and mix it in with the tempeh, heating it up gently till piping hot. Sprinkle sesame seeds to garnish.
