Food writer Mira Manek’s healthy recipes have revolutionised the perception of Indian cooking. Her new book, Saffron Soul (£20, Jacqui Small) is out now. We asked her to share her favourite summer dish from the book. She says: “This salad is one of those dishes that never stops receiving compliments, especially since people expect kale to taste a little bitter and chewy. For me, the sweet dates and strawberries work in perfect harmony with the lime-infused coriander dressing. Then, of course, you have that necessary crunch from the flaked almonds.”
INGREDIENTS
For the dressing
– 40g cashews
– 3 tbsp plain yoghurt
– Handful of coriander leaves
– Juice of ¼ lime
– ½ tsp Himalayan salt or sea salt
– ¼ tsp ground cumin
– 80ml coconut water
– ¼ green chilli
For the salad
– 70g kale (about 3 handfuls)
– 150g red cabbage (about ¼)
– 5 pitted dates, preferably Medjool
– 150g strawberries, plus a few extra to garnish
-2 tbsp sesame seeds
– Handful of flaked almonds, to garnish
METHOD
1. Prepare the dressing in advance so the cashews can soak. Mix together all the dressing ingredients and leave for at least a couple of hours (or overnight).
2. You can make the base of the salad just before serving, or make a few hours in advance and keep in the fridge until ready to dress and serve. To make the salad, chop the kale and cabbage as finely as possible, removing any thick stalks from the kale. Chop the dates into small pieces so there aren’t any large clumps. Lastly, chop the strawberries into small pieces. Mix together the kale, cabbage, dates, chopped strawberries and sesame seeds in a large bowl.
3. To make the dressing, in a blender or food processor blend together all the dressing ingredients and taste for seasoning, adding extra salt, lime or chilli if required.
4. When ready to eat, place the salad on a serving plate and drizzle the dressing over the top. Quarter the reserved strawberries for the garnish, add to the top of the salad, sprinkle with almond flakes and serve immediately.