3 Comfort Food Recipes Perfect For Now
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Food is always at the centre of our family home. Every time I go back, my mum cooks a feast. When I was younger, she would make amazing Indian dinners for us every night. We never had takeaways or ate out, so I really came to appreciate the value of a home-cooked meal. She taught me how to show your love for your family and friends by cooking for them – and that's something that’s inspired my own cooking.
One ingredient I always have in my kitchen is chilli oil. I love Mama Yu's Original Chilli Oil, which is the best on the market in my opinion. I also keep a selection of fresh herbs in the fridge to help them last longer, while I store chillies in the freezer. They keep really well frozen, and it means I can use them for whatever recipe I need – I tend to have a selection of scotch bonnets, bird’s eyes and jalapeños.
If I was hosting the girls at home, I’d make them my Thai-style porchetta. It's perfect to prep the day before, so all you need to do is pop it in the oven on the day. It also makes an epic centrepiece, and the accompaniments of lettuce and a spicy dipping sauce are so easy to assemble that you can join the conversation instead of being stuck in the kitchen all night. A winner all around.
If I really wanted to impress my guests, I’d make them my French onion gnocchi. The depth of flavour makes it taste like it took hours to prepare, but really the hardest part is just chopping the onions. It’s easy to assemble and the perfect dish for winter, as it’s incredibly warming and comforting.
My most-watched food video on social media is my scissor-cut pasta. I came up with the idea after seeing a Chinese technique that uses scissor-cut dough to make noodles. I use rested pasta dough to create a super quick homemade pasta, which goes well with any sauce, like a quick, homemade cacio e pepe.
As you can probably tell, I’m obsessed with comfort food. There are so many restaurants in London that hit the spot when you want something hearty. I've recently been loving Gold Mine, a Chinese restaurant in Queensway. There’s never a queue and it’s always so good. The roast meats are the best in London – it’s my go-to when I need something comforting and easy.
One of my favourite recipes from the book is the Kerala prawns. Kerala has some of the most delicious fish and shellfish I’ve ever had, smothered in garlic and fried in coconut oil. I’ve been dreaming of it ever since. Seafood with Indian flavours isn’t something that I grew up with, but it is incredibly popular in the south of India. Just be sure to mop up that crispy garlic chilli oil with some naan.
I wanted to create a book that reflects how I decide what to eat and how I think about food. When I asked my friends and family how they choose their meals, they all followed a similar pattern. If it’s been a beautiful, sunny day or I’ve just gone for a run, I crave something fresh. But if it’s cold or I’ve had a long day, I lean towards something warm and comforting. That’s how I’ve structured the book’s chapters – so you can always find something to match your mood.
In the new year I'm excited to be heading to South America for a couple of months. In January and February, when the weather is dreary here, I'll be exploring and discovering all the incredible food the region has to offer. Of course, I'll be bringing back plenty of inspiration to create new recipes and share with you all in 2025.
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Here, Seema shares three of her favourite recipes from the book…
Mum’s Emergency 10-Minute Dal
Start by putting the red lentils into a large pan and rinsing them with hot tap water at least three times, until the water runs almost clear. Drain the lentils, return them to the pan, and add 750ml of warm water. Bring to the boil, then boil for 7 minutes on high heat.
While the lentils are cooking, blend the chopped tomatoes, half the ginger, and 4 cloves of garlic in a handheld blender.
Pour a generous amount of vegetable oil into a large pan and add the cumin seeds. When they start sizzling, carefully add the blended tomatoes. Stir in the turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, chilli powder, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Cook for 7 minutes or until the lentils are done.
Check the lentils by pressing a few between your fingers – they should be tender. Add the lentils with their cooking liquid to the tomato mixture and mix well. Adjust the consistency with 150ml of water if needed.
Taste for seasoning, then stir in three-quarters of the chopped coriander.
For the tarka (tempered oil), slice the remaining garlic, halve the green chillies, and cut the remaining ginger into matchsticks. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a small pan, gently fry the garlic until golden, then add the chillies and curry leaves. Cook for 10-15 seconds, then pour this fragrant mix over the dal. Cover with a lid and let the flavours infuse.
Finish with the match-sticked ginger and the remaining coriander. Serve with fluffy basmati rice or homemade roti.
Tip: Don’t skip the tarka. This aromatic oil elevates the dal into something really special with minimal effort.
Crispy Chilli Garlic Kerala Prawns
Remove the shells and devein the prawns, keeping the heads on – they add great flavour to the oil and are perfect to suck on.
In a large pan, melt the coconut oil and add the garlic and desiccated coconut. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, until the garlic is golden and crispy.
Turn the heat to low and add the chopped chillies, chilli flakes, chilli powder (if using), crispy shallots, sugar, salt and MSG. Cook for another 2 minutes until the oil starts to turn red.
Add the prawns to the pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Before flipping them, add the fresh curry leaves.
Toss the prawns in the garlic chilli oil, then lay them out on a platter. Serve with lime wedges and enjoy with rice or hot naan.
Tip: Dried chillies and chilli flakes can vary in heat, so taste your chilli oil and adjust the spice level with more chilli powder if desired. I use Sichuan dried chillies for a mild heat, but you can remove the seeds if you want it less spicy.
Spiced Rum Sticky Toffee Pudding
Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line a 900g loaf tin.
Remove the stones from the dates, roughly chop them, and place in a pan with 150ml of water, 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, and ginger. Cook for 10 minutes, pressing the dates down to form a thick paste. Remove from heat and stir in the rum.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs, date paste, molasses, and milk, and mix well. Add the plain flour, 2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda, salt, and baking powder, and mix until just combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
Meanwhile, make the toffee sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the brown sugar. Cook for 10 minutes, until bubbling rapidly, then stir in the double cream. Cook for an additional 2 minutes and add the salt.
To serve, slice the cake and serve it hot with a scoop of ice cream, cream, and plenty of toffee sauce.
If the cake has been fully cooled, toast the slices with butter in a pan on both sides before serving with ice cream and toffee sauce.
For a dramatic touch, pour 2 tablespoons of rum over the top of the cake and flambé with a blowtorch.
Notes: This recipe works well in a loaf tin, which makes it easy to serve a crowd, but you can also make it in a 25cm cake tin – check it in the oven after 35 minutes.
Craveable by Seema Pankhania (Penguin Michael Joseph) is available to buy now
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All photography by Haarala Hamilton
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