Tom Hunt is an award-winning chef, food educator, writer, climate change activist and author. This recipe was first published in his book Eating for Pleasure, People & Planet. https://www.tomsfeast.com
Ghee is thought of as sacred in India. And it’s easy to see why. Whilst it bubbles on the stove it gives off the most delicious aromas of caramel and toasty nutty-ness. Once clarified the ghee looks like nectar, golden yellow in colour. Ghee is thought to be purifying and vital for our health within ayurveda – India’s holistic medicine. It has a high smoke point which means it can be used for roasting, sautéing or even deep fat frying. The warm spices in this recipe combined with the ghee create a comforting dish, delicious served alongside other plain vegetables or as part of an alternative roast dinner.
– Serves 4 as a side dish
50ml organic ghee
1tsp cumin seeds
2tsp coriander seeds
1 level tsp turmeric or ideally turmeric root to grate
2cm piece ginger, finely grated
1 tbsp honey
200g parsnips, cut in half or quarters lengthways
200g carrots, cut in half or quarters lengthways
250g turnips or Jerusalem artichokes (or a mix of both), cut into halves or quarters
2 shallots, cut in half lengthways
6 sprigs fresh coriander and/or mint, leaves roughly chopped, stalks finely chopped
Yoghurt to serve (optional)
To roast the root vegetables: preheat the oven to 180c. Mix 50ml of ghee with the
cumin, coriander, turmeric, grated ginger, honey and a teaspoon of salt. Place the root
vegetables in a roasting tray and pour the spiced ghee mixture over the top. Turn the
vegetables in the mixture until evenly coated. Cover with a piece of parchment or foil and
place in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil or parchment and return to the oven for a
further 25 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and slightly caramelised. Finish with the
fresh coriander and/or mint and blob of yoghurt on the side if you fancy.
