With an abundance of winter vegetables being used across menus this season, Paul Dickson suggests ways they can be incorporated into popular street food dishes, giving you more scope to make the most of what’s in season and help to reduce waste.
Street food is all about big flavours, bold combinations and making simple ingredients shine. This month, I’m taking inspiration from the vibrant regional cuisines of India and Sri Lanka to give seasonal winter produce a fresh twist. Better still, all of these dishes are perfect for using up your leftover veg, giving you fresh ways to reduce waste, stretch ingredients further and bring something new to your specials board.
Squash Season
Pumpkin curry, or Wattakka curry, is a traditional and very common Sri Lankan dish. It’s creamy, comforting and gently spiced, making it a perfect winter comfort dish for all ages. You can substitute pumpkin with whatever variety of squash is available (butternut squash works particularly well), which is cooked until tender with onion, green chilli, curry leaves, turmeric and other spices. Coconut milk gives the curry a creamy texture and balances the natural sweetness of the squash. I love it because you can use the whole vegetable, keeping the nutritious skin intact and roasting the seeds for a crunchy garnish.
Roll With It
The kathi roll originated in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), West Bengal, and is generally associated with Nizam’s restaurant, where kebabs were wrapped in paratha to create something convenient to eat on the move. The name “kathi” is linked to the skewers used for cooking the kebabs. Over time, the format evolved far beyond the original kebab version, with chicken, egg, paneer and vegetable fillings becoming popular. At its heart, it’s a flaky paratha wrapped around a hot, highly seasoned filling, usually balanced with fresh, sharp accompaniments. This format works perfectly with a crunchy slaw made with shredded carrot, cabbage, onion and yes, you guessed it, even Brussels sprouts! Add chilli, lime and fresh coriander and serve with a cooling yoghurt dip or mango chutney.
Sprout of the Ordinary
Love it or hate it, the humble Brussels sprout is a fixture on Christmas menus. This recipe is a great way to use up your classic festive veggies and the less presentable bits that often get discarded, while giving diners a different starter to the usual soup or prawn cocktail. Finely shred leftover or raw Brussels sprouts with carrot and parsnip, mix with gram flour, cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli, then fry into crisp, irregular bhajis. Serve with a tamarind or yoghurt chutney.
Full Recipe Inspiration
Find Alberto’s bechamel recipe along with other recipe inspiration for the season.