Last night’s dinner

The meal I cooked last night was so good I was moved to swear (mildly) out loud, which is most unfortunate since both kids started cursing. My two-year-old daughter liked it so much she also hugged and kissed me. So here it is — Bhara Hara Kaddoo — or baked courgettes (zucchini) stuffed with vegetarian ground meat and bulgur. The recipe is one I adapted, to make it vegan, from a book by Julie Sahni, Classic Indian Vegetarian Cooking.

(For four persons)

INGREDIENTS
4 six-inch courgettes/zucchini
1 tablespoon sunflower or safflower oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 oz bulgur (uncooked)
8 oz vegetarian ground beef
2 teaspoons madras curry powder (mild to hot depending on taste)

(For the sauce)
3 tablespoons sunflower or safflower oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1lb fresh ripe tomatoes (puréed)
salt to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (that’s cilantro if you’re American.

METHOD
1. Preheat over to 350F/180C
2. Cut the courgettes in half lengthwise. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the flesh, leaving shells about 5mm (1/4 inch) thick. Chop the removed flesh finely.
3. Mix the oil, onion, ground “beef”, curry powder, and the chopped courgettes. Stuff the halved courgettes with the mixture and place in a baking dish. Cover tightly with tinfoil.
4. Bake in the middle of the over for 40 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the sauce (recipe below).
5. Uncover, spoon the sauce over the stuffed courgettes, re-cover, and bake for a further five minutes.

SAUCE RECIPE
1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and fry, stirring often, for 6-8 minutes or until starting to brown.
2. Add the cumin and fry for one more minute.
3. Add the puréed tomatoes and salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and add the chopped coriander/cilantro.

I served the meal with chapatis, but a rice pilaf would have been nice as an alternative.

I’m aware curry powder is a cop-out, but if you want to flavor the “beef” with cumin seed, coriander seed, cardamom, cayenne, fresh ginger, and fresh chillies, the result would no doubt be splendid.

stuffed courgettes