Balance November 2017 - 56

bac k to the futu r e
LEMON BASIL ALMOND
DRIZZLE CAKE
'The light aniseed flavour of basil
gives a new dimension to a lemon
cake. My other half loves lemon cakes,
but I find them too sharp, so I've
created this - an almond sponge,
made lighter with tapioca and given
a herby aroma with fresh basil. I
usually put the ingredients straight
into the food processor and whizz
away before stirring in the basil by
hand. This is also delicious with limes.'

Lemon
heaven

Serves 12

MOSTLY PITTA
Use lime juice and zest,
instead of lemon, and replace
the egg yolks with extra egg
whites. Use maple syrup
instead of honey in the glaze

cook

k it

it b o o

You will need
* 75ml (⅓ cup) extra-virgin olive oil,
plus extra for greasing
* 280g ground almonds
* 95g tapioca
* ½tsp baking powder
*¼tsp sea salt
* 20g fresh basil, torn, plus extra to
decorate (optional)
* 150g jaggery or maple syrup
* 60ml lemon juice
* 1tsp vanilla extract
* 3 medium eggs
* Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon

Vedic restaurants

To serve
* 3tbsp lemon juice
* 85g raw honey
* Pinch of sea salt
* Zest of 1 large lemon (plus extra
to decorate, optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/360ºF
(fan 160ºC/gas 4) and grease a 23cm
round springform tin with olive oil.
2. Mix together the ground almonds,
tapioca, baking powder and salt in
a large bowl. Whisk together all the
remaining ingredients in a separate
bowl. Add the wet mixture to the dry
mixture and stir until well combined.
3. Pour the mixture into the tin,
smooth with a wet spatula and bake
for 30 minutes or more, until the
middle is set and a toothpick comes
out almost clean.
4. Allow to cool in the tin. Meanwhile,
make the glaze by whisking the
ingredients together in a glass jug.
Pour the glaze over the cake. Let
stand for another 30 minutes.
5. Take out of the tin, and serve.

shop it

With the Ayurvedic belief that food is as powerful as medicine,
these restaurants will align the mind, body and spirit, whether
you're more Vata, Pitta or Kapha. Reviews by Stacey Smith
Pukka Turmeric Brainwave
Capsules (£15.95, pukkaherbs.
com) Brahmi, gotu kola and
turmeric rejuvenates your mind.

GUNPOWDER

RASA

Spitalfields

Stoke Newington

Indian food is at the heart of
Ayurvedic cooking and we love
Gunpowder for its small digestible
plates. Dishes feature an
explosion of flavours, with head
chef Nirmal learning the ropes
from his relatives in Mumbai.
Start with the Rasam Ke Bomb
(spicy potato). It comes with a
ginger and turmeric shot - great
for reducing inflammation.
While the Paturi Maach (Bengali
mustard fish) is full of omega-3s.
gunpowderlondon.com

56

ST JAMES'S HOTEL
AND CLUB
St James

Specialising in southern Indian
cooking, this award-winning
vegetarian restaurant has
something of a cult following,
and with good reason. The
extensive menu covers the
Ayurvedic principles of Sweet,
Sour, Salty, Bitter, Pungent and
Astringent flavours.
Order the Keralan Feast at
just £17 a head so you get to try
a bit of everything - variety is
the spice of life after all!
rasarestaurants.com

Whether or not you're staying at
the 5* hotel, you can enjoy the
Wellness Breakfast, created by
Michelin-starred chef William
Drabble. Think oatmeal and
cottage cheese pancakes with
smoked salmon and avocado, and
quinoa crumpets with coconut
yogurt. Many dishes feature Jeeva
King coconuts. From Sri Lanka, they
are said to contain less sugar and
more calcium than most varieties.
stjameshotelandclub.com

BA LA N CE November 2017

MindFuel Indian Curry Protein
Soup (£2.50, planetorganic.
com) Tangy, salty and sweet, the
turmeric and chilli pack a punch.

Brown Cow Organics Carrot
& Turmeric Organic Live
Yoghurt (£9 for six jars,
browncoworganics.co.uk You
get all the sweetness you need
from the organic carrots.
http://browncoworganics.co.uk http://www.gunpowderlondon.com http://www.rasarestaurants.com http://www.stjameshotelandclub.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Balance November 2017
