Sabzi

Yasmin Khan · Sabzi

This punchy salad is known as Gavurdağ salatasi in Turkish and gets its name from the Gavur Mountains in the eastern part of the country. As with all tomato salads, the quality of the fruit will determine how tasty the finished dish is, so buy the best available. I like to serve this as part of a spread of mezze-style starters, alongside some flatbreads to mop up its spicy and sour juices. Make sure you buy pomegranate molasses without any added sugar and be sure to use fresh walnuts, as they can very quickly become rancid and bitter. (I store mine in an airtight jar in the fridge to make them last longer.) I recommend making this salad about 30 minutes before you want to serve it to give time for the dressing to infuse the ingredients.

Yasmin Khan · Sabzi

Sweet potatoes are one of my dad’s favourite snacks. They remind him of the street food of Punjab, where he grew up. When we were kids, he’d often cook them for us, steaming them in the microwave before slicing them into discs and seasoning with fresh lime juice and salt. It was a sumptuous after-school snack and started my love of sweet potatoes. These days, I prefer to slowly roast them so their sugars begin to caramelise. For this recipe, the roasted wedges are topped with a Sicilian-inspired pesto and finished with a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds. If you have any leftovers, you can serve it with pasta or use as a condiment for cheese or sandwiches.