Cardamom is one of my all time favourite spices; I look for the large green pods and have been known to sneak back a jar of  Albert Ménès “cardamome verte” when we’ve been in France! Whether it’s the fragrant smell, the taste, the memories evoked or all of the above, I don’t know, but cardamom seems super-special to me and I don’t even resent the time it takes to extract the little seeds.  But, despite being boldly pungent, in this recipe it is up against some serious flavour competition!

Serves 2
2 fat cloves garlic, peeled & sliced

1 coffee cup parsley

4 spring onions

2 handfuls of spinach

Thumb-size piece ginger peeled & sliced

1 tsp. white balsamic

Seeds from 15 cardamom pods

1 lime – zest & juice

2 tbsps. coconut oil

 3 sticks celery, finely sliced

¼ tsp. smoked sea salt

200ml carton coconut cream

60mls coconut milk or coconut water

1 head broccoli or bunch of tender-stem.

1 small courgette, sliced on diagonal

6 Cavolo Nero leaves (woody stalks removed)

2 handfuls baby spinach

Basil leaves, to serve

Remove the cardamom seeds from their pods and grind in a coffee grinder. Break the broccoli into florets or cut the tender-stem in half and slice the Cavolo Nero leaves.

Add the sliced garlic, parsley, spring onions, ginger, balsamic, spinach, cardamom seeds, ground coriander and lime zest to a mini-processor and whizz until everything is finely chopped. Then add the coconut oil and blitz again until you have a paste.

Heat a little extra coconut oil in a deep frying pan and fry the celery until soft before sprinkling with the salt.  Then add the green paste to the pan.  Working quickly, add the coconut cream and coconut water.  Bring to a simmer and then through in the remaining vegetables.  Simmer for a couple of minutes or until the broccoli is just tender.  Serve on a bed of basmati rice with grilled prawns or tofu cubes.