If you’ve ever thought, “Life’s too short to spend hours sweating over a stove,” then Bake Off’s Dame Prue Leith’s new cookbook Life’s Too Short To Stuff A Mushroom is about to become your kitchen BFF. Packed with easy, fool-proof recipes, time-saving hacks, and tips to make cooking fun again, this book is for everyone who loves good food but can’t be doing with the faff.

With QR codes for video help (we love a bit of tech-savvy cooking!) and dishes that range from quick curries to indulgent desserts, Prue’s latest tome will revolutionise your midweek dinners. Fancy a taste? Her Sri Lankan-style Beetroot Curry with Coconut Sambal is the perfect balance of hearty and refreshing. Get ready to level up your comfort food game!

Sri Lankan-style beetroot curry and sambal

INGREDIENTS

SERVES 4–6

• 2 tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 5cm/2in piece of ginger, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 green chilli, slit lengthways (or use more or less according
• to your preference)
• 500g/1lb 2oz beetroot (beets), peeled and diced
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 x 7cm/23/4in cinnamon stick
• 1 x 400g/14oz can of coconut milk
• 100ml/31/2fl oz/scant 1/2 cup
• vegetable stock (bouillon)
• a sprig of fresh curry leaves
• juice of 2 limes
• a few coriander (cilantro)
• sprigs, leaves picked and roughly chopped
• salt
• steamed basmati rice, to serve

For the coconut sambal

• 100g/31/2oz fresh coconut or rehydrated desiccated (dried shredded) coconut
• 1/2 green chilli, chopped (remove the seeds for milder heat)
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro)
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method

1. In a pan, heat the coconut (or vegetable) oil on a medium heat and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds.

2. When the seeds splutter, add the onion and fry until golden (about 10–15 minutes). Stir frequently so they don’t burn.

3. Stir in the ginger, garlic, and green chilli. Cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant.

4. Add the beetroot (beets) and the remaining spices and stir.

5. Pour in the coconut milk and stock (bouillon) and add the curry leaves. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, then cover the pan and cook on low for 25–30 minutes, or until the beetroot is tender.

6. Meanwhile, make the sambal. In a food processor, combine the sambal ingredients. Pulse until everything is evenly chopped—this will only take a few seconds—then taste and add salt as necessary. Tip the sambal into a serving bowl.

7. Before serving, season the curry with salt and add the lime juice. Sprinkle with the chopped coriander (cilantro).

8. Serve with steamed basmati rice and a generous helping of sambal.

Life’s Too Short To Stuff A Mushroom, by Prue Leith (Quarto, £25)