Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy gunpowder paneer and potato skewers with lime-mint dressing – recipe

I was delighted to discover that the south Indian spice mix podi – a rubble of searingly hot, roughly ground spices, which you mix with a little oil and use as a dip for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” spice mix. That’s not a misnomer if you were using my grandmother’s home-dried chillies, but it would be charitable to say that I’m far less adventurous with chilli, so here I suggest chilli flakes instead. It’s an extraordinarily good marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.You will need six to eight metal or wooden skewers (if wooden, soak them in water for 10 minutes first).Prep 10 min Cook 30 min Serves 2400g waxy potatoes, cut into 4cm chunks225g paneer, cut into 2cm cubes1 tsp coriander seeds ½ tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp black peppercorns 1 tsp chilli flakes 1½ tsp flaky sea salt, plus extra to serve 2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated2½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated40ml neutral oil1 red onion, peeled and cut into eight wedges, then halved crossways For the dressingFinely grated zest and juice of 1 lime 10g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped½ tsp flaky sea salt 100g natural yoghurtBoil the potatoes for nine minutes, then drain them and leave to steam dry for a minute

How to make rice and peas – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

Rice and peas (or peas and rice, according to Bahamians) is to the Caribbean what polenta is to north-west Italy – it is, Jamaica’s Helen Willinsky explains, “a staple of our diet”, and so much more than a mere side dish. Traditionally served on Sundays, it’s now on menus every day of the week, but it’s also worth saving for a special occasion.Prep 10 min Soak OvernightCook 2 hr Rest 10 min+ Serves 6200g dried kidney beans, soaked overnight (see step 1)1 garlic clove Salt 1 onion180g smoked bacon lardons, or thick-cut bacon rashers (optional)400g long-grain rice (see step 6)400ml coconut milk ¼ tsp ground allspice 2 fresh thyme sprigs 1 scotch bonnet chilli 2 tsp butter, or coconut oil (optional)In Jamaica, red peas, otherwise known as kidney beans, are the default choice, because they help give the rice its characteristic colour and sweet, slightly earthy flavour. In the privacy of your own kitchen, however, you could really use any dried pulses you like: black beans, for example, work very well, as do pigeon (gungo) or black-eyed peas. If you mix varieties, cook them separately

Kudu, London W1: ‘I’ve found a new way to enjoy bread and butter’ – restaurant review

A reservation at South African restaurant Kudu’s new home in Marylebone threw up many questions. Can a well-loved Peckham restaurant really relocate to fancy-pants Marylebone and retain its homespun charm? And, what is a “Kudu kit kat”, and could it even remotely capture the joys of my red-wrappered, lifelong support system? The KitKat is, after all, a design classic, so tampering with it makes me uneasy.Within moments of being seated, however, another question arose: how many miles do you need to run to counteract the aftereffects of Kudu’s bread with curried butter, which comes melted, glossy and with gently fried curried leaves? Grab hunks of this warm bread and stuff them greedily into your mouth. It’s an eat-as-if-no-one’s watching kind of starter, which went down well in Peckham, but in Marylebone, the women wear white trouser suits and pale, unspongeable fabrics, so let’s hope there’s a good dry cleaner close by.Kudu’s previous incarnation certainly planted a flag for South African cuisine, favouring braai cookery, biltong scratchings and an extensive South African wine list

Warnings of imports of caged hen eggs as Ukraine and Poland become UK’s biggest suppliers

Ukraine and Poland have overtaken other EU countries to become the UK’s biggest egg suppliers, sparking warnings that imports of eggs from caged hens are slipping “through the back door” despite welfare pledges.Freedom of information data from the Animal and Plant Health Agency shows that, while the Netherlands supplied a large proportion of UK eggs in 2022, its share has steadily fallen. By 2025, Ukraine and Poland together accounted for more than 15m kilograms, with Spain, Italy and other southern and eastern European countries also having increased their exports.Ukraine has provided the most eggs so far this year by weight at 8m kilograms, followed by almost 7m kilograms from Poland and 5m from Spain, according to data provided up to July this year.Imports of eggs for consumption rose sharply from about 3,500 consignments in 2023 to more than 10,000 in 2024

Jamie Oliver and his wife pay themselves £2.5m as pre-tax profits slump

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and his wife, Jools, have paid themselves £2.5m in dividends for the second year in a row as pre-tax profits at their core media and restaurant empire slumped.Pre-tax profits at Jamie Oliver Holdings (JOH) fell by £1m to £2.4m last year. This was despite a 6% rise in sales to £28

Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for plum and ginger buns

Squidgy dough, sticky jam and an icing glaze make for the best of friends, especially as the weather gets cooler. Plums are such an underrated fruit, because they’re so versatile and delicious. For these buns, they get cooked down with lots of fresh ginger into a warming jam that is then rolled into a simple enriched dough. Eat warm for maximum pleasure.Prep 15 min Macerate 30 minProve 1 hr 30 min+ Cook 1 hr 30 min Makes 7For the plum jam450g ripe plums, stoned and cut into small chunks 20g fresh ginger, washed, peeled and finely minced160g caster sugarFor the dough320g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting 40g caster sugar 1½ tsp dried instant yeast ½ tsp fine sea salt 100ml lukewarm whole milk50ml lukewarm water1 large egg, plus 1 extra egg for the egg wash40g softened butter 100g icing sugarStart with the jam