A selection of recipes gathered during my travels in Asia – or inspired by life in the UK with its history of Indian and Bangladeshi migration and delicious curried dishes.

Ramen noodle soup – Lockdown2 means that I need to find new dishes to cook and eat without being able to travel. And whilst I love Japanese food it’s not something I have ever cooked. So when my daughter introduced me to her Vegan Japaneasy cookbook I thought I would give it a try, starting with the curry roux that forms the basis of so many Japanese dishes

Squash, red lentil and coconut dahl – I love dahl and this one makes use of my current abundance of squash and some delicious cavolo nero currently in season. The whole thing is cooked in coconut milk without using any oil at all so its both low fat and vegan.

Homemade paneer with spiced garden vegetables – I adore paneer cheese in a curry dish but it’s impossible to get hold of in this part of Italy where, unlike the UK, there isn’t a long history of inward migration from India and Bangladesh. So this week between Zoom meetings I had a go at making my own!

Sinigang na hipon – the freshness of this simple sour broth, so typical of Filipino cuisine, allows the shrimps to be the star of the dish

Creamy chickpea, spinach and sweet potato curry – a quick and easy lunch or supper, entirely vegan with the emphasis on taste rather than heat

Roasted pumpkin, coconut and ginger soup – a Thai-inspired winter warmer made with locally grown organic pumpkin, perfect for a wet and windy day