Cabbages are one of those vegetables that I never quite know what to do with. But being in England, I had to try bubble and squeak. Mixing cabbages with some of my favourite vegetables, then frying them – how could it not succeed?

Cheesy Bubble & Squeak

Bubble and squeak has been around since the 18th century and was originally a fry-up of meat and cabbage. The ‘Dictionary of Vulgar Tongue’ tells us that its strange name comes from ‘its bubbling up and squeaking whilst over the fire’. Around 1951, meat was dropped and replaced with potato – you can read more details here. It’s traditionally made with leftovers, but as I couldn’t face boiled cabbage, I cooked the cabbage when I needed it.

This really is like making burgers. Just mix, roll and fry. And if you’re using leftovers, it’s really quick too… (serves 4):

• Thinly slice 200g cabbage, put in a pan with salt, cover with water and boil until tender (a few minutes).
• Meanwhile, gently fry 4 shallots (or 1 onion) and 2 cloves of garlic until tender.
• Mash 500g leftover potatoes and mix with 200g cheese, 1 beaten egg, the drained cabbage and the onion and garlic. Season with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg.
• Roll the mixture into 4 patties and chill in the fridge for half an hour.
• Cover the patties in flour, then fry them in oil on both sides until golden.

For a quick and easy Sunday brunch, serve it with sliced tomatoes and eggs.

I’ll be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of Indian food. And I’m not the biggest fan of cauliflower. But this is one time where the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

Gobi (Cauliflower) Paratha

I’d asked my friend for an Indian recipe with cauliflower in it and to be honest, when I first read it I had no idea a ‘paratha’ was supposed to look like. A quick search showed that it is a round flatbread made from wholewheat flour, fried in oil and stuffed with vegetables. Apparently it makes a popular breakfast in India. I hoped it would also make a popular weekend lunch in East London.

The stuffing itself is quick and easy, but the bread… that takes time – thanks to Nadia for the recipe (serves 4):

• Fry 500g chopped cauliflower and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder in 1 tbp oil. Add a little water, cover and cook it over a low heat until the cauliflower becomes mushy. Add more water if necessary.
• Now for the bread… mix 1.5 cups plain flour, 1.5 cups wholemeal flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp melted butter and enough milk to form a dough. Knead well, then set aside for 15 minutes.
• By now the cauliflower should be falling apart. Add 1/2 tsp each of chilli powder, black pepper powder and cumin powder, stir a bit then remove from the heat. Mash the cauliflower, then stir through 2 tbs chopped coriander and 2 finely chopped (and deseeded) green chillies.
• Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll each out into a circle. Place 1/6 of the filling in one of these circles, top with another circle (try to stick them together), then flatten the whole thing (without letting the filling seep out!) Repeat with the others, then fry in oil until crisp and slightly brown.

Gobi Filling

These can be served with pickles, yoghurt, curries or, as W suggested, slathered in butter. But now that I’ve tried this the Indian way, I think I’ll go cross-cultural next time and wrap the filling in Malaysian-style roti canai… mmm, any excuse to eat that stuff!