Dr Rupy Aujla has healthy cooking for modern life sorted. As an NHS GP, podcast host and TV regular, his mission is to get everyone eating healthily with easily accessible ingredients involving minimal time and expense. His recipes are inspired by multiple cultures and include vegetarian and vegan dishes as well as gluten and nut-free options. There’s something in his new book Cooks by Dr Rupy Aujla, £11 for everyone and what’s more the recipes have been vetted by his global community, having been tested in 1000 different homes and assessing simplicity, flavour, timing and accuracy.
He shares with us his spicy halloumi bake, perfect for brunch or a light supper: "This is spicy, wholesome, warm and inviting, all in a dish," he says. "The beautiful spices of ras el hanout work super well in this simple traybake and you can easily substitute different vegetables for the squash and greens. A moreish dish packed with flavour that everyone will enjoy."
Dr Rupy Aujla's Spicy Halloumi Bake
Suitable for: Vegetarians, gluten-free
- Serves: 4
- Prep time: 15 mins
- Cook time: 40 mins
Ingredients
- 1⁄2 butternut squash (300g), scrubbed and unpeeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm cubes
- 1 courgette (250g), cut into 2cm cubes
- 1 red pepper (200g), deseeded and roughly chopped
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 tsp ras el hanout or baharat spice mix
- 1 tsp chilli powder
3 tbsp olive oil, plus an extra - 1 tbsp to drizzle
- 150g spinach, finely chopped
- 350ml passata
- 1 x 400g can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 200g halloumi, sliced 1cm thick
Substitutions
- Kale: spinach, Swiss chard or spring greens
- Kidney beans: borlotti beans or cannellini beans
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200℃ fan
- Put the squash, courgette, red pepper and the spices into a large roasting tin. Pour over the 3 tablespoons oil and season, then toss well to coat. Roast for 25 minutes, turning the vegetables halfway through the cooking time.
- Remove the roasting tin from the oven and increase the temperature to 220℃ fan. Scrape up any crusty bits from the bottom of the roasting tin for extra flavour, then fold in the spinach. Tip in the passata and kidney beans and combine with the rest of the ingredients.
- Layer the halloumi on top, drizzle with the extra tablespoon oil and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes until the halloumi is melted and charred in areas.
Image: David Loftus
Extracted from Cooks by Dr Rupy Aujla (Ebury Press, £11). Photography by David Loftus