Tomato and cucumber raita

Yotam Ottolenghi’s tomato and cucumber raita: goes brilliantly with all sorts, from simple breads and rice to grilled meat. Photograph: Louise Hagger for the Guardian. Food styling: Emily Kydd

A really versatile dish: lovely as a dip, with some warm pitta, or spooned on top of spiced rice or plain grilled chicken. Serves six.

3 Lebanese cucumbers (or 1 large regular cucumber), quartered lengthways, seeds removed and cut into 1cm dice
¼ medium onion, peeled and cut into 5mm dice
Salt
250g Greek yoghurt
100g creme fraiche
10g mint leaves, finely shredded
1 tbsp lemon juice
1½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and finely crushed
200g cherry tomatoes, cut into 1cm dice

For the green chilli paste

2 small preserved lemons, skin and flesh chopped
2 green chillies, deseeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2½ tbsp olive oil

Mix the cucumber, onion and half a teaspoon of salt, put in a colander and leave to drain for 15 minutes. While the cucumber is steeping, put all the chilli paste ingredients in a mortar with a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and pound with a pestle until smooth.
Put the yoghurt and creme fraiche in a large bowl and whisk with the mint, lemon juice and cumin. Add the cucumber and onion mix, and the tomatoes, and stir gently. Spread over the base of a large, shallow bowl and spoon chilli paste on top. Swirl lightly on the surface and serve.

How to make chocolate, chilli and chestnut cake – recipe

 Photograph: Krause Johansen

Chilli and chocolate have become a well-loved combination. Thoroughly pureed chestnuts add a subtle sweet flavour and a grainy texture, similar to ground almonds.

(Serves 10)

4 medium eggs

140g caster sugar

250g dark chocolate

250g unsalted butter

1-2 teaspoons chilli powder, to taste

250g cooked chestnuts

275ml milk

2-3 drops almond essence

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Grease and line a 23cm springform cake tin with baking parchment.

Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks with the caster sugar.

Roughly chop the chocolate and put it into a small saucepan with the butter. Gently melt the chocolate and butter together. Stir in the chilli powder and mix well to avoid any lumps. Leave to cool a little, then stir into the egg yolks and mix thoroughly.

Peel the chestnuts if they still have their outer skins on. Roughly chop and put them into a small saucepan with the milk. Bring to the boil, stir in the almond essence and leave to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a food processor. Process until smooth and add to the chocolate mixture, mixing well to prevent any pale streaks in the cake.

Beat the egg whites to soft peaks and gently fold them into the chocolate mixture. Spoon the mix into the prepared tin, smooth the top and bake for up to 45 minutes – it may still be a bit wobbly. Leave to cool before taking the cake out of the tin and slicing to serve.

• Extracted from the Vegetarian Year by Jane Hughes (Modern Books, £20). To order a copy for £16, go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call the Guardian Bookshop on 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of £1.99.