Eight delicious, easy Middle Eastern recipes by Sabrina Ghayour - including a lazy curried cheese toastie that will be an instant favourite

Watermelon Salad with Toasted Rice & Tamarind Lime DressingThis dish is influenced by my love of Thai salads and the addition of toasted rice really makes it. It’s fantastic with grilled meats and fish.SERVES 3-41 tsp uncooked basmati or jasmine riceFor the dressingfinely grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lime1 tbsp caster sugar1 heaped tsp pul biber chilli flakes1 tsp tamarind paste1 tsp light soy sauce1 tsp olive oilMaldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepperFor the salad500g watermelon, peeled, seeds removed and cut into small, bite-sized pieces1 large or 2 small banana shallots, thinly sliced into rings3 springs onions, thinly sliced diagonallya generous handful of mint leaves, rolled up tightly and thinly sliced into ribbonsabout 10g of fresh coriander, finely chopped1 Heat a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the rice and toast it, shaking the pan occasionally, for 2 minutes, or until the rice is deep golden brown, but not burnt. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.2 Using a pestle and mortar, grind the toasted rice finely until you reach the consistency of coarse sand grains. Don’t use a spice or coffee grinder, as it will produce way too fine a powder.3 For the dressing, whisk together the lime zest and juice plus the sugar with a fork in a small bowl, until the sugar has dissolved. Add the remaining dressing ingredients, including seasoning, and mix well.4 Mix together the salad ingredients in a large bowl, pour the dressing over and mix again. Sprinkle with the rice and serve.Feta & Herb Yogurt Dip This recipe is based on a Persian dish called maast o moosir, meaning ‘wild garlic yogurt’. I’ve just used a regular bulb garlic here and the result is almost exactly the same, but one thing I would emphasise is that you really need to ensure your garlic is very finely chopped rather than crushed or minced, otherwise it will be way too punchy. I could swim in this stuff, it goes with everything.SERVES 4-6500g thick Greek yogurt3 garlic cloves, very finely choppedMaldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper100g feta cheese, finely crumbledfinely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon or limea few mint leaves, rolled up tightly and thinly sliced into ribbonsa small handful of dill, roughly chopped½ tsp pul biber chilli flakesolive oil1 Mix the yogurt with the garlic and some salt and pepper in a bowl until well combined, but don’t add too much salt, as the feta will also be salty.2 Add the feta and mix again. Leave the yogurt to sit for 30 minutes at room temperature – this is important so that the lactic acid in the yogurt has time to soften the kick of the garlic.3 Stir the yogurt mixture before decanting on to a serving plate. Grate over the lemon or lime zest, sprinkle with the herbs and pul biber, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil to serve.Lazy Curried Cheese Mutabaq Toasties All the best things are always wrapped in pastry or bread, in my humble opinion, and mutabaq is no exception. Literally meaning ‘folded’, these stuffed parcels are great carriers for absolutely any filling or leftovers.MAKES 4320g ready-rolled puff pastry sheetolive oilFor the filling200g feta, finely chopped60g mature Cheddar cheese, grated2 spring onions, thinly sliceda generous handful of finely chopped fresh coriander1 tsp chilli flakes1 tsp medium curry powderMaldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper1 Cut the pastry sheet into 4 equal rectangles. Place one pastry rectangle between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out as thinly as possible – don’t worry about trying to make a perfect shape. Remove the top sheet of baking paper and set aside.2 Mix together the filling ingredients in a bowl, season well and divide into 4 equal portions. Spoon one portion into the centre of a pastry rectangle and spread it out to form a square shape. Carefully peel each edge of the pastry off the paper and fold over the filling into the centre to seal it in and make a square parcel. Place the top sheet of baking paper back over and gently roll it flatter, but without applying full pressure to the rolling pin. Repeat with the remaining pastry rectangles and filling portions.3 Place a large nonstick frying pan over a medium heat and drizzle in a little olive oil. If using a gas hob, you need to be careful not to burn the pastry, so ensure you use a medium-low heat. Once the oil is hot, add the parcels seal-side up and cook for 6-8 minutes until browned and nicely crisped up on the underside. Rub a little olive oil over the uncooked side of the parcels, then carefully flip over and cook the undersides for 6-8 minutes.4 Remove from the pan and serve – be careful, as the cheese filling will be hot!Vanilla Cheesecake with Lime, Black Pepper, Cherries & Berries Making a good cheesecake doesn’t need to be complicated. This little number has a classic vanilla flavour, but the fresh fruit topping really adds to it and turns it into a celebratory dessert.SERVES 8-10250g digestive biscuits100g unsalted butter, melted200g mascarpone cheese200g full-fat cream cheese2 heaped tsp best-quality vanilla bean paste150g icing sugar600ml double creamFor the topping250g strawberries, hulled and quartered200g cherries, pitted and halved200g blueberries, halved3 tbsp caster sugarfinely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lime½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper1 Line a 22cm round springform cake tin with a square of baking paper and lock it into the base so that the edges of the paper remain outside the tin.2 Crush the biscuits in a food bag with a rolling pin or in a bowl with the end of a rolling pin. Decant the biscuit crumbs into a bowl (if not already in a bowl), pour over the melted butter and stir together. Add the biscuit mixture to the lined tin and press down firmly to make an even base, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.3 Mix together the mascarpone, cream cheese and vanilla in a bowl really well until evenly combined, and set aside.4 Sift the icing sugar into a mixing bowl, then add the cream. Use an electric hand whisk to whip the sugar and cream until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Gradually and gently fold in the cheese mixture a little at a time until it is all incorporated, then pour over the biscuit base, smooth over and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours, or overnight.5 Mix together all the topping ingredients in a bowl and leave to sit for 20 minutes (don’t make this too far in advance or the fruit juices will leak). Stir again and spoon over the cheesecake before serving. Serve any leftover berries on the side.Sticky Honey, Lime & Harissa Sausage Meatballs These little meatballs are sticky, sweet, spicy and delicious, and one of the easiest dishes to cook. My favourite way to eat them is in a baguette, or banh mi-style with fresh coriander and crunchy pickled carrot.SERVES 3-4450-500g sausage meat2 tbsp runny honey1 heaped tbsp rose harissajuice of ½ fat limeMaldon sea salt flakesTo servebaguettes or cooked rice2 spring onions, thinly sliced1 Divide the sausage meat into 16 equal portions and roll each into a ball.2 Heat a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the sausage meatballs (without adding oil, as they will quickly release their fat) and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side until firm and well browned. To ensure the remaining edges are browned, cook for another couple of minutes while shaking the pan frequently.3 Meanwhile, mix together the honey, harissa, lime juice and salt in a small bowl.4 Increase the heat under the pan to high, add the honey mixture and turn the meatballs until evenly coated and the sauce begins to thicken and evaporate.5 Keep moving the meatballs and coating them until nicely glazed. Serve in baguettes or with rice, sprinkled with the spring onions.Aubergine & Sweet Potato KariThis is a genius traybaked curry recipe because it avoids having to fry aubergines, which can be a messy process and consumes lots of oil, but also because the aubergines and sweet potato conveniently cook at the same time. The sauce is nutty, creamy, comforting – and vegan!SERVES 42 large aubergines, cut into about 2.5cm chunks500g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into about 2.5cm chunksolive oilhandful of chopped fresh coriander, to serveFor the sauce250ml coconut cream2 heaped tbsp peanut butter (I use crunchy)2 tbsp rose harissa1 tbsp tamarind pasteMaldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper1 Mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl, seasoning well with salt and pepper.2 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line your largest baking tray with baking paper.3 Place the aubergines and sweet potatoes on the lined tray, drizzle with olive oil and then, using your hands, mix well to coat them evenly with the oil. Spread out into a single layer, season well with salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes.4 Remove from the oven, pour the sauce over the vegetables and carefully stir to coat them, then bake for a final 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the coriander before serving.Passion Fruit, Lime & Coconut CakeAll my cake recipes are ridiculously easy to throw together, because life is too short to spend hours making things that get demolished in minutes. This is a very moist, almost creamy-textured cake, and I love nothing more than a slice of this with a cup of strong Yorkshire tea.SERVES 83 eggs200g caster sugar240ml carton coconut cream1 tsp vanilla bean extract6 tbsp olive oilfinely grated zest of 2 unwaxed limes and juice of 14 passion fruits, halved and pulp and seeds scooped out with a spoon, 2 reserved for the topping150g plain flour100g ground almonds25g desiccated coconut, plus an extra 1 heaped tablespoon for decorating1 tsp baking powder3 tbsp apricot jam1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 20cm round springform cake tin with baking paper (or you can use a 22cm cast-iron pot).2 Beat the eggs, sugar, coconut cream and vanilla together in a mixing bowl until evenly combined. Add the olive oil, lime zest and juice and the pulp and seeds of the 2 passion fruits and mix again. Add the flour, ground almonds, desiccated coconut and baking powder and mix well until the batter is smooth.3 Pour the batter into the lined tin and bake for 1 hour until a skewer or knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin.4 Mix the reserved passion fruit pulp and seeds with the apricot jam in a small bowl. Spread over the top of the cooled cake, sprinkle with the extra desiccated coconut and serve.Khoresh e AlooFor every fruit and vegetable that grows in Iran, there is a stew to match. Plum stew is traditionally made with lamb and dried Bukhara plums, but I love adding my own twist and using fresh plums and chicken. This freezes really well. Serve it with flatbreads or basmati rice.SERVES 3-4vegetable oil1 large onion, finely choppedabout 30g of flat leaf parsley, finely choppedabout 30g of fresh coriander, finely chopped600-650g boneless, skinless chicken thighs1 tsp ground turmeric1 heaped tbsp tomato purée4 large plums, stoned and halvedMaldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper1 Place a saucepan over a medium-high heat, drizzle in enough vegetable oil to coat the base and cook the onion until softened and translucent. Add the herbs and cook them for about 10 minutes until they turn dark green and look like well-cooked spinach.2 Add the chicken, turmeric and tomato purée, stir well and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season generously with salt and pepper, then reduce the heat to medium, pour over enough water to barely cover the ingredients and stir. Cook, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.3 Check and adjust the seasoning, then add the plum halves and ensure they are just about immersed in liquid. Cook for another 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a splash more water to keep the plums immersed if necessary. The dish is ready when the plums are soft but remain whole and the chicken is tender.NOW BUY THE BOOKOur recipes are from Persiana One by Sabrina Ghayour with photographs by Kris Kirkham (Mitchell Beazley, £28). To order a copy for £23.80 until 23 August, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25.