Food should always be a joyful business. Not only that, it is often very

liberating to be instinctive.

Occasionally, it’s a terrific feeling to stroll into the superstore or around a market with no idea of what you’re going to cook.

It’s a great idea to start with your butcher, too. He’ll know what’s the choicest cut on the counter, and what’s the best value for the time of year.

Once you’ve got your meat sorted out, you can then begin mentally planning around it and shop accordingly. You may find, as I do, that your ideas change many times as you’re perusing the shelves, but at the end of it all, you’ve had a wee adventure and supper is, hopefully, an exciting dish, imagined out of thin air earlier in the day. Try it; it’s lots of fun sometimes!

To this end, and in the spirit of culinary playfulness, this week we’re mixing up cultures willy-nilly, with a recipe that draws influences from Israel, India, Portugal and Lebanon. Latkes are one of the world’s very oldest culinary creations, originating in Biblical times as small discs of fried dough. They’re now made in myriad variations all over Europe, but are most often made with grated potato. They form part of the traditional Hanukkah meals for Jews of the Ashkenazi branch of the faith. Most modern latkes are enlivened with the addition of garlic, carrot or onion, or a combination of these, but as I was writing up my recipe I thought of adding a dose of warming Indian spice as well as using up a small cauliflower that was hanging around after Sunday lunch.

The crisp, lightly-spiced potato cakes would be amazing, I thought, with a nice fiery chutney, and I’d had this recipe ready to go for a while, after having seen the chef Vivek Singh make it on television. I dialled down the sugar amount a little, but it’s essentially his terrific recipe - a thick glossy pickle of tomatoes, onion seeds, raisins and plenty of chili for bite.

Chutneys have been made in India for centuries, from all manner of ingredients, and are a wonderful way of adding dynamic contrast to meals, both in terms of taste and temperature. Talking of which, I decided we’d need something to cool down the palate with all that hot, spicy flavour going on. What better than the cooling, sharp taste of a minty yoghurt dressing around crunchy cucumber? This combination is used all over, from Lebanon in the west, all across the Middle East and into the Indian subcontinent, and it’s absolutely brilliant with all manner of ingredients.

Try tucking it into a soft flatbread along with some chargrilled lamb, or spooning it over a rich rogan josh-type curry. A little hint of cumin adds a seductive base-note, and a pinch of sugar eases the sharpness a little.

Alongside the latkes and the hot chutney, it works wonderfully as a welcome, cooling contrast. This globe-trotting mish-mash all comes together to make a delightful light lunch or supper dish, and, as ever, feel free to play with the ingredients a little.

Grated carrot, celeriac or parsnip would go nicely with the potato, and you could switch the spices for some fresh herbs instead.

Have fun with it, and don’t forget to take a freewheelin’ shopping trip soon.

FOR THE LATKES:

450g cauliflower, separated into small florets

450g baking potatoes

1 onion, very finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsps plain flour

2 tbsps chopped fresh coriander

2 tsp Maldon salt

½ tsp freshly ground pepper

1 tsp garam masala or curry powder mix of choice

Vegetable oil or ghee for frying

FOR THE CHUTNEY:

30ml sunflower oil

1 tsp black onion seeds

1 bayleaf

2 dried red chilis

Roughly 700g ripe tomatoes

1 tbsp golden raisins

1 tsp hot red chili powder

100g unrefined light muscovado sugar

A splash of white wine vinegar

FOR THE SALAD:

1 large cucumber

120ml natural yoghurt

The juice of 1 lemon

1 small bunch fresh mint

A pinch of sugar

½ tsp ground cumin

METHOD:

For the salad, slice or chop the cucumber in whatever manner pleases you.

Thick or thin, it’s up to you. Pop it into a bowl. Finely chop the mint and add this to the cucumber, along with the lemon juice, sugar and cumin. Mix well and chill until required.

To make the chutney, bring a pan of water to the boil. Score a cross at the base of each tomato and pop into the boiling water for 30-45 seconds.

Remove from the water and plunge into iced water until completely cold. Remove the skins and cut into quarters. Remove the seeds and set the flesh to one side. Heat the oil gently in a deep saucepan. Sizzle the onion seeds, bayleaf and chilis, then add the tomatoes and raisins and bring to a bubbling boil.

Reduce the heat an simmer gently for 30-45 minutes until well broken down. Add the chili powder and sugar and simmer for a further 20 minutes. Decant into sterilised jars until ready to use. It’s best made at least a week in advance.

For the latkes, preheat the oven to 140°C / Gas 1. Line a baking sheet with a couple of layers of kitchen roll.

Place the cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until pea-sized pieces remain. Transfer to a large bowl.

Peel the potatoes and grate them on the large holes of a box grater. Working in batches, squeeze handfuls of the potato in a clean tea towel, removing as much moisture as possible.

Add the potatoes to the bowl with the cauliflower.

Add the onion and garlic. Add the eggs, flour, the herbs and spices, and stir to mix. Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a wide non-stick frying pan.

Make patties of the mixture using about 2 tablespoons per latke.

Working in batches of 4, slip the latkes into the oil and flatten lightly.

Cook, turning once, until the latkes are golden and crispy, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Drain over the pan and transfer the latkes to the lined baking sheet in the oven while cooking the remaining latkes.

Alternatively, make large pan-sized latkes as you would a rösti.

Serve immediately with spoonfuls of the hot chutney and a bowl of the salad.