I first had this dish with naan bread in Jaipur, Rajasthan — the Pink City. While travelling around India, I became vegetarian because I did not trust the meat I saw in the markets.

You can substitute the spinach with peas. In some UK Indian restaurants the sauce is enriched with cream or even condensed milk; this version uses strained yoghurt.

This easy dish is well worth the effort, but it needs some forward planning.

When I was a kibbutznik, we would go into town on Thursday evenings for a drink with the other volunteers. The highlight was a falafel with all the wonderful condiments. I developed this recipe while studying at the College of Naturopathic Medicine. Sprouting reduces some antinutrients, making chickpeas easier to digest. It was on the Tree Bistro menu and is vegan-friendly. If you are in a hurry, you can simply soak the chickpeas overnight.

This works well with either fresh or dried pasta. If you can’t find cooked aubergines, prick them with a fork, rub them with olive oil and roast them whole at 200°C for 45–50 minutes. I found ours in a market in Catania, Sicily, roasted in a wood-fired oven, which gave them a smoky flavour. You can also cook them on the barbecue. Pasta alla Norma is named after Bellini’s opera Norma; it is normally served with a tubular pasta.

I learnt to cook risotto while doing a stage in Milan during a very cold January. This version works well with spring vegetables as a vegetarian dish. Made simply with saffron, it can also be served with osso buco.