This is a scrumptious, but healthy version of a traditional flan (similar to a quiche). It tastes great at room temperature so it’s perfect for packed lunches.

Curried courgette flan

Ingredients

• For the flan case, you have three options: buy a ready-made pastry case; buy ready-made pastry and roll it out to fit your tin; or make your usual shortcrust pastry
• 2 onions, thinly sliced in half-moons
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 courgettes, sliced into ½ cm circles
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 150ml half-fat crème fraîche
• Sprinkle black onion seeds
• 1tsp curry powder
• Sprinkle garam masala
• Olive oil
• Ziplock plastic bag

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
2. If you are making your own pastry, blind-bake it first, but remove the case after about 7 minutes and brush it with a little of the beaten egg, before returning it to the oven for another 8 minutes or so. If you’re using a ready-made case, brush it with egg and bake it for five minutes. This will form a protective layer, allowing for a crispy base and avoiding the dreaded “soggy bottom”.
3. Sauté the onions and garlic gently in a scant amount of olive oil. After 5 minutes, add half the curry powder and stir. The dry powder will potentially catch quickly, so add a splash of water to loosen the mixture and stir. Keep adding water a splash at a time, as needed, until your onions are silky and soft (this should take about 10 minutes).
4. Remove the onions from the heat. Turn on the grill.
5. Place the courgettes in a ziplock bag with a splash of olive oil, seal the bag and shake to coat the courgettes with oil.
6. Grill the courgettes, turning after 5 minutes or so, depending on how quickly they colour; they should be a light golden colour. Remove the courgettes to a plate.
7. Place the onions in the base of the flan case and layer the courgettes on top.
8. Whisk the crème fraîche together with the eggs and add the rest of the curry powder. Pour the mixture over the courgettes.
9. Sprinkle the top of your flan with garam masala and onion seeds, and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until set.
10. Eat warm with a steaming pile of tenderstem broccoli or cold for lunch.

Siobhan Blunden-Currie is a head of department in a secondary school. She will be providing recipes every Friday for Tes