Vegetable Curry
So many curries are fabulous because of their long cooking time. I was starving when I made this and in a real rush, so I steamed some sweet potatoes first and then added them to the rest of the veg in the curry - as if by magic something fabulous happened - the potatoes broke down into the sauce, thickening it and giving it a lovely sweet edge. I love it when things like that happen in the kitchen - rather like the invention of that brilliant pud, the tarte tatin. Stephanie Tatin, one of the Tatin sisters, was making an apple tart one day and left the apples cooking with some sugar for too long - the inevitable happened, sugar became caramel and Stephanie smelt a burning aroma. Quick to try and cover up her mistake, she put the pastry straight over the apples in the pan and popped the lot into the oven. It went down a storm and remains unchanged to this day.
You can chop and change what you put in this curry - any vegetables will do, or meat if you fancy. It's great for using up left-overs - the half pepper from your stir-fry, the spring onions from your salad, the past-it's-best tomato lurking at the back of the fridge. We probably have at least one a week for just that purpose - last time I added some left-over kale, which was fab.
Ingredients for a supper for two
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin, ground
- 1 tsp coriander, ground
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 dried chillies
- 1 inch ginger
- 2 garlic cloves
- a pinch of dried curry leaves or a few fresh
- 1 onion
- mixed vegetables
- a tin of chopped tomatoes
- Half a tub of Greek fat free yogurt
In a pan toast the cumin and coriander until they become aromatic. Grind them in a pestle and mortar. In a food processor, whizz up the onion with the garlic and ginger. Watch out when you take the lid off, you might get a serious dose of ammonia from the onions. Put a splash of groundnut or flavourless oil into the pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, ginger and garlic, the chillies, the curry leaves and the spices and stir - be warned, the mustard seeds can pop all over the place. Let the mixture cook for a few minutes before adding whatever vegetables you have to hand. If you fancy doing the sweet potato thing, peel and cube them then steam them for 15 minutes or so. Add the tomatoes and yogurt to the pan, and mix thoroughly. Let everything cook away for about 10 or 15 minutes, until whatever veg you have added has started to soften and is cooked through.
Serve with brown rice and raita.
To follow Will's food adventures, please visit: theboydonefood.blogspot.com