Indian Vegetable Curry
Adapted from Fine Cooking (Oct/Nov 2010)
This aromatic dish makes the house smell wonderful. My 2-year-old walked in from outside and said, “What smells good?” This from the child who has never shown an interest in food. I’ve written this as a vegetarian dish, but see the tips below if you’d like to add meat. Serve over rice with lime wedges and warm naan.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth (see tips below)
1 cup light coconut milk
1 cinnamon stick
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 small cauliflower, broken into florets
1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1-15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cups lightly packed fresh spinach leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
In a heavy bottomed pan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and stir until starting to brown. Turn down the heat to medium-low and cook until soft and nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for a minute, until fragrant. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric and cayenne and stir for a minute or so. Add the tomato paste and stir until well blended, about another minute.
Add the broth, coconut milk, cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop the cauliflower, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and carrots. Add them to the broth and bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat again to low, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick.
Stir in the chickpeas, lime juice and lime zest. At this point, I typically take some out for my kids so that we don’t have to have an argument about the “green things.” If you have green-averse children in your house, this is a good time to take a bit out. Finally, add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about another minute or two. Remove from heat. Season with salt, if needed. Garnish with cilantro, if using.
Quick Tips
1. There is a bit of chopping involved here. Do not attempt this dish on a night when you are rushed. It’s a good Sunday supper or saved for a night when you can take a little time.
2. You can easily make this a vegetarian dish (vegan, even) if you use vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock.
3. The original recipe calls for 1/2 t. cayenne pepper. I found this to be a bit too spicy for my little ones, though they happily ate the sweet potatoes and the carrots out of the dish. I would omit it if you are making the dish for a family with young children or you are sensitive to spice. There is plenty of flavor provided by the other rich spices, so you really shouldn’t need it.
4. If you feel as if you’d like a bit more protein (the chickpeas already add a good dose of protein and fiber), try adding diced tofu just before adding the chickpeas. You’ll want to heat it through completely before serving (about 5 minutes or so). If you’d like to add meat, a little diced pre-cooked chicken could work.
Preparation time: 45 minute(s)
Cooking time: 45 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 6
It doesn’t say how much cayenne should be added. I should probably be able to figure it out… But not sure I trust my judgment 🙂
See quick tip #2. I used 1/2 teaspoon and it was too much. I’d say to leave it out altogether or start with 1/8 teaspoon and go from there. I hope you enjoy!