Warm Winter Curry

I’m back! And since it’s winter, I have some warming bowl food for you.

My explanation for the delay in posts is fairly simple - I had a baby, and found myself a bit too busy to photograph and upload my meals. Frankly, I felt a bit too busy at times to make interesting meals. But, over time, my zest for cooking has returned, as well as my ability to sit and upload a post. It’s great to be back and enjoying one of my passions once again!

This curry is really simple, and relies on ingredients that I keep around the house all the time. These are real flavour boosters that you should consider having around the house yourself - things like onions, garlic, ginger, lemon, and warm spices. These are great for your immune system (as many of us are still suffering long, cold days) and you can add whatever else is sitting in your pantry or fridge for something super delicious.

This meal is also plant based, but it’s still filling I promise! It’s a bit of an odd mix of dark, moody flavours (the garam masala) with bright, fresh ones (the cilantro and lemon). I like the balance, and you can add some chilis to this dish as well for some heat. I like mine mild.

Ingredients:

1 large yellow onion (or 2 small ones)

1 tbsp oil - you can use olive oil or any other oil you have

2 cloves of garlic, diced and germ removed (just slice the clove in half and remove the little stem in the centre, it helps to easily digest the garlic)

1 inch of a fat chunk of ginger, diced small

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp (or more) of garam masala

*Optional - 1 tbsp chopped cilantro stems

1 tsp lemon zest

2 large vine tomatoes, chopped

1 large zucchini, chopped

1 large sweet potato, chopped

1 19 oz can of chickpeas, drained

1 14 oz can of coconut milk

2 cups of chicken broth

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

*Optional - 1 tsp of turmeric

*Optional - 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes

1 cup brown rice

The first step is to dice (or slice) your onions and put them in a large pot with some oil over medium-low heat. Sprinkle some salt, and cook them down until soft. Then add the garlic, ginger, tomato paste, and garam masala. At this stage, I like to add a splash of chicken broth because the spices will dry everything up in the pan. It’s good to toss everything in the pan dry for a few minutes to cook the spices, but then you can deglaze with the broth to loosen everything up and lift some of that flavour off of the bottom of the pan. Just 1/4 cup at most.

At this stage, you could add a tsp of turmeric. I didn’t, and my recipe turned out well, but after making this curry I thought that turmeric may be a nice addition. So if you’re up for it, go ahead and add it! It will add some more anti-inflammatory properties to the dish.

Once the spices have cooked for a little while with the tomato paste, onions, and other flavourings, you can add the cilantro stems if you’re using them. I love cilantro, but not everyone does. The stems have a ton of flavour. You should also add the lemon zest at this stage.

Next, add the vegetables, the chickpeas, and the coconut milk. If the vegetables are still sticking out of the liquid quite a bit, add just enough stock to bring the liquid up to the tops of the vegetables. You don’t need to fully cover the vegetables. Add about 1 tsp of salt (we’ll add more later if needed) and then bring to a boil before simmering for about 30-40 minutes. It may look a touch anemic at first, but the colour will deepen as it cooks down.

While the curry simmers, cook the brown rice. Add one cup of brown rice to a pan with 2 cups of water and a sprinkle of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for about 20-30 minutes.

When the curry is deep in colour, the vegetables are cooked down and the sauce is thick, add a final splash of lemon juice. You can use up to a tbsp to get that brightness of flavour, but add a bit at a time until you’re happy with the seasoning. This is also an opportunity to add more salt if it is needed.

Serve garnished with cilantro leaves and a lemon wedge. Enjoy!