Speedy Vegetable Curry

Speedy Vegetable Curry

You know when you fancy something but can’t be bothered to cook? Well, this flavoursome vegetable curry can be ready in under half an hour! No kidding! 🙂

Dinner in less than 30 minutes…

The main ingredients are the chickpeas and the spices, but other than that you can play around with the veg and use whatever you have! 🙂 I think this is the first week we’ve bought any vegetables since our allotment started producing in June! We went to a farmers market and got some delicious fresh parsnips, savoy cabbage, multi-coloured tomatoes and salad leaves, but then when we went to sort the allotment out for winter we realised that lots of things have suddenly had a new lease of life and we still have beans, courgettes, carrots, beetroot, celery, onions, chard, pattypan squash, aubergines, nasturtiums, rocket, butternut squash, raspberries and even strawberries still growing! 😀 The weather this last week has certainly been VERY warm for this time of year and we love that we still have our own produce to harvest!

As I’m the only one who eats beetroot in our family (unless I hide it in cake), I decided to make a beetroot soup. I added in some nasturtium leaves and flowers as there are a LOT growing and it made the smoothest tastiest beetroot soup you could imagine… pretty too!

Smooth velvety beetroot soup

Peppery nasturtiums add some bite

How has your week been? Have you been cooking? baking? working? relaxing? dealing with the unexpected? I’ve had lots of interesting conversations this week with people about food and how they can improve their health through making simple changes and I’ve even managed to fit in some ‘textbook’ research too! 🙂 My local library has seen a lot of me this week! It is good to keep on learning… we can never know it all!!! 😛

Speedy Vegetable Curry (Vegan & Free-From)

Servings: 2-3
Time: 25-30 mins
Difficulty: easy
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Gather

Oil of choice (I used coconut oil)
1/2 leek halved lengthways then sliced
1 small onion halved then sliced
1 garlic clove chopped
1 large carrot chopped
2 parsnips chopped
1 aubergine chopped
1 x 400g tin chickpeas WITH their liquid
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
pinch of chili flakes
salt to taste (I used pink Himalayan)
100-200ml milk (I used unsweetened carton coconut)

Prepare

Heat the oil in a deep lidded pan, then add the leeks and onion. Cook until starting to brown, then add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
Add the carrot, parsnip and aubergine, stir to coat with oil, cover and leave on a medium heat for five minutes. Stir again and check for colouring on the aubergine (it should be just starting to brown).
Pour in the chickpeas and their liquid, then sprinkle over the curry, turmeric, cumin, coriander and chili and gently mix in. Cover and leave on medium heat for five minutes.
Do a taste test and season with salt as necessary.
Bit by bit add the milk, stirring after each addition before covering and leaving on a low heat for a final ten minutes. You want to end up with a creamy thick sauce so adjust the milk accordingly.
Do a final taste test and adjust seasoning as required.
Enjoy!

Serve & Store

Serve immediately with your favourite grain.
Serve with poppadum’s or naan bread.
Pile into lettuce leaves and eat as a lettuce wrap.
Add some bhajis on the side.
Make a quick raita with yogurt (coconut), chopped cucumber, mint and salt.
Switch up your vegetables and use courgettes, pumpkin, cabbage, mushroom or peas
Spice it up and increase the quantities of curry and chili or add a half teaspoon of Cajun spice too.
Throw in some quartered tomatoes when you add the chickpeas for a milder taste.
Store refrigerated for up to three days.