Easily made vegetarian, this hearty plant-forward curry is scented with fragrant spices like cumin, cardamom and allspice. Widely done in Indian cooking, tempering fragrant spices in oil imparts deep flavors onto this satisfying stew.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 15 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | about 4 to 6 main course servings |
Ingredients
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 (3-inch) chunk peeled, fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon water, plus more as needed
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 4 whole allspice
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 (3-inch) long cinnamon stick, broken in 1/2
- 1 bay leaf, preferably fresh
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 2 teaspoons Madras-style curry powder
- 1/2 jalapeno, or more to taste
- 1/2 cup whole, peeled, canned tomatoes (with puree), roughly chopped
- 8 cups mixed 1-inch-cut vegetables, such as cauliflower, potatoes, green beans, or eggplant
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
- About 2 cups (1-inch cubed) cooked chicken, preferably thigh or leg (optional)
- Cilantro leaves, for garnish
- Serving suggestion: Basmati rice and chutney
Instructions
- In a small food processor (mini-chopper), combine the garlic, ginger, and 1 tablespoon water and puree to a paste.
- Heat the oil in a stew pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the coriander, cumin, cardamom, allspice, cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf and cook, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant and the cinnamon stick unfurls, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic-ginger paste, curry powder, and jalapeno and cook, stirring, until lightly browned and fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the tomato and cook, stirring, until the oil begin to separate and there is a distinctive crackling sound as the ingredients “re-fry” in the oil, about 6 minutes.
- Add the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Add the coconut milk and enough water to just cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon transfer the vegetables to a bowl. Bring the broth to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a sauce-like consistency. If using the chicken, add and reheat. Return the vegetables to the sauce and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter and garnish with the cilantro.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 273 |
| Total Fat | 24 g |
| Saturated Fat | 13 g |
| Carbohydrates | 14 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 629 mg |
Reviews
We like our food spicy, so I used 1 bs. of curry powder plus a whole chopped jalapeno. Also put butternut squash, carrots, green beans in.Bought rotisserie chicken breasts & will add those in chunks. I frequently use frozen jasmine rice ( easy, no pot to wash. To correct the above error, it’s 1 Tbs. of curry powder!
Very tasty! Played with the jalapenos to bring some serious heat. Sauteed some eggplant and zucchini in a little oil, and added green beans and diced chicken breasts for a wonderful meal. Thanks!
we loved it. My DH did not miss the
meat. I did not have all the spices in the original form, I just used the ground spices and it worked. We love curry and I will make it again.
meat. I did not have all the spices in the original form, I just used the ground spices and it worked. We love curry and I will make it again.
So easy to make. Super yummy. I loved how easy it is to please myself and my meat eating family
Not my most favorite curry, but definitely ok. I’m not a big fan of coconut milk in curries, so that could be the reason 🙂
I am a huge fan of Indian food and whenever I go out to get some, I always thought that the dishes were really complicated. But this recipie made it quite simple. Some of the spices were hard to find, but I did what I could and the dish came out wonderful.
This tastes like real authentic Indian cuisine. The only thing I’d change making this again is to brown the eggplant in some oil before adding it to the pan.
I love recipes like this that are easily adaptable to whatever ingredients you happen to have on hand. This dish also has great flavor.