VEGETABLE MASALA recipe below.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 8 curry leaves, chopped
- 1 long green chilli, halved, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
- 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves
- 500ml (2 cups) coconut cream
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 50g (1/3 cup) cashew nuts (activated if possible), chopped
- 400g diced tomatoes
- 125ml (½ cup)
- Chicken Bone Broth or water
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 100g green beans, cut into 4 cm batons
- 100g broccoli florets
- 100g eggplant, cut into 1.5 cm dice
- 100g kent pumpkin, cut into 1.5 cm dice
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Spice Mix
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 8 cloves
- 8 cardamom pods, crushed
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
To Serve
- cooked Cauliflower Rice
- lemon wedges
Instructions
To make the spice mix, toast the whole spices and seeds until fragrant, then grind in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Mix through the turmeric and chilli powder. Set aside until needed.
Melt the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the garlic, spice mix, and curry leaves and cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the chilli, ginger and chopped coriander and cook for 1 minute to soften, then stir in the coconut cream, poppy seeds, cashews, tomatoes, and chicken broth or water. Mix well and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes to allow the flavours to develop. Add the carrot and cook for 10 minutes, then add the remaining vegetables, cover, and cook for a further 20 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the coriander leaves over the vegetable masala and serve with the cauliflower rice and a wedge or two of lemon to squeeze on top.
Catch this recipe and a whole lot more in Pete Evans’ Eat Your Greens book!
Pete Evans’ Eat Your Greens: Tomato-Braised Okra with Za’Atar