This is a really beautiful curry. I make it Thai by adding Thai curry paste instead of the Indian spices and use 1/4 cup-1/3 cup lime juice too!
Sautee the ingredients in the order listed and add a bit of water or vegetable broth as needed to cook and cut the fat content. Add the coconut milk and cilantro just before serving and eat over rice, quinoa or alone!
Oil (use as little or as much as you like an your plan allows)
2 tsp. black mustard seeds
2 tsp. coriander seeds
2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. turmeric
4 inches fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp. chili pepper
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small carrot, chopped
1 cup chopped green beans
1/2 cup of tofu cubes
1 handful of green peas
2 medium potatoes, steamed or boiled then cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 small cauliflower, small florets, steamed or boiled
A few pinches salt and black pepper
1 can of light coconut milk
Chopped cilantro
I have a hard time getting the seasonings right when I try to make my own curry, so I usually buy good jarred curry pastes which have recipes and instructions on the back of the jar. one of my favorites is onion, potato, and chick peas simmered in chicken broth with a few tablespoons of a good curry paste. Masala curries are often very good.
I never was a fan of chickpeas, until I had them in a curry dish in an Indian restaurant. If I had to become a vegetarian, vegetarian indian food is the only way I could do it (though it would still be sad to give up chicken tikka masala, which I know is more a british-indian thing than a traditional indian dish, but it's sooooo good).
I've had it without meat too, and it's good. I just love chicken and lamb dishes in indian restaurants. I was raised in Illinois and now live in Wisconsin, and it's just too easy to be an omnivore. I do try to limit animal protein, and am even converting a carnivore husband to occasional meatless or low meat meals (he was the hunk o' meat at every meal type before we married).
That Mediterrasian book that was on the homepage last month has some very good curry recipes in it. We have a large Vietnamese population here. Why they chose S. Mississippi to settle is a mystery to me but they are here. Anyway, we have a great Asian market so I can get very authentic ingredients-so authentic I can't read the label, LOL. I can get vegetables I've never heard of. I have been experimenting quite a bit. In fact I'm planning to go today and pick up some stuff. They have soy sauce from all over the world. I think I'll experiment with some different ones to find the one I like best.
Chickpea curries are my favorite!
