The fall months are here, and we all want to stay warm and cozy. On cooler nights, I’m sure everyone craves warm, delicious, fragrant dishes that will help us fulfill our cravings but also provide us with the much-needed nourishment we need to stay healthy.
A vegetable curry is perfect for those who enjoy meat but don’t mind vegetables every now and then, especially as it gets colder. If you’re a vegetarian, then you will obviously love this foolproof recipe. If you’re not aware of what a curry is, let us enlighten you before getting into the recipe.
The curry recipe we’re about to present you with has the delicious autumnal flavors of sweet potato and cauliflower, so your cozy nights are made warmer.
All About Curry
Curry’s origin is in the Indian Subcontinent, and the word basically comes from the word “Kari”, which is a Tamil word that means sauce or soup that people eat with rice. Curry is made with loads of spices mixed together, including but not limited to turmeric, red chillis, coriander, and cumin.
Curries can be wet or dry, depending on how much gravy or sauce is present in the dish. Many people first mix and roast or fry the spices separately in oil and then add them to the dish, making the curry look like a stir-fry dish. In Thailand, people just add spices directly into the curry. Curry is extremely loved in the Indian Subcontinent, and vegetable curry is great for keeping people warm in the cold months.
Here are a few vegetables and foods that are great in helping you stay warm.
Essential Winter Foods
Root Vegetables
Root vegetables are vegetables that grow in the ground like sweet potatoes, turnips, and radishes. Sweet potatoes are great for maintaining your skin health as well. These vegetables help produce heat in your body through the process of metabolism. These vegetables take longer to digest, so the elongated process of metabolism will keep your body temperature up. Incorporating these vegetables in your soups and curry is the key.
Spices
Spices are not just flavorsome but also generate a little heat that keeps you warm for longer. Cumin, sesame seeds, turmeric, pepper, and cinnamon are the best spices to incorporate in your delicious fall curry.
Cinnamon is great for raising your body temperature by increasing your metabolism rate. Cumin keeps your body warm, and turmeric gives heat to your food. Pepper and sesame seeds have incredible health benefits, especially for cold months. Pepper helps keep the flu away, and sesame seeds are great for combatting respiratory diseases.
Now that you’re aware of some general facts, let’s get into the recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 large roughly chopped onion
- 4 cloves of peeled garlic
- 1 1.5-inch length ginger (peeled, fresh, and thinly sliced)
- 1 ½ tablespoon of yellow curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper(plus more according to taste)
- 2 tablespoons oil (canola or olive)
- 2 ¼ tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups of vegetable broth (low-sodium)
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon of black pepper (fresh, ground) plus more according to taste
- ½ head cauliflower (break it into 1½-inch-wide florets) (should measure about 3 cups)
- 1 pound sweet potatoes (fresh, peeled, and properly cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 2 large carrots (peeled and cut into 1-inch round slices)
- 2 tomatoes (chopped and cored)
- 1 lime’s zest grated
- 2 tablespoons of lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 can of 15-ounce chickpeas (with no-salt, properly rinsed and drained)
- 5 cups spinach (fresh baby leaves)
- ¾ teaspoon of salt
- ¼cup of cilantro leaves (freshly chopped)
- 3 cups of your preferred rice serving
Nutritional Value
This curry serves six people and has 380 calories per serving.
Instructions
Step 1
First, add the onions, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, and curry powder to your food processor and combine them properly. Add oil into the processor and keep processing till a smooth puree is made.
Step 2
Now take out the puree from the processor and transfer it into a large pot and let it cook over medium heat. Keep stirring continuously for 4 to 5 minutes. Time to add the tomato paste. Let the puree cook more and keep stirring for five more minutes until your mixture’s color changes and darkens.
Step 3
Now add the vegetable broth, cinnamon stick, black pepper (¼ teaspoon), and coconut milk to the mixture and bring it to a boil. You can reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 4
Time to add the delicious vegetables. Add sweet potatoes, cauliflower florets, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, season everything with salt and pepper, and let everything boil again. You can reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot so the vegetables can simmer until they are tender or soft. This could take 20 to 25 minutes.
Step 5
Take out the cinnamon stick from your pot and add lime zest, chickpeas, spinach, and lime juice. Let the mixture cook until the spinach has wilted. This could take about 4 to 5 minutes.
Step 6
Season your curry with ¾ teaspoon salt, garnish it with cilantro leaves, and serve with rice.
What to Serve With
Personally, we would love this curry with brown rice, but basmati rice would work great too. You can even make cauliflower rice if you’re looking for a low-carb alternative. Sprinkle some nuts like peanuts, pinenuts, or cashews on top to give the curry an extra crunch.
If you want to go completely typical Indian, have the curry with flatbread or naan bread.
Storing Your Curry
You can store your curry overnight in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also leave it in the fridge for three days, and if you want to leave it for three months, the freezer is your best bet.
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