My entire family just gobbled up this veggie curry. I wrote this recipe specifically for this Lenten Season. This is a wonderful meal for Ash Wednesday, meatless Fridays, and days we fast. It is filling, nutritious, and family friendly. Without further delay, let’s get started!
Vegetable Curry
You will need:
- 2 teaspoons each: ground ginger, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground turmeric, curry powder, and paprika (all are easy to find in your regular grocery store seasoning section. Don’t be intimidated by the new spices. You will love them!)
- 1 teaspoon each: chili powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (please don’t skip this- it adds just the right amount of warmth without being spicy)
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 large, or 2 small sweet potatoes, chopped into small cubes
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup of frozen green peas
- 1 lime, juice and zest
- 1 15oz can of tomato sauce
- 1 can of lite coconut milk
- 1 cup of Basmati rice
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 8oz container of plain yogurt (I used Greek- I keep it on hand and I enjoy the tang)
- 2 large pieces of naan bread
- 4 Tbsp canola or mild tasting oil of your choice
- 1 Tbsp butter (optional…but I like it)
Preheat your oven to 375* F. Follow these steps in order to make sure everything is ready around the same time.
The first step is to get the vegetables in the oven. I like to roast the vegetables before putting them into the curry. I have found that this boosts the overall flavor and texture versus letting the veggies cook in the curry.
Place the sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and chickpeas onto a sheet pan. Toss them all lightly with a mild tasting oil of your choice. I use light tasting olive oil (I keep it around for salads), but canola oil would be perfect here too. Do not season these vegetables at all. They will go into the curry sauce at the end. Roast them for 40 minutes at 375.
Next, you’ll want to rinse the rice. Basmati rice is absolutely wonderful alongside curry. However, it needs to be treated a certain way in order to come out at its best. The key is to wash away as much starch as possible from the grains. This will allow for each grain to be individual in the end and not sticking to each other.
To achieve this, pour the rice into a bowl and cover with cool water. Swirl it around with your hand until the water is cloudy. Carefully pour out the water without dumping out the rice. Repeat this process 3-4 more times until the water is clear. Once the water is clear, let the rice soak for 20-30 minutes while you carry on with the recipe.
Now, it’s time to get the curry together! Set a deep skillet or shallow dutch oven over medium heat. Add in the butter and oil until heated through. Next, add in the onion and garlic. Stir around until the onion is softened, about 3-5 minutes.
Once the onion has softened, lower the heat to med-low and add in all of the spices. Stir around and let the spices cook for 2-3 minutes to really let their flavors come out. After the 2-3 minutes is up and your kitchen smells amazing, add in the tomato sauce + half a can of water (this ensures all of the tomato sauce comes out of the can, and it also adds a little more liquid to the curry), coconut milk, lime juice, and lime zest. Stir until combined. Cover and let it cook together while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Now, back to the rice! Bring 1 3/4 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Add in a pinch of salt. Once the water is boiling, add in the rinsed, soaked, and drained rice. Bring it back to a boil for 1 minute. Put the lid on the pot and set the heat as low as it can go. Let the rice cook for 15 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, get the veggies out of the oven and transfer to the curry (leave the oven on so you can warm the naan bread during the last few minutes before mealtime). Go ahead and add in the 1 cup of frozen peas. Give everything a big stir. Cover the pot and let it cook together while the rice finishes (about 10-15 minutes).
Once the rice is done cooking, leave it covered, but remove it from the heat and let it sit for five minutes. Get your plates out during this time, and warm the naan bread straight on the oven rack for 2-3 minutes.
Once the five minute is up on the rice, take the lid off and fluff it with a fork. It should be perfect!
To serve: put 1/2 cup of rice on one side of the plate, and fill the other half of the plate with the veggie curry. Top the curry with chopped cilantro. Put a nice dollop of tangy yogurt on the side of the plate next to the curry. Tuck a piece of naan bread near the rice. I eat this dish with my hands using the naan as my utensil, and I also go for a spoon or fork with the rice and curry. It is enjoyable from many angles!
I really hope you love this recipe! It is absolutely wonderful, and I wanted to share something vegetarian friendly and easy to use for our meatless days during this season of Lent. My kids loved it, especially my 11 month old, and we had plenty of curry leftover to freeze. That’s right, this is freezer friendly! Just put what you don’t eat into a gallon freezer, and reheat for 30 minutes to 1 hour on med-low heat with 1/2 cup of water when you’re ready to eat it next.
If you make this recipe, please let me know how it turns out. I am going to be posting a few more vegetarian recipes over the coming days.
As always, thank you for supporting me. I really enjoy sharing recipes with all of you. It makes me feel like I am doing something creative and useful.
Lots of love and many blessings,
Chelsea
53 Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.
John 6:53-54
The Catholic Kitchen 