WINTER VEGETABLE CURRY WITH FRUITY RAITA
Serves 4
2 tbsps. veg. oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
1/2 butternut squash, peeled & cut into cubes
4 carrots, peeled & cut into batons
2 parsnips, peeled & cut into batons
3 tbsps. curry paste
8 large ripe tomatoes, 2 cut into wedges
6 garlic cloves, peeled
thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled an chopped
small packet coriander, chopped
200g. brown basmati rice
6 tbsps. natural yogurt
tin of mango, drained and chopped
1 tbsp. mango chutney
small pack toasted, flaked almonds
Heat the oil in a large lidded pan. Tip in the onions and cook for 10 minutes until soft. Stir in the squash, carrots and parsnips and cook for 5 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the curry paste and cook for another 3 minutes.
In a bowl whizz together the whole tomatoes, garlic and ginger until smooth (using a hand blender or small food processor) then pour over the vegetables adding 200mls. water. Save a handful of coriander to serve and stir in the rest. Pop on the lid and simmer for 40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add more water if necessary. Uncover and stir through the tomato wedges.
Meanwhile cook the rice following the pack instructions. Mix the yogurt, mango and chutney in a small bowl. Fork the rice into a serving dish and scatter the curry with the remaining coriander and the almonds. Season then serve alongside the rice and fruity yogurt.
TIPS
You could always make the fruity raita by using dried, chopped apricots instead of tinned mango. You can, obviously, miss this out as a side dish and use white rice instead of brown if preferred. I recently had a curry served with lentils instead of rice and it was lovely. Not red lentils, but the puy variety.
CARROT AND PARSNIP SOUP
Serves 4-6
1/2 tbsps. olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 small bunch thyme, leaves picked
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 litre veg. stock
100mls. double cream
1/4 bunch parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion and celery for 10 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, thyme and 1/2 tsp. of black pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the carrots, parsnips and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
Blend using a stick blender until smooth. Add the cream and blitz until combined, then taste for seasoning. To serve, ladle into bowls and scatter over a little chopped parsley if you like.
No tips really on this one but use dried herbs if you cannot get fresh thyme. Double cream doesn’t split when reheated whereas single can.
