Hardcore Vegetable Curry
Every so often I get an insatiable craving for heaps of vegetables, so one day I decided to combine a whole bunch in this colourful, quick and easy curry recipe packed with a variety of fresh local organic produce. There’s no combination quite like nourishing, healing spices and creamy coconut, and what better than to make this curry with them?
Sweet, glorious turmeric.
Before I go through the process, I thought I’d give a shout out to classic turmeric root used in this recipe, which can provide SO many benefits (way too many to list here). This root is the anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer superstar of the world of Ayurveda, and when turmeric is combined with cracked black pepper in a recipe, it results in a powerful combination that your cells will probably really enjoy. Fresh has more benefits and fewer drawbacks than ground. It doesn’t taste like much, but goes really well with the flavours of most curries, and for all of its medicinal benefits, I can nearly guarantee you’ll want to add it to your repertoire if you haven’t already. I try to have some at least a few times a week.
Most people today could probably benefit from a big dose of colourful veggies. Let this recipe inspire you in the kitchen and keep you thriving!
Ingredients
The goods
2 tablespoons organic grass-fed ghee OR organic cold pressed virgin coconut oil OR nitrate-free lard/tallow
1 organic onion, small dice
1 big clove of organic garlic, minced (or 2 medium/small ones)
1-inch knob of fresh organic ginger root, minced (I often dice it up and store it in the freezer for long term)
1 knob of fresh organic turmeric root, minced
1 tsp whole organic black mustard seeds
2 tsp organic ground coriander
1 tsp organic ground cumin
2 tsp organic ground turmeric
1/4 tsp organic Ceylon cinnamon (optional, but suggested if in cooler season)
1/4 tsp organic cracked black pepper
1 tsp wildcrafted dulse flakes
1 tsp natural sea salt (or Redmond salt)
3-4 cups chopped/cubed organic local vegetables of your choice (I chose 2 medium carrots, 1 zucchini, 1 big radish, 1 sweet potato, 1 bell pepper, 1/2 lion’s mane mushroom, handful of shredded cabbage, and 1/3 cup green peas. Separate the ones that take longer to cook, like potatoes and carrots, from the softer vegetables that can be added in towards the end of cooking.)
1 can organic, BPA-free, guar-free coconut milk
Splash of gut-healing, mineral-rich grass-fed + finished bone broth (optional, only if you prefer a runnier, less creamy curry or if your can of coconut isn’t watery enough)
fresh organic lime juice (to garnish)
sliced organic green onion or cilantro (to garnish)
I like to keep the ginger, garlic and turmeric together in a small dish, then place all the dry ground/small spices in a separate dish. This makes the cooking process more seamless.
Method
Heat up a large pot over medium. Drop in the ghee and spread it around the bottom with a wooden cooking spoon until it sizzles/becomes hot.
Sauté the onion in the ghee until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add in the ginger, garlic and turmeric and stir for 30 seconds, just until garlic is fragrant.
Add in the spices (mustard seeds, coriander, cumin, turmeric, Ceylon cinnamon, black pepper, dulse flakes, sea salt). Stir briefly to combine until spices are lightly toasted, about 30 seconds.
Add in the chopped hard vegetables. Start with the tougher vegetables that take longer to cook (carrots, potatoes, radish, etc.)
Add in the coconut milk and stir with the vegetables. Add in a splash of bone broth if needed. Place a lid on the pot, bring to a boil on high, then down to a simmer for 20 minutes or until the hard veg/potatoes are soft AF and cooked through.
Add in your softer veggies (bell pepper, cabbage, mushrooms, peas) and remove from heat. Stir until all veg are cooked and softer veg have wilted.
Serve with a side of rice, garnished with lime and cilantro/green onion. Enjoy!
