Winter Vegetable Curry

So, lately I’ve been into curries.  I think I’ve made curried dishes about five times in January already.

As soon as I found this recipe with potatoes in it, I couldn’t wait to try it.  I had curried potatoes a long time ago when Taido and I were first married and I always remembered loving how a potato dripping with a rich sauce sort of melts in your mouth.

Perfect for the cold weather when you need a combination of the warm kind of hot AND the spicy kind of hot in order to keep the shivers away.

Also, it’s an easy one pot meal.

The hardest part of making this is finding the coconut milk at the grocery store.

I promise.

Plus, when do you get to use this many spices for anything?

Happy explosions of flavor with no meat involved equals a happy mama over here at the Chino House.

Winter Vegetable Curry

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 carrots, sliced in half and then diced

1 pound new potatoes, cut into quarters

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 13 1/2 oz can coconut milk

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon cardamom (or 4-5 cardamom pods)

2 teaspoons yellow mustard seed

2 teaspoons cumin seed

2 teaspoons coriander

1 teaspoon fenugreek

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 to 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you want your sauce)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups water

salt

3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

2 cups broccoli florets

olive oil

1 pound mushrooms, halved

fresh cilantro

Directions:

Saute mushrooms in a tablespoon or so of olive oil.  Set aside.

Steam broccoli florets until just done, set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large dutch oven or heavy stockpot.  Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon of salt; saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, ginger, carrots, potatoes and fennel. Cook for 10 minutes.

Add spices, tomatoes, coconut milk and water.  Allow mixture to come to a boil and then turn down and simmer for 30 minutes.

Season with cayenne and salt to taste.

Just before serving, add mushrooms and broccoli.

Be sure and garnish with plenty of fresh cilantro.

Serve with rice.