Vietnamese vegetarian curry (adapted from the Happy Pear’s first cookbook).
A couple of days a week I opt for a meat free dinner and curries are my favourite go to option. I love the flavours from the spices along with the rainbow of colours from all the veg. Having a variety of colours ensures that you are getting plenty of antioxidants and phytonutrients important for good health.
Don’t be scared off by the long list of ingredients. Most are store cupboard essentials so have these stocked up, then you only need to buy the fresh veg. For a low carb dish swap your regular rice for cauliflower rice as you’ll see in the pan to your left in the photo.
Ingredients (serves 6)
1 medium butternut squash
2 red peppers
1 fresh chilli
1 aubergine
1 leek
3 cloves garlic
1 cm cube of fresh ginger
4 tbps olive oil
6 tbsp tamari
1 x 400ml tin full fat coconut milk
Juice of 2 limes
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
A few pinches of salt (my fav is himalayan)
Ground black pepper
1 x 400g tin black beans
6 scallions
2 x bok choy
- Peel and deseed the butternut squash and cut it into bite-size pieces. Deseed the red peppers and the chilli, then cut the pepper into strips and finely slice the chilli. Cut the aubergine into bite-size pieces and slice the leek. Peel and finely chop the garlic and ginger.
- Preheat the oven to 200c/400f/gas mark 6. Put the squash, aubergine and peppers into a mixing bowl. Add 2 tbsp of the oil together with 2 tbsp of tamari and mix well. Transfer the mixed vegetables on to a baking tray and spread out evenly. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Put the remaining oil into a large pan over a low to medium heat and let it heat up for 2 minutes. Add the leek, garlic, chilli, ginger and cook gently over a low heat with the lid on, stirring occasionally.
- Add to a pan the coconut milk, lime juice, honey, turmeric, paprika, coriander, cumin, salt, black pepper and the remaining tamari and mix well. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, drain and rinse the black beans, slice the scallions into small rounds. Add the black beans to the pan along with the roasted squash, peppers and aubergine and cook for a further 3 minutes.
- Finally add the scallions just before serving.
Cauliflower rice is so easy to make. For 2 people use ½ cauliflower, grate and then stir fry in 1 dessertspoon of olive oil with 1 crushed garlic clove and 1 tsp of cumin powder.
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