Hi and welcome to my first post in the Food section of Hive! When I am in the kitchen, I usually go by my alter-ego Veganu! This is because for a few years now I am usually just preparing vegan type food.
In order not to waste any food and throw things out unnecessarily, I try to adapt some of my favourite recipes (did I spell that right? 😆) to use up spare things that I have lying around the kitchen. Today is no different.
I am a big curry lover and can't resist a good onion bhaji, so today I decided to put together one of my favourite curry recipes.
The full ingredients list:
- mushrooms (~250g)
- half a carrot
- half a red onion (white is preferred)
- brocolli (100g)
- garlic (1 and 1/2 pieces)
- leftover sweetcorn
- 1 small tin of chickpeas
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- yellow curry powder
- garam masala spices
- 5 small potatoes
- a handful of frozen green beans
- olive oil
- brown sugar (table spoon)
- water 200ml
- vegeta springkling
I didn't have any, but would for sure recommend some fresh coriander to add near the end for taste.
First I gathered the ingredients that I thought I would use and then I was ready to start! First I heated up a large pan and began to chop the onion. Once the onion was chopped finely, I added it to the hot pan and added some olive oil.
Next, I chopped up some mushrooms, first into quarters and then half again. I added plenty of mushrooms as they shrink a lot and this is the main part of the dish. I then finely cut pieces of the carrot off and added them in. You could use a grater for consistency, but I just like to do it by hand. Next, I added the tin of tomatoes into the mix.
Once the tomatoes are in there, I proceeded to add the water and mix everything around. I added the spices here, plenty of yellow curry powder and garam masala spices to taste. Also a sprinkling of Vegeta for flavour.
I turned the pan down to 6 on the hob so that it is nicely simmering but not overcooking everything.
You should then have something that looks like sauce now. I would normally also add some coconut milk from a tin, which is perfect for texture and a counter-balance to the curry spices. I didn't have it today though! I'm adaptive, we adapt and adjust!! hehe 😆
Next up it is time to add some brown sugar to give it some sweetness.
I then peeled a couple of pieces of garlic and crushed them and added them in for some extra flavour!! oh yes! lol
I made sure that I had enough water in the sauce as I don't want it to dry out.
Next, it's time to add some chickpeas and time to let the sauce simmer for around 30 mins so all the flavours can come together. I taste it occasionally as it's starting to smell delicious!
In the meantime, I've peeled some potatoes and boiled them for at least 20mins. I spontaneously realise that I have some frozen green beans in the freezer that would be a great addition to the meal! In they go!!!
They will take a while to defrost and saturate, which is good as we've got some time yet. Although I don't want them soggy to eat.
As I don't have any rice left, I am a bit saddened but therefore decided to add some potatoes to give the curry some more sustenance. If I would add potatoes to a curry, I would usually prefer the sweet potatoes, but I don't have any of those either!!
Mental note to self: buy sweet potatoes.
Once the potatoes are boiled enough, I put them in! Once in, before mixing them up, I cut them into smaller pieces. I am almost done and am getting pretty hungry at this stage. My son shouts out, what is smelling so nice?
That's a good sign 😃.
The next step is to put some boiling water on as I will steam some broccoli to add for the last 10 minutes. Here I have chopped off a good plateful, washed and then began to steam cook it. I am mindful not to steam for longer than 10 minutes because I want the broccoli still a bit crunchy and not soggy!
As it steams it becomes a beautiful contrasting green. I notice that I also have some green asparagus in the fridge, but have doubts that would go well in the curry.
Once steamed, the broccoli goes in and everything is mixed and simmers together for another 10 minutes or so. It's time to plate up and eat. I would add some coriander a couple of minutes before plating up, but was out of that. I miss the flavour but it still tastes fantastic.
Let me know what you would add or change in the comments.
Thanks for reading.
Chef Veganu
Resources:
Photos are taken by me.
Title image and collages created using Canva.