Whenever I'm struggling with inspiration for new recipes, I always come back to curries. I love how versatile they are and I really enjoy building the flavours from the ground up. It always amazes me that the same ingredients can create such different tastes, and this tasty Vegetable Masala is no exception!
The best thing about this recipe is that you can substitute whatever vegetables need using up. With the rising prices of food we're making a conscious effort to use everything that we buy, and if you need to bulk it out you can always add in chickpeas, beans or lentils. I've used a tin of chickpeas in the recipe but any combination will work. Give it go and let me know how you get on and if you enjoy it then why not check out a couple of other curries on the blog too. My chicken madras and paneer makhani are big hits!
INGREDIENTS (SERVES 3-4)
Tikka vegetables:
1 cauliflower, chopped into small florets
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2 peppers (any mix), sliced
1/3 cup yoghurt
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp paprika
Curry sauce:
2 green chillis, seeds removed
30g fresh ginger, sliced
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tin of chickpeas
1 carton passata
1 can of coconut milk
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbsp ghee
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 180c fan and line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper.
Mix together the yoghurt and the tikka vegetable spices in a large bowl. Add in the chopped cauliflower, sweet potato and peppers to the yoghurt base and mix until the veg is coated.
Spread the marinated veg out on the two trays and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes until crispy.
Meanwhile make the curry sauce. Blitz the green chillies (seeds removed), ginger and garlic into a paste.
Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee or oil in a large pan. Add the paste and a cinnamon stick and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and remaining spices and cook out for a few minutes, keep stirring to avoid burning or sticking.
Add the tin of passata and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes. Then stir in however much coconut milk you like, depending on your heat preference. I like using approximately 1/3 of a tin but you can add more to make it slightly milder.
Drain the chickpeas and add them to the sauce and simmer on low.
Once the veg is cooked, combine with the curry sauce and you're ready to dish up. I usually garnish with coriander and a spoonful of yoghurt, and serve with naan bread.
Even though it's an extra step to roast the vegetables, it makes a huge amount of difference to the flavour, and once you get the hang of the recipe you can make the sauce in the time they are cooking so it can be done in just over 30 minutes. The best thing about this recipe is that you can substitute whatever vegetables you have that need eating up. Butternut squash, broccoli aubergine or even tofu would work very well in the mix, As ever if you give this one a try, please do let me know. I love hearing feedback and what ways you've changed the recipe to suit your own tastes. Don't forget to snap a picture and tag me on instagram or twitter. Happy Cooking!
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