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Recipes from your veg box: seasonal veg curry
The next in our series from Better Food Traders, is a warming vege curry, perfect for making the most of any remaining, not-sure-what-to-do-with veg from your veg box.
When you get your veg box you can sometimes be unsure what mystery veg is going to turn up each week. The variety of vegetables is one of the best bits of a seasonal veg box but this uncertainty can make knowing what to cook tricky and it can leave us all a bit stumped at points.
This versatile, staple curry recipe can help you use up any remaining veg. We have added whatever was left in the fridge at the time – broccoli, red peppers, spinach – but really you can substitute in anything else you have from your seasonal lot.
The recipes in this series are inspired by the Better Food Traders – a group of fruit and veg traders who are creating a nationwide community of like-minded independent businesses and farmers who are already providing delicious, healthy food using planet-friendly principles, as well as helping their communities to understand more about food systems.
You can do your part by finding a local Better Food Trader and swapping your weekly supermarket shop for a fresh, wholesome and tasty local veg box delivery.
Ingredients
2 tbsp ghee or oil
1 finely chopped onion
Large thumb of ginger, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
2 green chillies sliced in half length ways
2 tbsp ground almonds (optional)
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
1 tsp ground Cumin seed
1 tsp ground Coriander
1 tsp ground Turmeric
1 Cinnamon stick
¼ tsp Chilli powder (or to taste)
4 cracked cardamon pods
1 head of Cauliflower/ broccoli chopped to small florets (you could use diced beetroot, kohl rabi, carrots, potatoes here instead)
1 green / red pepper roughly chopped (if there’s one in your veg bag, omit if not)
Bag of spinach / kale / chard/ other leafy greens, washed and shredded
1 tin of chickpeas
1 tin of coconut milk
1 heaped tablespoon of tomato paste
1 tin of tomatoes
1 bunch of fresh coriander
1 tbsp of mango chutney (add to the curry or serve alongside, as you prefer)
Recipe
In a large deep sided pan or casserole dish add the ghee or oil, cracked cardamom pods and cinnamon stick and the onion on a low/medium heat.
Sweat for a few minutes then add your garlic, ginger and chillies and increase to a medium heat.
After a couple of minutes, turn the heat down slightly and add the rest of your spices, the ground almonds, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly, allow to cook for a minute until fragrant, then add the tomato paste and mix.
Add your broccoli and peppers (or whatever other veg you have. If using chard, add the stems now – leave the leaves until later). Mix well.
Leave to cook down, stirring occasionally to stop it catching or burning.
After 8 minutes add chopped tin of tomatoes.
Add the chickpeas.
Add the mango chutney if using as an ingredient and stir through (Kate’s version). Otherwise go to next step and serve the chutney as an accompaniment (Tash’s version).
After a few minutes add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
Add the spinach (or other greens) and stir until wilted.
Taste and add more lemon or seasoning as needed.
Take off the heat and add the coriander before serving.
Wondering whether local food can topple supermarket giants? Read our take on farmer-focused supply.
Published Tuesday 23 November 2021
London Food Link: London Food Link brings together community food enterprises and projects that are working to make good food accessible to everyone in London to help create a healthy, sustainable and ethical food system for all.
