Simple curry building on pantry and freezer staples
One of my favourite curries to order out or make at home. This cosy recipe is a winner every time and relies heavily on pantry staples and frozen vegies. I love to serve it with soft bread rolls to soak in that delicious gravy (dinner rolls, hot dog bun or seedless burger patties do the trick). You could also serve it with rice, naan or roti (or tortilla wraps as a sub) if you prefer.
Recipe
Serves: 2 | Time: <1h
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen mix veg of choice (sweetcorn, carrot, peas, green beans…)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Whole spices
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cloves
- 4 green cardamoms
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
Gravy
- 1 thumb of ginger, minced (1 tbsp)
- 4 medium sized garlic cloves, minced (1 tbsp)
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt or cream (I use Greek yogurt)
To serve
- Fresh coriander (optional)
- Soft bread roll or other carb of choice.
Method
Prepare ingredients (10 to 15min):
- Mince ginger and garlic (picture 1 below).
- Fine dice onion (picture 1 below).
- Fine dice tomatoes (picture 2 below).
- In a small bowl mix whole spices (2 bay leaves, 2 cloves, 4 green cardamoms, 1 tsp cumin seeds).
- In another bowl mix 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin powder and 1/2 tsp garam masala. Salt and turmeric will be added separately.
Make the curry (30 to 40min):
- Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add whole spices (bay leaves, cloves, cardamom, cumin seeds) and toast for 2-3 min, until fragrant and they just start colouring.
- Add ginger, garlic and onions. Sauté until the onions start to brown.
- Add tomatoes, salt and turmeric. Mix well and cook until the tomatoes are broken down and the mixture thickens (about 10 min) (picture 3 below).
- Add dry spices and cook for another 10min, stirring occasionally. The mixture will further thicken and start to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add a 1/2 cup of water and scrape the pan to detach brown bits.
- Add sugar and mix well.
- Add mixed vegetables and combine well. If needed add a touch more water.
- Remove from heat and add yogurt or cream.
- Serve with a sprinkle of coriander and bread rolls (or carb of choice).
- Enjoy!
Substitutions
I highlight here the core of the dish and suggest some possible substitutions to adapt the curry to your preference, diet and ingredients available to you.
Core: The gravy.
Substitutions:
| Recipe components | Possible substitutions* |
| Frozen vegetables | • Use any frozen vegetables of choice, carrot, sweetcorn and peas work particularly well. • Fresh vegetables. • Canned vegetables or legumes. • Hard boiled eggs. |
Country
India
India
The Global Homecook 