A beautiful, fragrant vegetable chickpea curry with korma spices, made creamy with rich coconut milk and perfectly roasted pumpkin pieces. Served with saffron-scented rice, this is a mellow-spiced and vibrantly coloured dish perfect for the whole family.
Serves 4-6
preparation time - 40min
Ingredients
- 1 cup roasted sweet red pepper, cut into small dice
- Pinch sea salt
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ¼ to ½ tsp mild curry powder
- 1 red onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 inch (2 cm) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 tsp shoyu or tamari
- 1¼ cups unsweetened coconut milk
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¼ tsp regular or smoked paprika
- 1½ cups cooked chickpeas
- 2 tsp ume paste
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tbsp kuzu, dissolved in 2 tbsp filtered water
- 1 bunch watercress, leaves only, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh coriander, chopped
Method
- In a heavy-based pan, warm a splash or two of filtered water. Add the red pepper, sea salt, cumin seeds, turmeric, and mild curry powder, along with the onion, garlic, ginger and shoyu. Cook over low-medium flame for 5–8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a high-speed blender along with the coconut milk, nutritional yeast and paprika. Blend to a cream.
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Transfer the mixture back to the pan and add the chickpeas and ume paste. Mix well, cover and cook for 15 minutes on a low heat. Add the kuzu and stir continuously until the mixture thickens. Stir in the lime juice and watercress. Garnish with fresh coriander. Makes 4–6 servings. Serve with white fluffy basmati rice and a choice of side dishes if desired.
To cook the rice
- 2 cups organic basmati rice
- 3 cups boiling filtered water
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 8–10 saffron threads
- Using a strainer, rinse the rice under cold running water. Soak in a large bowl of filtered water for 1 hour. Drain and transfer to a heavy-based pot and add the salt. Pour 3 cups of boiling filtered water over the rice. Spread the saffron threads on top and cook over a medium-high heat. When the water starts boiling and steaming, cover the pot tightly with a heavy lid so that no steam escapes. Turn down the heat to just above its lowest setting, and let the rice cook for 15 minutes undisturbed. I like to use my flame spreader for even heat distribution. Allow the rice to stay covered for another 5 minutes before removing the lid. Transfer to a large bowl. Fluff the rice and serve. Makes 4–6 servings.
Chef
Marlene Watson-Tara
For over 30 years Marlene has been actively teaching all aspects of health and wellness. Her dietary advice draws from the fields of macrobiotic nutrition, her studies in Traditional Chinese medicine and common sense. Her favourite saying is 'If you don't look after your body, then where are you going to live'.
Her new book "Go Vegan" is now available.
Website: www.macrovegan.org
Marlene Watson-Tara
