I enjoy food from many different cultures; Indian is definitely one of my favorites. It has the tendency to be spicy, so a word of caution… if you’re ever in an Indian restaurant and they ask you on a scale of 1-5 how spicy do you want it, say a 2. I know, that sounds like nothing if you like spicy food, but I found that their spice meter is vastly different from everyone else. The day I ordered a level 4 has scarred me forever. I was white knuckled, sweating and couldn’t feel my tongue. The waiter tried to talk me into ordering my yellow curry at a 2, but I didn’t listen.
Most Indian food is vegetarian, but I wanted to figure out how to make it vegan — which meant cutting out things like sour cream and yogurt. This is what I came up with!
Vegan Yellow Curry
Ingredients:
3 TBSP EVOO
1 small onion, chopped (I like to use Spanish Onions)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 cup carrots, cubed
1 cup peas
1 cup butternut squash, cubed
32oz vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk
1 Bay Leaf
½ Tsp sugar
¾ Tsp Salt
½ lemon, juiced
1/2 Tsp cayenne pepper (this is where that spice level preference comes in to play… a little cayenne goes a long way)
4 TBSP Curry Powder
**(You can buy this pre-mixed, but watch out for sodium! If you want to mix up a batch yourself, here is how: 5 tablespoons ground coriander seeds, 2 tablespoons ground cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon ground turmeric, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.)
Directions:
Heat oil in a large pot. Saute onions, carrots, and garlic until aromatic. Add broth and coconut milk, curry powder, bay leaf, salt, and stir for 2 minutes. Then, add in chickpeas, peas, butternut squash, sugar, lemon, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
Remove bay leaf and Server over brown rice, basmati rice, or noodles.
