Six-Vegetable Curry

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* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Six-Vegetable Curry

 

Recipe By : One Dish Vegetarian by Maria Robbins, page 144

Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Main Dishes, Vegetarian Potatoes

Vegetables

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 cup yellow split peas

picked over and rinsed

2 cups water

1 large eggplant -- (about 1 pound)

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 large onions -- finely chopped

4 garlic cloves -- finely chopped

2 fresh green chilies -- up to 4

such as serrano or

veins and seeds removed -- finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger

4 fresh curry leaves

OR 4 bay leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon palm sugar or brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate

dissolved in 1/4 cup water

2 large all-purpose potatoes

peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 large yams or sweet potatoes -- peeled

and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 daikon radish -- peeled

and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 1/2 cups canned plum tomatoes -- drained and chopped

1/4 pound string beans

cut into 2-inch lengths

3 cups water

1 cup canned unsweetened low-fat coconut milk

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

 

4 to 6 servings

 

This festive vegetable curry is based in part on a recipe for Chettiar

Curry found in A World of Curries, by Dave DeWitt and Arthur Pais. They

tell how the Chettiars, a people from Madras, owned large estates in

Burma. They learned this curry from the Burmese farmers who worked for

them and were too poor to eat anything but vegetable curry. But the curry

speaks for itself and no one eating it today will feel anything but rich

feasting on such a dish.

 

1. Combine split peas and water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil,

reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes,

until the peas are soft and melting. The mixture should be quite

thick. Set aside.

 

2. While the peas are cooking, peel the eggplant and cut it into 3/4-inch

cubes. Place the cubes in a colander and sprinkle the eggplant cubes

lightly with salt. Let stand in the sink or over a plate for 20 to 30

minutes. Squeeze out the moisture and pat dry with paper towels.

 

3. In a large saute pan or Dutch oven, heat the oil and add the

onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until onions

soften. Add the garlic, chilies, ginger, and curry or bay leaves. Saute

for 2 minutes. Add the salt, sugar, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric,

and black pepper. Saute stirring, for 1 minute.

 

4. Stir in the cooked yellow split peas together with their cooking

water. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook for 2

minutes. Add the tamarind liquid, eggplant, potatoes, sweet potatoes or

yams, radish cubes, tomatoes, and string beans. Add the water and coconut

milk. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes, until all

the vegetables are fork tender. If you have used bay leaves instead of

curry leaves, fish them out and discard them before serving.

 

5. Sprinkle the curry with cilantro leaves and serve over rice.

 

Variations Tamarind pulp has more flavor than the concentrate. To

substitute in this recipe, take a walnut-size lump of pulp and soak in 1/2

cup warm water for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain through a sieve, pressing out

as much liquid as possible from the pulp. Discard remaining pulp and add

liquid to the recipe.

 

Replace tamarind with a teaspoon or two of fresh lime juice.

 

Tamarind: This large tree, native to tropical Africa, but now found all

over India and tropical Asia. produces pods full of reddish, brown pulp

that is used to provide a fruity, sour flavor to dishes in many Asian and

Latin American cuisines. The pulp from these pods is soaked in water,

strained, and added to whatever dish calls for it. You can purchase

tamarind in the form of pods: pulp in pressed blocks; or in liquid

concentrates to be dissolved in water. Look for tamarind in Latin, Thai,

Vietnamese, or Indian markets. If you live in an area where no such

markets exist, you can order, as I do, by mail.

 

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