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Quick Curry

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Quick Curry

 

Curry is a quick and easy meal.  The soft cooked vegetables and beans are perfect for infants and toddlers. Leave out the salt when cooking for infants, and add your own salt after taking out your child’s portion.  Salt and sugar are not good for infants.  There are many different ways to make curry, this version uses curry powder, coconut milk and canned beans. This is a “make-it-how-you-like-it” kind of meal - the recipe that follows is how I like my curry. I hope it inspires you to give curry a try and then adjust it to your own tastes!

 

Serves: 2 adults and 4 kids with leftovers (cut it in half if making for a small family)

Time: 50 minutes for rice to cook, 20 minutes for curry to cook

 

Ingredients

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2 cups brown rice (brown=healthier, but you can use white.  Just follow the package directions for white rice, these instructions are for brown rice)

1 onion

1 or 2 carrots

1 or 2 stalks celery

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons fresh grated/minced ginger

1 can coconut milk

1 can low sodium chicken broth (or 2 cups homemade broth/bouillion)

1 Tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon cumin seed (optional)

1 teaspoon coriander (optional)

1 teaspoon turmeric (optional)

1 teaspoon garam masala (optional)

¼-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 russet potato

1 can garbanzo beans (drained) or 2 cups home-cooked garbanzo beans

1 cup chopped spinach, fresh or frozen

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How you can adjust this recipe to your tastes

  • Adjust the spices - add in crushed red pepper to add heat, mustard seed, fenugreek or more/less of the spices listed

  • Add a can of crushed or finely diced tomatoes, or fresh tomatoes

  • Add lentils when you add the coconut milk and let them simmer until soft, omit the garbanzo beans

  • Leave out the potato and add in frozen cauliflower or broccoli instead

  • Leave out the carrot and celery

  • Add in chopped zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper or any vegetable you have around.

  • Add in ½ cup frozen peas at the end of cooking

  • Add in diced chicken, fish or beef - let simmer in the sauce until it is cooked through

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Directions

 

1.  Cook rice.  Place 4 cups of water and 2 cups of rice in a large pot.  Bring water to a boil, put a lid on the pot and turn the heat down to medium low.  The water needs to be simmering.  Set a timer for 45 minutes and keep the lid on until the timer goes off.  Make sure the water is simmering, if the water boils, the rice will run out of water and be crunchy.  If the water is not hot enough to simmer it will take longer than 45 minutes.

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2.  Cut onion, carrot and celery into small dice.  Or cut them into pieces however you like or want to cut them.

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3.  Heat 2 tablespoons of olive or canola oil in a 10 to 12 inch skillet or pot.  Once the oil is hot, add onion carrot and celery.  Keep heat at medium-low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Don’t let the vegetables burn.

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4.  While vegetables are cooking, finely chop garlic and grate ginger on a microplane.

 

5.  Once vegetables are soft and see through add garlic, ginger and the spices (curry powder, coriander, turmeric, cumin seed and garam masala).  Cook for about 1 minute more, stirring so that garlic does not burn.

 

6.  Turn heat to high and add coconut milk and broth.  Once the mixture boils, turn the heat back down to medium and let it simmer.

 

7.  While curry is simmering, peel and cut the potato into small cubes and add to the pot.

 

8.  Open and drain the garbanzo beans and add to the pot.

 

9.  Cover the pot, turn the heat to low and simmer until the rice is done.

 

10.  If you are not cooking rice, just let the curry simmer for about 10-15 minutes.  The longer you let it simmer, the more flavorful it will become.

11.  Chop about 1 cup of spinach and add to the pot, stir in until it is wilted but still bright green.

 

12.  Serve hot, over rice, with naan bread on the side.

 

 

How you can adjust this recipe to your tastes

  • Adjust the spices - add in crushed red pepper to add heat, mustard seed, fenugreek or more/less of the spices listed

  • Add a can of crushed or finely diced tomatoes, or fresh tomatoes

  • Add lentils when you add the coconut milk and let them simmer until soft, omit the garbanzo beans

  • Leave out the potato and add in frozen cauliflower or broccoli instead

  • Leave out the carrot and celery

  • Add in chopped zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper or any vegetable you have around.

  • Add in ½ cup frozen peas at the end of cooking

  • Add in diced chicken, fish or beef - let simmer in the sauce until it is cooked through

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