The house is swirling with the scent of exotic spices.  Curry, Garam Masala, Ginger, I imagine this is what it smells like walking through a spice market in India.  We turned our clocks back this weekend and as I write the sun has long set.

I started my Christmas shopping today. I start early every year; taking a bit of money from each paycheque so as not to rack up the credit card.  The shops were looking festive as I started with my favourite shop:  Stocking Stuffers!  With my first stocking down and a cheeky purchase of buffalo plaid flannel sheets for our bed (I love flannel sheets when the weather gets cold), I came home and started with dinner prep.

Curry’s are the easiest meals when you don’t want to spend a long time cooking.  They’re also great to use up veggies that might spoil in the fridge (you can add broccoli, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, spinach).  They’re rich and flavourful and go perfectly with rice, quinoa or flat bread.  Tonight I made a Cauliflower Potato Curry.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup of diced yellow onion
• 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks or grated
• 2 Tablespoons of minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger
• 1  can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 4 cups of chopped Cauliflower
• 4 cups cubed potatoes (I left them in larger chunks so they wouldn’t fall apart)
• ½ cup of Vegetable broth
• ½ cup of water

Spice/Herb Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 Tablespoons dried minced onion flakes (optional)
• 1 Tablespoon mild Curry Powder
• 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 Tblsp coconut oil

If you like it hot, add a 1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper.

Other Ingredients:

• 1 can of Coconut Milk
• 1 cup of frozen peas

Sides and Garnish: 

• Steamed brown rice
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Flatbread or Quinoa Flatbread

Instructions

• Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
• Prepare all the veggies in bowls. Have them ready as this recipe moves fast.
• In a large pot on high heat, add the coconut then the minced onion, carrot and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until the onion and carrot start to soften. Add a tablespoon of water if they start to stick to prevent them from burning.  Then add the garlic, ginger, and Spice/Herb mix, sauté for one minute.
• Add the cauliflower and potatoes and sauté for one minute stirring to coat the potatoes and cauliflower in the seasoning.
• Now add the can of tomatoes, veggie broth and water
• Cover the pot, lower the heat to medium/high heat and cook for about 30 minutes until the cauliflower and potatoes are tender.
• Once the potatoes and cauliflower are tender, remove the lid, add in the coconut milk, peas and half of the chopped cilantro. Stir well to combine. Taste test the flavours and add any additional seasoning at this time and cook for a few minutes to allow the flavours to marry. Serve with your favourite rice, chopped cilantro, quinoa or flatbread.  I made a small salad with spinach and lettuce I wanted to clear from the fridge before it went bad.

Enjoy!

Love,

Jennifer