Easy Indian Veggie Curry

Cooking can be a release, a much-needed break from studying or a pleasurable unwinding activity after a long day at work, but it can also be stressful, straining, and annoying when you're hungry/not sure what you're doing/exhausted/the take-out place is right down the block. Such was my week - parental units out of town and studying for a pesky physics exam (tonight), I remembered what it was like not to cook out of merely pleasure (as I have had the awesome opportunity to do recently), but out of necessity. With a hankering for Indian spices and lack of a good, quick and healthy (read: not butter chicken) place nearby (or at least that I know of nearby - I love the places up on Jean Talon but it's much to far of a trek for a quick dinner on a Tuesday night), I decided to trust my internal judgement and go for it on my own, without recipe. What materialized may or may not be true Indian cuisine, but it successfully hit the spot for a hearty-yet-light, warm, easy weeknight dinner, with just enough leftovers to tide me to the next day, but not so much as to overwhelm me. Give it a try, and as always, play around! This would be great with different types of veggies and legumes (as I mention below in the recipe), with a bit of cream or yogurt stirred in at the last minute (if you crave a creamier dish) and served atop rice, quinoa, couscous, or barley. 

Easy Indian Veggie Curry

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 medium onion

3 cloves garlic

1-2 teaspoons fresh chopped ginger

Saffron ** very optional**

1 small-medium eggplant, cut into quarters lengthwise and into 12-1 inch chunks

1 zucchini

1 turnip (optional)

Cumin (essential!)

Hot curry powder, or other spicy powder

Ground coriander (optional)

Cinnamon (optional)

1/2 - 1 cup white wine (optional, but highly recommended)

Canned whole or stewed tomatoes, or 2 large fresh tomatoes in chunks

any other quick-cooking veggies you like! I used cabbage shavings, but feel free to substitute green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach, chickpeas, beans etc.

Water, chicken stock or veggie stock if necessary

Salt and pepper

Chopped cilantro or parsley as garnish

Serve atop quinoa, brown or white rice, couscous, barley, or potatoes!

Directions

Smash garlic with the side of a big knife (using your palm - see photo), remove skin, and chop finely. Cut onion in chunks. Heat oil in a pan slightly and add garlic, onions and ginger (and saffron is using, but very optional! It's $$ and I have leftover from Zanzibar), stirring every so often (lower heat if getting burned/too brown!), about 5-7 minutes. 

Smashing the garlic: Hit the flat side of a big knife with the palm of your hand to crush the garlic, but careful not to cut your fingers!

Some prepped veggies

Softened onions, garlic, ginger and saffron

Add eggplant to pan. Add a touch more oil if the eggplant seems dry. Cook over medium-low heat about 5 minutes until browned. Move eggplant around every couple of minutes but DO NOT stir constantly - the dish will turn into baby mush!

Eggplant addition

Add zucchini, turnip (if using) and about 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat, about 4 minutes, until slightly browned. The pan should be hot and seem a bit dry. Add 1/2 cup of white wine (or water/chicken stock/veggie stock, if not using white wine), deglaze (aka: scrape) bottom of the pan, lower heat slightly and cover, cooking about 5 minutes.

Turnips - some of the last veggies remaining from my dad's garden (remaining in our fridge, I mean!)

With turnips and zucchini

Spices added

Add tomatoes (squish them though your fingers if they are whole!), anywhere from 1/2 a container to a whole container, depending on your tomato preferences. Stir, and again, cover at a medium low heat, checking and stirring periodically, adding water or stock if it seems dry - there should be some thickening liquid at the bottom - about 10 minutes or until all veggies are soft (pierce with a knife to determine!).

Adding tomatoes (canned or fresh will work!)

Squish them through your fingers - the best part!

Let simmer, covered or not, until soft and the liquid has thickened

At this point I like to taste it and I usually add about 1 more teaspoon of cumin (I love the stuff), some more hot curry powder and salt. Stir to combine. Add any other veggies you're using (quick-cooking ones - see above!), stir, and cover until soft, about 5 minutes. If there is too much liquid, cook it off with the cover removed. Not enough liquid while you're cooking the soft veggies? Add a bit more!

Another remaining veggie from Robin's garden

Soft-veggie addition (cabbage, in my case)

Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and/or parsley and serve!

Ta-daaaaa!

Note: I had leftover chicken, so I sprinkled that on top, but I would highly recommend adding beans or chickpeas at the last step (soft-veggie addition) to ensure a bit of protein in the dish!

Eat with love, while Skyping with a BFF in Australia (hi Ali!)