muanacongo.com

This colorful and interesting mixture of vegetables, cooked in a spicy sauce, is excellent served with Pulao Rice and Naan Bread

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 250 gm turnips or swede, peeled; 1 aubergine (eggplant), leaf end trimmed;
• 350 gm new potatoes, scrubbed; 250 gm cauliflower;
• 250 gm button mushrooms; 1 large onion; 250 gm carrots, peeled;
• 6 tbsp vegetable ghee or oil; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 5 cm ginger root, chopped finely;
• 1-2 fresh green chillies, seeded and chopped; 1 tbsp paprika, 2 tsp ground coriander;
• 1 tbsp mild or medium curry powder or paste; 450 ml vegetable stock;
• 425 gm chopped tomatoes; 1 green pepper, seeded and slice; 1 tbsp cornflour;
• 150 ml coconut milk, 2-3 tbsp ground almonds; salt and fresh coriander sprigs, to garnish.

Cooking method:

• Cut the turnips or swede, aubergine (eggplant) and potatoes into 1 cm cubes. Divide the cauliflower into small florets. Leave the mushrooms whole, or slice thickly if preferred. Slice the onion and carrots.
• Heat the ghee or oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, turnip, potato and cauliflower and cook gently for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, ginger, chillies, paprika, ground coriander and curry powder or paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
• Add the stock, tomatoes, aubergine (eggplant) and mushrooms and season with salt. Cover and leave to simmer gently for about 30 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add the green pepper and carrots, cover and continue cooking for a further 5 minutes.
• Smoothly blend the corn flour with the coconut milk and stir into the mixture. Add the ground almonds and leave to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring all the time. Transfer to serving plates and serve hot, garnished with sprigs of fresh coriander.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1.1 kg chicken without giblets, 575 ml canned coconut milk, 425 ml chicken stock, 2 lime leaves.
• Green Curry paste: 2 tsp coriander seeds, half tsp caraway or cumin seeds, 3-4 medium green chillies, finely chopped, 4 tsp sugar, 2 tsp salt, 1 piece of lemon grass, 7.5 cm long; 1 piece fresh ginger, 2 cm long peeled and finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic crushed, 4 shallots or 1 medium onion finely chopped, 1 piece shrimp paste, 2 cm square; 3 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped; 3 tbsp fresh mint or basil, finely chopped; half tsp nutmeg powder, 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 350 gm sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped; 350 gm winter squash, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped; 115 gm French beans, topped, tailed and halved; 1 small bunch coriander, shredded, to garnish.

Cooking Method:

• To prepare the chicken, remove the legs, then separate the thighs from the drum-sticks. Separate the lower part of the chicken carcass by cutting through the rib section with kitchen scissors.
• Divide the breast part in half down the middle, then chop each half in two. Remove skin from all pieces and set aside.
• Strain the coconut milk into a bowl, reserving the thick part. Place the chicken in a stainless steel or enamel saucepan, cover with the thin part of the coconut milk and the stock. Add the lime leaves, and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the bone and set aside.
• Dry or fry the coriander and caraway with cumin seeds. Grind the chillies with the sugar and salt to make a smooth paste.
• Combine the seeds from the wok with the chillies, the lemon grass, ginger, garlic and shallots, and then grind smoothly. Add the next 5 ingredients.
• Place a cupful of the cooking liquid in a large wok. Add 4-5 tbsp of the curry paste to the liquid according to taste.
• Boil rapidly until the liquid has reduced completely. Add the chicken stock, chicken meat, sweet potatoes, squash and beans. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are cooked.
• Just before serving, stir in the thick part of the coconut milk and simmer gently to thicken. Serve decorated with the shredded coriander.