Cooking, Healthy HostessCarlenecarlene helble, chicken curry, chutney, curry powder, dutch curry recipe, gingered carrots, vegan curry recipe

Vegan Guest? It’s Curry I Suggest

Cooking, Healthy HostessCarlenecarlene helble, chicken curry, chutney, curry powder, dutch curry recipe, gingered carrots, vegan curry recipe

Confession: I’ve never cooked for a real vegan before.

Sure, I’ve made vegan baked goods for family to test it out. But as omnivores, vegan "good" to them is something just meets the criteria: doesn't taste vegan. When fellow RD in training, Elizabeth, came to stay with me en route to Houston it took some thinking what to make a FOODIE vegan for dinner. Talk about pressure.

But whenever we have a newbie to the house, or a big party to cook for, there’s one standby we go to: Dutch Chicken Curry.  So with a few alterations (Step one, no chicken), here’s a curry dish for the vegan crowd.

Curry:

Serves.....at least 8!

  • 3 T vegetable oil
  • 1/2 medium onion
  •  14 oz can coconut milk
  • 16 oz chick peas
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 14 oz canned tomatoes and chilis
  • 1/4 C yellow curry powder: Note: more powder=more spunk. Adjust accordingly.
  • 1.5 T cumin
  • 3 peeled and cubed baking potatoes
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 1/2 head cauliflower
  • 3/4 C peas

Toppings:

  • chutney
  • sliced bananas
  • shredded tart apples
  • chopped peanuts
  • chopped mint
  • thai basil
  • gingered carrots
  • shredded coconut

Serve with white or brown rice.

Instructions

Add oil to a large stock pot. Mince onions and garlic and add to oil. (Caution don’t burn the garlic). Add  chickpeas ,cumin, and curry powder to the pot and stir so contents are coated.

Add 1 can coconut milk, then refill the can with water twice and add to pot.  Add canned tomatoes and chilis. Add potatoes and grated ginger. Cover and let simmer to allow flavors to integrate.

Next add the 'tender' vegetables  mushy: peas, cauliflower (you could add carrots and zucchini too). Cover and simmer.

Meanwhile, cook 1 pot of rice and prepare toppings.

Since this is such a big recipe, I suggest freezing half. Curry freezes very well, and will save you major prep time later. Allow your guests to add their own topings and encourage them to try fruit!  For drinks, we served sanagria…we can’t help it. Sangria may not fit this cuisine category, but at least Elizabeth won’t get scurvy on the way to Houston.