Vegetable Curry with Raita

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium sweet potatoes (roughly 500 g)
• ½ bunch fresh coriander
• 2 onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger
• 1 red pepper
• 150 g cauliflower
• 4 fresh tomatoes
• vegetable oil
• 1 organic low-salt vegetable stock cube
• ½ x 400 g tin coconut milk
• 1 x 400 g tin chickpeas
• 100 g baby spinach
• ½ cucumber
• 150 g natural or plant-based yoghurt
• ½ bunch fresh mint
• 1 lemon

Method

Place 1 tablespoon of curry powder in a mixing bowl with a pinch of pepper.

Using a Y-shaped peeler, peel the sweet potatoes, then cut them into rough 2 cm chunks on a chopping board.

Toss the sweet potato in the curry powder to coat, then put aside.

Pick the coriander leaves and finely chop the stalks.

Peel and finely slice the onions.

Peel and finely chop the garlic.

Peel the ginger using a teaspoon, then finely chop it.

Cut the pepper in half, scoop out all of the seeds and white pith with a teaspoon, then slice into strips.

Carefully cut the cauliflower into little florets and thinly slice any stalk.

Roughly chop the tomatoes.

Place 1 tablespoon vegetable oil into a large saucepan on a medium heat.

Add the sweet potato and cook for around 7 minutes to soften slightly, turning occasionally.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sweet potato to a plate and place the pan back on the heat.

Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon curry powder, the coriander stalks, onion, garlic and ginger, then pop the lid on and cook for 2 minutes, or until lightly golden, stirring occasionally.

Add the peppers and cook for a further 5 minutes with the lid ajar. Meanwhile…

Fill and boil the kettle.

Carefully pour 150 ml boiling water into a measuring jug, then crumble in the stock cube and stir to dissolve.

Pour the stock into the pan along with the coconut milk, add the tomatoes, then add the sweet potato back to the pan.

Drain the chickpeas through a sieve into the sink, then add to the pan.

Give everything a good stir and bring to the boil over a high heat.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently with the lid ajar for around 30 minutes, or until the veg is tender and the sauce has thickened, adding the cauliflower for the last 10 minutes. Meanwhile…

To make the raita, cut the cucumber in half lengthways and use a teaspoon to scoop out and discard the seeds.

Holding a box grater steady on a chopping board, coarsely grate the cucumber.

Scrape the cucumber into a small bowl and stir in the yoghurt.

Pick and finely chop the mint leaves, discarding the stalks, then stir into the bowl.

Cut the lemon in half.

Squeeze in a few drops of juice, using your fingers to catch any pips, then put aside.

When curry is almost ready, stir in the spinach and allow to wilt.

Have a taste and season with a tiny pinch of pepper or a squeeze of lemon juice, if you think it needs it.

Scatter over the coriander leaves, then serve with the raita and some rice.