Curry is one of those spices that took me awhile to appreciate. Initially, the aroma of curry didn’t really appeal to me until I learned to embrace it living near the Devon neighborhood of Chicago a few years ago. The Devon Desi Corridor on Chicago’s north side will transport any city dweller into a world of Indian and Pakistani culture. Here is where I learned so much about Indian and Pakistani cuisine and started dabbling in Indian recipes at home. For the recent Indian cooking class I hosted, we prepared this Indian Style Curried Vegetable dish. It’s chock full of vegetables that have been kissed with the gorgeous curry color and flavor…
You’ll notice this recipe is adapted from Cook’s Illustrated. I was skeptical at first with this recipe but after taste testing, it was pretty darn close to other more authentic Indian recipes I’ve tried. I chose to highlight this CI recipe because the more authentic recipes I had were way too involved and required more exotic spices that may not be readily available to the mass public. So this version is definitely tasty and approachable too!
2 tablespoons curry powder (sweet or mild)
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)
2 cups Red Bliss potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger or ginger paste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups cauliflower, trimmed, cored, and cut into 1-inch florets
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/4 cups water
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
salt
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1/4 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
Toast curry powder and garam masala in small skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until spices darken slightly and become fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove spices from skillet and set aside.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and potatoes are golden brown on edges, about 10 minutes. (Reduce heat to medium if onions darken too quickly.)
Reduce heat to medium. Clear center of pan and add remaining tablespoon oil, garlic, ginger, and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add toasted spices and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute longer. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring constantly, until spices coat florets, about 2 minutes longer.
Add tomatoes, water, chickpeas, and 1 teaspoon salt; increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to boil, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer briskly, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in peas and cream or coconut milk; continue to cook until heated through, about 2 minutes longer.
Adjust seasoning with salt and serve immediately, passing condiments separately.
i wouldn't normally look to cooks illustrated for a curry recipe, but that sure seems tasty
@Justin – I know what you mean! I was skeptical too but after taste testing, it was pretty darn close to other more authentic Indian recipes I've tried. I chose to highlight this CI recipe because the more authentic recipes I had were way too involved and required more exotic spices that may not be readily available to the mass public. So this version is definitely tasty and approachable too!
Got spices from the big indian store at https://spicesonline.info
Now this recipe is on the cards… Yummy
I really enjoyed this. I used vegetables that I had in my crisper drawer and the basic ingredients I was able to find at my local store. I didn't find garam masala, but the curry powder I found contained almost exactly the same ingredients, so I just used extra of that. I also added paneer. YUMMY!!