Vegetable Curry

On a cold and rainy autumn night, I crave dishes like stews, soups, and curries. A curry is so easy to vary, so as long as you have the basics at home – curry paste, coconut milk, and rice – you can use whatever else you happen to have on hand. Basically, you stir-fry some fresh veg (or defrost frozen vegetables) with curry paste, add coconut milk, boil some rice, and then top the rice with the vegetables. It couldn’t be simpler.

Personally, I prefer whole-grain basmati rice, for its nutty taste and slightly chewy consistency; also, it’s healthier than white rice. I also prefer green curry, because it’s a little spicier, but red and yellow work well too. I always add extra chilli sauce to my dish, because M can’t handle the heat the way I can. I like food so spicy I cry. But do watch out for curry pastes that use fish sauce, because clearly that isn’t vegetarian.

On this recent evening, I used aubergine, courgette, fennel, and tomatoes for the vegetables, plus a container of chickpeas. I like using a lot of vegetables for the variety and so I have leftovers for lunch the next day. But on other occasions, I’ve used onion, peas, and carrots, and I often add tofu, too. Use your imagination!

Ingredients:
rice (50 g per person)
1 aubergine
1 courgette
1 fennel
oil
jar of curry paste
4 tomatoes
container of chickpeas
tin of coconut milk

Instructions:
1. Set the rice to boil.
2. Chop the vegetables and fry them all except the tomatoes in oil.
3. Add 2-3 tbsp curry paste and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes.
4. Add the chickpeas and more curry paste, then cook a few more minutes.
5. Add the coconut milk and warm. Add more curry paste to taste.
6. Serve the vegetable curry over rice.