We get a veg box most weeks and it’s been great for encouraging me tto be creative with my cooking, as well as being more seasonal. What it’s not great for? Seasonal means that we sometime gets the same veggies over and over again. While that’s great for staple like carrots and potatoes, for some veg it can be a bit of a struggle. At this time of year, beetroot can be one of those problems – since we don’t tend to have the same things over and over again it’s been a struggle to make something new each time. I’ve turned it unto pancakes, vegan wellington, burgers, ravioli, pickled it and used it in stir fries. The one thing I haven’t done before is what I present you today, beetroot curry.
Beetroot is the star of this dish with coconut and spices lifting the earthiness of beetroot to new exotic heights. Inspired by a combination of Indian and Sri Lankan cooking, this is actually on of easier recipes here. It’s not quick but, like most curries, it’s even better the next day so it that makes it perfect for meal prepping. So whip it together on the weekend or start it while working from home. There’s not much hands on time so what I do, begin the sauté while on a conference call – by the time the meeting’s over it’ll be happily simmering away and you can move on to the rest of your day job. Perfect if you love beetroot, it’s ideal served with rice or some of your favourite flatbreads.
- Makes: Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 tsp Coriander Seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 Onion, finely diced
- 1 Green Chilli, finely diced
- 1 Red Chilli, finely diced
- 5 Lime Leaves
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced
- 4 Large Beetroot, peeled & roughly chopped
- 300ml Coconut Milk
- 1 tsp Chilli Flakes
- 1 Tbsp Garam Masala
- 1 Tbsp Fenugreek Leaves
- 60ml Vegetable Stock
- 1 tsp Sugar (optional)
- 1 tbsp Cornflour (optional but great to thicken the sauce!)
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions
Place a large, heavy based pan on to a a medium heat with the coconut oil. Once the oil has heated through add in the cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and mustard seeds. Lightly toast until the seeds begin to darken and the mustard seeds begin to pop. Add in the onion, chillies, and at least a tsp of salt. Gently sauté until the onion softens and turns translucent. Now add in the lime leaves, bay leaves, and garlic and continue to cook until the onions start to brown. Now add in the rest of the ingredients and stir well to combine. Bring up to a gentle simmer and cook, simmering constantly, until the beetroot softens and can be easily pieced by a fork. Depending on how small you’ve cut up the beetroot this can take between 30 and 50 minutes.
Once cooked, taste and season, adding more sugar if needed. If the curry is a little thinner than you’d like, remove 2 tbsp and mix with the cornflour to make a thin paste. Carefully stir through the sauce and continue cooking until thickened. Serve with rice or you favourite flatbreads.
Enjoy!
Notes
Allergy Notes; This dish is vegan, gluten free, soy free, and nut free – wohoo! If you struggle with any of these ingredients then let me know and I can suggest alternatives.
