This makes a spicy vegetarian curry stew that you can eat as is or served over rice. I prefer brown rice. To cut down on the spiciness, use less serrano/jalapeno peppers and red peppers. But do no omit them entirely as this is Indian cooking and wouldn't be the same without it. I also like to serve raita on the side (cucumber yogurt salad) to help cool the palate. I sort of made this up on the fly, so all measurements are approximate.

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 medium to large onion thinly sliced
• Fresh ginger minced finely, about a 1 inch piece
• 2-3 Serrano or Jalapeno peppers (see instructions below for using these peppers)
• 3-4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1-2 tsp Cumin powder
• 1-2 Tbsp of Curry Powder (I prefer to make my own but just use the pre-made variety for simplicity sake)
• 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
• 2-3 whole dried red chilies (Indian) See note below for handling these
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 Carrots, sliced
• 2 Red potatoes, unpeeled and cut into bite size pieces
• 1 cup green beans, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 cup of cauliflower cut into bite size pieces
• Small can tomatoes, chopped
• 1 can of coconut milk
• Small can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• Water
• Salt and Pepper
• Fresh chopped cilantro

In medium size stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute until they are very dark golden brown. To do this, you'll need to occasionally add a tablespoon or two of water every now and again to keep them from burning. This is an awesome way to get your onions REALLY sweet without having to use too much oil. You should saute them for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring not constantly...but almost so. Again, add water when needed until golden brown and caramelized.

Add ginger and Serrano or jalapeno pepper (see note below on hot to cut these up). Cook for another 5 minutes. Add pressed garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add cumin, turmeric and curry powder, and cook another minute or two. If the vegetables or spices are sticking, add another tablespoon of water.

Add carrots, potatoes, green beans, cauliflower and garbanzo beans. Stir a minute. Then add chopped tomatoes and JUST enough water to cover everything. You don't want to add too much water because you'll be adding the coconut milk at the end and you don't want your stew to be too thin.

Add the bay leaves and Indian red chili peppers (see note below on how to handle these). Stir completely and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until vegetables are fork tender but still al dente.

When the vegetables are done, remove and discard the bay leaves and red peppers. Add as much of the can of coconut milk to your liking (I usually add a little more than half), depending on how thick/thin/creamy you want your stew. Cook for another 5 minutes to heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve in bowls over brown rice. Top with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve raita on the side.


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Handling Serrano or Jalapeno peppers :

• Cut top off pepper and cut in half length-wise
• Take a measuring teaspoon and scoop out the white part and seeds. This is where most of the heat is and discarding this part of the pepper will cut down on the heat a great deal.
• Cut pepper in thin strips length-wise, the chop/dice into small pieces
• Be careful....at this point your hands are lethal weapons. do NOT touch your eyes or mouth until you've washed them!

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How to De-Fang Indian dried red chilis

• First, get the right kind. These peppers are not the kind you see in Chinese restaurants, nor are they the kind you see in Southwester cuisine. Here is a link to see one brand of the right kind of pepper/chili I am talking about. http://www.ishopindian.com/nirav-chili- ... 22034.html
• Snap or tear the pepper in half, and shake out all the seeds inside. This is where most of the heat is. If you like your food hot...then leave these in but be very cautious.

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Wow this sounds yummy :thumbup: thanks for posting.

ooooooh.... this is right up my alley. I LOVE good vegetarian recipies. Maybe I'll post a few of my own too. Thanks!

It is yummy darksidemoon and moongypsy. Be careful of the heat though. I like my food SPICY and this WAS spicy. Look at the number of peppers (both Serrano and red) you put in the stew and change according to your palate. If you can't tolerate much heat, then perhaps 1/2 a pepper of each. But there must be some or it really isn't Indian curry.

Moongypsy, please post recipes. I love good food.

BTW, for anyone who wants to go truly authentic and make their own curry powder (Garam Masala to be more precise), there are many on the internet. You'll need whole spices and a little spice grinder. I use a cheapo electric coffee grinder that cost about $19.

Here is an example of one recipe...http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alto ... index.html.