Dave's Vegetable Curry


This dish is yet another result of the annual zucchini blessing. It's interest derives from the use of dairy products, which go some way to counter the somewhat watery and tasteless results that are often associated with zucchini, marrow and so forth. Dicing the zucchini small also helps here. I use kefir in this recipe, but yoghurt will do just as nicely.

Firstly, prepare the ingredients beforehand, and keep them close by. Once you start, you won't have time to be preparing vegetables or hunting for ingredients.

You will need - in roughly this order

  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 20g butter or ghee
  • 3/4 teaspoon black mustard seed
  • 1 teaspoon bruised cumin seed
  • [125g beef mince or finely diced pork or breast of chicken—optional]
  • 1 medium-large onion, chopped
  • 1 stick celery, chopped fine
  • 3-4 chopped mild peppers (Hungarian sweet chillies/anaheim chillies, capsicums)
  • 1 chopped green jalapeno or chilli powder to taste
  • 1 dessertspoon grated root ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon fresh coarse-ground black pepper
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped, or a round teaspoon of garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2-3 cups zucchini or marrow, 1cm dice. My zucchinis are typically small marrows by the time I get to pick them.
  • 3-4 tablespoons coconut cream
  • 2-3 tablespoons yoghurt or kefir
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup halved cherry or plum tomatoes
  • 1 dessertspoon chopped basil

Method

  1. Heat cast iron wok or large, heavy base frying pan to high heat
  2. Add oil and ghee.
  3. When beginning to smoke, add mustard and cumin seed, and wait until mustard seed begins to splutter.
  4. Add meat if using, and brown thoroughly.
  5. Add onion, peppers, celery, chillies, ginger, salt, pepper, garlic, turmeric and coriander.
  6. Cook for a minute or two, then add zucchini and cook briefly at this heat to seal surface a little.
  7. Add coconut cream, yoghurt and milk and stir well.
  8. Lower heat to medium, and reduce until sauce is beginning to thicken. Stir frequently to avoid dairy ingredients sticking to pan.
  9. Add tomatoes and basil, and cook just long enough to heat the tomato through.
  10. Serve with rice, a dryish dal, or (my preference) flatbread.


 

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