Southern and coastal Indian curries with a combination of tomato and coconut are my favourite. The coconut balances the tanginess of the tomatoes and is commonly used with vegetables and lentils. I added some vegetables amd slightly adapted this recipe, a fan favourite by Nisha Mora from Rainbow Plant Life.
In a large saucepan heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to medium-high heat and add vegetables of your choice – I included carrots, green capsicum and cabbage. Next add 4 minced cloves of garlic, a similar amount of minced fresh ginger and some finely minced fresh chillies of your choice. Cook until the aromats are fragrant then add 2 teaspoons of curry powder of your choice, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon of garam masala, ½ a teaspoon of ground coriander and ½ a teaspoon of chilli powder. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook until the spices are fragrant. Pour in 2 cups of stock, 1 cup of red lentils and a 400g ((14 oz) can of crushed tomatoes and mix well. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer until the lentils are cooked. If the lentils are not quite soft after 25 minutes, add a little broth or water and continue to cook until they reach the desired consistency. Remove the lid and stir in a 400 ml (13½ oz) can of full-fat coconut milk. Make sure to stir as you’re adding the coconut milk to prevent curdling. Season again with salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking, uncovered until the curry is thick and creamy. Roughly chop ½ a cup of coriander (cilantro) and stir most of it into the curry keeping some aside as a garnish. Finally, stir through the juice of half a lemon and remove from the heat. Garnish with the remaining coriander and serve with rice or roti.
michelle picker cooks 