This recipe was inspired by mobile green grocer in Liverpool, the Queen of Greens!
Veggies
2 sweet potatoes
3 carrots
Fresh kale
150g red lentils
Frozen spinach if available
Chopped tomatoes & dash tomato puree
Creamed coconut bar (only need about 20g - optional)
Can of chickpeas (optional, but well worth adding!)
In addition to 2 onions, 120g of rice and vegetable stock.
Main spices - assuming you have these already!
Ground coriander, ground cumin
pinch of dried chillis/ paprika
turmeric
fresh ginger & garlic
Bonus spices you can add if available…
black mustard seeds, green cardamom, cumin seeds (use mortar & pestle)
Curry leaves, cinnamon bark, fresh green chillis.
Fresh coriander is a lovely addition if your budget can stretch to that.
You can also add celery if you have to hand (although this isn’t usual in Indian cooking).
For day 2, you’ll want 2 large potatoes, a block of tofu, spring roll wrappers (or use rice paper if cannot find a vegan version) and tikka spices. That will add an extra £2 to the total cost, but with the other ingredients coming in JUST under the £5 budget, you could get 2 good meals here for ~£6.50… a LOT cheaper than a takeaway!
Note: Authentic bombay potatoes would be mixed in with the spiced tomato sauce… appreciate this version is giving more patatas bravas from the look of it… and that’s ok!
Method
Heat a splash of oil in a pan and add onion, garlic, chopped ginger and chilli if using. Cook for 1 minute and add ground coriander, ground cumin and ground turmeric (around 1 tsp each). Cook for 2 minutes.
Peel & slice sweet potatoes and carrots. Add to pan with spices.
Add chopped tomatoes (crush with hands if using plum tomatoes!), 20g of creamed coconut if using and vegetable stock.
Add rinsed red lentils.
Cook for 15 minutes before adding chickpeas if using, followed by sliced fresh kale & frozen spinach.
I suggest letting this sit for a bit to let the flavours infuse prior to serving!
That gives you time to make an optional, but delicious, onion tarka. In addition to cooking your rice.
Add 5 ground cardamom pods, 1 tsp of black mustard seeds & 1tsp of cumin seeds to mortar & pestle. Bash it up and add to a pan with oil. Then add sliced onion, coat in spices and cook down. Adding a dash of sugar as preferred to caramalise.
DAY 2:
Use your leftover curry in curry rolls or samosas.
I also love combining with tikka tofu (made by griddling/ frying tofu in a simple tikka spiced marinade) and bombay potatoes.
It'll feel like a takeaway... but for only a couple of quid more!
Otherwise you will be left with 1-2 good sized containers to freeze for the future, or keep for later in the week.
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