Wednesday Wind-down: Simple Carrot Curry with Shallots

I made this delicious Sri Lankan curry for my dinner on Monday and thought it would be a perfect Wednesday Wind-down meal. This recipe, adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s Ultimate Curry Bible, is a good way of using up those spices that often get shoved to the back of a cupboard after one use. I added some toasted cashews and half of a very lonely-looking butternut squash. Other root vegetables or even some broccoli would be delicious.

The recipe calls for ground fennel, which you can get in most Asian food stores. Instead, I put whole fennel seeds in a spice grinder for a few minutes. Then, five minutes of preparation and ten minutes of waiting. The final result was really delicious.

Factoring in the small amounts of spice, this cost me less than €6. Not bad for a meal that serves four people.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 shallots (or 1 medium onion), peeled and chopped
• 10 carrots (unpeeled if organic, peeled if not), chopped
• 1/2 butternut squash, seeded, peeled and chopped (optional: if not using a squash add more 2 more carrots, or perhaps a head of broccoli)
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• Half a can of coconut milk (You can freeze the leftover coconut milk in a freezer bag or ice cube tray. It will appear seperated when thawed, simply stir until smooth)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground fennel
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or a little more if you like it a little really spicy!)
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 10-15 curry leaves (optional but recommended)
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a pot.
• Now, add the shallots or onions and the green chilli. Stir for about 2 minutes or until the shallots have softened slightly.
• Meanwhile, combine the cumin, coriander, fennel, cayenne pepper, turmeric, curry leaves, and salt in a bowl. Add the rest of the vegetables to the pot, along with the bowl of spices, and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
• Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, toast the cashews under a hot grill for 3 minutes, turning once.
• Cover and simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes.
• Serve with rice.