Basic 30 minute Indian Curry

Basic 30 minute Indian Curry

Do you enjoy Indian food but feel intimidated by preparing a curry yourself?

Fear no more. Here is a recipe that will take you 30 minutes, is versatile, and can be a great way to eat more plant-based or you can add your favorite cooked protein.

If you haven't cooked Indian food before, you will need to go to the grocery store or a local Indian store to pick up a few spices. The spices in the curry are anti-inflammatory and can be good for your metabolism as well!

An essential kitchen tool that makes any curry prep quick and easy is a small food processor. I use and recommend the Cuisinart 4 cup Mini Prep Plus. You can have your onions and other ingredients chopped in no time.

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp
Spices:
Cumin seeds 2 tsp
Coriander powder 3 tsp
Red chili powder 1/8 tsp
Cardamom powder ¼ tsp
Garam masala ¼ tsp
Salt ½ tsp
1 serrano pepper (optional)
Cilantro ½ cup (1/4 bunch) washed with bottom stems cut off
1 ½ inches ginger fresh, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Tomato paste 1 ½ cups
Almond meal ¼ cup
Your choice of cooked protein, tofu or paneer (Indian cheese) or chick peas (cooked or canned)
Your choice of veggies: Peas, mushrooms, cauliflower florettes

Method:

1. Heat a large sauce pan on low heat.
2. Once hot, add the olive oil.
3. Chop 1 medium sized onion in the mini prep chopper.
4. Add the cumin seeds to the oil.
5. When seeds start sizzling, add the finely chopped onion.
6. Cook the onions covered, on low heat, stirring occasionally.
7. While the onion is cooking, chop and blend finely the cilantro, ginger, garlic and optional serrano pepper
8. Cook the onions until they are translucent and brown. About 10 minutes. If the onions start sticking, can add a few tablespoons of water.
9. Once the onion is done, add the second blend.
10. Cook covered on low/medium heat for 4 minutes.
11. Add the tomato paste & turn heat down to low.
12. Add the coriander powder, turmeric and chili powder.
13. Cover & cook on low heat for 8 minutes. Add 3 tbsp water in between and stir if sticking.
14. Add ½ cup of water and simmer uncovered.
15. In a small bowl, mix the almond meal with ½ cup of water and heat in microwave for 30 secs (if you prefer no creaminess, you can skip this step. Also, if you like extra creamy, you can add some heavy cream instead)
16. Add the almond meal mixture to the curry.
17. At this point, you can add whatever combination of veggies and proteins you wish. Bring to a boil.
18. Garnish with cardamom powder and garam masala powder at the end.

Enjoy! Can serve with cauliflower rice, brown rice, rice and/or flatbread or naan.