Courgette & Potato Curry

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 45 minute.

Suitable for: Vegetarians, vegans and those on a gluten free diet.

Serve with rotis or paranthas and plain boiled wholegrain rice

Courgette & Potato Curry with Plain Boiled Wholegrain Rice

Ingredients:

Tarka

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil or ghee

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

4 cloves

2 small/medium sized onions (c. 150g), sliced thinly

200g tinned tomatoes or 3 medium tomatoes - skinned and chopped roughly

1½ - 2 green chillies, chopped finely

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 level teaspoons of salt

½ - ¾ level teaspoon of turmeric (use the higher amount if using fresh tomatoes)

¼ - ½ level teaspoon of garam masala

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated finely

Courgettes & Potato

300g courgettes, peel, slice in half vertically and then slice each half finely horizontally (half moon shape, a couple of mm thick)

300g waxy potatoes (I use new potatoes or Charlottes), peeled, cut in half inch cubes and rinsed to remove the starch

550ml water, approximately

4 bayleaves (fresh or dried), optional

Handful of chopped coriander.

Method:

1. Heat the oil on medium heat until fairly hot. Add the cumin seeds and cloves and stir until they splutter (virtually immediately)

2. Turn the heat down to low/medium, add the onions and fry gently stirring occasionally until they soften.

3. Add the tomatoes, salt, turmeric, chillies, garlic, ginger stir. Continue to cook gently, ‘mashing’ the tomatoes until a paste like consistency forms. I use a potato masher.

4. Add the garam masala, stir and cook for a further minute or so or until oil oozes out of the paste when a wooden spoon is dragged along the base of the pan

5. Add the sliced courgettes to the tarka and stir to combine. Place the lid on the pan and cook gently for about five minutes stirring occasionally.

6. Add the potatoes, stir to combine, and cook for a further five minutes with the lid on the pan.

7. Add the water. Bring to the boil. Add the bayleaves.

8. Turn down the heat to low/medium and bring back to simmering point. Place the lid on the pan and simmer gently for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

9. Remove the bayleaves.

10. Add the chopped coriander. Bring back to the boil on gentle heat, simmer for a minute or so.

11. Take off the heat

12. Serve piping hot garnished with fresh coriander leaves.