Winter Vegetable Curry

By David Tanis

Winter Vegetable Curry
Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(1,160)
Comments
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There are lots of authentic vegetarian Indian dishes, but this hearty curry is more a seat-of-the-pants improvisation, actually based on a French technique. The recipe, however, may be used as a template for any number of variations. Make it with other winter vegetables, or change the combination to match the seasonal vegetables available throughout the year. Just don't forget to remove the whole chiles before eating.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 3tablespoons untoasted sesame oil or vegetable oil
  • ½teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½teaspoon coriander seeds
  • ½teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼teaspoon cayenne
  • 12-inch piece of ginger, grated
  • 6small garlic cloves, minced
  • 4small hot red Asian chiles or Mexican chiles de árbol
  • 1large onion, diced, about 2 cups
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2cups delicata squash, unpeeled, in 1-inch slices, or butternut squash, peeled, in 1-inch cubes
  • 1cup parsnips, hard center core removed, in 1-inch slices or chunks
  • ½pound tiny potatoes, such as fingerlings, halved
  • 2cups small florets of cauliflower
  • 1cup cooked chickpeas, preferably home-cooked and the liquid reserved
  • Cilantro sprigs, for garnish
  • Steamed basmati rice (optional)
  • Apple raita (optional), see recipe
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

223 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 583 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium-high heat. When oil is wavy, add cumin seeds and coriander seeds and let sizzle for about 1 minute. Add turmeric, cayenne, ginger, garlic and chiles and stir to coat.

  2. Step 2

    Add onion and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened and lightly colored, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to coat. Add squash, parsnips and potatoes, salt lightly, then add 3 cups chickpea cooking liquid or water, or enough to just cover vegetables. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a brisk simmer. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender but firm, about 15 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add cauliflower and chickpeas and stir gently to combine. Cover and continue cooking 5 to 8 minutes more, until cauliflower is tender. Taste broth and adjust seasoning, then transfer to a wide, deep serving platter or bowl. Remove chiles and garnish with cilantro sprigs. Serve with steamed basmati rice and apple raita, if desired.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,160 user ratings
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Comments

Linda

This recipe is amazing: SO MUCH TASTE!! Definitely a favorite: enough fire and flavor to make it 5 star for me.

Two comments:
This dish is spicy: great with rice, quinoa, and/or greens. On its own, added some yogurt even tho I like it hot.

Skeptical about Step 2: cooking the onions for 10 minutes in the spice was too long, with too little liquid. After 4 minutes, I reduced the heat and added the tomato paste. The spices didn't taste burnt but some of the cumin seeds were very dark.

Laura

Delicious! Since not all of my guests would appreciate super-spicy food, I used only the cayenne, and did not add the 4 chilis to this dish - still had a little kick, but not too much to scare off the sensitive. I served some chili sauce on the side for those who might want to add. Do make basmati rice and the apple raita (without the chili) to serve as an accompaniment, it was a gorgeous plate, raves all around. Thank you, will absolutely make again.

Conniethecook

Loved this recipe with double the spices, sweet potato for fingerlings, zucchini for delicate, 4 plum tomatoes, and a can of coconut milk.

Lily

Delicious - Followed the recipe to the most part, but did roast the butternut squash in the oven in parallel to the other veggies cooking and used dried red hot chili flakes. For serving, I added sliced, fresh red chili to give more heat. It was great with some yogurt and ciabatta bread.

Rebecca Cherry

I made this as mild as possible and it was well received. I left out the chiles and the cayenne, and used two large cloves of garlic. all other spices were used at same quantity called for in the recipe. The result was a well balanced flavored broth with no heat at all. The one disappointment, which could have been my error, was that the vegetables broke down too much and the broth became lumpier and thicker, as it does for stews. Made for some mushy mouthfuls.

Jackie

I the spices get lost in the tomato paste. Maybe chopped canned tomatoes would work better.

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