So, what do I have in? No meat, no fish. That'll be another vegetable curry, then. I have some mushrooms, some fresh peas in pods, an onion, some spices and a store cupboard can of coconut milk. I have a lovely large plum tomato.
That'll do ...
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| Walnut & Mushroom Curry |
Ingredients
For two people
For the curry ...
Small Onion
Ghee/Coconut Oil
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
Half tsp Fenugreek
Half tsp Asafoetida
8-10 Chestnut Mushrooms
Handful Peas
Large Plum Tomato
6 Medium Green Chillies
Bunch Flat Leaf Parsley
1 tsp Poppy Seeds
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
For the sauce ...
Handful Walnuts
Half Can Coconut Milk
Couple Cloves of Garlic
Piece of Ginger
... and garnish:
Boiled Egg
Parsley
Madness
... I mean, Method.
I say Madness, since that was pretty much what it was. I often begin cooking with no real idea how it will turn out. Seeing what happens to the ingredients as I go, feeling my way with where it will go and just going with flashes of insanity when they happen ... that's ancestral cooking.
Take a large skillet and melt your fat - ghee, for me. If one of your vegan friends was round, you could make this vegan with coconut oil and omit the egg at the end. Scatter in the chopped onion and lower the heat so the onion can cook through slowly and caramelise.
I like to pour my spice mix in at this point, so, in with the turmeric, ground coriander, fenugreek and asafoetida.
Now, make up the sauce ...
When I opened the cupboard to get a can of coconut milk, I noticed the half bag of walnuts which really wanted finishing. Mushrooms and walnuts go together. What could go wrong?
So, into a receptacle, put a handful of walnuts, a couple of cloves of garlic and a bit of ginger. Pour in half a can of coconut milk and blend it up - I use a stick blender and found half a can was about right for a thick, but pourable stodge which form the sauce for the curry.
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| Walnut & Coconut Sauce |
Drop in the mushrooms, sliced; and a handful of peas, stir through, add some black pepper and some sea salt.
Pour in the sauce, wetting up with a little water.
Scatter in some poppy seeds and a good bunch of parsley, rough chopped. Parsley works better than coriander. Besides, I used my coriander yesterday and I have parsley today. Trust me, parsley works better.
Top and tail the tomato, cutting into a large dice. Add to the curry.
Raise the heat a touch and reduce.
Take your chillies, slit down the side and toss them in whole while the curry reduces. This will release some heat into the dish and cook through for those who like to eat whole chillies. Yum!
Meanwhile, boil an egg and prepare some rice, if that's the way you swing. I do, so I'm happy to do so. Steam off some cauliflower and crush - it makes a presentable and fast Cauliflower Rice.
Ready to eat?
Serve out a mound of rice or Cauliflower Rice, spooning the reduced curry alongside.
Garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley and your boiled egg, cut into segments.
Did it work? Damn straight, it did! What a wonderful curry! Walnuts are good for you, mushrooms are good for you, eggs are good for you, coconut milk is good for you, spice is good for you ... what a great meal!
