A delicious south Indian coconut and tamarind curry loaded with veggies.
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves:4
Calories: 309kcal
Ingredients
- 8 oz tempeh
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.25 tsp) cumin seeds
- 1/3 teaspoon (0.33 tsp) black peppercorns
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.25 tsp) fenugreek seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon (0.13 tsp) fennel seeds optional
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1/3 teaspoon (0.33 tsp) red pepper flakes
- 1 large or 2 small tomatoes or 1 cup diced
- 1 teaspoon tamarind paste or 1 tablespoon tamarind chutney or pulp from fresh tamarind, or use 1 teaspoon lime juice + a tiny dash of sugar
- 2 tablespoon ketchup or use 1 teaspoon more tamarind paste 1/2 inch ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) salt divided
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1/2 medium onion , chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 6 to 8 (8) curry leaves fresh, frozen or dried
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika ore regular paprika
- 1 cup (100 g) cauliflower florets
- 1 small potato, cubed
- 1 cup (236.59 ml) unsweetened coconut milk
- Cilantro and lemon for garnish
How To Prepare
- Steam the tempeh for 12 minutes. Set aside.
- Heat a skillet over a medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and black peppercorn. Roast for 2 mins or until fragrant. Add the fenugreek and fennel seeds and roast for half a minute. Add sesame seeds and chili flakes and roast for a few seconds. Take off heat. Grind the mixture in a grinder. If you don’t have a grinder, just blend everything in the next step with the tomato — it will take a few minutes to break the spices down.
- Blend the ground spices with the tomato, ketchup, ginger and tamarind until smooth. Use a few tablespoons of water if needed.
- Heat the oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add onion, curry leaves, garlic and a good pinch of salt and cook until translucent. Add the steamed tempeh and cook for a minute to brown some edges.
- Add the blended tomato and spice mixture, paprika and 1/3 teaspoon of salt. Mix well and cook over medium heat until the sauce is drying out and sticking to the tempeh (around 7 to 10 mins).
- Add the cauliflower, potato, 1/3 teaspoon of salt and the coconut milk. Mix well to incorporate, cover and cook for 11 o 13 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through and the sauce has thickened a bit. Continue to cook uncovered if the sauce is too thin or add more coconut milk if too thick.
- Taste and adjust the salt, spice and flavor. Add a touch of cayenne or garam masala if needed. Garnish with cilantro and a dash of lemon. Serve with flatbread, naan or rice. As with most Indian sauces, the sauce flavor develops more on sitting for a few hours. The dish will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Tips
- To make the curry soy-free, swap the tempeh for 1.25 cups of cooked garbanzo beans.
- To make it oil-free, use ¼ cup of broth to sauté.
- You can also swap the tempeh for tofu. If using tofu, pan fry it on a skillet for 4-5 mins in step 1.
Recipe by Vegan Richa
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