Reward your body with the freshest veggies of the season. Eating seasonal produce offers a plethora of benefits. Produce that has been naturally ripened on the vine and picked for consumption is fresher, tastes better and contains more nutrients. Eating seasonally also supports your body's natural nutritional needs. Winter vegetables offer comfort and are perfect for hot meals, healthy stews, soups, casseroles and other warming meals. Almost anything goes in this vegetable curry! Enjoy the process of cooking and appreciate nature's bounty.
If paired with a grain, this recipe serves four people. Only, the recipe serves two people. We recommend serving the vegetable curry with hearty brown basmati rice.
Ingredients
- 3 cups mushroom of choice (I like crimini)
- 2-3 cups green leaves of choice, packed (I prefer a mix of kale, chard, dandelion, beet greens)
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 large leek, cut in half lengthwise
- 1 large (or two small) fennel bulbs
- 1 large or two small bell peppers
- ½ bunch cilantro
- ¼ cup HANAH Vechur Ghee or grapeseed oil
- 3 tablespoons warm (NOT HOT) water
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 ½ tablespoons HANAH ONE
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground fenugreek
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground fennel
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground peppercorns
Directions
Prepare all ingredients before you begin (mise en place) so the cooking can flow, effortlessly and timely.
- Start by slicing the leek into thin, half circle strips and place in its own bowl or pile.
- Then cut the green stems of the fennel off and set aside to use for garnish and juicing.
- Cut the white bulb off the fennel if brown and bruised, as well as any other brown spots.
- Then slice the fennel into quarters from top to bottom, lay quarters on sides and cut one inch thick pieces, set aside on their own.
- Next, de-seed/stem pepper and cut into one inch squares.
- Slice mushrooms in half or 1-2 inch morsels.
- Place all peppers and mushrooms in a bowl.
- For the greens, keep baby spinach whole. If using greens with tough stems and you want them more cooked, rip or cut stems off, chop into half-inch thick pieces and add to peppers and mushrooms.
- Chop leaves of greens into one inch thick strips. Set greens aside on their own.
- Finally, chop cilantro, stems and all, pluck a handful of fennel leaves and set both aside for garnish
- Stir the HANAH ONE into the warm water in a small glass or dish. Measure out all the spices, except the salt, and mix together in a small dish.
- Shake the room temperature can of coconut milk very well and open it, scraping fat from lid back into the can
- Begin cooking!
- Pour HANAH Vechur Ghee or grapeseed oil in a large, wide (preferably thick bottomed) saucepan with lid and heat over medium low heat. Once you can feel the heat with your hand held 2 inches away from the ghee, sprinkle all of the spices into it.
- The spices should bubble like a foam as they are simmering. This is how you open the potency of flavor and healing properties of dried spices.
- Gently and continuously stir with a wooden spoon as to not burn them. Waft the aroma to your face and enjoy this ancient Ayurvedic cooking technique for one minute.
- Add the coconut milk with a spatula to get every drop out of the can. Stir the milk to fully incorporate the spices and pull them from the bottom of the pan.
- If the spices are stuck to the bottom and are deep brown, you have burnt them and need to discard the oil and spices, wipe the pan clean, and redo.
- Right away, stir in the leek and salt and bring to a low simmer for 3 minutes with lid on.
- Add fennel slices, stir to coat it with the sauce and replace lid.
- Low, gentle, even simmer for ten minutes. Peek at three minutes to make sure the simmer isn’t too high.
- Stir in peppers, mushrooms, and stems from leafy greens (if you have them).
- Simmer seven minutes longer with the lid on.
- Fold in leafy greens and simmer with lid on for a final 3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, remove lid, and add the HANAH ONE in water. Stir it in completely.
- Serve with chopped cilantro and fennel leaves on top.
- Optional: Add chili peppers and/or lemon or lime wedges if desired.
- This can be modified by substituting any other veggies for the ones I have listed. Just keep quantities about the same. Listen to what your body asks for, get creative with what is fresh and in season and enjoy!
Thank you to Evan Mack for this delicious and nutritious recipe. Evan is a private wellness chef, producer and life coach from Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
