Vegan Coconut Curry

THEY SAY VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE...

Well they are wrong. 

Spices. Spices are the spice of life.

I mean come on, its in the name dude! 

Spices are literally (or figuratively...depending on which side of the Bible belt you sit) God's gift to vegans and anyone who wants to keep their bodily temples in tip top shape! 

They come from all corners of the world in a variety of forms and have been known for centuries to carry numerous medicinal qualities: from turmeric's anti-inflammatory and arthritis-fighting properties to the digestive benefits of cumin. Pretty cool right? Whenever you hear people say food can be the greatest medicine or the worst poison you'd better believe it! 

But what's even cooler is the fact while many cooks will load up a dish with extra fats and oils (often animal derived) due to the flavours they provide, simply adding ground or whole spices to your meals can provide that flavour hit you're after without the added calories and other nasties. Look up the definition of a win-win situation and you will find a picture of a cinnamon stick giving you the thumbs up and smiling wisely. Possibly with a rosemary stem doing some chin-ups in the background.  Awesome. 

*Enter the seamless segue* 

Spices are good. Curries use lots of spices. Here is a spicy coconut curry recipe.

Nailed it.

Vegan Coconut Curry

1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tbsp ground garam marsala
2 tbsp curry powder
Pinch of salt

Olive oil (or coconut or whatever cooking oil you prefer)
1 brown onion, thinly sliced
2cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 long red chilli (more or less depending on the level of heat you like!)
2 small carrots, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 medium sweet potato, chopped
500ml coconut milk
500ml vegetable stock
Large handful of long green beans, halved or left whole
Small head of broccoli.cut into florets
300g tempeh, thinly sliced cut into bite sized pieces (*optional*)



In a small fry pan dry roast the cumin, coriander and garam marsala until lightly toasted and aromatic. Allow to cool  and blend in a spice grinder until powdered and set aside.

In a large saucepan heat a drizzle/spray of oil and saute the onion, garlic and ginger until the onion is soft and translucent. Add in 2 teaspoons of the the ground spice mix (or more if you like more of a flavour kick!), salt and curry powder and stir to coat the onions. Add in the chopped carrots, zucchini and sweet potato and cook for around 5-10 minutes so that the vegetables begin to soften slightly. Add the coconut milk and stock to the pan, bring to the boil and simmer for around 20 to 30 minutes with the lid off until the vegetables are fully softened and the sauce has reduced and thickened. Add in the tempeh (if using), beans and broccoli and cook until the broccoli and beans are tender. 

Serve as is or accompanied with rice, quinoa or rice noodles and topped with fresh coriander, crispy shallots and extra sliced chili.