February 8, 2011

Tasty Tuesday - Vegetarian Korma!

Tasty Tuesday!!
Source
Welcome to Tasty Tuesday, where I'll be posting some of my favorite vegetarian recipes every other week!   Whereas a lot of vegetarians/vegans decide to change their way of eating because of animal rights/cruelty, my reasonings were quite different.  So, before I get to the recipe, I just want to do a quick blurb about how I came to be a vegetarian.    
  I grew up in Kansas where my grandparents owned a cattle farm.  So, most of our meals were the typical "meat and potato" variety.  After I got married, I just continued cooking the same way I grew up, with some sort of meat in every meal.  I perfected the art of grilling a steak, and to this day, I don't know anyone that can grill a steak better than me...ha ha!
But, when I started training for triathlons I started paying more attention to what I was eating and how it was effecting my training and racing.  That same year my father-n-law gave me a copy of "The China Study" and told me to read it. When I finished the book, my husband and I ate through the last of the meat products in our fridge/freezer and vowed to start eating healthier and find better ways to fuel our bodies...not only for us, but for our sons too.  Being a vegetarian was difficult at first, especially when we would go out to eat, but it has been a wonderful change.  Although 99% of our meals are vegetarian/vegan, there are two things that I just won't give up:  turkey sandwiches (especially Jimmy Johns) and sushi.  But, overall I don't miss the meat. And, I don't miss that full/bloated feeling I would get after eating dinner, or the lack of energy I had. I love being a vegetarian and I think it has done wonders for my health and training.  
 
With that, I bring you the first installment of Tasty Tuesday!! 
Vegetarian Korma
This is one of my favorite vegetarian meals.  Although some prep work is involved, it is still pretty easy to make and the end result is super yummy!!  It is pretty versatile, so you can add other veggies you might have or delete the ones you don't care for.  It is really good served with quinoa, brown rice, or brown basmatti rice and Naan bread.  I usually double the recipe so my family can eat it two nights in a row.  And, like any dish with great seasonings, I find it even better the next day when all the spices have had time to truly mix together.

Tips:
Before I get into the recipe, I thought I'd share some tips that I found to be very helpful when I cook.
Don't those veggies look beautiful and yummy!?!
*  Precut all of your veggies before you even start cooking.  I have found that this actually saves me quite a bit of time.  This is also a fun way to let your kids get involved too (if they're old enough to use a knife).  My boys love to watch and "help" me cook, and any way that I can get them involved and interested in cooking is awesome!   
My "dump bowl"
*  I use a "dump bowl" while I am cooking to collect all of my trash/scraps.  This way, I am not constantly running back and forth from the counter to the trash can.  This makes for super easy clean-up too!
My spice rack
*  I buy almost all of my spices in bulk.  I have spice jars that I just refill when needed.  Plus, if you find a recipe that has a spice you're not familiar with, you can go to the bulk spice section, buy the exact amount you need for the recipe for cents, and not have to worry about paying $$$ for a spice that you may never use again!  Most grocery stores have spices in bulk, but you may need to make a trip to Whole Foods, for example, for some of the less common ones.  
Ingredients:
Serves 4
Prep Time: ~20minutes
Cook Time: ~30minutes

*  1 1/2Tbl. canola/vegetable oil
*  1 small onion, diced
*  1tsp. minced ginger (I use jarred ginger)
*  4cloves garlic, minced (I use jarred garlic)
*  1 potato/sweet potato cut into small cubes
*  4 carrots, peeled and cut into small cubes
*  3Tbl. chopped unsalted almonds (you can use whatever nut you prefer here, or take them out all together)
*  1-4oz. can tomato sauce
*  2tsp. salt (or more/less to taste)
*  1/2Tbl. curry powder (or more/less to taste)
*  1tsp. garam masala
*  1Tbl. brown sugar
*  1C frozen peas
*  1/2 green bell pepper/celery, chopped
*  1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
*  Big handful of raisins
*  1can light coconut milk  *Note:  You can use less of this depending on the texture you want.  If you want it more "soupy," use the whole can, but if you want it more "chunky," use 1/2 of the can.

Directions:
1.  Heat the oil in a large skillet/dutch oven/pot over medium heat.
2.  Stir in the onion, and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
3.  Mix in the ginger and garlic, and cook for 1 minute.
4.  Mix in the potatoes, carrots, almonds, and tomato sauce.
5.  Add the salt, curry powder, garam masala, and brown sugar, stirring well to combine.
6.  Cover the pot and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.  *Note:  The smaller the potato and carrot cubes, the shorter the cooking time.  Also, you will need to stir the mixture frequently to keep it from completely sticking to the bottom of your pot.  
7.  Stir in peas, bell peppers, raisins, and coconut milk.

8.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every once in awhile.
9.  Serve over quinoa, brown rice, or basmatti rice and add a side of naan
10.  Enjoy! :)

I hope you like this! I would love to hear what you think about it if you decide to make it! :) 
 

31 comments:

Amanda@runninghood said...

Do your kids do fine with the flavors in this? The ginger, curry powder, onions, etc? Thanks for posting these! :) Excited for your Tasty Tuesdays! :)

Aimee said...

Amanda: My boys actually do fine with the flavors. But, they are the reason there's only 1/2Tbl. of curry powder in it..it gives it just the right amount of spice for them. If you think your kiddos might not handle it, you can definitely use less. :)

TMB @ RACING WITH BABES said...

I became vegetarian/pescatarian for the same reason. But I can not give up fish. I just love it too much! I am slowly transitioning my kids and my husband. I am really excited for Tasty Tuesdays!

jessithompson said...

Cool recipe and love the cooking tips too!

Jamie said...

This looks delicious!!

CautiouslyAudacious said...

Yum! I'm gonna try this one next week! I find using lots of spices really takes the cooking to a whole new level! Buying spices in bulk also allows for me to buy it more often which means they have the stronger flavors.

Heather said...

This looks yummy! This is definitely something I will try. Thanks for the tips too. I am looking forward to your Tasty Tuesdays!

Chef Amber Shea said...

Yum yum yum! I LOVE Indian food! :)

Big Daddy Diesel said...

Sounds good, i dont have everything and I dont know what garam masala is

I received your sticker last night, thanks!!!

Caratunk Girl said...

I just read the China Study! And I have been working towards a more plant-based diet. I am not giving up meat, just phasing it out. Instead of every night, maybe 1x a week right now (for me)

That recipe looks fabulous!

Anonymous said...

I LOVE veggie korma!! Thanks so much for posting; I will definitely try this. I call myself a flexatarian vs. a vegetarian because I can't give up turkey sandwiches (and an occasional free-range burger). But I'm mostly vegetarian and I do feel better with a mostly plant-based diet.

Teamarcia said...

I am so making this. I find that when I'm single parenting (like I am this week) and not cooking for the Caveman, I go all veg without even thinking about it.

Julie said...

Looks good! I will have to try it on a night I don't have my boys...pretty sure they won't go for it. It's great that you changed your diet when your boys were so young. I wish I had eaten healthier when mine were younger.

Jen said...

Yum!! I am making this tonight! Thanks for sharing!

Jon said...

Yummy! Was it you who mentioned that you love to be super organized? I bet it is super easy to find anything in your kitchen!

Michelle Simmons said...

Nice! Looks good. I read The China Study a couple years ago. Good book! Another good one is In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollen. Same concept- plant based diet- but goes at it from a slightly different angle.

J. L. said...

I'm aiming for 2 vegetarian dinners a week right now. So your recipes will be nice. I got my sticker in the mail this morning. Sweet!

tri like mary said...

I love Indian but don't make it alot because recipes I've come across seem pretty time consuming. This looks fairly straight forward AND delicious!

p.s. I use a "dump" bowl too when I'm cooking!

Jason said...

That looks so awesome. Thanks for sharing. Tasty Tuesday is fast becoming a favorite of mine.

Tonight I had my step-son make his own pizza....vegetarian style and he loved it. It was great to have him help in the kitchen and that helps in him eating the food as well.

Dawn said...

Tasty Tuesdays!!!! Love that!
Thanks for this,,,,looks delicious:)

Regina said...

Ok superwoman! You make the rest of us look bad, ha! My husband and I love korma, so I'll be making this for sure! Good tip on the bulk spices, never thought about that. Thanks for posting this!

I used to be a vegetarian for about 10 years, but fell off the wagon. I got sick a couple weeks ago off some bad chicken, so am off meat for a while, but I still love me a good ribeye every once in a blue moon. How do you cook the perfect steak?

Beth said...

Ohhh, that looks SO good! I am going to add it to my menu for next week. My husband LOVES Indian food so he will be so excited. thanks for the post!

Lynn said...

This looks so good! I am a vegetarian, but my boyfriend isn't so I'm always looking for meat free recipes that non-veggies won't miss the meat. I think I'll have to make this in the near future.

Barbie said...

This looks absolutely delicious. i too have been thinking for quite a while about becoming vegetarian but have never quite taken the step. I shall start using your recipes more often and incorporate them into my daily eating.

K said...

I made this last night and it was wonderful. I need to add more spice to it personally, but it was pretty darn good!

2 Slow 4 Boston said...

That looks good. I have to admit I'm not much of a cook. Maybe I can get the cook in our family (wife) to make it. BTW, you mentioned your a Kansas girl. I was born and raised in Wichita myself. Awful cold in these parts at the moment.

Emz said...

your recipies amaze me [not to mention all the photos].

this. rocks.

Jill said...

Oh dear, that has about 18 too many ingredients in it for me to make :)...cooking is NOT my thing! I don't eat much meat but I do crave the protein and I just feel better sometimes if I have a piece of chicken. Odd, but yea, oh well.

JC said...

That looks really tasty! Thanks for the idea of the "dump" bowl. How did it taste?

Matt said...

This looks delicious!

Heather said...

Hi Aimee, I wanted to let you know that I made this on Saturday and it was so good!! I could eat it everyday!! It smelled wonderful in the kitchen after I added the spices. Thank you for posting this recipe. I have added this to my favorites and am sure that I'll be making it many times in the future.