Tasty Tuesday - Vegetarian Korma!

Tasty Tuesday!!

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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! :)