Vegetable Jalfrezi

Sara 76's Note:

This is a delicious looking vegetable curry, from Jamie Oliver's Ministry Of Food cookbook. You can use other combinations of vegetables such as zucchini, eggplants, or potatoes, if you like. Also, you can use half a 283g jar of ready made Jalfrezi Paste if you prefer not to make your own.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1 medium onion
• 1 fresh red chili
• fresh ginger , thumb sized piece
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 small bunch coriander
• 2 red peppers
• 1 cauliflower
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 small butternut squash
• 1 (400 g) can chickpeas
• peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 (400 g) can chopped tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• sea salt
• black pepper , freshly ground
• 2 lemons
• 200 g natural yoghurt

JALFREZI CURRY PASTE

• 2 garlic cloves
• fresh ginger , thumb sized piece
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• 1 fresh green chilies
• 1 small bunch coriander

SPICES FOR TOASTING

• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed

Directions:

1. TO MAKE THE CURRY PASTE:.
2. Firts peel the garlic and ginger.
3. Put a Frying pan on a medium to high heat and add the spices for toasting to the dry pan.
4. Lightly toast them for a few minutes until golden brown and smelling delicious, then remove the pan from the heat.
5. Add the toasted spices to a pestle and mortar and grind until fine, or put them in a food processor and whizz to a powder.
6. Either way, when you've ground them whiz the toasted spices in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients until you have a smooth paste.
7. TO PREPARE YOUR CURRY:.
8. Peel, halve and roughly chop your onion.
9. Finely slice the chilli.
10. Peel and finely slice the ginger and garlic.
11. Pick the coriander leaves and finely chop the stalks.
12. Halve, deseed and roughly chop the peppers.
13. Break the green leaves off the cauliflower and discard.
14. Break the cauliflower into florets and roughly chop the stem.
15. Quarter the tomatoes.
16. Carefully halve the butternut squash then scoop out the seeds with a spoon and discard.
17. Slice the squash into inch size wedges, leaving the peel on but removing any thick skin, then roughly chop into smaller pieces.
18. Drain the chickpeas.
19. TO COOK YOUR CURRY:.
20. Put a large casserole-type pan on a medium to high heat and add a couple of splashes of oil and the butter.
21. Add the onions, chilli, ginger, garlic and coriander stalks and cook for 10 minutes, until softened and golden.
22. Add the peppers, butternut squash, drained chickpeas and jalfrezi curry paste.
23. Stir well to coat everything with the paste.
24. Add the cauliflower, the fresh and tinned tomatoes and the vinegar.
25. Fill the 2 empty tins with water, pour into the pan and stir again.
26. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 45 minutes with the lid on.
27. Check the curry regularly to make sure it's not drying out, and add extra water if necessary.
28. When the veg are tender, taste and add salt and pepper - season carefully! - and a squeeze of lemon juice.
29. TO SERVE YOUR CURRY:.
30. Serve with poppadums or fluffy rice, and with a few spoonfuls of natural yoghurt, a sprinkle of coriander leaves, and a few lemon wedges for squeezing over.