Vegetarian Curry

This is my mom’s favorite curry recipe. I don’t have a specific cooking time; it just depends on the size of the vegetables. I suggest any regular curry powder purchased at an Asian store. I put the dry spices in a spice bag for easy removal before eating. The best brand for coconut milk is Chaokoh coconut milk. But I like to use frozen grated coconut mixed with warm water and squeezed to make coconut milk.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

• 5 -6  medium  sized potatoes
• 3  large carrots
• 2  long Japanese eggplants
• 1  chayote (optional)
• 1  inch ginger, grated
• 3  pieces red shallots
• 2  garlic cloves
• 1  cinnamon stick
• 3  whole cloves
• 2  star anise
• 4  cardamom pods
• 3  tablespoons curry powder, mixed with water into a thick paste
• 1 (13 1/2ounce) can coconut milk
• 3  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 1  cup water
• 1  tablespoon tamarind juice or 1  tablespoon lime juice
•  salt

Directions

1. Mince garlic, and shallots. Peel and cut potatoes and carrots into 1" inch cubes, dice eggplant and chayote squash in 1" cubes. Mix curry powder with a little water to make paste. add warm water to a dime sized piece of tamarind, mix until you get the tamarind mixed in with the water, discard pulp/seeds. Set aside.
2. Heat the 3 tbsp oil in a pot on medium heat. When the oil is hot fry Ginger, Shallots, Garlic, and cinnamon stick until fragrant (Careful not to burn). Add curry powder paste. fry it until fragrant and oil comes to the surface of paste. add coconut milk and cook for a minute. add spice bag of spices (cardamom, cloves, star anise). add salt. add water and tamarind juice.
3. Add potatoes, carrots and chayote squash and cook potato until almost tender. add eggplant. Stir every couple of minutes, so that the bottom won’t burn and everything is cooked evenly.
4. If you like your curry watery, just add water a little at a time. if you would like a thicker milder curry add more coconut milk.
5. The Potatoes should be tender but not soft until it turns to mush.
6. After cooking remove spice bag.