Vegetable Curry with Brown Rice

Vegetable Curry is another vegetarian option that has kept us going over the winter. This Indian style curry is delicately spiced and can be as hot or mild as you like. Onion, butternut squash and courgette form the base vegetables, while spinach and chick peas add contrasting texture.

The recipe calls for onions and apples to be liquidised to a pulp. The easiest way to do this is with a hand blender or food processor. If you don't have this equipment, simply grating them would also work.

The following recipe makes makes two portions.

Ingredients

For the rice

• 120g brown rice

• 1 vegetable stock cube

• ½ teaspoon salt (Or better still low sodium salt)

• 2 pints of boiling water

Ingredients

For the curry

• 1 teaspoon of low fat butter spread

• 3 medium onions. (Red or white). Peeled, quartered then blitzed to a pulp

• 1 medium red apple. Peeled, cored and blitzed to a pulp

• 1 teaspoon of ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric

• ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper (1 teaspoon if you like it spicy)

• ½ teaspoon of chili flakes (1 teaspoon if you like it spicy)

• 2 sweeteners

• 1 vegetable stock cube. Crumbled

• ½ pint boiling water

• 400g butternut squash. Toppped, tailed, peeled, deseeded and chopped into rough dice

• ½ courgette. Washed and sliced into rough dice

• 1 x 400g tin of chick peas. Drained and rinsed in cold water

• 75g spinach. Washed

• small bunch of coriander. Washed and finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon of garam masala

Method

1. Add 2 pints of boiling water to a large sauce pan and bring back to the boil.
2. When the water is bubbling, add the stock cube and salt and stir to make sure it's fully dissolved.
3. Add the rice and stir to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Bring the pot back to the boil again. Then reduce the heat to medium. Loosely cover the pot with a lid. Let it bubble away for 40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat a large pot over a medium to high heat and add the butter. When it's bubbling add the onion and apple pulp and fry it until golden for approximately 10 minutes.
5. Next, add the spices, sweeteners and stock cube and stir well to combine while enjoying the aroma!
6. Next add the butternut squash, courgette and chickpeas along with the half pint of boiling water and stir well.
7. Turn the heat to high and bring the sauce to boil. When, it's boiling reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Stirring every now and then to make sure it's not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
8. When the rice is ready, drain it into a colander and shake to get rid of any residual water. Divide between two warmed bowls or plates.
9. Finally, add the spinach, coriander and garam masala to the curry and stir well. Serve immediately with the rice.