Curried Vegetables, so delicious with Roti

Curried Vegetables, delicious with Roti

 
A variation of this curried vegetable dish was a staple when I was growing up. I am indian by origin; my ancestors came from India to Trinidad about a hundred years ago. They were very poor and when I compare the cuisine that I grew up that has indian roots, it's a much simpler version of the indian food that I would eat in an authentic Indian restaurant. The curry that is most prevalent in Trinidad has become fairly generic due to the spices being sold already ground and mixed. 
 
It has become so popular to buy prepackaged spice curry mixes in Trinidad, I did not know that curry was a mixture of spices until I read an indian recipe book. Curry traditionally is a mixture of turmeric, cumin (geera, hindi) and coriander (dhania, hindi) in its simplest from, but the variations are really endless, with the addition of other spices and nuts and seeds.
 
Cumin in both it's seed and ground is used in Trinidadian Indian cooking when we make chokas like 'Bygan Choka' and to make 'Dhal'. Fenugreek whose hindi name is 'Maithee' is a seed also used to 'chunkay' dhal. It has a scent reminiscent of maple syrup, but with a much spicier undertone.
 
This curry was made with a ready made curry spice blend, probably Chief, Turban or Chatak brands. I also added extra ground turmeric, cumin and coriander to add more flavor to my curry. You can add the equivalent extra curry powder if you don't have these spices. Try this recipe with dhalpourie or sada roti. It's simple and a great way to eat vegetables. You can substitute any vegetable you want, it's a very versatile and easy recipe. Just tweak your cooking time for the vegetables that you have added to ensure they are cooked. You can make this as dry or as saucy as you wish. I prefer a saucy curry that I can soak my dhalpourie or bread in. This can also be eaten with rice.

One note on herbs though. I used bandania, also called chadon beni in this curry. Cilantro can be substituted, but more should be used. Since I live in the tropics the herbs I use are very potent, due to the heat and much smaller in size. Less is needed to achieve flavor.

 
Cuisine:        Trinidadian Indian,
Good for:      Lunch, Dinner      

Time:            1 hour

Serves:         7

Skill:             Medium

Suitable:       Vegetarian

 

 

Ingredients

 

½                 cauliflour

1                  onion sliced
4                  garlic cloves minced

4                  potatoes

5                  tomatoes
2 c               sliced patchoi or spinach
1                  hot congo pepper
2 tsp            curry powder

1 tsp            coriander
½ tsp           ground cumin
½ tsp           tumeric
1 c               milk
3                  leaves bandania (chadon beni), cilantro can be substituted
3 tb             coconut or vegetable oil
                    salt to taste
                    water as needed  
 

Procedure 

1. Cut cauliflower into florets.
2. Chop potatoes into bite sized pieces.
3. Put oil in pan and heat on medium.
4. Add curry powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander and fry till fragrant. Add water to this mixture occasionally to ensure spices don't burn.
5. Add onion and garlic and fry till soft.
6. Add vegetables, potatoes and tomatoes first, then cauliflower and patchoi last. Fry for a few minutes for each vegetables.
7. Add about a cup of water and let cook down, till the vegetables candy at the bottom and then add water again.
8. Add milk to pot and let reduce a few minutes.
9. Repeat process until the vegetables are cooked.
10. Add salt and pepper to taste.
11. Be careful not to burst the hot pepper, unless you like your food very hot. Take out of pot.
12. Add bandania at the end or parsley.