Cooking at home is not just necessary as our daily fuel and nutrition, it is also a way to express love for whoever you are feeding. My dad taught me that. He did not need words to do so, despite being a fine writer. He simply showed me. It was his birthday a few days ago.
Preparing food is about self-care and also caring for others. I also enjoy the creativity involved. Cooking is another way of mixing colour, and many choices have to be made in order to achieve the right balance. Just like making visual art, cookery keeps me fully in the present moment too.
Easy heating Spring curry
As we transition to a brighter, warmer cycle in Ireland, I continue to wear four layers of clothing most days. Spice is one of the ways that I give my internal heater a boost. Curry is delicious, and I usually cook a big batch so that there is some left over for lunch or dinner the next day.
There are lots of steps and techniques to it, but many of you are living busy lives. Some of you have children still at home (my son is grown up and gone), and so in this blog post I am sharing a shorter, faster version of my curry recipe. I’ve included some variations so that you can pick and mix what suits you best.
Ingredients
Everything used here is probably available from local farmer’s markets, Aldi, and wherever you do your shopping.
One onion. Cut it in half, then dice or slice it.
Garlic. Peel and finely slice 1-5 cloves. Look
Mushrooms. Stalks and all, use 1-2 clean handfuls. Cut them into thick slices or chunks.
Kale. It’s in season right now, and is potent with nutrients as well as being an anti-inflammatory vegetable.
Beetroot (optional). It’s sweet and I love it in a curry. Plus, it is in season for February here in Ireland.
Peppers (optional). Sweet or bell red and yellow peppers cut into chunks or smaller pieces. Using them contributes to air pollution as they are imported from Belgium, Israel, Morocco, Netherlands, Spain, and the UK. Check the labels.
Aubergine (optional). One of my favourites. To reduce those air miles, it’s good to know that they are now grown in Ireland and will be in season from March-October.*
Spice Curry paste in a jar is really handy, and plenty of them are free from additives.
Lentils Red ones are my favourite for curry. Chickpeas work very well in this dish as well, but I would not mix them with lentils.
Method
1.Add a glug of oil to the centre of a pot or deep pan. Heat the oil over a medium heat, add the onion and garlic, stir it up and allow to sizzle slowly over a low heat.
2.Add the chopped tomatoes and mushrooms and cook on a medium heat for a minute or two, then add the curry paste.
3.Wash the kale and then rip or cut it into little pieces.
4.In a little pot of boiling water add a handful (or two) of lentils per person. Simmer them with the heat on medium for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
5.Drain the lentils and add them to the main pot. Toss in the kale. Stir it up. Let the curry cook for 10-15 minutes.
6. Stir every 3 minutes or so and keep an eye on it. Put on rice if you are having it with the sauce. If the curry starts to thicken up too much or stick to the pan, reduce the heat. You might also need to add some water.
7. Warm your nan bread and / or dish out the rice. Serve the curry with it, smile, and enjoy!
Let me know how you get on.
Day two
For variety, if you have leftovers to eat on day two, change what you have with the sauce. This curry is lovely with creamy mashed potato, chips, salad, brown rice, or pilau.
Chopped coriander is a tasty addition, as are toasted pumpkin seeds.
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