Aromatic Vegetable Curry

Cookbook Countdown is a monthly cooking/baking event, which I'm co-hosting with Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray.  Everyone is welcome to join us. How does it work? To summarize, you may select a cookbook from your own cookbook collection, to cook or bake from each month. That selected book shall be your cookbook of the month. You may cook any recipes and as many recipes as you want from your selected book of the month. This is a fabulous way of using your cookbooks at least once! For more information on how to join Cookbook Countdown, please click here. 

To link to Cookbook Countdown Specials : BAKE, click here

To link to Cookbook Countdown #9, click here

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My selected cookbook for this month at Cookbook Countdown #9 is 500 Curries, by Mridula Baljekar.

I've made Aromatic Vegetable Curry with Mushrooms and Beans. I have made a few changes to the recipe. This is pretty much a basic vegetable curry, and you can use whatever veggies you have in your fridge. I did not have any mushrooms, but I have a quarter of a cabbage left, so I've used that instead. Instead of using butter to saute the spices, I've replaced with canola oil. And have substitute the heavy cream with coconut milk.

Also the recipe indicated that after the veggies are cooked, they are removed to a plate, then the curry liquid is heated until it has reduced a little. At this point, season with salt and pepper, stir in the yoghurt, cream and garam masala. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and serve immediately with rice. I have, however, did it differently. I did not remove the veggies from the curry gravy, but added the yoghurt, coconut milk and garam masala along with the salt and pepper during the last ten minutes or so of cooking the curry. And I have increased the amount of spices, using 1-1/2 times more than indicated in the recipe.

This is a very mild curry (even though with the increased amount of spices). And according to the author "here the aim is to produce a subtle curry rather than an assault on the senses".  Seeing how mild this curry is, it would be great as a side dish along with some spicy dry meat curry served with rice.

Aromatic Vegetable Curry 
(adapted from "500 Curries", Mridula Baljekar)
Serves 4
50gm (1/4 cup) butter (I use canola oil)
2 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 in piece fresh root ginger, grated
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
6 cardamom pods
2 in piece of cinnamon stick
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 potato, peeled and cut into 1 in cubes
1 small aubergine (eggplant), chopped
115gm (1-1/2 cups) mushrooms, thickly sliced (I use cabbages, shred to chunky pieces)
3/4 cup water
115gm green beans, cut into 1 in lengths
4 tbsp natural plain yoghurt
2/3 cup double (heavy) cream (I use coconut milk)
1 tsp garam masala
salt and ground black pepper
fresh coriander sprigs, to garnish
plain boiled rice, to serve

1. Melt the butter in a heavy pan. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the cumin, coriander, cardamom pods, cinnamom stick, turmeric and finely chopped chilli. Cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds.
2. Add the potato cubes, aubergine and mushrooms and the water. Cover the pan, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add the beans to the pan and cook, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables to a warmed serving, dish and keep hot.
4. Allow the cooking liquid to bubble up until it has reduced a little. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then stir in the yoghurt, double cream and garam masala. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and garnish with fresh coriander. Serve the curry immediately with plain boiled rice.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #9 hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray