Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Coconut Curry

I'm a sucker for coconut milk.

It's one of those fabulous ingredients that plays for both sides: the sweet team
and the savory team.

Although coconut cupcakes with cream cheese frosting will bring me to my knees in 3 seconds flat, that tiny impulse-control portion of my brain prevents me from baking them weekly. So, I've got to find alternative ways of getting my c-milk fix.

Enter curry powder, the match-made-in-heaven spice that was
designed to pair with the milk o' coconuts.

Tonight's recipe is loosely based on one I found in the most recent issue of
Vegetarian Times. This vegan stew highlights all the beautiful hallmark spices of a curry dish: cinnamon, turmeric, and curry. With a handful of cilantro and a dash of chili powder, my taste buds were throwing a good ol' vegan party. Bonus: it's super-fast to throw together, making it the perfect after-work meal to prep.

We paired our vegan curry stew with rolls made from Adam's sandwich bun recipe. Yum.

Curry it up, friends. And yes, I officially turned "currying" into a verb.

Coconut Curry Stew
(inspired by a recipe in the February issue of Vegetarian Times)

I made several substitutions in this recipe, so you may want to make your own based on the veggies you have on hand. Although we didn't have extra fresh spinach last night, the original recipe calls for 2 cups worth, which I imagine would be a delicious mix-in!

Ingredients:
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • a little olive oil
  • 1 TBSP curry powder
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 large can of diced tomatoes, with juice
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can of light coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • optional: additional veggie broth
Directions:

In a soup pot, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in spices and cook for 1 more minute. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil (if you prefer a thinner stew, you can add additional veggie broth to reach your desired thickness). Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.

14 comments:

  1. OH.. you must love Thai food then as well... Coconut milk is my favorite too.. it balances out the spice from the curry... the protein comes from the chickpeas = ) sounds like a fab dish...

    ReplyDelete
  2. mmmm coconut milk! and coconut water.. and OMG! i Just found a healthy coconut milk creamer at fresh market today -- super excited to cook with it! soup is in my future! obv I have to bookmark this recipe! =)

    mwah!

    xoXOxo
    Jenn @ Peas & Crayons

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice that this is made with light coconut milk...less guilt, great taste.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Adding this to my "favorites" tab, lady. You know I've been on an Indian kick like whoah lately :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lol! We totally are on the same wavelength right now. First vegan cupcakes, then coconut milk, what next? I made some Korean food for dinner tonight - one spicy chicken & veggie dish, and a tofu dish. What'd you have?

    ReplyDelete
  6. This looks wonderful. I make lots of stews, but mostly with meat or chicken. I am trying to make more vegetarian fare these days but am really struggling with how to give a vegetarian stew a rich flavor like the meat/chicken stew has. Coconut milk is a brilliant solution. Thanks! (Oh, and thanks for the banana soft serve idea. That sounds like an AMAZING summer treat. Can't wait to try it. I always have LOTS of bananas in the freezer.)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I've never made curry or baked with coconut milk before. Clearly I need to get up on things! Looks great :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Curry and coconut are a wonderful couple. I have been inviting them over quite often in these past few months :-) This stew/soup looks perfect. Thanks for sharing, my friend. This looks beyond scrumptious. Many blessings to you and yours!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh I am hearing ya re the coconut love. Sometimes I wonder why I haven't just turned into a coconut!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am definitely making this! It looks awesome...and I love the combo of ingredients. I only have to buy more chickpeas and I'm on my way :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am SO making this this weekend. I've been on a curry kick this weekend and anything with chick peas and coconut milk is a-okay with me.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm not usually a fan of coconut, but love it with curry! At Thai restaurants, it's always a battle between curry and pad thai for me. :) This sounds great with the chickpeas!

    ReplyDelete
  13. oooh this looks great!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Loving the sounds of this..coconut always reminds me of summertime!

    ReplyDelete