I was not born to run. I was pretty much born to sit, read, eat and perhaps walk. So you won’t be surprised to hear that I’m quite pleased to have run for 14 minutes — and that was on 2 separate occasions. Yep, 7 minutes per run. And each minute of those runs was followed by a recovery walk of 2 minutes. There, I’ve gone and spilled the secret of “Learn to Run,” the first class of a 10-week course at the Running Room. Baby steps.
I’ve finally had enough of watching superjocks sprint by my kitchen window as I stand stationary over the sink, washing dishes. If you’d like to get up and go, like me, this Spicy Vegetarian Curry is a fiery recipe that will energize you. Pairing it with light chicory lettuce will leave you feeling full, but not weighted down.
Spicy Vegetarian Curry
- 1 t each cumin seeds, coriander seeds
- 4-5 cardamom pods, seeds removed (discard pods and use just the seeds)
- 1 T coconut oil
- 2 yellow onions, finely diced
- 2 T finely chopped fresh ginger
- 1/2 green chili, stemmed, seeded, finely chopped
- 1 t turmeric
- 1 T garam masala
- 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes and juices, tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 t kosher salt
- 2 15 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cauliflower, roughly chopped
- 1 head roasted garlic, cloves chopped
- 1/2 c water
- 1 chicory lettuce
Garnish
- fresh coriander, finely chopped
- plain yogurt
Heat a frying pan, and add the coriander, cumin and cardamon seeds. Shake the pan for about 1 minute, without burning the seeds. Use a mortar and pestle to coarsely grind the seeds.
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, ginger, coriander, cumin, cardamon, chili, turmeric, garam masala and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally on medium heat, for about 6 minutes, until the onion softens.
Add chopped tomatoes with their juices, chickpeas, garlic, cauliflower, salt and water. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Garnish with plain yogurt and coriander. Serve hot on a bed of chicory lettuce. Serves 6-8.
Spicy Vegetarian Curry Print Ready Recipe
Final notes:
- Thanks to Harriet Sugar Miller, of Eat and Beat Cancer, for inspiring this Spicy Vegetarian Curry recipe, and to my chef-sister, Julia Richardson, for whipping the idea into jittery shape.
- Thanks to my son and to my physio friend Shelley Alper for loving the flavour.
Holly,
The spicy vegetarian curry was delicious and energizing, a great combination to fuel your new running skills. Some people are not sure if running is the right activity for them. If you would like to learn if running is good for you, check out my latest blog
“Run for Your LIfe“.
Shelley Alper
You were born to cook–and take food photos! Loved the curry!
Thanks! Team work. I love passing on good recipes.
I love all the colors of all the healthy ingredients in the dishes you prepare… along with the healthy, wonderful tastes.
Anonymous is Dr. Mo also known as Joel Simms…
Thanks Dr. Mo. Nothing quite like colourful, healthy & tasty!
This is right up my alley. I love the simplicity of this dish and look forward to finding a great thick Tarka Dal recipe.
Also where did you get the glass containers for your spices?
Glad you like the look & sound of this one!
The spice jars are plastic. They stack which is convenient. Found them at a good little kitchen store in Yorkdale Shopping Center, outside of Toronto.
Looks great!!
Thanks! I’m into the good looks along with the good taste!
I made this for guests and it was delicious. Being lazy, I used about half a jar of Patak’s mild curry paste instead of the proposed spices. My guests raved about how tasty it was. We ate the leftovers over the next few days and it just got better with time.
Thanks for the feedback Sonia! I love food success stories!
On Sun, May 19, 2013 at 4:28 PM, jittery cook