Hearty curry stew with aubergine, pumpkin and kale

The great thing about a stew is that is can be made with lots of different veggies - for example the exact veggies that you happen to have at home! These days I want to have pumpkin in almost everything - and so I added them to this stew as well.

Adding some pre cooked legumes when the stew is almost done is a great way to add som extra protein (and taste!). And then I always want to add something green - kale is a favourite! Best thing is to add the kale once you have removed the pot from the heat, that way the kale will stay green and perfectly soft.

You could serve the stew just like it is, or with your choice of grain och pseudo-grain; like sorghum, quinoa, naked oats or millet, for a even more filling meal.

And last but not least - don’t forget the golden rule when it comes to stews; they are even better the day after when the flavours have had the chance to REALLY evolve!! Now, time to cook.

Hearty curry stew with aubergine, pumpkin and kale

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp caraway seeds

2 Tbsp paprika powder

1 onion

1 garlic clove

1 aubergine

1 small pumpkin, Hokkaido or Muscat

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated

500 g crushed tomatoes

400 ml coconut milk

230 g / 4 dl / 1.6 cups pre cooked chickpeas

100 g kale, rough stalk removed and leaves shredded

2 Tbsp cold pressed coconut oil

salt and freshly ground black peppar

For serving

2 dl / 0.8 cups sorghum, uncooked

fresh cilantro

How to

Cook the sorghum according to instructions on the packaging.

Fry the spices in the oil in a thick bottom pot at medium heat until fragrant. Peel and finely chop onion and garlic, add to the pot at fry until soft.

Cut the aubergine in bite size pieces. Wash the pumpkin then half it, remove seeds and cut in to bite size pieces. Add the aubergine and pumpkin to the stew. Fry for 2 minutes together with the ginger. Add the crushed tomatoes and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and and let simmer for 20 minutes, until the aubergine and pumpkin have softened. Salt and pepper to taste.

Rinse the chickpeas. Add to the stew together with the kale. Remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Serve the stew together with cooked sorghum and cilantro.

Recipe was first published in The Gothenburg-Post/Två dagar

Carrot and courgette stir fry with sorghum, cabbage and avocado + kale marinated lentils

A stir fry is something a make all the time, but they close to never look the same! I take whatever veggies I have at home, grate some of them and cut some of them. I fry the greens with garlic and ginger (those two are pretty much always the same. Never get tired of them) for a few minutes, mix with any pre cooked cereal or pseudo cereal that I have at home, add some fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Might add an avocado on top + some extra (pre cooked) lentils or beans that I've just marinated.

So, the key to having the dinner, lunch or whatever ready in 15 is to have a few things sorted out the day before. And it's really (REALLY) easy bits. Cooking any/a couple of cereals or pseudo cereals (quinoa, buckwheat, sorghum, millet, naked oats, brown rice, red rice, wild rice...you get the point!) + any/a couple of legumes. Then you're ready to create masterpieces in just 15 minutes the days ahead. But if you have not pre cooked anything you don't have to feel down, you can do it all at the same time too. 

Anyways - here comes the recipe!!

 

Carrot and courgette fry with sorghum, cabbage and avocado

Served with kale marinated beluga lentils

4 people

Ingredients

6 carrots

2 courgettes

1 yellow onion

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

4 dl cooked sorghum (naked oats, quinoa, wild rice, brown rice etc works just as fine) (equals about 2 dl / 0.8 US cups uncooked lentils)

1/4 cabbage 

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 dl / 0.4 US cups fresh parsley, finely chopped

4 dl cooked beluga lentils (equals about 1 1/3 dl / 0.6 US cups uncooked lentils)

1 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil

Kale (pesto) marinade

3 dl / 1.2 US cups kale leaves, teared in to smaller pieces

1 dl pepitas, preferably toasted

1 dl cold pressed olive oil

1 small garlic clove

1 tbsp nutritional yeast * (optional)

flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For serving

2 avocados

toasted buckwheat groats (learn how to make them here)

How to

Scrub and grate the carrots. Cut the courgette in smaller pieces. Finely slice the cabbage using a mandoline or vegetable peeler or just slice using a sharp knife.

Peel and finely slice the onion + garlic, fry in coconut oil until soft and fragrant in a frying pan with high sides (or use a wok pan if you have one!). Add the carrots and courgette and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the sorghum and turmeric, toss around until everything is golden, lovely looking and has a nice temperature.

Add the cabbage + parsley, toss around. Salt and pepper to taste.

Mix all the ingredients for the kale pesto. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss around with the beluga lentils. 

Serve your stir fry with lentils, avocado and sprinkle toasted buckwheat (or any nuts/seeds) on top. Other things that would be nice to add could be sprouts/shots/microgreens, baby spinach. 

Mindfully ENJOY! 

* Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast which is high in protein and contains some B-vitamins and also have traces of other vitamins and minerals. The yeast is flakey and yellow and has a nutty/creamy/cheesy flavour. Can be used in plant based cooking (in sauces, lasagna, on kale chips, popcorn and as one of the main ingredients when making vegan parmesan - just to mention a few!). You find nutritional yeast in natural/health food stores and online.