South Indian-Style Vegetable Curry

About a month ago I picked up a copy of Fine Cooking, Soups & Stews thinking I might get a couple of good recipes out of it.  Wrong-O.  Everything I've tried from this book has been out of this world amazing.  Even the meaty recipes that I made vegetarian instead have been fantastic.  The South Indian-Style Vegetable Curry is my favorite so far, but that Sweet Potato and Ginger Soup with Apples and Mint is looking extremely promising.  I'll let you know.

South Indian-Style Vegetable Curry

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tablespoon coriander
2 teaspoons cumin
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2-3 cups organic vegetable broth (I used closer to 3)
1 can organic coconut milk
1 cinnamon stick
fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 head cauliflower, broken into 1 1/2-inch florets
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cups spinach (lightly packed)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

In a 5-6 quart heavy duty pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 3-4 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium (or medium low if necessary) and cook until the onion is richly browned, 5-7 minutes more.  Add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, for 1 minute to blend the flavors.  Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper; stir for 30 seconds to toast the spices.  Add the tomato paste and stir until well blended with the aromatics, about 1 minute.

Add the broth, coconut milk, cinnamon stick, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium low or low and simmer for 10 minutes.  

Add the cauliflower, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and carrots.  Raise the heat to medium high and return to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 20-25 minutes.  Discard the cinnamon stick.

Stir in the chickpeas, spinach, lime juice, and zest; cook until the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes more.  Season to taste with salt.  Served garnished with the cilantro.

I hope everyone loves this as much as I did.

Annie ♡