First, let me say that I LOVE Indian food. Thankfully so does everyone else in my house, which means I get to eat it relatively often. I wanted to share a recipe for a quick & simple vegetarian curry with onion bhajis (basically the indian version of onion rings).
Fear not skeptics, this dish is flavourful without the heat and is loaded with fibre, B vitamins, protein, and of course flavour! The curry itself takes about 30 minutes to make and can be an easy week-night meal. It’s also incredibly inexpensive to make per serving.
If you decide to do the bhajis as well allow yourself an hour to make both, or even make them in advance if you’re short on time during the week. You can simply reheat them in the oven for 10 minutes to bring back the crispiness.
Serves: 4
Time: 30-60 minutes
Curry Ingredients
- 1 can diced tomatoes (~800ml)
- 1 can coconut milk (~400 ml)
- 1 head of cauliflower or broccoli (cut into florets)
- 1 yellow onion (diced)
- 1 red pepper (diced)
- 1 can chickpeas (~500 ml)
- 2 tbsp ginger (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp oil of choice (I generally use coconut or olive)
- 2 tbsp curry powder of choice (I like garam masala, or tandoori, but any type will do)
- 1 tbsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 cup of brown rice, wild rice, or quinoa
Curry Instructions
- Add the onions, garlic, ginger, and pepper to a large pot with oil and sautée on medium heat until tender (2-3 mins)
- Next, cook your rice or grain of choice according to the package instructions.
- Once the onions are tender, add the curry powder, turmeric, and coriander and mix until everything is evenly coated. Heat the spices in the pan for 1-2 minutes to help release the flavour a little more.
- Next add the diced tomatoes along with their juices, coconut milk, cauliflower, and chickpeas. Stir to combine, then reduce to low and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and serve on top of a bed of the cooked rice.
Bhaji Ingredients
- 3 large yellow onions
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp ginger (diced)
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¾ tsp ground coriander
- cilantro small bunch, finely chopped to make 3 tbsp
- 100g gram (chickpea) flour
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
Bhaji Instructions
- Peel and finely slice the onion into roughly 3cm pieces. Place the onions in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt, mixing well with clean hands. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours. When ready to form the bhajis, squeeze the onions to release the water into the bowl. In the same bowl, add the remaining ingredients up to and including the cilantro and mix well.
- Now sift the gram flour over the onion mixture and mix well. There should be enough water released from the salted onions to form a batter that sticks the onions together. If too dry, add a drop of water. Mix in the oil with your hands so that the onions are evenly coated.
- Heat the oven to 400F.
- Line a baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper. Using a spoon or clean hands, make 20 equal-sized onion balls and place them on the baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve with a good chutney and/or greek yogurt mixed with lime juice and coriander.
