Veggie Balti! My favourite at home curry… with veg from the garden!

Abbie’s veggie patch is proving to be a huge success. She loves going out and fetching strawberries which, of course, she is allowed to eat straightaway as they’re ‘from my garden, Mummy!’ She was a little too enthusiastic on Saturday morning and decided to pull up 3 of her ‘Enormous Turnips’ – so we needed to do something with them! This recipe came to mind as we all love it (we put yoghurt into Abbie’s to cool it slightly) and it is something I know that Jon can make while I write a few more reports! It is also really low fat and super healthy, great after my virtuous week – 2 Body Pump classes and my first attempt at Zumba!

The best ever Veggie Balti – adapted from an old Good Food recipe from about 10 years ago!

1 tblsp veg oil
1 large onion, sliced,
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
3 tblsp Patak’s balti paste
1 med butternut squash (or the top half of a large one) – peeled and cut into chunks
2 large carrots, sliced
200g/8oz turnips, cut into chunks
1 med cauliflower, broken into florets
400g can chopped tomatoes
425ml/3/4pt hot vegetable stock
Chopped corriander for sprinkling!
Natural yoghurt/mango chutney/lime pickle for dolloping!

• Heat oil in a large, lidded pan – add onion, garlic and apple and cook gently until soft
• Stir in curry paste
• Tip in fresh veggies, add tomatoes, stock and handful of corriander – stir to combine
• Bring to boil, cover, then simmer for half and hour
• Remove lid and cook for 20mins until liquid has reduced – season to taste
• Ladle curry into bowls, top with yoghurt and an extra sprinkling of corriander
• We normally serve ours with warm naans, mango chutney, lime pickle and a cold beer (on offer at Sainsbury’s!)

The finished curry

Curry, naan and Namibia's finest beer - doesn't it just scream Saturday night in!

Turkey, sweet potato and pea curry… well Jon and I liked it!

I got this recipe from an old BBC Good Food ‘Cooking for Kids’ booklet, created by Leslie Waters, and had really high hopes for it – Abbie is keen on chilli flavours, but not yet on curries….  Jon and I both LOVE curries! This was very mild (korma paste used) and had cocunut milk in it. Have to admit that Abbie has never eaten as much of a curry before, but still only ate about half of the small portion I gave her – she tried all the componenets, but told us that it did not get ‘two thumbs up’ – her rating of a good dish!

Abbie was not altogether convinced!

The recipe was supposed to feed 2 adults and 2 children, but we only at half of the curry last night (even though Jon had seconds) and so I have frozen the leftovers for another go, maybe for when Abbie is not so tired and more receptive to new flavours.  Jon and I loved the curry, even though it was a bit tame for us.

I would love you to have a go with your children and let me know what they think about it!   Here’s the link: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1555/chicken-sweet-potato-and-coconut-curry

A one pot meal!

served on top of rice, to soak up the cocunutty juice