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!

Abbie’s patch!

Abbie has loved helping me garden and grow vegetables…. I think it has really encouraged her to eat vegetables as well.
This year I thought it would be a good idea for her to have her own patch and it was easier than I thought it would be to sort out. For those of you also interested in doing this on your patio, you’ll need just over 1m x 1m space…. this is how I made ours.
1) I bought a grow your own raised bed kit from Homebase – 4 mitred, predrilled planks and 4 cornerposts
2) you also need 8 x 50mm screws, 8 x 35mm screws and a screwdriver (I was glad of my electric one!)
3) it is advisable to have someone strong to help you screw it together as you need to hold the pieces together as you screw into the wood
4) Once constructed, I lined the bottom and sides with some black weed preventer fabric (don’t think this is actually what it’s called!)
5) then I put some organic compost (made by our local nursery) at the bottom and then a large bag of multi purpose compost on the top

Abbie has planted a strawberry plant, one pink fur apple potato – probably not enough soil, but she insisted!; and rows of carrots, (enormous) turnips and lettuces (frilly, little gem and an unmarked variety – surprise!)
Keep posted and I’ll put on update photos…