Yetanudder recipe for a friend. This is turning into a cookery blog, at this rate. Ah well, all part of what I do I guess. :)

Goan Vegetable Curry

Ingredients

• 4 cups chopped mixed vegetables (e.g. potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, French beans, and shelled green peas)
• 2 medium onion chopped fine
• 1" piece ginger chopped (optionally, use ginger paste 2 teaspoons)
• 2 flakes garlic chopped (optionally, use garlic paste 1 teaspoon)
• 2-4 green chilies, chopped fine (number of chilies will depend on how hot you want this to be)
• 1-2 teaspoons) garam masala
• 2 cups coconut milk (available in Indian/Thai stores in a tin)
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons butter (unsalted) or ghee (clarified butter)
• salt to taste
• 1/4 bunch coriander leaves (cilantro) chopped fine to garnish

Method

1. Parboil (half-boil) the chopped vegetables and keep aside. Heat half the quantity of butter / ghee (clarified butter) in a pan on medium level till it is hot. Add the chopped onions. Sauté on medium heat for 4 minutes or till the onions are transparent and soft. Now, add the chopped ginger, garlic and green chilies and the garam masala. Stir fry briefly for a few seconds till the onions are golden/brown. Let it cool. Grind this to a fine paste (optional — if you had chopped the onions very finely you don’t have to grind). Keep aside.

   (Note — if you are not grinding the onions, you don’t have to heat butter and add the paste back to the pan. Once the onions appear done, simply add the veggies)

2. Heat the remaining quantity of butter / ghee in the same pan. Stir fry the paste on medium level till all the water has evaporated and the butter / ghee has left the sides of the pan. Now, add the vegetables and salt. Mix well. Cover and cook on medium / low heat for 3 minutes or till the vegetables are fully cooked. Add the coconut milk and water. Simmer on very low heat (so that the coconut milk does not curdle) for about 4 minutes.

   Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with bread or white rice.

   (Note — if worried about coconut milk being too high in fat, cholesterol and other delicious but unhealthy elements :), reduce its quantity to 1 cup. 2 cups of milk will be richer in taste, but 1 cup works just fine too)