Indian Curry Recipes by Catherine Atkinson Page B

minutes, stirring all the time. Turn off the heat and stir in about half of the stock.
Tip the onion and aubergine mixture into the ceramic cooking pot. Add the potato, mushrooms, coconut milk and the rest of the stock. Season with salt and pepper and stir well.
Cover with the lid and switch the slow cooker on to Low. Cook for 4-5 hours, or until the vegetables are very tender.
Serve the curry with boiled or steamed basmati rice and naan bread or chapattis. If you like, you can scatter with some chopped fresh coriander before serving.
    TIP
    It's not essential to peel or salt aubergines before use. Older varieties used to be bitter, but this is no longer the case.

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    Vegetable and Lentil Curry
    This is a low-fat curry, packed with vegetables and combined with lentils which cook to a delicious sauce. Sultanas add a sweetness and fruity flavour to the dish. Choose your favourite vegetables or make the most of seasonal produce.
    Serves 4
    15 ml/1 tbsp groundnut (peanut) or sunflower oil
2 red onions, chopped
45 ml/3 tbsp curry paste
750 ml/1¼ pints/3 cups very hot (not boiling) vegetable stock
700 g/1½ lb mixed vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, turnips (rutabaga) or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm/¾ in chunks
100 g/4 oz/¾ cup red lentils
40 g/1½ oz sultanas (golden raisins)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onions for 7-8 minutes until almost soft. Stir in the curry paste and cook for a further minute. Turn off the heat and stir in a little of the stock. Tip the mixture into the ceramic cooking pot.
Add the vegetables, lentils and sultanas and pour in the rest of the stock. Season with a little salt and pepper and stir well.
Cover with the lid and cook on Low for 4-5 hours or until the vegetables are tender and the lentils have cooked to a sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve with white or brown basmati rice.
    TIP
    You can substitute ready-to-eat dried apricots for the sultanas if you prefer.

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    Vegetable Curry
    This is a satisfying main course with loads of flavour and also ensures that you get your '5-a-day'. Cut the vegetables into even-sized pieces of about 2.5 cm/1 in, so that they cook evenly.
    Serves 4
    30 ml/2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped, or 60 ml/4 tbsp frozen diced onion
1 garlic clove, crushed, or 5 ml/1 tsp garlic purée (paste)
10 ml/2 tsp cumin seeds
10 ml/2 tsp garam masala
5 ml/1 tsp ground turmeric
150 g/5 oz creamed coconut, roughly chopped
15 ml/1 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
600 ml/1 pint/2½ cups very hot (not boiling) vegetable stock or water
15 ml/1 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 aubergine (eggplant), trimmed and diced
1 red (bell) pepper, seeded and cut into 2.5 cm/1 in pieces
1 carrot, sliced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
200 g/7 oz broccoli, cut into florets
100 g/4 oz/2/3 cup frozen peas
1 bay leaf

Heat the ghee or butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and fry for 6-7 minutes, until it is almost soft. Add the garlic, cumin seeds, garam masala and turmeric and cook for a further minute, stirring all the time.
Add the coconut, tomato purée and about half of the stock or water, and stir until the coconut has melted. Turn off the heat, stir in the citrus juice and season with salt and pepper.
Put the aubergine, red pepper, carrot, potato, broccoli and peas in the ceramic cooking pot. Add the bay leaf. Pour over the spicy coconut sauce. Cover with the lid, switch the slow cooker to High and cook for 3 hours or to Low for 6 hours, or until the vegetables are tender.
Remove the bay leaf, taste the curry and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve with basmati rice or spiced naan breads.
    VARIATIONS
    You can ring the changes with different vegetables such as courgettes (zucchini) instead of aubergines (eggplants) or cauliflower instead of broccoli.

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    Chick Pea Curry
    Canned chick peas make this homely curry blissfully