Last weekend, Nick and I went apple picking. Well, we tried to go apple picking- it ended up being a rainy hayride with a few hastily snagged pumpkins to shelter our smartphones from the wet weather, but we still had fun- and ended up with 10-pounds of apples. So I’ve been using my creativity to use apples in any way I can, because well, we have a lot of them! I also happen to love apples, especially this time of the year. I wanted an Autumn harvest feel to this easy vegetarian entrée, so it only made sense to throw in a little apple (right?).
I promise it’s not strange- apple and curry go together beautifully, especially when paired with additional fresh local produce, like sweet potato and cauliflower. And if the idea of apple in your curry does seem a bit too odd for your taste, leave them out- it will be just as delicious.
I give a vegan option for this dish (it’s an easy coconut oil-for-butter swap) but I do really love it paired with some plain full-fat yogurt for a bit of cooling tang to the spicy curry flavors. So unless you’re vegan MOFO-ing, try it with the yogurt!
Fall Harvest Curry with yogurt
Serves 3-4
1 sweet potato, small diced
1 small head cauliflower, chopped
1 carrot, sliced thin
1 head broccoli, chopped into florets
2 tbsp ghee (or butter, or coconut oil for vegan option)
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
2-4 tbsp water as needed
1 apple, diced small
2 cups (1 can) organic cooked chickpeas
cayenne and sea salt, to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup organic full fat plain yogurt
brown rice, to serve
1. In a large steamer basket, layer sweet potato, cauliflower, carrot and broccoli. Steam for 5-6 minutes, until just soft. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a sautee pan, eat ghee over medium heat. Sautee onion and garlic until translucent. Add curry powder and cinnamon and cook 1 minute, just to toast.
3. Add coconut milk and 2 tbsp water, whisking to combine. Mixture should be slightly thick, but not overly so. Add more water if needed.
4. Add apples to coconut milk mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer 2-4 minutes until apples are just soft. Add chickpeas and stir to combine. Cook 2-3 minutes until hot.
5. Add vegetables and stir to combine. Season with sea salt and cayenne to taste.
Serve on brown rice, with yogurt and fresh chopped cilantro on top.
