WEEKNIGHT COCONUT CURRY W/ SWEET POTATO, RED PEPPER & SHIITAKE

Hello there!

It was and is a stormy and intense time over here. The last year I’ve been subject to constant change. After lifelong struggles, I finally I got the name of my up until then 'mysterious' disease (thank god!), underwent a dire needed belly surgery and now, I’m in to rest and recover. My physical condition yet matches a roller coaster ride, whereas everything you want is being healthy and living a life of easiness and abundance after all. Keeping up is far from easy but I wanna get better more than ever. Let’s hit the 'reset button', yaaas? I’m ready to embrace the new, it’s time to optimistically move on. Are you with me?

Well, let’s start with a tasty coconut curry recipe! Curries simply are soul food to me. Especially, I like to make them from scratch and savor them on a weekday evening. Slowly savoring a bowl of curry really calms me down. Curries are nourishing, hugely satisfying meals that, however, are light enough to not weigh you down at the same time, you know?
This curry is one of my favorites as the flavors are pretty well balanced. You’ll see! I really recommend you preparing the vegetables and the coconut curry base separately, so that the vegetables remain tasty and won’t become mushy (what happens quickly!). I prefer to separately roast the vegetables for the curry in the oven, while simmering the coconut curry base on the stove simultaneously. The outcome is way tastier than it’d be when cooking everything in one pot. I promise!
Btw, I yet haven't met anyone who doesn't like a good curry, it's quite happy food, so invite friends for weeknight dinner and cook for them. 

WEEKNIGHT COCONUT CURRY W/ SWEET POTATO, RED PEPPER & SHIITAKE 
|2 servings| 

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into medium dices

10-12 shiitake mushrooms, cut into slices
1 red bell pepper, cut into slices
sea salt to taste
½ can (200ml) full-fat coconut milk
1 heaped tsp moringa powder (optional)
thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated and squeezed
1 garlic clove, grated
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 heaped tsp homemade curry powder (see recipe below)
1 tbsp brown miso paste
1 tsp rice vinegar
juice of half a lime
 
serve with: 
a handful of cashews, toasted and chopped
a handful fresh mint, chopped 
basmati rice for 2 persons, cooked

homemade curry powder: 

1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp of each fennel, coriander and cumin seeds
¼ tsp fenugreek seeds

¼ tsp cinnamon 

HOW TO MAKE  

For the curry powder slightly toast all the seeds in a pan, then put all ingredients into a mortar, and ground until you have a fine curry powder mix.

For the vegetables, preheat oven to 200°C. Collect sweet potatoes, shiitake mushrooms and red peppers on a large baking tray that's lined with baking paper. Drizzle the melted coconut oil and sea salt. Toss to coat well and spread in a single layer. Bake in the upper third of the oven for about twenty minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly browned and crisp.   

While the vegetables roast, both cook the basmati rice and the coconut curry sauce. For the curry, warm the coconut milk over medium heat. Add the moringa powder, ginger juice, grated garlic, curry powder, cayenne pepper and miso paste, and stir to mix.  Let everything simmer on low for 5 minutes. Stir in the rice vinegar and lime juice. Taste for seasoning. It should be somewhat thick, but still thin enough to pour over the rice and vegetable mix, you know? Add broth if needed. 

For serving, serve each bowl with a scoop of basmati rice, divide roasted vegetables onto bowls, and pour over the coconut curry sauce. Garnish with cashews and mint.

Serve warm and enjoy!