Roasted vegetables with Indian spices
Roasted vegetables with Indian spices
Food memories are so powerful and comforting. Trekking in Nepal we ate a lot of dahl, which was almost always paired with a beautifully spiced vegetable dish. This recipe is a take on that memory. You can play with the types of vegetables - if you don’t have carrots, then just add more potatoes and cauliflower.
Yields: 4 main dishes
Ingredients
Roasted vegetables
2 cups cauliflower – florets
2 cups carrots – ½ inch dice
2 cups red or white potatoes (skin on) – 1 inch dice
¼ cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
Main dish
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 ½ cups onion – rough chop
1 cup fresh tomatoes – rough chop (you can also use ½ cup of canned diced tomatoes)
1 tablespoon garlic – grated
1 tablespoon ginger – grated
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon garum masala
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 cup peas or beans (thaw if frozen)
Steps
Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Mix paste in a small bowl, pour it over the potato, carrot and cauliflower pieces. Put coated vegetables on a baking sheet. Bake about 30 minutes. Toss the vegetables midway through to get even caramelization. When they are softened and nicely charred, remove them from the oven and set them aside while you start the rest of the dish.
In a hot pan, heat oil, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Let them sizzle and pop. Add the onions, cook until they start to soften and brown. Turn the temperature down a bit, add the garlic and ginger. Cook a couple more minutes (don’t let it brown it can become bitter), then add the tomatoes.
Once the tomatoes start to soften, add the chili powder, garam masala, turmeric and salt. Stir until the contents of the pan are well-coated. Add a couple tablespoons of water. While it is simmering, add the roasted vegetables and thawed peas. Let it cook a few more minutes to bring the flavours together. Add the other 2 tablespoons of water if it is too dry.
Serve it with rice, naan or in a wrap with tamarind apple chutney.
