Vegetable Curry & Rice
Eggplant, Squash, Mushrooms and Peppers in an Indian Recipe
Here's a beautiful blend of vegetables, tomatoes and Indian spices that, served over rice, is a healthy, hearty meal.
Quick and easy to prepare, this Vegetable Curry is flexible enough that you can toss in anything that suites your tastes – chick peas are a nice addition, as well as black olives, red peppers and peas.
Vegetable Curry
- 1 large eggplant
- Cooking oil
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 medium zucchini squash, diced
- 1 yellow crookneck squash, diced
- 10-12 mushrooms, sliced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons Dhana Jeera (cumin-coriander powder)
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- Salt to taste
To prepare the eggplant, peel and cut into ½-inch cubes. Place eggplant cubes on a sheet of paper towels and salt generously. Set aside. In a large skillet, heat some cooking oil and add garlic, onion, green pepper, zucchini squash and yellow squash. As vegetables begin to cook and become reduced, add mushrooms, then eggplant cubes, stirring and adding as space in the skillet allows. Add oil as needed. Add canned tomatoes with juice, Dhana Jeera, and curry powder. Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Add salt to taste. Serve over rice.
Basmati Rice
Heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a large skillet. Add 1 cup basmati rice and cook over medium-low heat, stirring to distribute oil over rice, about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 12 minutes for al dente rice and 15 minutes for softer rice.
Tips:
- Dhana Jeera is a blend of cumin and coriander. It can be found in Indian grocery stores or made by mixing equal amount of ground cumin and ground coriander.
- Basmati rice can be cooked in a variety of ways and doesn’t have to be sautéed first. It can be steamed or boiled and can sit, covered, for quite a long time without getting sticky. It requires a rice-to-water ratio of between 1:1½ and 1:2. Experiment with basmati rice to see how you like it best.
For more vegetarian recipes, see:
