Tofu Curry – November 11 version
1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 big sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
2 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 yellow, orange or green bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch long strips
3 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal into ¼-inch thick rounds (about 1 cup) - I precooked the carrots first to make sure they were not crunchy (my weird deal)
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (about a 1-inch nub of ginger)
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 tbsp ground coriander
1-1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
One 3-inch cinnamon stick
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 can (14 ounces) regular coconut milk (or 2 Cans)
½ cup water – ONLY if necessary
1 ½ teaspoons coconut sugar or turbinado (raw) sugar or brown sugar
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce*** (I forgot that last time)
2 teaspoons rice vinegar or fresh lime juice
eggplant (roasted and seasoned in oven and add with spinach)
tofu (roasted and seasoned in oven and add with spinach)
cauliflower – if there is room
Bag of fresh spinach
In a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium (or medium low if necessary) and cook until the onion is richly browned, 5 to 7 minutes more. Add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, for 1 minute to blend the flavors. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne; stir for 30 seconds to toast the spices.
Add the Thai red paste and stir until well blended with the aromatics, about 1 minute.
Add the water, coconut milk, cinnamon stick,
1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium low or low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the cauliflower, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and carrots
Raise the heat to medium high and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Discard the cinnamon stick.
Stir in the chickpeas - optional
Stir in eggplant and tofu
Stir in spinach, lime juice, and zest;
cook until the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes more.