One Pan Vegan And Coconut Black Bean Curry

Cooking curry has never been my ‘forte’; they often require a certain amount of skill and experience that I don’t have – not to mention an eye rolling list of hard to find ingredients to go with it. And if I’m being completely honest? That sort of puts me off – simply because I can’t really be all that bothered to go out and get them.

(I bought lemongrass once before trying it out, completely failing and never using it again. Note to Sophie: Please throw out that opened lemongrass packet dated from 2013. I think it’s still hiding at the back of myherb rack.)

But I guess that there comes a time in every girl’s life where she has to confront her inhibitions, no matter how big or small, and just go for it – with out thinking too much about the final result.

This one pan coconut curry was my way of going out of my cooking comfort zone and being genuinely impressed at how throwing a few of my favourite ingredients, that I already had in, to a pan could turn in to something so deliciously MAGIC.

I didn’t go in with a plan except for the fact that I knew I wanted to clear out the fridge before heading out to do a food shop (who needs a plan, anyway?) – but it turns out the combination of cauliflower, sweet potato and red pepper is pretty much the dream for making a vegetable curry.

It’s not spicy (although feel free to add in some chilli if you’re in to that life) as much as creamy, sweet and ridiculously moreish. I can recommend serving a generous portion up with some brown rice and ribboned carrot to make it a full meal that will please the whole table; meat eaters and plant based foodies alike!

So my friends, here is my super easy speedy fuss-free ‘I can make a bad-ass curry dish if I want to’ recipe, and I truly hope that you like it as much as I do! I licked my bowl clean and ate the leftovers for breakfast the following day. Enough said.

Here’s what you need:

• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• thumb size knob (hehe) of ginger, grated
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 cauliflower, chopped in to florets
• 1/2 sweet potato, diced
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/2 red pepper, sliced
• salt + pepper
• 3/4 tin black beans
• 1 large handful spinach
  brown rice, to serve

Here’s what you need to do:

• Heat some oil in a deep pan and fry the onion on a medium heat until soft. Add in the garlic, turmeric, ginger, cumin + fennel seeds and cook for a further few minutes to let the flavours come out.
• Add in the cauliflower and sweet potato, allowing them to be completely covered in your delicious spice mix, stirring and shimmying for a few minutes.
• Add in the coconut milk, the red pepper, salt, pepper and bring to a bowl before simmering with the lid on for about 25 minutes.
  minutes before serving, throw in the black beans and spinach until wilted.
• Serve up with your brown rice, a little ribboned carrot if you’re feeling fancy and devour.