Vegetable Curry (dairy-free & low-carb)

Spicy, fragrant & satisfying

I do love a good curry, but how do you make it healthy, tasty & reasonably quick to prepare? Bingo! This recipe ticks all of those & you can whip it up in under 55mins (allowing pre-soaking time for the cashews). It is super for days when you are short on time, but don’t want to compromise on flavour.

This curry is spicy, fragrant, fresh & full of textures & colours. The fresh coriander adds fragrance, root ginger adds warmth & altogether this curry is so satisfying.

The secret ingredient giving the curry its creamy sauce is cashews which have been soaked for at least 3-4hrs then blended to make a creamy milk-like sauce (see later). If you wish, you can also add some protein powder in the sauce, which also adds to the nutritive content as well as creaminess. I use vegan protein powder (soya bean or pea work well).

What I love about this curry is that you can use up whatever vegetables are in your veggie drawer & so it is a good economical & flexible dish. Some sweet potato is a must though; as they add some natural sweetness (as with the tomatoes), but not too much so that it overpowers the dish. You can even include cupboard basics like chick peas too!

This curry is low in carbs, high in protein & so great for paleos & the health conscious & also for those on gluten-free, vegetarian & vegan diets too.

How many vegetables can you cram in?!

Note: I like my curries spicy. I have also included quantities if you like it less hot.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 25mins. (allow 3-4 hours or overnight to soak the cashews).

Cooking time: 25-28 mins

Ingredients:

70g raw cashews
180ml cold water
Optional: 1.5 tbsp protein powder (I use soya or pea-derived)
1/2 tbsp coconut oil or rapeseed oil
2 red onions, peeled & sliced
4 plump garlic cloves, minced
30g root ginger chopped finely
1 or 2 red chillies (depending on how hot you like it), finely chopped
2 celery sticks, diced
2 medium sweet potatoes (approx 320g), peeled & cut into 2cm chunks
1 large carrots (approx. 250g), peeled & sliced into thick discs
320g squash, sliced into chunks
220g cauliflower, cut into florets
2.5tbsp-3.5 tbsp curry powder (depending on how spicy you like it!) I used hot madras curry powder.
350ml vegetable stock (I use bouillon powder)
1 tbsp tamari or soya sauce
16 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
200g tofu (or substitute for more veg if preferred), diced into about 1.5cm cubes
60g baby spinach
20g fresh coriander, finely chopped (reserve some for garnishing)
Salt & pepper

To garnish: chopped fresh coriander. Optional: a sprinkle of ground flaxseed.

Method:

In a small bowl, cover the raw cashews with cold water & allow to soak for 3-4hrs at least or overnight. The cashews will puff up:

Puffy little fellas

Drain the cashews, then place them in a blender or food processor with 180ml of fresh water. Blitz to form a cashew milk:

Cashew milk (no protein powder used)

If using protein powder. Add to the cashew milk & whizz for a few seconds. (You can see the cashew cream is creamier):

Cashew milk with protein powder

In a big pot, melt coconut oil or add rapeseed oil. Add sliced red onions, crushed garlic, chopped ginger, chopped red chillies & diced celery. Brown for about 4 -5 mins on a medium heat.
Add the chopped sweet potato, carrots, squash. Cook for about 5 mins.
Add the curry powder & coat the vegetables for about 1 minute; taking care not to burn the spices (otherwise the curry will taste bitter).
Add the vegetable stock, tamari or soya sauce. Bring the pot to the boil, then reduce the heat (approx 3-4 mins)
Now add the halved cherry tomatoes & tofu chunks (if using) & cook for 7-8 mins.
Then add the cauliflower florets & pepper slices. Cook for about 3 mins, until vegetables are soft.
Stir in the cashew cream. Heat through for about 3 mins.
Turn off the heat & stir in the baby spinach & most of the chopped fresh coriander (reserve some for garnish). Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Plate up & serve with a garnish of freshly chopped coriander.

Optional: a sprinkle of ground flaxseed. This curry is great on its own or can be served with cauliflower rice or basmati rice or quinoa. Delicious!

Don’t forget you can find my favourite recipes in my FREE eBook here.

Better than a takeaway!

So tempting…and so healthy!

Variations:

Brocolli, aubergine, pumpkin, mushrooms, peas & sultanas also work well in this curry.
Pulses work well in this curry: chick peas, cannellini beans are my favourites!
Add a sprinkle of toasted cashews on top to add extra crunch.