So today is the first day of St.Mary’s fast which means for most orthodox people, among other things, a change to a vegan diet with some seafood. On the first day of a vegan fast I like to make something where the flavour knocks your taste buds out of the park. Its a good reminder that vegan food can be incredibly tasty.

This curry is based off the recipe of one of my closest friend’s mothers who is an incredible cook. You can control the heat by increasing or decreasing the amount of chilli that you use, and the variety of delicious vegetables in this dish means its sure to satisfy anyone! I would say that the main veggie players in this recipe are potatoes, green pepper, and green onions – everything else can be varied to the vegetables that you and your family prefer, and it is sure to taste delectable.

I have served it on cumin and clove scented Basmati rice which really takes the dish to another level, but you are welcome to serve it on a medium grain rice if that is your preference.
From my family to yours…happy cooking xx

This Recipe serves 6

Ingredients

4 large potatoes, diced small
2 medium Green pepper sliced into bite size pieces
1-2 long green chillis, sliced into rounds (do not deseed if you wish to retain the heat)
3 spring onions, sliced
2 large carrots sliced
300 g mushrooms sliced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 handful fresh coriander – finely chopped
3.5 teaspoons Coriander powder
3.5 teaspoons (mild/sweet) paprika
2 tsp turmeric
Vegetable oil

1. Season the potatoes with salt and sauté them in a deep, wide saucepan with a bit of oil until cooked (cover the saucepan to speed up cooking time but mix every once in a while). Remove from the saucepan and drain the excess oil on absorbent paper
2. Sauté the carrots,  green pepper, and chilli until softened then add the mushrooms and stir to combine

3. Add the potatoes back to the pot, and prepare to add the spices by creating a ‘hot spot” in the pan by pushing the vegetables to the side

4. Add the Coriander powder, paprika and turmeric. Fry together moving it in the hot spot for a minute or so until fragrant, then stir to combine with the rest of the vegetables.
5. Ensure the spice mix is well combined, and add the green onions and sauté for a few more minutes. Adjust salt seasoning and remove from the heat and add the fresh coriander and cover for a few minutes.

Serve with fragrant basmat rice or naan bread, even Lebanese bread tastes good with this dish. Its deceptively simple but tastes out of this world.

Fragrant Basmati rice

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
1 bay leave

Method

1. Add the oil to the pan and heat

2. Add the spices to the oil and saute for about 30 seconds until fragrant but before they brown

3. Add the rice and 3 cups of water (Ratio for best results on basmati is 1 cup of rice to 1.5 cups of water)

4. Bring the mixture to the boil, uncovered and allow to absorb most of the water

5. Once most moisture is absorbed cover the pot and reduce heat to very low. Stir every once in a while and once the rice is cooked cover and allow to stand for a few minutes.

6. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve

Happy cooking xx