courgette and white bean curry
Fast, furious & fresh, Sri Lankan-style vege curries take mere minutes to cook. Ingredients hit thin, metal saucepans in quick succession and are brought up to a Vesuvius-level boil, only to come out tasting surprisingly heavenly & delicate about 15 minutes later. Serves 4
5 Tab rapeseed oil (a neutral oil or if not, extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil)
20 fresh curry leaves* or frozen ones
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds or half tsp. m.powder/sautéed parsnips (same smokiness & flavour!)
1 med brown onion, peeled & finely diced
4 garlic cloves, peeled & sliced paper-thin
2 green finger chillies, stalks discarded, flesh sliced lengthways
500g courgettes, halved lengthwise & cut into irregular pieces
1 tsp ground turmeric
1½ tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
800g tinned coconut milk (ie 2 standard tins)
800g tinned cannellini beans (ie 2 standard tins), drained and rinsed
40g fresh coriander, leaves & tender stems, sliced
Juice of ½ lemon or to taste
Steamed basmati rice, to serve
1. Put the oil in a pan on the biggest burner and on the highest heat. When it’s very hot, add the curry leaves, cumin & mustard seeds. Stir then quickly add onion, garlic, chillies & courgettes. Cook for 2 mins to char courgettes. Stir again and leave to cook another 2 mins.
2. Add turmeric, salt & pepper and leave to cook and catch for a further 4 mins.
Tip in coconut milk & beans. Cook, still on a fast boil, for another 5 mins until courgettes are tender getting soft. Stir in coriander then add the lemon juice teaspoon by teaspoon, until the curry sauce tastes just right to you. Serve at once with steamed basmati rice.