I developed the recipe for this Indian spiced red curry many years ago, and I often make it at home anytime we want a comforting and hearty vegetarian meal.
Use this recipe to create any number of flavourful dishes. Perhaps you'd prefer chicken that has been marinated and slowly cooked in the sauce instead of cauliflower and chickpeas.
You may also want to try making the recipe ahead of time and freezing it for your convenience in those moments when you don't have time to cook. The flatbread dough can be frozen after mixing and forming into balls. Pull from the freezer, proof, roll, and cook.
Happy cooking!
Chef notes:
Try infusing more heat into your curry by adding fresh chilis to the recipe.
Specialty equipment:
Mortar and pestle
Food processor
Stand mixer
Outdoor Grill
Yield: serves 4
Preparation time: 3–4 hours + overnight
Cook time: 3 hours
Red Curry Spice Mix
2 tbsp cumin, ground
1 tbsp coriander, ground
½ tbsp fenugreek seed, ground
3 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp Kashmiri mirch
1 tbsp mango powder
Curry
½ cup dried chickpeas
½ cup yellow onion
¼ cup carrot
¼ cup celery
3 tbsp ghee
¼ cup ginger
2 tsp garlic, minced
¼ cup curry spice mix
28 oz can dice tomatoes
1¼ cup coconut milk
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups frozen mango chunks
½ head of cauliflower
Pinch of sugar
Salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish
Mango Chutney
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, small dice
¼ tsp salt
1½ cups mango, diced
1 tsp mango powder (Amchur)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp True Lime crystallized lime
¾ cup mango vinegar
1 tbsp honey
Grilled Flatbread
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
½ tbsp dry active yeast
½ cup warm water
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
Basmati Rice
1½ cups basmati rice
1½ cups water
3 green cardamom pods
For the spice mix
Use a mortar and pestle to grind the cumin, coriander, and fenugreek seeds into a fine powder. I prefer to grind my own as they give the spice mix a more robust flavor when freshly ground.
Combine all the spices in a bowl and store in a sealed container.
For the curry
Add the chickpeas to a container, cover them with water, and let soak overnight to hydrate them.
The next day, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Strain the chickpeas and place them into a pot.
Cover them with water and a pinch of salt and simmer on medium heat until they are soft.
Turn off the heat, strain the chickpeas, and set them aside.
Use a food processor to mince the onion, carrot, and celery separately.
Melt 2 tbsp of ghee in a large saucepot on high heat.
Add the minced onion and sauté while stirring for 2 minutes.
Add the carrot and celery and cook for about 3 minutes.
Now, add the garlic and ginger to the pot and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the spice mix. Cook the spices for about 3 minutes, and stir for even toasting.
Next, add the tomatoes, 1 cup of coconut milk, vegetable stock, and mango to the pot.
Turn the heat down to a low simmer, and let cook while you prepare the cauliflower. Stir occasionally.
Cut the cauliflower into florets and place them into a bowl.
Melt 1 tbsp of ghee in a small pot, pour it over the cauliflower, and toss with a pinch of salt, sugar, and fresh cracked black pepper.
Place the cauliflower onto a lined baking tray and bake in the oven for 10–15 minutes, until it starts to caramelize.
Remove from the oven and add the cauliflower and cooked chickpeas to the curry and cook for 1½ hours. Stir occasionally. Season to taste with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
For the chutney
Pour the oil into a saucepot on medium heat.
Add the onion and salt to the pot and cook, stirring often, until it is soft and translucent.
Add the mango, spices, vinegar, and honey. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes and stir often to prevent it from burning.
Turn off the heat and serve the chutney with the finished curry.
For the grilled flatbread
Preheat a grill on high.
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
Stir the yeast into the warm water and let sit for 2 minutes.
Pour the olive oil into the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.
Add the yeast water to the bowl and turn it on low speed.
Add the flour and mix for 10 minutes.
Turn off the mixer and remove the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
Cut into 4 pieces and roll them into balls.
Place the balls onto a lined tray and let rise for about 30 minutes, until they have doubled in size.
Roll the balls out on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thick.
Place them onto the grill and cook for about 2 minutes per side.
Turn off the grill and set the flatbreads aside.
Finishing the plate
Rinse the basmati rice with lukewarm water until the water runs clean.
Add the rice, water, and cardamom pods to a rice cooker to cook.
Add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil and the sliced garlic to a frying pan on medium heat.
Warm the flatbreads in the garlic oil on both sides and place them in 4 serving bowls.
Add a large spoonful of rice to the bowls, the cauliflower curry, mango chutney, a drizzle of coconut milk, and a sprinkle of cilantro. Enjoy!
©chefalisonbiebs
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