Vegetable curry

You won’t miss meat with this curry. As far as bang for your buck is concerned, this is a winner and tastes fantastic. You can mix and match your vegetables.

SERVES 4

• 2tbsp vegetable oil

• 2 onions, finely chopped

• 2 red chillies, 1 finely chopped, 1 whole (deseeded for a milder flavour)

• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• Thumb-sized piece fresh root ginger, finely chopped

• 3tbsp curry powder

• 400g tin tomatoes

• 30g coriander, chopped

• 2 baking potatoes, chopped into

2cm chunks

• 2 large carrots, chopped into 2cm chunks

• 100g frozen peas

• 50g spinach

• 300g rice, washed until the water runs clear, to serve

Put a large pan (that has a lid) on medium heat and add the oil and onions, along with a pinch of salt, and soften them. You need to be patient with the onions; they will take at least 15min to cook and brown.

Add the chopped chilli, garlic and ginger and continue to cook for a further 2min, stirring continuously. Add the curry powder and stir for a further 30sec, pouring in a drop of water to stop the spices burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Add the tomatoes with the coriander leaves and stalks (saving some leaves to garnish). Give it all a stir, then add the potatoes and carrots and 500ml water along with the whole chilli. Give everything another stir, put the lid on the pan and let it bubble away on low heat for 20min or until the potatoes start going soft.

Add the frozen peas and the spinach and mix them through for a further 2min.

While the curry is simmering, put the rice into a pan, add 600ml boiling water and let it simmer on the lowest heat for 10min. After 10min, turn off the heat and cover the pot in foil to trap the residual heat. Allow to steam for a further 15min (do not be tempted to take the foil off or it will not cook properly).

Taste the curry and add more salt if necessary. Scatter over the remaining coriander leaves and serve with the rice.