Kenyan Vegetable Curry

Name: Kenyan Vegetable Curry
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Swahili Coast & Zanzibar
Ingredients: 2 large onions; 2 tbsp oil; 1 tsp cumin seed; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 8 medium potatoes; 1.5 tsp fresh ginger; 1 large garlic clove; 1 tbsp ground cumin; 1 tbsp whole coriander seed; 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper; 0.5 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon; 0.125 tsp ground cloves; 6 oz tomato paste; 0.5 lb green beans; 0.5 small cauliflower; 1 medium eggplant; 0.5 lb fresh green peas; 1 bunch spinach; 1.5 cup chickpeas; 0.5 tsp salt

Aubergine, chickpeas and potatoes come together in this Swahili curry, fragrant with cumin and mustard seeds and baked in the oven.

1 hr 10 min · Serves 6 · Takes some skill

Method

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Time: Prep 20 min · Cook 50 min · 70 min total
Difficulty: hard

1
Preliminaries: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Have available one 8-quart, heavy, ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven with a lid (or have aluminum foil available). If you cut recipe in half, a 6-quart pot will do.
2
For the initial saute: In the skillet or Dutch oven, brown the onions in moderately hot oil along with the cumin and mustard seeds. Add the potato pieces (peeling is optional), and stir to coat each piece with the spices. Add the remaining spices and garlic and continue to stir for several minutes.
3
Add the liquids: Thin the tomato paste with about ⅔ cup of water, then stir into the pot. Lower heat to medium. Add vegetables, one at a time, cooking for a minute or so between each addition, and put in the cooked chickpeas last.
4
Bake the mixture: Cover with a lid or seal with foil and bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes, checking after the first 20 minutes. The consistency should be rather thick, but add water if necessary to prevent burning. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
5
Presentation: Serve over steamed rice or with Indian bread (such as naan).