Whip up an easy vegetable curry with a hint of India. To shorten cooking time, I cut the eggplant into small cubes. The other vegetables can be sliced in a food processor.
This dish is flavored with curry powder. Bottled curry powder loses its flavor quickly and should be replaced if it is more than 6 months old.
This meal contains 506 calories per serving with 22 percent of calories from fat.
HELPFUL HINT:
• Slice vegetables in a food processor fitted with a slicing blade.
COUNTDOWN:
• Cook vegetables.
• While vegetables cook, make rice.
WINE PAIRING:
Fred Tasker’s wine suggestion: Spicy dishes like these are nicely matched by wines with crisp acid and a bit of sweetness — a chenin blanc, a gewürztraminer or spatlese-style German wine.
SHOPPING LIST:
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for tonight’s dinner.
• To buy: 1/2 pound eggplant, 1 pound zucchini, 1/2 medium red bell pepper, 1 medium red onion, 1 bottle ground ginger, 1 bottle ground cumin, 1 bottle curry powder, 1 small container apple juice, 1 small package raisins and 1 package microwaveable brown rice.
• Staples: Canola oil, minced garlic, flour, salt and black peppercorns.
VEGETABLE CURRY WITH BROWN RICE
Ingredients:
1/2 pound eggplant, diced (about 2 cups)
1 pound zucchini, sliced (about 2 cups)
1/2 medium red bell pepper, sliced (about 1 cup)
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 medium red onion, sliced (about 2 cups)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2-tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2-tablespoons curry powder
1 cup apple juice
1/4 cup raisins
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Wash eggplant and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Wash zucchini and red bell pepper and slice. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and eggplant. Saute 5 minutes. Add zucchini, red bell pepper and garlic. Saute 5 minutes. Add ginger, flour, cumin and curry. Toss well. Add apple juice. Cook until thick, about 1 minute. Add raisins and salt and pepper to taste. Makes 2 servings.
Per serving: 304 calories (34 percent from fat), 6.7 g fat (0.7 g saturated, 3.6 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 6.6 g protein, 60.6 g carbohydrates, 10.6 g fiber, 34 mg sodium.
MICROWAVEABLE BROWN RICE
Ingredients:
1 package microwaveable brown rice to make 1 1/2-cups cooked rice
2 teaspoons canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Cook rice according to package instructions. Measure 1 1/2-cups and set aside the remaining rice for another dinner. Add the canola oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Makes 2 servings.
Per serving: 202 calories (26 percent from fat), 5.8 g fat (0.6 g saturated, 3.3 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 3.8 g protein, 33.6 g carbohydrates, 2.6 g fiber, 8 mg sodium.
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