There are cooks who religiously follow recipes, shopping for the exact ingredients and not deviating from the set of instructions given – and there are cooks who look at what they have got and make up a recipe to fit. I belong to the latter school – ‘What I’ve got is what you’ll get’!!

This is what I conjured up last night after looking at the contents of the fridge and larder – It’s a Vegan  Sweet Potato, Courgette and Spinach Korma – and I have to say that it did turn out rather well. I think it was the extra Garlic and ginger paste that cinched it!)

Here’s the recipe (Serves 4) – and even this is not to a ‘professional cookbook’ standard…I just made it up as I went along!

1 Sweet Potato

1 medium Courgette

2 medium Red Onions

1 Green Sweet Pepper

6 cubes frozen Spinach

3 tbsp Red lentils

1 tin full fat Coconut milk

1 tbsp Sunflower oil

2 tbsp Korma paste

2 tsp garlic and ginger paste

 

Pre-heat oven to 200C.

Peel and cube sweet potato

Peel and chunky-cut onions

Chunky cut courgette (I do not peel)

Cut pepper in half, remove seeds, chunky-cut.

Open the tin of coconut milk without shaking. Pour off the coconut water from the separated coconut cream on the surface. Reserve the water for later.

Fry  the courgette, onion, pepper and sweet potato for 10 minutes. After five minutes, add the Korma paste and extra garlic and ginger paste, stirring constantly.

Add the coconut cream – allow to melt in, then add HALF the reserved coconut water.

Bring to a simmer. Cover and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven, stir in the lentils, place the frozen spinach cubes on top of the other ingredients. Re-cover and bake for another 30 minutes.

Slightly fork in the spinach before taking to table.

While the Korma is cooking, cooking, brush 4 Naan bread with Olive, sunflower or other flavoured oil. (Butter can be used, but meal will not then be vegan). Bake on bottom shelf of oven for last 5 minutes

I served this dish with Samosas, but Basmati rice is a good alternative.

 

With thanks to Roz Cawley, who writes a blog here:https://rozcawley.typepad.com/autumn_cottage_diarist