I made this last night and have written the instructions to mimic the procedure I used, which involved adding vegetables at different stages of cooking. I did this because I thought that the cauliflower might seem overcooked if it cooked for the same amount of time as the potatoes and onions, and that the peas and green beans (I used frozen) also might be overcooked if they were cooked for a long time. If you are looking for something you can put together all at once in the morning and forget about it, I encourage you to try this and just put all the vegetables in together. I expect it will turn out just fine. Also, I actually used some leftover cauliflower that I had cooked in orange juice, in addition to some raw cauliflower, so I translated this into just putting some orange juice into the mix. If you happen to have leftover cauliflower cooked in orange juice (see my post last month for microwaving broccoli in orange juice; I do the same thing with cauliflower for a quick and easy side dish), feel fry to use that instead! I served this curry over brown basmati rice that I cooked in a rice cooker. My husband and I both thought this dish was delicious, while the kids thought it was “OK.” Eating a wholesome vegetarian meal like this is sustainable eating, though! Especially if you can procure as many of the ingredients locally as possible. Also, I think that appliances such as slow cookers and rice cookers are more energy efficient than stovetop cooking, because the appliances are insulated and/or pressurized, thus applying heat more effectively.
Serves 8
about 2 lbs., or 4-5, potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
1 onion, chopped
2 cans garbanzo beans or chick peas
1 green pepper, diced
26-32 oz. can chopped tomatoes, or carton of chopped tomatoes
1 tsp ginger juice or minced ginger
1 TBS curry powder
1 TBS cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 ½ tsp coarse sea salt
2 cups cauliflower florets
¼ cup orange juice
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups green beans
¼ cup chopped cilantro
plain yogurt (optional)
mango chutney (optional)
grated unsweetened coconut (optional)
raisins (optional)
cooked brown basmati rice
Put potatoes, sweet potatoes, onion, garbanzo beans, green pepper in slow cooker. In medium bowl, mix tomatoes with ginger and spices. Pour over ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low for 3 hours. Add cauliflower and orange juice. Cook for another 2 hours. Add peas and green beans about an hour before serving. (Altogether, cook for about 6 hours). Add cilantro at end and stir everything together. Serve over brown basmati rice, with optional condiments to put on top: plain yogurt, mango chutney, grated unsweetened coconut, raisins.