Pea and Potato Curry over Brown Rice

 One of my favorite dishes is thai curry. But honestly almost anything "curry" appeals to me. I lived in Tulsa, OK for a couple years and would go to this neat little place for red curry with tofu and veggies. It was the best. My sister is the one who introduced me to this new world. I can't seem to make it quite like they do. I wish someone would teach me. So meanwhile I keep trying different recipes. My mom claims she's not fond of curry, yet has enjoyed most of the recipes I've made that include it. Haha! This particular dish sounded so good to me. I've had it pulled aside to make soon for quite some time. We really loved this recipe. I actually got it from Whole Living Magazine... which I have recently been introduced to. Great magazine!

Pea and Potato Curry

1 t. coriander seeds

1 t. fennel seeds (I omitted)

1 t. mustard seeds

1 T. EVOO (Extra-Virgin Olive Oil)

1/2 cinnamon stick

1 green chili (I used a jalepeno)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 T. fresh ginger, minced

7 fresh curry leaves (optional)(I didn't have any, so I used 1 t. curry powder)

3 large tomatoes (about 2 lbs.), chopped

1 lb. yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 3/4" pieces

1 C. fresh shelled peas (I used frozen)

coarse salt

2 T. greek yogurt (I served coconut milk on the side)

Brown Rice

 (Prepare according to directions and serve on side)

Heat a 4-qt. heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Toast coriander, fennel, and mustard seeds until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a spice grinder and process until finely ground (You can also crush the seeds with a mortar and pestle). Heat oil in the pot. Add ground seeds, cinnamon stick, chili, garlic, onion, ginger, and curry leaves (if using). Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, 6-8 minutes. 

Add tomatoes and bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Add potatoes and 2 cups of water. Simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 35 minutes. Add peas and cook until tender, about 12 minutes. Season with salt. Stir in yogurt. Remove cinnamon stick before serving. 

When I cook I almost always use what I have on hand instead of following the recipe exactly. The original recipe said to use the side of a chef's knife to crush the seeds if you're not using a spice grinder. I tried that... huge mistake! The mustard seeds rolled all over the counter. So i changed that in the recipe. Next time I'll use a mortar and pestle. I didn't think of it at the time so I used the whole seeds. Also if I had basil I would have added that instead of the curry leaves and probably still would have added curry powder. It would be a fun recipe to play around with. It was so good! I served this with a salad topped with dried cranberries, toasted pepitas, carrot slices, broccoli pieces,  and the vinaigrette from a previous post. But this time I used walnut oil. It really hit the spot!

I'm looking forward to making dinner this weekend... more to come.

Chef Teebs