Winter Veg Korma

by Chef Owen May and Dr. Michelle May

This flavorful Indian dish is a great way to serve up nutrient rich sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and kale over brown rice. (We got the sweet potatoes and kale in our Chow Share box this week) Sound too healthy to be delicious? SURPRISE! We loved it. Just try it and let us know what you think!

Chef's Secrets:

• Korma is a dish with meat or vegetables braised in water, stock, and yogurt or cream.
• Garam masala is a fragrant mixture of spices with numerous variations which may contain up to 12 spices such as black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, cardamom, dried chiles, fennel, ginger, mace, or nutmeg. We used one with coriander, black pepper, cumin, cardamom, and cinnamon.
• Keep fresh ginger root in the freezer. Just peel it and store it in an airtight plastic bag in the freezer. Cut off pieces as needed.
• Tuck your fingertips under your knuckles and your knuckles behind your knife edge!

Winter Veg Korma recipe

Sauce:

1/2 onion, diced
1 small tomato, diced
1 inch of fresh ginger, finely diced
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons of garam masala 
1/2 teaspoon salt

Winter Veg:

1 1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 small sweet potatoes (1 pound)
1/2 small butternut squash (3/4 pound)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 bunch of Tuscano (or regular) kale; remove leaves from stem and chop
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained 
1/2 cup of light coconut milk 

Directions

1. Combine first six sauce ingredients (onion, tomato, ginger, water, garam masala, salt) in a small food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.
2. Heat large sauté pan then add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When oil is hot, add diced sweet potato and butternut squash. Cook until vegetables start to soften then move them to the edge of the pan.
3. Add another tablespoon of oil to the center of the pan, and when hot, add sliced red onion and sauté, combining vegetables when onion is soft. 
4. Remove vegetables to a plate.
5. Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil to pan; add sauce and cook until thickened, approximately 5 to 6 minutes.
6. Return vegetables to the pan and add 1 1/2 cups of water.
7. When mixture is simmering, stir in kale and chickpeas.
8. Cook until sauce is thickened then add cocunut milk and heat through.
9. Serve over brown rice.