Curry Things Up with This Easy Recipe

When thinking of curry, Americans usually conjure up a recipe with one spice and flavor. Curry is actually anything cooked in an Indian spice flavored sauce. There are literally hundreds of different curry sauces.

With this definition we have endless amounts of possibilities. Here’s a recipe to get you started. Not to mention the freshly made and pre-packaged exotic delicacies ready for pick up at the Farmers Market. These are excellent side dishes to our oh-so-Indian vegetable curry.

Gather at the Poway Farmers Market:

1 package freshly made dolmas, see photo
1 package freshly made tapenade, see photo
1 package freshly made falafel, see photo
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 bunch green beans, trimmed and halved
1 cup garbanzo beans, as is
3 large carrots, sliced into medallions
1 bunch fresh basil, chopped finely
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped finely
1 onion, diced
1 head garlic, diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped finely

Ingredients from the Cabinet or Local Grocery Store:

1/2 cup water
1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce, infused with garlic and onion
1 and 1/2 teaspoon of fresh curry powder, use more if you like
1 cup of your favorite rice
Olive oil, to drizzle
Salt/pepper, to taste

Directions:

Vegetable Curry: In a medium-sized sauce pan drizzle two tablespoons of olive oil and sweat out the onions and garlic. Combine cauliflower, carrots, beans and water, and simmer for five minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and curry powder and continue to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for another three to five minutes, or until ingredients are combined and vegetables are medium soft. On a separate burner, heat rice according to directions—usually a one to one-and-three-quarters cup ratio of rice to water—and boil, simmer reduce for 15 minutes. To serve, plate rice first, then top with curried vegetables and garnish with basil, cilantro and green onions. If the chef wishes, he or she can combine rice and vegetables, and sauté together. Drizzle with olive oil to combine ingredients better. Either method will work.

This is the quickest and easiest international food adventure you’ll ever take in your own kitchen. Make sure to serve up some of the Poway Farmers Market pre-packaged treats as appetizers and your festive taste-bud trip to India will be complete. After you complete this recipe, try others which include red curry, green curry, and coconut curry.

This is a Farmers Market adaptation from Yahoo.com's Shine food column who teamed up with Better Homes and Gardens. Find out more about this recipe here.