Chef's Recipes

International Hot & Spicy Food Day 2022

Cape Malay inspired Confit Vegetable Curry

Basmati Pilau Rice, Dahl, Pak-Choi, Papadums, Mango Atjar

Serves 4

Ingredients

50g yellow split peas – soaked overnight and washed then drained
50g red lentils - soaked overnight and washed then drained
2 x onion finely diced
2 x garlic cloves finely chopped
8 x bay leaves
2 x lemon thyme sprigs
2 x litre vegetable stock
1 x lrg pak choi washed and dried
2 x papadums ready to fry
120 ml mango atjar or mango chutney
2 x onion finely sliced
4 x garlic cloves finely sliced
1 x green chilli sliced with seeds
3 x tsp turmeric
1 x tsp madras curry powder
1 x tsp garam masala
1 x tsp paprika
½ x tsp coriander powder
1 x tabs tomato paste
4 x cardamom pods crushed
2 x star anis 
4 x kafir lime leaves
1 x cup basmati rice
4 x carrots diced
1 x courgettes sliced and diced
3g fresh coriander leaf
3g micro coriander
120g cauliflower florets
2 x sml red onion
4 x new potatoes halved
150 ml extra virgin olive oil
200g Vegan vegetable ghee
1 x tin coconut milk
10g sea salt flakes
5g white pepper ground

Method 

• Start with making the curry sauce base, by shallow frying half of the the sliced onion and garlic,  and all chilli in little olive oil till soft and starting to brown.

• Add all the dry spices and combine in saucepan with onion base, then add tomato paste and chilli and finally add 1 litre of vegetable stock, bay leaves and bring to boil, turn down heat and simmer for an hour under a lid. 
• After an hour, add in coconut milk and then reduce until thickened.

• Next, start the dahl by sweating off the onions and garlic in olive oil and some vegetable ghee.
• Add 1 tsp turmeric and continue to sweat, then add 500ml of the stock and, cook over medium heat till soft and all the stock has reduced. Top up with water if and when required.

• To confit the vegetables, heat up vegetable ghee and olive oil to medium temperature. Drop in the vegetables and cook for 30 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.
• The pak-choi should be quickly panfried in shallow pan in little vegetable ghee and olive oil

• Rinse the rice well under a tap of cold running water. In the meantime, sweat onions, carrots, bay and kafir lime leaves, star anis, cardamom and garlic in a saucepan with little olive oil and vegetable ghee. 
• Add rice to saucepan and combine, then add vegetable stock, cook under lid till white and fluffy, checking regularly how rice is cooking, should be around 10 minutes. 
• When cooked and all the cooking liquid had been absorbed by the rice or reduced, add the courgettes and finely sliced coriander leaf. Squeeze the juice of ½ lemon over rice and keep warm till plating.

• Deep fry the papadums at 180°C for approx. 30 seconds. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel. 

• Start plating, and remember just before serving, to quickly wilt the courgettes ribbons in little vegetable ghee, seasoned and drained. 

Enjoy!

Chef's Tips

• Dividing this curry across 3 bowls creates a more interesting meal. 
• Various different vegetables can be used in this curry dish, it also works well with root vegetables.