Monica Holton, owner of Burton upon Trent-based Datties Soul Food Academy and award-winning spice blend Seasoned, shares her traditional vegan Caribbean curry recipe for Veganuary, a campaign encouraging and supporting people to try a vegan diet during the month of January. Using seasonings inspired by authentic Jamaican dishes, the flavour infused wholesome dish is the perfect winter warmer.
Ingredients
- 1 pack Seasoned Original (a mix of garlic, fenugreek, thyme, paprika and pimento)
- 1 pack Seasoned Curry (a different mix of the same ingredients above)
- 1 large sweet potato (peeled and cubed)
- 1 medium butternut squash (peeled and cubed)
- ½ tin of chickpeas
- 1 small piece of yam
- 1 red bell pepper (sliced)
- ½ yellow bell pepper
- ¼ scotch bonnet pepper (optional is want a little more spice)
- 1 red onion (chopped and cubed)
- 3 cloves garlic (peel and chop)
- 3 okra (called ladies fingers in Jamaica) top, tailed and sliced
- 1 small bunch fresh coriander
- 1 tin of coconut cream
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Approximately 1 – 2 litres of water
Method
- Bring the water to the boil.
- Add all the hard food (sweet potatoes, yam, butternut squash) and simmer for seven minutes removing the vegetables as they start to soften. Add the chopped okra and chickpeas and set aside to cool down.
- Retain the boiled vegetable stock.
- To create the curry paste, mix the oil with 10g Seasoned Original and 25g Seasoned Curry blend, garlic, onion, peppers, fresh coriander, coconut cream and 200ml of the vegetable stock in a food processor.
- Pop the parboiled vegetables onto a baking tray or oven proof dish and pour over the prepared paste. It should cover all the vegetables. Add a little more vegetable stock if the paste is too thick. Mix or gently shake the pan.
- Cook on gas mark 7 / 200c for 30 minutes. Stir or shake halfway through to make sure all the vegetables are still coated.
- Serve with soft boiled basmati rice or homemade roti.
