Tamarind Vegetable Curry

Tamarind Vegetable Curry is a scrumptious recipe based on  South Indian Vegetable Curry  from Nigella Lawson, that’s somehow complex in flavor but simple to make. For this amazing curry, the vegetables are slowly simmered in a creamy sauce flavored with delightful ingredients like cumin and tamarind paste.  Traditionally, canned coconut milk would be used to create the creamy sauce, but I decided to try pureed tofu for a lower-fat version and it worked spectacularly.

Tamarind Vegetable Curry
Gluten Free
Serves 2
Click Here for Printable Recipe



Ingredients--
1/4 cup unsweetened original almond milk (I use Silk )
6 ounces lite firm tofu (I use Mori-Nu )
1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon jalapeno, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1/8 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes (adjust according to desired heat level)
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 cups vegetable broth, check for gluten
dash of sugar
2 teaspoons tamarind paste 
2 cups cauliflower, broken into florets
2 cups broccoli, broken into florets
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
4 ounces butternut squash, peeled,seeded, and diced (about 3/4 cup of cubes)
1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted and drained
1 cup baby spinach
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Optional for Serving--Rice or Flatbread

1. Place almond milk and tofu in a blender. Puree until smooth, then set aside.




2. Add oil to a large nonstick skillet and heat to medium low. Stir in garlic, jalapeno, ginger, chili flakes, fennel seeds, and cumin seeds. Saute for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.



2. Stir in ground coriander, ground ginger, ground cumin, and ground turmeric. Sauté for mixture for 1 minute more, stirring to coat vegetables in ground spices.



3.  Add vegetable broth, sugar, tamarind paste and tofu puree to skillet then stir to combine all ingredients. Raise heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a slow boil, stirring occasionally, to prevent scalding.





4. Once mixture has come a low boil, stir in cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, and squash. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.





5. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer curry, uncovered, for 28-30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.



6. Stir in peas and spinach. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until peas are heated through and spinach cooks down. Stir in fresh parsley; taste curry for seasoning.





7. Divide curry between two shallow bowls or plates and enjoy! Serve with rice or gluten free flatbread, if desired.



Nutrition Information--approximately 185 calories per serving (1/2 of the recipe, includes just the curry with none of the optional rice or flatbread)