Serves: 4 – 6

Being boring and healthy, we had a fridge full of vegetables. Brussel sprouts, squash, cauliflower, boring. The plan was to prepare them, steam them, hold our breath and eat them as quickly as possible with some tandoori salmon and rice.

But no amount of being boring or healthy deserves three servings of steamed, untouched vegetables. Not even wine can make up for it.

So borrowing from a jalfrezi recipe we found online, we invented our own stir-fry of vegetables, Indian style.

There is no limit to the vegetables that could be used. Carrot, cubed potato, peas, eggplant, you name it. Served on toast or had cold as I did the next day at work, this takes boring and healthy to amazing and healthy enough and that seemed like the right place to be for us.

And served with some BBQed tandoori salmon and brown rice, this was just heaven.

(We also had a wine because life is short.)

Cook up the latest in Nat’s repertoire and thank her later.

Ingredients

1 onion, thinly sliced
1 c julienned bell peppers (capsicum)
2 c cauliflower florets
2 c brussel sprouts, quartered
2 c squash, quartered
1 c diced tomato
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp white vinegar
1½  tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Method

1. Steam the cauliflower, brussel sprouts and squash for a few minutes until just cooked through. Drain and submerge in cold water.
2. Heat ½ tbsp oil in a heavy saucepan over a medium heat’ add the onions and bell peppers and saute until they turn slightly golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in the pan and once hot, add the cumin seeds. Stir and then add the tomatoes and cook until they go mushy.
4. Add the paprika, garam masala and salt. Mix well. Add the onion-pepper mixture and the reserved vegetables (brussel sprouts etc).
5. Add the ginger and vinegar and heat well until the vegetables are fully cooked through. Test for seasoning and spice and serve!