Don't Worry - Eat Curry | Vegan Curry Recipes

Monday lunch is one of my favorite meals of the week because that’s when Nepal’s Cuisine in Boulder, Colorado offers an all vegan lunch buffet.** I don’t live in Boulder, but nevertheless frequently make the 40 minute journey because the food at Nepal is so good and what vegan doesn’t enjoy selection?

Several of the buffet items change weekly, but you can always count on some variety of daal (lentil soup), vegetable samosa, pakora, momos, salads, spinach saag or mustard greens, chutney, rice and a variety of curry dishes which will include several of the following: chickpeas or other legume, cauliflower, green beans, eggplant, squash, tomato, broccoli, bamboo shoots, potato, green beans, tofu and peas.

The proprietors of Nepal Cuisine sell a “Don’t Worry, Eat A Curry” t-shirt. I decided to take the advice to heart so lately I’ve been preparing - and learning - a lot about curry.

For instance, I’ve learned that the word “curry” is broader than I once thought (thanks Emily June). The term refers not only to a spice or mixture of spices, but also to any dish in a richly “spiced” sauce. The sauce can be dry or wet and people who eat plant-based diets enjoy an almost endless variety of curries including legume curries, vegetable curries and tofu and biryani curries. Curry dishes are made in literally hundreds of countries throughout the world.

Most curries are very versatile and great for feeding larger groups. They can be served with a variety of accompaniments including rice, noodles, flatbreads and even pancakes! Contrary to some thinking, curries do not have to be hot/spicy. Rather, they are often mild, aromatic and even sweet!

I hope you’ll enjoy a curry (and less worry) sometime soon. To get you started, I hope you’ll consider trying one or more of the following recipes. And if you want to sample some exceptional curry, be sure to stop by Nepal’s any Monday for the vegan lunch buffet. Because if you eat curry, you will have less about which to worry.

Pad Ped Makua

This recipe is from our friend Emily June. The fish sauce traditionally used is replaced with other ingredients for a memorable flavor. Thanks Emily J.

4 T red curry paste

2 T palm sugar or brown sugar

19 oz. coconut milk

3 Kaffir lime leaves, chopped (available online and in Asian markets)

1/8 tsp. rice vinegar

1 tsp. thin Thai soy sauce

¼ tsp. salt

¼ cup bamboo shoots

1/8 cup chopped red bell pepper

¼ cup snow or sweet peas

¼ cup finely chopped carrots

¼ cup chopped zucchini

2 T white sugar

1 lb. purple eggplant, diced

1 lb. Thai eggplant, diced

½ cup Thai or sweet basil

Stir the curry paste and brown sugar in a wok or large pan over high heat until the mixture starts to boil. Add the coconut milk, lime leaves, vinegar, soy sauce and salt and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add the bamboo shoots, bell pepper, peas, carrots, zucchini, sugar and eggplant. Cook for 5 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add the basil and stir. Serve over cooked basmati rice. For a spicier dish add more red curry paste and/or crushed dry Thai chilies

Butternut Curry with Seitan & Spinach

This recipe is one of many from our friends Glenn & Justina.

2 T sunflower or peanut oil

1 T mustard seeds

1 medium butternut squash or pumpkin cut into 1 inch cubes

1 onion finely sliced

6 garlic cloves, crushed and diced

2 inch piece of ginger, finely diced

¼ tsp. turmeric

½ pound chicken seitan, cut into bite sized pieces (The “longer” pieces are Morning Star “Meal Starters” that are available in the frozen food area at King Soopers.)

1 pound tomatoes coarsely chopped

1 cup veggie broth

1 can coconut milk (14 - 15 oz.)

1 package fresh, baby spinach (8-10 ounces)

¼ tsp. ground cumin or garam masala

salt & pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan or wok, add the mustard seeds and stir-fry until they pop. Add half of the squash or pumpkin and all the onions and gently stir-fry until the onions soften and are translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, salt and pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add turmeric and stir-fry 1 minute more. Add seitan, stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and remaining squash or pumpkin and ½ of the veggie broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender.

Add the coconut milk, bring to a boil and simmer until thickened. Add the spinach, remaining broth and cumin or garam masala, cover with a lid and steam for 2 minutes until the leaves collapse, then stir mixing all ingredients. Serve over steamed brown basmati rice.

A few other curries to try:

Potato & Eggplant Curry, Ceylon Style Tofu Curry and the dry curries at http://cookclickndevour.com/category/poriya-dry-vegetable-recipes

Don’t worry,

Kris Giovanini

** Vegan buffets are deliciously fun for vegans and offer a great way to introduce friends, family and co-workers to the diversity of plant-based diets. Other vegan buffets in the Denver/Boulder area include Thursday evenings at Tsing Tao in Boulder and Friday lunch at Jill’s Restaurant, also in Boulder. Govinda’s Garden Café in Denver offers a mostly vegan buffet (check website for hours) and of course there are some wonderful vegan restaurants in the Denver area including Watercourse and Native Foods.

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