Vegetable Curries and Stews

Cooking Skills: Vegetables 2

Chapter 2 · Vegetable Curries and Stews

Skill goal
Build a vegetable curry or stew from a base, spices and liquid, and balance it at the end.

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The basics

A curry or stew is a sauce with vegetables cooked in it. The difference between a good one and a flat one is rarely the recipe: it is how you build the sauce, cook the vegetables in the right order, and balance the flavour at the end.

The structure

  1. Base: onion (and garlic and ginger) cooked in oil, slowly if you want sweetness, until golden if you want depth.
  2. Spices or paste: fried for 1 to 2 minutes so they release their flavour.
  3. Liquid: tomato, coconut milk, stock, yoghurt or a mix.
  4. Vegetables, in order: dense ones first (potato, sweet potato, squash, carrot, cauliflower stalks), then medium (pepper, beans, aubergine), then quick (courgette, spinach, peas, herbs).
  5. Balance at the end: salt, acid, sweetness and heat.

Choosing a sauce base

BaseCharacterGood with
Onion, tomato and spicesTangy, rich, classicCauliflower, potato, spinach, aubergine
Coconut milkCreamy, sweet, mellowSweet potato, squash, green beans, courgette
Yoghurt or creamMild, rich, coolingSpinach, paneer, potatoes (stir in at the end, off the boil)
Stock and herbsLight, savouryStews and braises

Balancing

Too hot add coconut milk, yoghurt or a little sugar Too flat add salt, a little at a time Too sharp or sour add a pinch of sugar or some cream Too heavy or sweet add lemon or lime juice Too thin simmer with the lid off Too thick stir in hot water
Figure 2. Taste at the end and fix one thing at a time. Most curries are rescued by salt, a little acid or a little sweetness.

Taste at the end, adjust one thing at a time, and taste again. Salt lifts all the flavours; acid (lime, lemon, tamarind, vinegar) brightens; a little sugar rounds off sharpness.

Heat

The heat comes from chilli and from black pepper and ginger. Add less than you think, because you can add heat at the end but cannot take it out. Serve something cooling with it: yoghurt, cucumber, rice or bread.

Curry stays better the next day

Many curries improve overnight as the flavours blend. Cool them within 1 to 2 hours, refrigerate and eat within 2 days, and reheat until steaming hot all the way through, and only once. Don't leave rice out: see the box.

Try it

Level 1 · Start here

Aloo gobi (potato and cauliflower)

40 minutes3 portionsa dry curry, cooked slowly in its own steam

A dry curry: little sauce, so the vegetables are coated and cooked in spiced oil and a splash of water. It uses the spice bases from Cooking Skills: Vegetables 2, chapter 1.

Ingredients (3 portions)

  • 2 medium potatoes, in 2 cm chunks
  • ½ cauliflower, in small florets
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 handful chopped coriander leaves
  • 1 tsp salt
  1. Heat the oil in a wide pan with a lid over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds for 20 seconds, then the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook for 8 minutes until soft and golden.
  2. Add the ginger and garlic for 1 minute, then the turmeric and coriander for 30 seconds, stirring. Add the tomato and cook for 3 minutes.
  3. Add the potatoes and 3 tablespoons of water, cover and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower, stir, cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes more, stirring now and then, until both are tender.
  4. Stir in the garam masala and the rest of the salt, and scatter with coriander.
Rice and allergens
Rice with curry: cook rice as in Cooking Skills: Rice 1, chapter 2. Cooked rice that is left at room temperature can make you ill, so cool leftovers within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge, eat within 1 day, and reheat only once until steaming hot all the way through.

Allergens: curry pastes and powders, stock cubes and coconut products can contain mustard, celery, gluten, nuts or shrimp paste. Many Thai curry pastes contain shrimp paste, so check the label for a vegetarian one. Paneer and cream are dairy.
Level 2 · Purée

Saag paneer (spinach and paneer)

35 minutes2 portionswilting and blending greens into a sauce

Spinach cooks down to almost nothing and becomes the sauce. The paneer (or tofu) is browned first so it keeps its shape.

Ingredients (2 portions)

  • 300 g fresh spinach (or 150 g frozen)
  • 200 g paneer, in 2 cm cubes (or firm tofu)
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 green chilli, chopped (optional)
  • 2 tbsp single cream or plain yoghurt
  • 1 pinch salt
  1. Wash the spinach. Wilt it in a large pan with just the water clinging to its leaves for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, press out the water and blend or chop finely.
  2. Heat half the oil in a pan and fry the paneer cubes for 2 to 3 minutes a side until golden. Lift out. (Tofu: press it first.)
  3. Add the rest of the oil and soften the onion for 8 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli, cumin and turmeric for 1 minute.
  4. Stir in the spinach and a splash of water, simmer for 5 minutes, add the paneer and cream, and season. Heat through gently.
Chillies
Chillies: wear gloves or wash your hands thoroughly with soap after cutting chillies, and don't touch your eyes. Start with less than you think and add more at the end. Dairy (yoghurt, milk) soothes a mouth on fire better than water.
Level 2 · Coconut

Coconut vegetable curry

40 minutes3 portionsadding vegetables in the order they cook

A forgiving, family-friendly curry. The order matters: dense vegetables first, quick ones last.

Ingredients (3 portions)

  • 1 small sweet potato or squash, in 2 cm chunks
  • 1 pepper, in strips
  • 100 g green beans, halved
  • 1 courgette, in chunks
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 tbsp medium curry paste (check it is vegetarian)
  • 1 tin 400 ml tin of coconut milk
  • 100 ml water or vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 handful coriander or basil leaves
  1. Fry the onion in the oil for 6 to 8 minutes. Add the curry paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant.
  2. Add the coconut milk, water and sweet potato. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Add the pepper and beans and simmer for 5 minutes, then the courgette for 3 to 4 minutes, until everything is tender.
  4. Taste: add sugar, lime juice and salt until balanced (see the diagram). Scatter with herbs.
Allergens
Allergens: curry pastes and powders, stock cubes and coconut products can contain mustard, celery, gluten, nuts or shrimp paste. Many Thai curry pastes contain shrimp paste, so check the label for a vegetarian one. Paneer and cream are dairy.
Level 3 · Paste

Thai-style green curry

35 minutes3 portionsfrying the paste, then balancing salt, sweet, sour and heat

Thai curries balance four tastes at once. Fry the paste in the thick top of the coconut milk first so it releases its aroma.

Ingredients (3 portions)

  • 1 small aubergine, in 2 cm chunks
  • 100 g green beans, halved
  • 1 courgette, sliced
  • 1 handful baby corn or bamboo shoots (optional)
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 2 tbsp green curry paste (vegetarian)
  • 1 tin 400 ml tin of coconut milk
  • 100 ml water
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 handful Thai basil or basil leaves
  1. Open the tin without shaking and spoon the thick cream from the top into a hot pan with the oil. Fry the paste in it for 2 minutes, stirring, until the oil starts to separate.
  2. Add the rest of the coconut milk, water and aubergine. Simmer gently for 8 minutes, then add the beans, courgette and corn for 4 to 5 minutes.
  3. Season with soy sauce (instead of fish sauce), sugar and lime juice. Taste and adjust.
  4. Stir in the basil just before serving.
Shrimp paste and heat
Check the paste: traditional curry pastes contain shrimp paste, so buy one labelled vegetarian or vegan. Pastes vary a lot in heat, so start with 1 tablespoon and add more at the end.

Chillies: wear gloves or wash your hands thoroughly with soap after cutting chillies, and don't touch your eyes. Start with less than you think and add more at the end. Dairy (yoghurt, milk) soothes a mouth on fire better than water.

Experiments

Experiment

Simmer time

Short or long.

  1. Cook two small batches of the coconut curry: one for 10 minutes after the coconut milk goes in, one for 25 minutes.

Look for: The longer simmer is thicker and mellower, but the vegetables are softer, and the colours duller. Decide where your preference lies.

Experiment

Coconut or tomato

Two bases, same vegetables.

  1. Make half the coconut curry recipe, and half again with a tin of tomatoes instead of the coconut milk.

Look for: The coconut version is creamy and sweet; the tomato version is tangier and sharper. Notice how the spices taste different in each.

Experiment

Acid at the end

Before and after.

  1. Take a spoonful of finished curry and taste it. Add ¼ teaspoon of lime juice and taste again.

Look for: A little acid wakes everything up. A lot makes it sour: add a drop at a time.

Experiment

Heat levels

More and less.

  1. Make the green curry with 1, 2 and 3 teaspoons of curry paste in small separate pans, or taste the same curry with 0, 1 and 2 chopped chillies.

Look for: Note where it becomes too hot for you. Everyone's tolerance differs, so write yours down.

Tasting notes

What I triedMethod or amountWhat I sawWhat I thoughtWill I do it again?
Aloo gobi
Saag paneer
Coconut vegetable curry
Thai-style green curry
Short vs long simmer
Coconut vs tomato
Acid at the end
Heat levels

Troubleshooting

ProblemLikely causeWhat to do
Watery sauceToo much liquid or vegetables not cooked downSimmer with the lid off; mash a few potatoes in
Split or oily coconut sauceBoiled too hardSimmer gently; whisk in a splash of water
Curdled yoghurtBoiled after addingTake off the heat, stir in at the end
Flat flavourNot enough salt or acidAdd salt, then lime juice
Mushy vegetablesAdded too soonAdd in order: dense first, quick last
Burnt baseHeat too highAdd a splash of water; start again if black
Hot pans, allergens and leftovers
Steam and boiling water: lift lids away from your face, because the steam is hotter than the water. Use oven gloves for pan handles and steamers, and tip the pan away from you when draining. Don't carry a pan of boiling water across a room with people or pets in it.

Chillies: wear gloves or wash your hands thoroughly with soap after cutting chillies, and don't touch your eyes. Start with less than you think and add more at the end. Dairy (yoghurt, milk) soothes a mouth on fire better than water.

Allergens: curry pastes and powders, stock cubes and coconut products can contain mustard, celery, gluten, nuts or shrimp paste. Many Thai curry pastes contain shrimp paste, so check the label for a vegetarian one. Paneer and cream are dairy.

Rice with curry: cook rice as in Cooking Skills: Rice 1, chapter 2. Cooked rice that is left at room temperature can make you ill, so cool leftovers within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge, eat within 1 day, and reheat only once until steaming hot all the way through.

Leftovers: cool cooked vegetables quickly (within 1 to 2 hours), keep them covered in the fridge, and eat within 2 days. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through, and only once.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
  • I can build a curry from base, spices, liquid and vegetables.
  • I add vegetables in the right order.
  • I can balance salt, sweet, sour and heat.
  • I know how to fix a sauce that is too thin or too thick.
  • I store curry and rice safely.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Vegetables 2, chapter 3 is Braising and Slow Cooking: cooking vegetables gently until silky.