Imperfect Kumera and Chickpea Curry

Creamy sweet style vegetarian curry packed with flavors of fresh ginger, cumin and turmeric. It’s an easy to make recipe that tastes fantastic served with simple Greek yogurt flat bread. 

INGREDIENTS:

For the curry:

• 1 kg kumera, peeled

• 1 brown onion

• 2 garlic cloves

• 2 tbsp fresh ginger grated

• 1 tbsp turmeric paste (or 1 ½ ground turmeric)

• 1 tsp coriander ground

• 1 ½ cumin ground

• 1 400ml coconut milk

• 1 cup good quality vegetable stock (or chicken)

• 1 400g can chickpeas rinsed and drained

• ½ bunch silver beet roughly torn (substitute with kale or spinach) 

• fresh coriander leaves to garnish

For the flat bread: 

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• Butter for cooking

Serve with:

• Cooked basmati rice 

METHOD:

1. Combine the diced onion, crushed garlic and fresh grated ginger into a large deep pot, add a drizzle of olive oil and place on medium heat. Sauté until the onions become transparent.

2. Add the ground cumin and coriander and fry for a further 3-5 minutes. Followed by adding the coconut milk, good quality vegetable stock and the turmeric, stir through.

3. Add the roughly diced sweet potato and allow to shimmer for 30 minutes with the lid off stirring a couple of times.

4. Once the curry sauce has thickened and the sweet potato is cooked add the drained chickpeas and the silver beet leaves roughly turn up. Cook for a further 10 minutes until the silver beet is cooked.

5. Serve with cooked basmati rice, a good sprinkle of  coriander leaves and freshly made yogurt flat bread

6. Combine the flour and baking powder together in a mixing bowl, once well combined add the yogurt. 

7. Using floured hands or a spatula bring the dough together into a sticky ball, no need to kneed this dough.  Add a little extra flour to coat the out side of the dough and cover with a plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.

8. Heat up a non stick heavy base fry pan on medium to high heat. Add a knob of butter to melt.

9. On a well-floured surface cut the dough up into 6 pieces.

10. Using your hands gently flatten one ball at a time out then roll it out in to a rough circle . 

11. Place it onto the hot fry pan and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes or until it is golden brown and is lifting and creating air pockets. Flip it over and cook the other side for a further minute.

12. Repeat the process until all the dough is cooked.

Curry: Prep & cook: 45 minutes, serves: 4-5

Flat bread: Prep & cook: 35 minutes, serves: 6

Recipe, styling and photography by Bonnie Coumbe. Visit her site here & Instagram here