Ottolenghi Two-Potato Vindaloo
So I came home from work today totally pooped. I couldn’t be bothered to go shopping, so I had no ingredients. But then I realized that I did have root vegetables lying around! I paged through Ottolenghi for inspiration, and came upon this recipe. It’s an easy, hearty, slightly sweet vegetable stew; it’s also a great way to use up leftovers!
A note on simplicity
Ottolenghi’s recipe involves roasting cardomom pods, cumin seeds etc. and then grinding them up in a mortar and pestle. I’m sure this would be delicious, but I just can’t be bothered on a weekday. Thus, I present a simplified version of the original recipe.
I didn’t have all the ingredients, so I’ve noted my substitutions below.
Take a small bowl and mix up the spices inside:
- 1/2 tsp. ground cardomom
- 3/4 Tbsp. ground cumin
- 3/4 Tbsp. ground coriander
- 1/ tsp. ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
In a heavy pot, put in:
- some vegetable oil
- 12 shallots, chopped (I used 1 white onion instead)
- 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds (I used fennel seeds instead)
And saute on medium-low for 8 minutes, or until the shallots brown. Stir in the spice mix, along with:
- 25 curry leaves (I used a few bay leaves instead)
- 2 Tbsp. chopped root ginger
- 1 fresh red chili, finely chopped (I used 1/4 tsp. chili seeds instead)
Cook a further two minutes, and add:
- 14 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 50 mL (3.4 Tbsp.) cider vinegar (I used 2 Tbsp. balsamic instead)
- 400 mL (1.7 cups) water
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 400 g. potatoes, peeled and diced into 1” chunks
- 2 small red peppers, cut in 1” dice
- 400 g. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1” chunks
- other vegetables: whatever you like - eggplant, carrots; I put in some mushrooms and frozen corn and peas
- salt to taste
Bring to a boil, then simmer for 40 minutes to an hour, or until the potatoes are done. Make sure that all the vegetables are submerged in the liquid (add more water if needed, or a bit of yogurt/milk if you have it).
Remove the lid and leave to bubble away for 10 minutes or until the sauce is nice and thick. Serve hot, with plain rice and a thick cool yogurt, garnished with mint or coriander leaves.