When I am cooking in my Dominican kitchen, I always try to create something fresh and easy. The ideal is not too many tools, fancy ingredients or steps- just simple and delicious. The wintertime has me craving something warm and comforting- a dish that heats you right down to the bones from the inside out. The fusion of the cooking style I’m in the habit of and the current weather becomes this yummy vegetable korma. I am sure it can be enjoyed by many this time of year! The best part is that because it is prepared with just a bit of chopping and cooked in the crock pot, it is a simple go-to meal on busy work nights or lazy weekends. Although it is completely vegan, it has a depth, richness and satiety that keep you warm and full for hours without weighing you down. It is also a perfect comfort food when you are in Spring, so you can get that warm food feeling and still stay in Season.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 5-8 hours

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 can of coconut milk (14 oz.)

1 cup of vegetable broth

1 med. eggplant (2 cups), chopped in cubes

1 head cauliflower, broken into small florets

1 small winter squash (2 cups), chopped in cubes

2 cups chopped green beans

1 med. yellow onion

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 inch piece of ginger

2 Tbsp curry powder

1 Tbsp of Himalayan salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp of garam masala

2 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)

2 Tbsp coconut flour

Preparation:

A korma is a curry dish that has a thick, creamy sauce and mild to moderate heat and spice. Usually it is paired with naan bread or rice, however I enjoy a bowl from this recipe all on it’s own. It is usually also created from meat and it’s gravy, but I wanted to have a heaping serving of veggies, and so I omitted it completely and didn’t miss it at all! The coconut and masala add the weight and depth that is needed to make it a complete dish on it’s own. This recipe is truly versatile and can be adapted to whatever season you are in. The vegetables I chose here are all Spring veggies, with the slight sweetness of a bit of squash. The cauliflower, eggplant, and squash all absorb flavours really well, so if you replace any of them chose veggies with similar properties. Daikon radish and chayote are great substitutions for deep Spring.

First, wash and chop all your vegetables. The shape doesn’t really matter as they will soften up quite a bit- as long as they are all the roughly the same size so they will cook evenly. Make sure the garlic and ginger are finely diced so their flavour will spread evenly through the pot.

As you chop, toss them all into the crock pot until the cauliflower, eggplant, squash, green beans, onion, ginger and garlic are all in there. Use a large spoon or your two hands to mix the vegetables together well so they are even distributed throughout.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the vegetable broth with the coconut flour and whisk together well. The coconut flour will act as a thickener for the korma. Then add the coconut milk, curry powder, salt, pepper, garam marsala and red pepper flakes to the bowl and whisk again until well combined. Pour the liquid mixture over the vegetables evenly.

That’s it! Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours, until the mixture is very thick. If you want to try this recipe right after reading it- you can also cook it up in a big pot in about an hour. The end result you want is buttery soft vegetables in a thick, creamy and fragrant sauce. Serve immediately and enjoy! Keeps well in the fridge up to one week or in the freezer up to one month.