We thought as Diwali is approaching it would be fun to share this family recipe for you from Helen T. Diwali differs from other Indian festivals as it includes feasting and the giving of sweets in stead of fasting. You can read more about Diwali in our Origami Diwali Boat post here.

You can use any veg you like in this vegan & lactose free recipe. We used: sweet potato, carrots, baby peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, baby corn, tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach. We added a chilli for spice also.

Ingredients:

1 onion roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

1 inch of root ginger minced

A mixture of veg you like roughly chopped

2 tbsp of curry powder OR the mixture of spices below

1 can chopped tomatoes

500ml vegetable stock

Salt and pepper

1tbsp plain flour

Spice mixture:

Toast 1tsp caraway seeds, 1tsp fenugreek seed and 3 cardamom pods, grind the caraway and fenugreek together in a pestle and mortar and use 1tsp in the spice mix.

¼ tsp salt

4 or 5 grinds of black pepper

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp asafoetida / hing

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Method:

1. Add onion, garlic and ginger to a 3 litre microwave casserole dish with 1tbsp oil. Cover and cook for 3 minutes on high.
2. Add all your spices and the flour, stir well and cook for a further 2 minutes on high.
3. Add your hardest vegetables, ie potatoes and carrots and cook for 10 minutes on high.
4. Next add all your other vegetables except the softest [ie mushrooms, tomatoes, courgette and spinach], add your stock, chopped tomatoes and a squeeze of tomato puree. Stir well and cook for 10 minutes on medium.
5. Add your soft vegetables and cook on medium for a further 10 minutes.
6. Check your veg with a knife to see if they are cooked. Every microwave is different, so add time if you need to.
7. Enjoy with rice, naan breads or just on its own!