Vegetarians will love this vegetarian lovers' rice recipe

Three vegetarian recipes from Lands of the Curry Leaf by Peter Kuruvita.

Vegetarian lovers' rice

Made to celebrate a couple's love for each other, this opulent and festive dish usually contains seafood, but the vegetarian version is just as lovely.

INGREDIENTS

200g samba rice (or a short-grained rice)

2½ tbsp virgin coconut oil

1 fresh curry leaf sprig, leaves picked

1 carrot, finely diced

100g winter melon or pumpkin, peeled

150g (1 cup) cashews, chopped

1 tbsp Sri Lankan vegetarian chilli paste (recipe below)

1 tsp ground turmeric

50g (⅓ cup) fresh green peas

45g (¼ cup) raisins

fried shredded curry leaves, to garnish

Sri Lankan vegetarian chilli paste

100g virgin coconut oil

1 large onion, diced

½ pandan leaf, chopped

1 cinnamon stick

2 cloves

2 tbsp chilli flakes

25 fresh curry leaves, shredded

2 tsp crushed garlic

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

2 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

METHOD

1. To make the chilli paste, heat the coconut oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Fry the onion, pandan leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and chilli flakes for about 3 minutes, or until the onion is golden.

2. Stir in the curry leaves, garlic and ginger and cook for about 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Sprinkle with the sugar and salt and stir until dissolved, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.

3. Blend into a paste and set aside. (You will only need a small amount for this dish; the remainder will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.)

4. Wash and cook the rice.

5. Meanwhile, in a large sturdy wok, heat the coconut oil over medium heat and add the curry leaves. When they pop, add the carrot, winter melon and cashews and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

6. Stir in the chilli paste and turmeric and cook for a few minutes, then add the peas and raisins and stir for 2 minutes.

7. When the rice is cooked, fluff the grains using a fork, then add the rice to the vegetable mixture, tossing in the wok until well combined.

8. Garnish with fried curry leaves and serve immediately, with your favourite relish or pickle.

Serves 4

Tip: Instead of crushing the garlic and grating the ginger, you can use 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste, or from a jar.

Kala chana (Bengal gram curry)

Also known as Bengal gram, kala chana is a type of chickpea, but dark brown in colour and smaller in size than the common chickpea. This is a mildly spiced black chickpea curry, made in a Punjabi style.

INGREDIENTS

200g (1 cup) dried black chickpeas (kala chana)

2 tbsp ghee or rice bran oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 onion, finely chopped

4-5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1-2 Indian green chillies, finely chopped

1 fresh curry leaf sprig, leaves picked

1 large tomato, finely chopped

¼ tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

a pinch of asafoetida (optional)

2 dried red chillies, cut in half

1 tsp salt, or to taste

½ tsp garam masala (recipe below)

coriander leaves, to garnish

METHOD

1. Put the chickpeas in a bowl, add 750ml (3 cups) water and leave to soak overnight, or for at least 8-9 hours.

2. Next day, drain the chickpeas, rinse well and set aside.

3. Heat the ghee or oil in a pressure cooker or heavy-based saucepan. Add the cumin seeds. When they start to pop, add the onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and lightly golden. Add the garlic, green chilli and curry leaves and cook for 15-20 seconds.

4. Now add the tomato and cook it down for 5-7 minutes, stirring lightly now and then, until the oil starts to separate from the mixture.

5. Add the turmeric, ground coriander, chilli powder and asafoetida, if using. Stir for 2-3 seconds, then add the chickpeas, along with all their soaking water. Add the dried chillies and salt, stirring well.

6. Pressure-cook over medium to high pressure for 10-15 minutes, or if using a saucepan, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, until the chickpeas are well cooked and softened.

7. Lastly, sprinkle with the garam masala and stir it in. Garnish with coriander and serve with steamed rice, roti or chapati.

Serves 3-4

Tip: Some recipes suggest adding bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to the cooking water when cooking pulses. I don't generally recommend this, as it can make the pulses too soft.

Garam masala

Literally meaning 'warm spice', garam masala is an Indian staple. The exact blend of spices varies between households and regions, though it typically includes cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin, coriander, nutmeg and black peppercorns. It adds warmth and depth of flavour, rather than heat.

INGREDIENTS

2 cinnamon sticks (not cassia)

10 green cardamom pods

8 black cardamom pods

15 cloves

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp black peppercorns

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2 dried red Kashmiri chillies

METHOD

1. Place a dry heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat until fully heated and slightly smoking.

2. Add all the ingredients and shake and stir for about a minute, or until the spices smell toasted, are slightly darker, and give off just a slight bit of smoke. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool.

3. Grind to a fine powder, using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, and store in an airtight container.

Makes 100g

Keerai sadam (Spinach rice)

Filling and healthy, this simple one-pot recipe is great for the times you are feeling hungry but time poor. Use any variety of cooked rice you like – leftovers are perfect!

INGREDIENTS

550g (3 cups) cooked rice of your choice

2½ tbsp virgin coconut oil

1 tsp brown mustard seeds

1 large onion, finely chopped

5 garlic cloves, chopped

500g English spinach or Ceylon spinach, cleaned and chopped

3 Indian green chillies, chopped

½ tsp chilli powder

½ tsp ground turmeric

100g (⅔ cup) roasted macadamia nuts, chopped

For tempering

1½ tbsp virgin coconut oil

1 tbsp chana dhal

1 tbsp white urad dhal (hulled dried black lentils)

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

½ tsp fenugreek seeds

½ tsp dill seeds, or ½ tsp chopped fresh dill

½ tsp fennel seeds

METHOD

1. To temper the spices, heat the coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and fry the chana dhal and urad dhal for 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the spices and cook for a minute or two until fragrant, taking care that the fenugreek seeds don't burn, or the spices will taste bitter. Remove from the heat, then grind to a paste and set aside.

2. If your rice is still hot, spread it out on a plate to cool, fluffing the grains with a fork to separate them. If using leftover rice, ensure the grains are well separated.

3. Heat the coconut oil in a large wok or heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and wait for them to pop, then roast, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes, or until golden.

4. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for a few minutes over medium heat. Stir in the spinach, green chilli, chilli powder, turmeric, along with the freshly ground tempered spice paste. Season with salt to taste.

5. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the spinach has wilted. If the pan gets too dry, stir in 60-125ml (¼–½ cup) water.

6. Remove the lid and gently mix the rice through, taking care not to break up the grains. If there is any excess moisture, cook for a few more minutes without the lid, until the water has evaporated.

7. Check the seasoning, top with the macadamias and serve.

Serves 2 as a main, 6 as a side

This is an edited extract from Lands of the Curry Leaf by Peter Kuruvita, Murdoch Books, RRP $49.99, photography by Alan Benson.