After the festivities of Christmas, we can all feel we have bloated a little or maybe a lot in the new year. Curries are often viewed as unhealthy but experts can now confirm curries can be very healthy. They can actually help with a number of aliments and might be able to burn any excess weight off. Powerful compounds in the spices can help the body’s ability to heal and lose weight. These vegan curries are delicious and very easy to prepare and cook. They are a great way to kick start January.
What’s your favourite curry if you have one and if not why not? Let me know in the comments below and please don’t forget to like and follow me.
Butternut Squash and Chickpea Masala Curry
When I was a child we never really ate curry. My dad was the main cook in our house but curry wasn’t a meal my mum enjoyed. I think this is why we never ate it and I didn’t really like curries either. When I started to eat curries, normally on a drunken night out, I would eat a very mild one. It began my love of this dish.
Nowadays, I’m trying to tempt my son Ted into enjoying a curry. Ted is a bit of a fussy eater so I’m always trying him on new foods. He used to love chickpeas but now he’s not so keen. Ted will eat a chickpea or two if they are served to him. I do have to play hid the veggies hence why my sauce is blended.
Googie’s Kitchen presents Aubergine and Black Bean Curry
The dish wasn’t a huge hit with my son but he did eat most of it. My husband Howard and I really enjoyed it. It was a smooth, creamy curry that had a pleasant heat. It’s definitely one we will be eating again.
When food shopping, I often pass the Aubergines sitting on their shelf wondering what I could make with them. It wasn’t a vegetable I ate a lot of as a child. The only dish I remember my Dad cooking it in was Moussaka. A tradition Greek dish made with mince lamb, lemon, tomatoes and aubergine.
Tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers and aubergines all belong to the night shade family. Aubergines grow in the same way as tomatoes. They hang from vines of a plant that grows several feet high. The most popular variety of aubergine looks like a large pear and they are a deep purple colour. They also have a shiny skin and the flesh on the inside is cream-coloured and sponge-like with edible seeds.
Aubergines are available in a variety of colours including orange, lavender, jade green and yellow and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. However the modern aubergine owes its origin to the wild version that is native to South East Asia. For many centuries aubergines were enjoyed as a decorative plant than food due to the bitter taste. I’m glad they are no longer a decorative plant and we get to eat them. I think once you know how to cook them they are a great addition to any meal and they are beautiful in this curry.
Chickpea and Roasted Aubergine Curry
My husband Howard and son Ted are not great fans of chickpeas. Ted when he was about three or four went through a stage of loving these little balls of nourishment but nowadays he’s not so keen. Therefore I’m always trying to invent new ways for us all to enjoy a chickpea or two. Howard always enjoys a curry so I thought I would try to make one with aubergine. It’s not a vegetable we have that often so I really love it when we do.
Aubergines are an excellent source of dietary fibre. Plus they are also a great source of B6, B1, potassium, magnesium and manganese. Chickpeas are also a good source of dietary fibre and they are a good source of vitamins too. Both these vegetables can help with weight management and reducing the risk of several diseases.
They also make an awesome curry. Well at least that’s what I thought. Howard and Ted weren’t so keen. My husband liked the sauce and not the chickpeas. Ted liked the chickpeas, sort of, and not the sauce. Which is what normally happens in our house. It’s definitely a curry I will be eating again and one dish I would recommend to everyone.
3 Vegan Curries were delicious and very tasty. We ate these as our main meal but you could eat these as a lunch. Plus any leftover can be frozen for another occasion or could eat these curries the next day too. We love a curry in January and these ticked all our boxes. However you decide to eat this dish, as always, please enjoy. xxx
Googies Kitchen Life 