Name: Spicy Cauliflower, Broccoli and Green Pea Stew with Spinach, Ginger, Black Beans and Coconut
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 125 – 150g/1 onion, peeled and chopped; 16g/4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped; 16g fresh ginger, peeled and chopped; 1 teaspoon Indian curry powder; ½ teaspoon fine salt, or to taste (I added an extra ⅛ teaspoon fine salt); ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; ¼ - ½ teaspoon sugar (I use ½ teaspoon); 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 375ml - 500ml/ 1½ - 2 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock; ½ cup green lentils; 1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed; 125g cauliflower, in small florets; 1 x 400g tin of coconut milk; 100g frozen peas/petit pois; 75g broccoli, in small florets; 50g baby spinach, shredded if desired; 30g coriander and parsley, chopped; lime wedges to serve

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A hearty, wholesome, heathy and fulfilling meal, this curried coconut stew is loaded with vegetables, lentils, beans and ginger and finished with shredded spinach, chopped fresh herbs and a kick of lime. Delicious served with rice, noodles or cous cous or on its own with some fresh bread to mop up the all the rich sauce. This is one of Charlotte’s favourite vegetarian stews.

This recipe is based on my Lentil, Pulse and Vegetable Curry/Stew with Coconut or Tomato – Core Recipe. For more extensive guidance on how to make this dish, you can refer back to this recipe. Neither specifically Indian nor Thai, but a wonderful melding of the two, this curry is mild but spicy, vegetarian comfort food. If you want a more fiery kick, just add more ginger and curry powder.

If you eat this immediately after you make it, the vegetables will still have some bite. Make it a few hours or the day before, and the vegetables will be softer, but they will have absorbed a greater depth of flavour. Both ways are delicious but different. There is something strangely comforting about the softer vegetables; I wondered if it was because it takes me back to my childhood in the 1960s and 1970s, vegetables were cooked much more than today. However, neither Charlotte nor Emma could decide which way they preferred.

This dish is a bit too green for my husband, a sworn carnivore with a phobia/aversion to vegetables. But if you love vegetables but feel the need for the some meat, this would work well with some added chicken. Either add some uncooked thinly sliced chicken to the curry 10 minutes before the end of cooking or stir some cooked shredded chicken into the curry to heat up for the last 5 minutes.

Equally, you may wish to increase, decrease or change some of the vegetables in this dish. Please refer to the Core Recipe here if you would like further information on when to add different types of vegetables

I started cooking these vegetarian curries when my daughter went to university and wanted some cost effective recipes. I appreciate that loading it with fresh herbs is not the cheapest option; it would certainly be delicious without the herbs or using fewer but they do add a freshness and flavour punch which I really recommend.

How to make Spicy Cauliflower, Broccoli and Green Pea Stew with Spinach, Ginger, Black Beans and Coconut

Collect all your ingredients together:

olive oil
onion, peeled and chopped
cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
Indian curry powder
fine salt
freshly ground black pepper
sugar
tomato paste
vegetable (or chicken) stock
green lentils
tin of black beans
cauliflower
tin of coconut milk
frozen peas/petit pois
broccoli, in small florets
baby spinach, shredded
coriander and parsley, chopped
lime wedges to serve

Please don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients. I am sure you have most of them in your cupboards any way. This recipe is quick to make and should take you around 30 minutes to prepare and cook. You need to:

fry the onion
add any garlic and ginger
now add the lentils and most of the stock, the beans and cauliflower
when the lentils are cooked, add the coconut milk, broccoli and peas
just before serving stir in the spinach, parsley and coriander
all done!

Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodilkitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.

Spicy Cauliflower, Broccoli and Green Pea Stew with Spinach, Ginger, Black Beans and Coconut

Course Dinner, Lunch, Supper

Keyword black beans, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Chickpeas, curry, lentils, spinach, vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Author Susan

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
125 – 150g/1 onion, peeled and chopped
16g/4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
16g fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon Indian curry powder
½ teaspoon fine salt, or to taste (I added an extra ⅛ teaspoon fine salt)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ – ½ teaspoon sugar (I use ½ teaspoon)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
375ml – 500ml/ 1½ – 2 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock
½ cup green lentils
1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed
125g cauliflower, in small florets
1 x 400g tin of coconut milk
100g frozen peas/petit pois
75g broccoli, in small florets
50g baby spinach, shredded if desired
30g coriander and parsley, chopped
lime wedges to serve

Instructions

Heat the oil in a cast iron casserole over a moderate heat and add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until softened and slightly caramelised.
Add the chopped garlic and ginger and cook for a further minute until aromatic.
Stir in the curry powder and cook, stirring, until aromatic – around 20 – 30 seconds
Add the tomato paste and then add 375ml of the stock and the lentils. Stir well to mix.
Next add the drained black beans and the cauliflower.
Bring to a simmer and cook, with the lid on, for 15 – 25 minutes or until the dried lentils are soft.
Add the coconut milk and the broccoli and peas. Add more stock if necessary and cook with the lid off for a further 2 – 6 minutes until everything is cooked.
Stir in the spinach and cook for 1 – 2 minutes or until the spinach has wilted.
Finally stir in the fresh coriander and parsley and serve with lime wedges and your choice of serving options