Cauliflower & Sweet Potato Curry

This quick & delicious curry tastes as if you have been slaving away for hours. We are using the whole cauliflower here including the delicious stem and leaves!

Freeze any leftover curry in small portions for up to 3 months. You can freeze any herb stalks to add to stocks as well as whole herbs, simply chop, mix with some oil and freeze in ice cubes. I love to freeze whole chillies, curry leaves and minced garlic and ginger, ready to use in curries.

Getting ahead: the perfect make ahead dish.

Swops: No recipe is set in stone, you can use any root veg here instead of sweet potatoes: – carrots, pumpkin, potatoes or even a combination would work well. You can add any chopped greens in the end like finely chopped chard or kale.

Serves 4

This fragrant curry will sit beautifully next to simply cooked basmati or jasmine rice.

Any good curry is made for toppings and creative sides. Serve with a full fat yogurt, warm naan bread, yogurt flatbreads with spiced butter (just mix and bake) or another quick flatbread and a Indian pickle on the side.

• 4 tablespoons oil of choice
• 800g sweet potatoes, skin on, scrubbed & cut into large chunks
• 1 bunch leeks, leaves removed, white parts, washed & finely chopped
• 1 small cauliflower (400g), cut into florets & the stem and leaves chopped finely
• 200g English spinach, washed & finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons grated ginger
• 15g coriander, leaves only finely chopped (freeze stems)
• 1 x 400g chopped tomatoes
• 1 x 400g coconut milk
• salt & pepper

Spice Mix

• 2 tablespoons turmeric,
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin,
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 4 green cardamom pods

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and stir until the seeds starts to ‘pop’.
2. Add the leeks, stir and cook covered for about 10 minutes until soft.
3. Add the ginger & garlic and cook for 3 minutes until fragrant. Add a teaspoon of oil if mixture seems dry.
4. Add the ground cumin, cardamon and turmeric and stir to coat the leeks with the spices. Add the crushed tomatoes and fill a whole can with warm water and add to the curry. Stir to mix well.
5. Add the diced sweet potatoes, coconut milk and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook for 10 minutes. By this time your sweet potatoes should be softening but still holding its shape. If they still feel very firm, cook for another 5 minutes, but beware of not overcooking the sweet potato, it can become quite ‘mushy’ quite quickly.
6. Add the cauliflower and continue to simmer very gently for 7 minutes until tender.
7. Add the spinach (and cauliflower leaves) and stir until the spinach starts to wilt, about 3 minutes or so. Remove from the heat. Let the curry cool a little.
8. Add the chopped coriander and season with salt, pepper and some more ginger if needed.
9. Serve alongside a good pickle and a dollop of yogurt, bliss.