Martinique Colombo Vegetable Curry

Ingredients

• 1 lb mixed vegetables such as squash, eggplant, and green beans
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1 can coconut milk
• 3 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp colombo or mild curry powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups rice, for serving
• 2 limes, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs
• Salt and black pepper

Steps

1. Rinse the rice and simmer it in 2 1/4 cups salted water, covered, over the lowest heat for 15 minutes, then leave it covered off the heat.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 8 minutes, until soft and golden.
3. Add the garlic, ginger, colombo powder, and turmeric and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until the spices darken slightly and smell toasted rather than dusty.
4. That toasting step is what separates a colombo from a pan of raw curry powder; do not skip it or shorten it.
5. Add the tomatoes and cook for 6 minutes until they collapse, then add the vegetables and turn them in the spiced base.
6. Pour in the broth, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the vegetables are almost tender.
7. Add the coconut milk and the chickpeas and simmer uncovered over low heat for 10 minutes, keeping it below a rolling boil so the coconut milk does not split.
8. Stir in the lime juice off the heat, season with salt, and serve over the rice with the herbs and lime wedges.

Allergen note: Contains coconut.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.