New Potato, Chard & Coconut Curry

view all

If like me you’ve grown way more chard than you can eat and you don’t know what to do with it? This dish will make you fall in love with chard all over again. This recipe is from the book East by Meera Sodha* and my aim for next year is to grow the majority of the ingredients to make this. I’ve already got the chard, peas and garlic sorted, next step is the ginger, onion and potatoes. Should be manageable right?

“This dish started life in Karnataka, on the west coast of India. It’s a spin on saagu, a curry of whatever vegetables happen to be in season, cooked gently in a soothing, spiced coconut sauce. It’s filling enough to be restorative, quick enough to cook midweek and light enough to be good company on a summer’s night. If you don’t have a blender, chop the garlic, ginger and chillies as finely as your fingers and knives will allow, and cook for an extra five minutes. Serves four when served with rice and chapatti or naan. Just on it’s own would serve as a large meal for two.”

*recipe and main image from the book East by Meera Sodha

Ingredients

1 tsp cumin seeds
3 cloves of garlic
peeled and roughly chopped
2.5cm ginger
peeled and roughly chopped
2 green finger chillies
roughly chopped
30g desiccated coconut
1x 400ml tin of coconut milk
3 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 large onion
halved and thinly sliced
600g new potatoes
halved lengthways, or chopped in equal sizes
1½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp salt
200g rainbow chard
stems chopped, leaves shredded (keep separate)
250g frozen peas
defrosted

Directions

  1. Put the cumin, garlic, ginger, chillies and desiccated coconut into a blender with just enough of the coconut milk to blitz everything to a smooth paste. Add the rest of the coconut milk and lightly pulse (over-mixing might split it) to a sauce-like consistency.
  2. In a wide frying pan for which you have a lid, heat the oil over a medium flame and fry the onion for 5 minutes, until translucent.
  3. Add the potatoes cut side down and fry for around 10 minutes, until they are lightly golden brown and the onions are soft, dark and sticky.
  4. Stir in the garam masala, turmeric and salt, then add the coconut sauce and bring up to a gentle bubble.
  5. Add the chard stems, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
  6. Add the leaves and the peas, cover again and simmer for a final 5 minutes, until the chard stems, peas and potatoes are tender and the leaves have wilted.Serve with basmati rice or chapattis and a fiery pickle on the side.