THE MULLUM CURRY

WORDS: PHOTOGRAPHY

SERVES 4

The farmers’ markets in the Byron Bay region are excellent thanks to passionate farmers who grow some of the most delicious produce I’ve ever tasted. One of my favourite markets is in Mullumbimby. It’s a social gathering as much as a weekly shop, with everyone chatting away and tucking into coee and market food under a big, beautiful fig tree. And not a mobile phone in sight! It takes less than 30 minutes to make but packs a punch in terms of flavour and nutrition. I love it with brown rice and minty yoghurt. Thank you to all the farmers that nurture and grow our food!

200 g (1 cup) dried chickpeas

(see note)

2 tablespoons yoghurt,

whey or lemon juice

2 tablespoons coconut oil

12 curry leaves

2 teaspoons yellow

mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 large onion, sliced

3 cm piece of ginger, finely grated

2 garlic cloves, crushed

11⁄2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon garam masala

1⁄2 teaspoon ground turmeric

pinch of ground cinnamon

2 long green chillies, sliced

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

50 g (1⁄2 bunch) coriander, roots

and stems finely chopped,

leaves reserved to serve

1 x 400 ml can coconut cream

400 g butternut pumpkin,

peeled, deseeded and cut

into 2 cm pieces

500 g cauliflower florets

200 g green beans, trimmed

and halved

120 g baby spinach leaves

cooked brown rice, to serve

Minty cucumber yoghurt,

to serve (see page 192)

Place the chickpeas in a bowl with plenty of water and 2 teaspoons of

yoghurt, whey or lemon juice. Cover with a tea towel and leave to soak

overnight. They will double in size, so you’ll end up with about 2 cups

of chickpeas.

The next day, drain and rinse the chickpeas and place in a saucepan.

Add enough water to cover the chickpeas by about 3 cm. Bring to the boil,

reduce the heat and cook, uncovered, for 1–11⁄2 hours or until tender.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the curry

leaves and cook for 30 seconds until bright green and crisp. Use a slotted

spoon to transfer the curry leaves to a plate. Set aside.

Add the mustard and cumin seeds to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute

until the seeds pop and become fragrant. Add the onion, ginger, garlic,

coriander, garam marsala, turmeric, cinnamon and chilli and cook, stirring,

for 3–4 minutes until the onion softens. Add the tomato, coriander roots

and stems, coconut cream, pumpkin and cauliflower, and cook for a further

3–4 minutes until the vegetables soften. Stir in the beans, chickpeas and

spinach, season and cook for a further 2 minutes or until the spinach has

wilted and the vegetables are tender.

Spoon into serving bowls, top with the coriander and curry leaves and serve

with brown rice. A dollop of minty cucumber yoghurt is a delicious offset

to the heat and spice.

NOTE

If you can get your hands on a 2 cm piece of kombu or wakame (types of seaweed that

you can find in most health-food stores), pop it into the liquid when you’re soaking and

cooking the chickpeas – it helps to soften them.

Magdalena Roze’s debut cookbook is all about enjoying food, the natural way. It is also about achieving a balanced lifestyle with simple rituals that nourish the body and soul, and teach us the importance of slowing down, bringing an element of simplicity and wholeness into our lives.  

Magdalena’s food is simple, nutritious and delicious. Many of her recipes are based on traditional wholefoods or ‘foods with a function’ that not only taste great but also have great health benefits…

HAPPY AND WHOLE

Wholefood recipes and ideas to nourish the body, soul and home.

Published April 2017

RRP $39.99 / Paperback

“This book is about the joy of cooking and sharing food, slowing

down and moving towards a more natural and balanced way of

nourishing ourselves. It’s all about a commonsense approach

that focuses on real, unprocessed, nutrient-rich foods that make

us feel good and are as close to their natural state as possible.” – Magdalena Roze