Winter in Ireland means stew becomes a regular menu feature. Irish stew is a world famous dish, but one that won’t feature in this house of vegetarians. Still, we need the heartiness and the warm filling elements of stew. I decided that’s what we needed last night.
Initially, I was going to whip up some Mulligatawny Soup but quickly realised I didn’t have all the ingredients. My health has taken a beating recently, and I wasn’t up to going to the shop, so dinner was going to have to be a stew version of Stone Soup.
This amount produces about 12 servings.
Ingredients
2 Potatoes
2 Yellow Onions
1 Tablespoon of Ginger Garlic Paste
1 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil
10 Dried Chillies
2 Green Apples
1 400ml Tin of Tomatoes
1 400ml Tin of Coconut Milk
1 400g Tin of Chickpeas
2 Teaspoons of Cumin Powder
2 Teaspoons of Cumin Seeds
1 Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon of Curry Powder
1 Teaspoon of Turmeric Powder
1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Cardamom
1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Mango Powder
1 Teaspoon of Dried Thyme
1 Teaspoon of Dried Rosemary
1 Cup of Red Lentils
1 Tablespoon of Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Tablespoon of White Balsamic Vinegar
1 Litre of Vegetable Stock
500g of Frozen Brussels Sprouts
Peel, and chop the onions.
Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan.
Add the onions, dried chillies, and cumin seeds.
Sauté until the onions are soft – about ten minutes.
Add the ginger-garlic paste, herbs and all the spices.
Lower the heat, and cook, stirring, for another five minutes.
Add the vegetable stock and lentils.
Bring to the boil.
Add the Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Turn the heat to low and leave to cook – stirring occasionally – for about 40 minutes.
Stir in the chickpeas, and coconut milk.
Cook for a further ten minutes.
Serve with rice, pasta, or crusty bread.
Austerity Bites 