Tomato Coconut Curry with Sourdough Flatbread

17 min · 2 servings · easy · Indian

Ingredients

Curry

• 2 tbsp coconut oil, or ghee
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped; peel if not young ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 fresh red chili, sliced
• 1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
• 4 medium (about 1 1/2 lb / 680 g) tomatoes, roughly chopped, skin on
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup (about 5 oz / 140 g) frozen spinach, a few chunks
• 1 bunch (about 8 oz / 225 g) asparagus, cut into pieces; or broccoli, eggplant, zucchini
• salt, to taste
• 1/2 lime, juiced

Sourdough Flatbread

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 cup active sourdough starter
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• small handful cilantro stems and leaves, thinly sliced
• pinch salt

Method

1. Build the base
2. Heat the coconut oil in a 10-inch pan over medium heat, add the chopped ginger and garlic and fry, stirring constantly so they don't burn, about 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
3. Add the sliced chili and the curry powder and toast with the aromatics for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, raise the heat to medium-high and cook about 2 minutes until they start breaking down, then mash them into a chunky sauce.
5. Stir in the coconut milk and frozen spinach and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the spinach thaws and the curry thickens, a few minutes.
6. Make the flatbread
7. Meanwhile melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat (go gentle on induction), pour in the sourdough starter and spread into a round.
8. Sprinkle with curry powder, sliced cilantro stems and leaves, and salt; cook until golden underneath, about 2–3 minutes, then flip and cook the other side until golden and cooked through.
9. Finish
10. Season the curry with salt, add the asparagus and simmer 2–3 minutes until just tender.
11. Taste, adjust salt, squeeze in lime juice and serve with the flatbread or over leftover rice.

Tips

• Bloom the curry powder in the oil with the aromatics before adding tomatoes for the deepest flavor.
• If you forget the spices, push the tomatoes aside and toast the spices in the clear spot before stirring together.
• Any quick-cooking veg works in place of asparagus: broccoli, zucchini or eggplant.
• Use ghee or coconut oil; make it fully vegan by cooking the flatbread in oil instead of butter.
• No starter? Brush store-bought naan with butter and pan-fry with a little curry powder, or mix equal parts Greek yogurt and flour with a pinch of salt and fry.
• Induction heats butter very fast, so use moderate heat to avoid burning the flatbread.
• Quantities for aromatics, spices, tomatoes and veg were not stated and are estimates; only the 1 cup coconut milk was given.
• Don't skip the lime—acidity brightens the curry.
• Rinsed rice simmered in plenty of water can be ready in 10–15 minutes if you want rice.