Meatless Meals Part 2: Village-Style Carrots with Sweet Potatoes and Peas

About a year ago, I solicited my friends on Facebook for their best vegetarian dishes. A lot of them recommended recipes from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian, a veritable bible of meatless recipes from around the globe. This James Beard Award-Winning book is almost too comprehensive - there are too many recipes to chose from!!

This was one of the first recipes I tried and I have made it many times since.  In fact, it has become one of my go-to weeknight meals because I usually have most of the ingredients on hand.  While the original recipe calls for fresh tomatoes that are grated to a puree, I have found that high quality canned crushed tomatoes work just as well.  For extra nutritional value, I substitute sweet potatoes in place of the original boiling potatoes. Store bought garam masala is pretty widely available, but you can make your own by grinding (in a clean coffee grinder): 1 tablespoon cardamom seeds, 1 tsp whole cloves, 1 tsp whole black peppercorns, 1 tsp whole black cumin seeds, a 2-inch stick of cinnamon, 1/3 of a whole nutmeg, and a curl of mace. Grind to a fine powder, and store in a tightly closed jar or tupperware.

Village-Style Carrots with Sweet Potatoes and Peas

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian. Clarkson Potter (January 2002).

Ingredients:

3 tbs peanut or canola oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and diced
1 (15-ounce) can of crushed tomatoes in juice, preferably Muir Glen
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne, or more to taste
2 tsps garam masala (store bought); or 1 tsp of home-ground
1/4 tsp ground tumeric
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunky dice
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water
1 cup defrosted peas

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and stir fry for a few minutes, just until the onion starts to brown.  Add the ginger and stir for another minute, until fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, cayenne, garam masala, and turmeric. Stir fry, on medium heat, for a few minutes, until the tomato mixture has thickened a bit. Toss in the carrots and potatoes and cook for another minute. Add the stock, or water, stir, and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and cook gently for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Add the peas, stir, and cover again. Cook another couple minutes, until the peas are cooked through.  Serve with rice or naan.