I have been dying to learn how to make a good curry dish, but I stayed away because I thought it would be super challenging and time consuming. Plus, despite my knack for nutrition, I do not consider myself ‘chef quality’ by any means. And I’m okay with that. Give me some quinoa and an avocado and I’m a happy camper. So the fact that this recipe was a success says a lot.

I adapted this recipe from another similar recipe which calls for chicken and does not include any vegetables. I do not eat chicken but still wanted to crete a similar consistency and texture so instead I got creative with different types of mushrooms, mainly shiitake. The dish is outstanding, super simple to prepare, grounding and so incredibly healthy. It literally contains over ten of the healthiest foods on the planet which include a variety of immune boosting anti inflammatory spices.

Whoever thinks Indian food is unhealthy, think again!

Here’s to your new fave meal!

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• A small pinch of ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 large onion, sliced root to tip
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 14-oz can organic coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp lime juice, or to taste
• 12-20 fresh basil leaves, torn roughly
• 4 large shiitake mushrooms
• 8 oz crimini mushrooms
• 2 cups broccoli
• 4 handfuls baby spinach
• 1 cup cooked quinoa mixed with basmati rice

DIRECTIONS

1 Mix the spices: In a small bowl, mix together the sea salt, ground coriander, cumin, ground cloves, cinnamon, ground cardamom, black pepper, cayenne and turmeric. You can alternatively use a ‘curry’ powder to make it easier, but I prefer portioning them out separately for the best flavor. Set aside.

2 Sauté onions, ginger, garlic, mushrooms, spices: In a wok or deep sauté pan, heat the oil over high heat. The moment the oil begins to smoke, add the onions and toss to coat in oil. Sear the vegetables for 3 minutes, stirring only enough to keep them from burning, but still allowing the onions to sear. Add the mushrooms, ginger, garlic and spice mixture and toss to combine, cook for 1 minute.

3 Add coconut milk, broccoli, simmer: Add the coconut milk and broccoli. Stir the mixture so that the broccoli is coated in the coconut milk. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover and cook for 5-10 minutes or until broccoli is steamed.

4 Add basil, spinach and lime juice: When veggies are tender, turn off the heat and add the spinach basil and lime juice. The spinach will steam quickly. Add more lime juice and salt to taste and serve over pre-cooked basmati rice/quinoa mixture.

Shayna Hiller

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