Vegetarian County Captain - A Delicious Vegetable Curry Stew

"Food is not about impressing people. It's about making them feel comfortable." - Ina Garten, 'The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook'


Ina Garten's quote rings true! It's not about how fancy your food is or how difficult the cooking techniques required are, but about bonding with new people or old friends over a good meal.  I love cooking to bond with friends, whether that is cooking together or just eating together.


Which brings me to today's dinner, which I was making with two friends for eight people in total. I wanted to make something Vegetarian and with a lot of vegetables, so Maryn Juergens recommended this recipe to me (via Cooking Light) and I can't thank her enough! The recipe is Vegetarian and could also easily be gluten free! It's called Vegetarian Country Captain, but is pretty much a curry based vegetable stew served over rice and I also served it with naan. 

My cooking partners! From Left: Sarah (me), other Sarah (who took many of the photos in this post), and Loren

So I usually don't make things that require me to buy this many ingredients (or have them on hand), but it was for a big dinner with friends! So, I doubled this recipe and also served it with naan, so it easy made 8 servings, but probably closer to 10. Which definitely served as justification for all the extra preparation and ingredients. Easily fed 8 people...and made some good left overs! 


So let's get started...there is lots of CHOPPING to do.  

3 cups diced and peeled granny smith apples (about half a pound or 4 large apples) - Sarah McKibben gets credit for this photo

When it comes to cooking whether it is baking pies or making casseroles, Granny Smith is often the best type of apple to use.

 Finished Product--3 cups chopped, diced, and peeled apples



 3 Cups of White onion (I'd probably use yellow if I did this recipe again)

6 Minced Cloves of Garlic 

So now on to the actual cooking! The rice will probably take the longest to cook. So prepare rice in a rice cooker or according to instructions on package/box. I bought a rice pilaf mix, and it was very good! It just needed around 35 minutes to cook--so start that first. 

Step 3 (after chopping and preparing rice), heat oil (vegetable, olive, canola--whatever you have on hand) in a large skillet. Add chopped onion and cook for 7 minutes, until tender. Tip...wait until the pan and oil is hot before you add the onions--then they will be tender in right around 7 minutes.

Onions on their way to tenderness

Add the apples...

And cook for another five minutes.

 Make sure to stir frequently so the onions or apples don't get burnt!

Next add the flour, curry, and garlic; and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. [This step is not pictured]. To make this recipe gluten free, substitute flour for gluten-free flour. 

Add broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 2 minutes or until slightly thick. If it isn't thick enough add more flour. 

The mixture of apples, onions, flour, curry, garlic, and broth simmering.

Stir in chutney, cream (milk is a fine substitute), and salt. Add cauliflower and edamame; cook until cauliflower is tender, stirring occasionally. The recipe said 8 minutes, but I had to cook mine for around 14 minutes to get the cauliflower a good amount of tender. 

Added milk, cream, chutney, edamame, cauliflower

Letting this simmer for a while, and frequently stirring!

Dolce Vita Prosecco--my necessary cooking accessory

How to serve the dish....place a piece of naan on a plate, then serve the rice pilaf over it, and top with the Vegetarian Country Captain mixture. 

And ta dah...

 Then just add the raisins (or currants), sliced almonds, and cilantro....

There you have it, Vegetarian Country Captain!

Assessment: A delicious dish with a low calorie count per serving (473 calories per serving not including the naan). And no meat but lots of veggies and protein (edamame is filled with protein). The sweetness of the raisins and apples juxtaposed with the spicy curry is just  delectable! Almonds and edamame adds great texture. I also thought serving this dish with Naan was imperative. You need something to soak up the juices! And when using naan (or whole wheat pita) it just helps to emphasizes the  flavor of the dish because it is not overpowering.  It was also nice to individually add the almonds, raisins, and cilantro---so each person could get exactly the type of flavor they wanted!

I will definitely make this dish again, and was craving it for days after I ate it. I think this is a great thing for someone who cooks for one to make on a Sunday night, and then have dinner and lunch for the next two days--or all week if you double the recipe. And you shouldn't feel any guilt while enjoying it because it's low in calories and fat! 

My Recipe (with modifications) and the Original Recipe

Servings 4 (I doubled the recipe described in the blog post...but to make it easier I just posted the 4 serving recipe instead of the 8 serving one)

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  canola oil
• 1 1/2  cups  finely chopped onion (white or yellow)
• 1 1/2  cups  diced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1/2 pound)
• 1  tablespoon  all-purpose flour
• 1  tablespoon  curry powder
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  cups  vegetable broth
• 2  tablespoons  mango chutney
• 2  tablespoons  milk (or whipping cream)
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 3  cups  cauliflower florets
• edamame
• 3  cups  hot cooked rice pilaf
• 1/4  cup  dried currants (or raisins)
• 1/4  cup  sliced almonds, toasted
• Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
• 4 pieces of Naan or whole wheat pita

Heat a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add chopped onion, and cook for 7 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add apple; cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add flour, curry, and garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 2 minutes or until slightly thick. Stir in chutney, milk (or cream), and salt. Add cauliflower and edamame; cook for 8 minutes or until cauliflower is tender, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice, and top with currants (or raisins) and almonds. Garnish with cilantro  if desired.