the perfect winter curry

I don’t normally like to list the number of calories first in a list of virtues about a particular food, but it’s worth a mention when it comes to swede. Per 100 g, there are only 23 calories! Add that to the fact that swede is filling, tasty, and, quite importantly, cheap, and it’s obvious that this is a vegetable not to be ignored.

The history of the humble swede (also called rutabaga) is such that many people avoid it like the plague. In wartimes and famine, the vegetable continued to be cultivated, so that it was an everyday meal. I can understand how that might get a bit boring.

Here’s the fun part – coming up with exciting and different ways to use swede. Try this one – I did last night, with excellent results.


Swede, lentil and spinach curry

(serves 2)



1 medium onion, chopped roughly

1 clove of garlic, chopped

50 g lentilles vertes, rinsed

1 swede (about 500 g), peeled and chopped into 2-3 cm cubes

1 can of chopped tomatoes

water

10-20 sprays of olive oil

3 large handfuls of spinach, rinsed

150 g brown rice, rinsed

spices, to taste (feel free to add your own mixture), including:
curry powder (or garam masala),
cinnamon,
ground ginger,
ground coriander,
turmeric,
mustard seeds,
cumin seeds and/or ground,
ground cardamom,
cloves




Preheat the oven to 200 C. Add the swede to a saucepan with cold water and parboil for approximately five minutes. Drain and add to a foil-lined roasting tin with a few sprays of olive oil and plenty of curry powder. Roast for 30 minutes.



Add the lentils to a small saucepan with plenty of water and boil for 10 minutes, then reducing to a simmer for 30 minutes.



Add the rice to boiling water. Bring back to the boil and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 30 minutes.



When 10 minutes are left until the swede is done, heat the olive oil spray in a wok. Once hot, add the onion and all of the spices and stir quickly to toast the spices while making sure they don’t burn. Add the garlic. Stirfry quickly for a couple of minutes, then adding the chopped tomatoes. Fill the can with water (or stock, if preferred) add add to the mixture. Bring to a bubble and then reduce the heat to medium. Check the sauce for taste, adding spices as desired.



Add the lentils, first draining excess liquid if necessary. Remove the swede from the roasting tin, mixing well to ensure the swede is covered by the sauce. Allow to bubble for at least another 10 minutes, though you can leave it longer if you like to allow the flavours to really soak in.



Add the spinach and mix through until wilted.



Drain the rice and transfer to large bowls. Spoon the curry over the rice and serve immediately.



Half of the curry + a 50g serving (dry) of brown rice = 425 calories.


I gave my husband 100 g worth of rice, partly to fill him up so he won’t snack on a lot of rubbish later in the evening! He absolutely loved it, and I got the official seal of approval: “We can have this again.”