Week 1: No Hurry Vegetable Curry

I found this recipe by Robin Robertson on www.fatfreevegan.com. It came from a book titled Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker:

What to use:

1 tablespoon peanut oil -- (I used olive oil.)
2 large carrots -- sliced diagonally
1 medium yellow onion -- chopped
3 cloves garlic -- minced
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 large Yukon gold potatoes -- peeled and diced (I used yams.)
8 ounces green beans -- cut 1-inch thick
1 1/2 cups chickpeas -- rinse, if canned
15 ounces canned tomatoes -- drained (I used stewed tomatoes.)
2 cups vegetable stock (fatfree)
1/2 cup green peas, frozen -- thawed
1/2 cup canned coconut milk -- (I used lite, low fat coconut milk.)

What to do:

1. Sauté the onion in oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the spices and stir to coat.

(My coriander was old and had turned into light brown fluff similar in appearance to brown sugar. I tasted it because I was suspicious that my husband had put brown sugar in an empty coriander jar. He hadn't. The coriander, over time, had simply become weird. Further investigation is necessary. I used it anyway.)

2. Transfer the vegetable mixture to your slow cooker & add potatoes, green beans, beans, tomatoes & soup.

(I also added my carrots and garlic here. I'm not sure why these were omitted by the recipe on the website. There was some initial panic - it didn't look like everything would fit in my 2 quart slow cooker. Luckily everything did fit.)

3. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

(I turned on my slow cooker at 9 AM and instructed my husband to turn it off between 3 and 5 PM. I will be at work. Two hours into the cooking process the house smells like curry and takes me back to the days I traveled in India.)

4. Just before serving add the peas & coconut milk and season with salt to taste. Adjust other seasonings if necessary.

Results:

The jury is still out on this recipe. When I get home from work tonight I'll add the peas and coconut milk, allowing the recipe to stew for a little while in the slow cooker. It will be stored in the refrigerator overnight and we'll eat it for dinner tomorrow night over basmati rice.

More details to follow...