Cauliflower Rice with Basil Pesto and Simple Eggplant Curry
Fresh Basil out of the garden
Picture this:
It's end of the day; it's been a busy week; the family is hungry; and the fridge is looking rather empty... Sound at all familiar? I know what it is like to feel fatigued and unmotivated to cook, but this little recipe is bound to inspire and it tastes delicious. In addition, it can be prepared quickly and easily, ready to feed the hungry masses with minimal ingredients (all of which can be substituted with seasonal options). This is a good dish for Kapha individuals as it predominately contains the pungent, bitter and astringent tastes. If there is excess Kapha or a Kapha imbalance, exclude the sweet potato from the curry. This recipe can potentially be Vata/Pitta aggravating and should be a treated as a "sometimes" dish. The qualities of some of these ingredients (tomatoes, eggplants and cauliflower) are not recommended for Vata/Pitta in large quantities. The added spices however can help to pacify any potential imbalances. Experiment with spices and add ones which are suitable for your body type or current health need.
What you will need:
1 cauliflower
1-2 eggplants
1 sweet potato
3 shallots
1 bottle of homemade sauce (click here to get the recipe). Alternatively mix 3-4 tablespoons of tomato puree with 4 chopped tomatoes, add fresh herbs.
Pine nuts (or almonds) (optional)
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Olive oil and ghee
Pepper, salt (pink Himalayan rock salt), garam masala, cumin, ginger and turmeric
A few handfuls of fresh basil, leaves picked
Method:
Cut the eggplant and sweet potato into small cubes. Place the eggplant pieces into salted water. Set aside.
Break up one cauliflower into florets, place in a blender and blend until it reaches a consistency like rice. Set aside in a separate bowl.
Place basil (you can also add some spinach or rocket if you like), a tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, pine nuts or almonds (pre-soaked is ideal) and Parmesan cheese into the blender. Blend together to create a paste-like consistency. Set aside in a bowl.
Chop the shallots, grate the fresh ginger and combine with the other spices. Put into a medium heat frying pan with a tablespoon of ghee. (As a guide use 1/2 tsp cumin, pepper, turmeric and salt plus 1 teaspoon garam masala). Heat, stir and continue to cook until the spices become aromatic.
Drain the eggplant and squeeze out any excess water.
Add the eggplant and sweet potato to the spice mix and continue to cook, coating all pieces of the vegetable pieces with the spices and ghee. Once the vegetables have begun to soften gradually add the tomato sauce. Stir occasionally adding extra sauce and water as required. Continue to gently simmer until the eggplant and sweet potato is soft and well cooked.
In a second saucepan melt a tablespoon of ghee, add the cauliflower rice and mix through the ghee. Continuously stirring, gradually add the pesto and mix through. Continue to cook until the cauliflower has softened and is just cooked without being raw.
Serve together with the eggplant and enjoy.
