Vegetable Curry (Bex Loftus)

My British companion and trainer, Bex Loftus, taught me how to make this curry. Besides being an environmentalist and activist, she was a vegetarian (and we weren't allowed to eat the meat in Russia anyway). The first time she made this, I was dreading having to eat it, but it smelled amazing, and I quickly learned that it tasted amazing too.
This recipe is about double what my family can handle.



Olive oil
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
8 tsp ground cardamom seeds*
6 tsp coriander (whole or ground)*
2½ tsp salt
Pepper to taste
6 whole carrots
1 cauliflower head
2-3 zucchini
1 eggplant
1 can garbanzo beans
Vegetable Soup Stock (opt)



Pour a thick layer of oil into a large pot (~¼” or less). Turn heat on medium. Chop onions and garlic and add to pot. Add bay leaves, tons of cardamom and coriander seasoning (until you can smell it), salt and pepper. Chop vegetables and add to pot, stirring occasionally. Add crisper veggies first (carrots, cauliflower) and then softer ones. *Add more cardamom and coriander until you can smell it. Add soup mix. Add enough water to coat all vegetables (about an inch deep). Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 1 hour. Curry is done when all vegetables are soft. Mash with a potato masher until vegetable pieces are quite small. Continue cooking until the water is cooked off the top. ~15 min. Make sure you can smell the coriander and cardamom. Add more if you can’t. Serve with warm homemade tortillas. Use torn off pieces of tortillas to scoop the curry into your mouth.

TWO TORTILLA OPTIONS:

Tortillas (mission recipe)
4 c flour
½ tsp salt
½ c + 1 Tbsp margarine, partly melted
1 c hot water

Mix together until dough is smooth. Keep bowl of dough covered while rolling tortillas. Roll until thin and cook in hot frying pan until barely bubbles (with only a few brown spots, if any)

Tortilla Mix (heart-hands-home.blogspot)
16 c flour (unbleached/add up to ½ whole wheat)
2 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp salt
1 c shortening

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and stir with whisk to fully mix. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or hands. Store mix in airtight container.

To Make Tortillas:

Place 2 c tortilla mix in a bowl, making a well in the center. Add ½ - ¾ c warm water, a little at a time, mixing until you have a soft dough. Knead dough for a short time till it becomes elastic. Cover with plastic and let it rest 10-15 min. Form 12 small balls ~1.3 oz each. Pull the dough around the bottom of the ball to make top smooth. Set aside, covered with plastic wrap. Dip dough balls in flour and roll out thinly. Cook on dry griddle preheated to 350° until top begins to bubble. Flip and cook for about 15 seconds more. To keep warm: stack between towels. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator.

Thank you, Sister Loftus for this recipe!