Coconut Curry Vegetables with Mango

Turmeric, coriander and cumin are the base for many a curry. Here’s a fun fact: curry doesn’t actually refer to a spice, but a sauce. That’s what ‘curry’ actually means: ‘sauce’. Most curries are reliant on a blend of spices that vary depending on the area they’re from, but most likely turmeric, coriander and cumin are going to be big players in the curry chorus.

By itself, turmeric is a super spice with so many health claims it would be hard to list them all. Most notably turmeric is recognized as being a source of curcumin which is known to have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. In fact, curcumin is such a powerful anti-inflammatory that it’s considered just as effective as many of the ant-inflammatory pharmaceuticals – without all the miserable side-effects or increased chances of heart attack, stroke or stomach bleeding! Chronic inflammation is tied to such a slew of Western diseases that turmeric seems like a natural go-to for maintaining good health. Even your brain can benefit because it’s linked to improved brain function too! So you can be fully physically functional and smart too!

One thing it’s not good for, though, are your clothes! Get some of this stuff on you and you may as well dye whatever it is saffron and join some alternative religious cult!

Kids Seal of Approval

This curry recipe incorporates some powerful spices that are as great for your health as they are for your palate. The whole dish could be considered an immune booster! Depending on whatever it is you’ve got on hand, you can vary the vegetables too. This combination really does taste wonderful but it’s not set in stone! However- whatever you do, don’t forget the mango. It was the kid’s suggestion and really puts the whole dish over the top! I have no problem giving them all the credit.

On the other hand, I didn’t have the most receptive audience when I was creating this curry dish: one of the kids wasn’t into cauliflower, another claimed a sudden ‘green bean allergy’. Thankfully my many years of mothering have made me immune to these kind of protestations. But surprisingly, when it was all done and served, everybody forgot what they were they were ‘allergic’ to and pronounced it “really good”. There was, miraculously, neither a green bean or cauliflower floret left on any plate. Now that’s success.

RAW VEGAN RECIPE: Coconut Curry Vegetables with Mango

1 small red bell pepper, sliced thin

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

3/4 cup green beans, ends removed, sliced into 2 inch lengths

1/2 small cauliflower, crumpled into small florets

kernels removed from one cob of corn

1/2 cup bean sprouts

1 whole mango, peeled and cubed

Curry Sauce

1/2 cup liquid coconut oil

1/2 cup coconut milk (see below)

1 Tbsp. ground coriander

1 Tbsp. ground turmeric

3/4 Tbsp.ground cumin

2 teaspoons grated ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper

Garnish

2 Tbsp. lemongrass, finely chopped

1/4 cup lightly chopped basil leaves

Preparation

Prepare all vegetables and fruit and place in bowl.

Put all ingredients for sauce in a blender and process until smooth.

Pour sauce over vegetable/ fruit mixture and toss to incorporate. Could be ready to eat at this point but better to marinate for 30 minutes or more.

When ready to eat, sprinkle with lemongrass and basil.

Enjoy!