It doesn’t make the prettiest of pictures but that’s curry for you. This is one of those anything-goes curries and is a great way to use some of those trickier items in the veggie box. On this particular occasion, the vegetable that mystified me most was runner beans. I know this is staple British fare but where I’m from in the US, I’d never seen them before. So when a big bunch of runner beans arrived in the Riverford box last week, I was mystified. When in doubt: make a curry. And in this case, the runner beans turned out to be the star of the show.

To make this curry, I had on hand my friend Donovan, a real Master of Taste especially when it comes to Asian flavours. We were lucky to have some fresh turmeric around (gratefully received from my friend Jo at Demuths Cookery School) which we combined with cumin, coriander, chilli, lime and coconut to create a tangy, creamy spicy sauce for the vegetables. In addition to the runner beans, we also made use of carrots, potatoes, celery, red pepper and broccoli, all from the Riverford box. The beans really made this dish, though, their fresh green flavour going perfectly with the coconut sauce.

We ate this like a soup with some crusty sourdough bread – a bit of fusion, I know – but you could also have it over rice or noodles.

Mixed Vegetable and Tofu Coconut Curry

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1tsp ground coriander
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• juice of one lime
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 inch chunk of fresh turmeric, finely chopped (or 1/4 tsp turmeric powder)
• 1 inch chunk of ginger, finely chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 potatoes, peeled, diced and par-boiled
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 8-10 runner beans, sliced into then 2-inch pieces
• 250g tofu, cubed
• 1 tin coconut milk
• salt and pepper
• handful of fresh coriander, chopped

Method

1. In a small bowl, combine the coriander, cumin, cayenne, sugar, paprika, lime juice and some salt and pepper (and the turmeric powder if using).
2. Heat the coconut oil in a wok or frying pan on medium heat. Add the turmeric, ginger, garlic, onion, carrots, celery and red pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender.
3. Add the lime juice and spices and stir to combine. Add the coconut milk, tofu, runner beans and broccoli and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked but still have some bite to them.
4. Serve garnished with fresh coriander and lime wedges.

Also seen on Great British Chefs.