Vegan Coconut Curry
Welcome to my Ayurveda & Yoga blog! I’m Evangeline and I’m an RMT and holistic health coach. I started my blog during covid to stay connected to my clients and share my love of cooking healthy, AYURVEDIC INSPIRED meals.
Ayurvedic cooking is a conscious approach to preparing and cooking tasty, nutritious, balanced meals using spices and herbs, and taking into consideration the external conditions such as the season and time of day, in addition to how you are feeling.
My son is not a big fan of raw coconut, but he does goes for coconut cream added to dishes. This is one of them, a coconut curry with lentils. In this dish I used split mung beans. Spiced just right for our family, not too hot that is, by adding the tiniest bit of thai green chili. This dish has other warming spices from the ginger, fenugreek, black pepper, and turmeric to balance out the cold, heavy coconut and the cooler temperatures of autumn, and with each spice and its specific action, they combine to create symphony of goodness for digestion, liver and physical channels. My hope is your discovery of the many health benefits of applying Ayurveda and Ayurvedic cooking principles to your cooking. Back to this dish, the creaminess of coconut works nicely to balance the dry quality of the fall season. It’s all about balance. Enjoy!
Vegan Thai Green Coconut Curry with Split Mung Beans, Carrots, Celery, Baby Broccoli and Zucchini, garnished with Cilantro, served with Spiced Quinoa and Basmati Rice
Ayurvedic Profile of Spices
Black peppercorn - heating, opens up channels, relieve congestion
Coriander - cooling, ushers toxins for elimination
Fennel - cooling, balancing effect on digestion
Fenugreek - heating quality, metabolizes fat and sugar
Ginger root - warming, relieve congestion, aids in digestion, relieves gas, anti-inflammatory
Thai green chili - heating quality, increase agni/digestive fire
Turmeric - keeps the liver clean, known in Ayurveda as a “friend to the liver”, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial
Vegan Coconut Curry
Yield: 2 - 3 Servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
½ cup split mung beans
1 tsp ghee or olive oil
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground fennel
1 Tablespoon ginger root
¼ tsp ground fenugreek
¼ tsp ground black peppercorns
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 small thai green chili (optional)
1 medium carrot
1 celery stick
1 bunch baby broccoli
½ cup - 1 cup coconut cream
1 - 1 ½ cups spring water
Soma salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Soak the split mung beans in cold water for at least 10 minutes. Rinse well.
Prep the spices, and vegetables, cutting the carrots, celery, and baby broccoli in bite size pieces.
On medium heat, in a medium size pot, warm the ghee or olive oil, then add all the spices, allowing the aroma of spices to build. Careful not to burn the spices.
Add the split mung beans, and stir quickly to avoid burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan, then add enough water to cover them 2 inches above, about 1 - 1 ½ cups. Turn up heat to high, and bring to a boil.
Once it boils, turn heat down to medium-low, add carrots, celery and baby broccoli stems, and cover with a lid. Cook for 20 minutes.
After 10 minutes of cooking, open lid add coconut cream and baby broccoli heads, and stir all together, salt to taste, and cover with lid again, and cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve warm with some grains, and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.
Enjoy!
References
Vaidya R. K. Mishra- Notes from Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda Courses, Practicum, Conferences and Lectures 2003-2015