Curried Vegetables & Bulgur

Audrey asked me for the recipe to a curried vegetable dish I made a few days ago. Since I don't really measure ingredients much, I'm going to do my best to document the curry sauce. It's actually a very easy one pot dish!

I've also included a recipe for bulgur pilaf, which I almost exclusively use these days instead of rice. Whole grain, high fiber bulgur is simple to prepare and very nutritious with a higher fiber and protein than white rice.

Potatoes, onion, red peppers, and string beans are among my favorite vegetables for this dish.
This batch includes asparagus, portobello & shitiaki mushrooms, and corn.

Enhancing a prepared curry paste makes the process so simple. I have made my own curry base and you can too. It will require picking up ingredients many people don't normally have in their pantry, such as turmeric and tamarind. Getting a good pre-made base is less time consuming and cost effective. I like many of the various Patak's curry pastes. I have also included a list of additional spices to help supplement a pre-made base. Feel free to add as much or as little based on your preferences.

Curried Vegetables

Ingredients:
4 Tbs Olive Oil
2 Medium Russet Potatoes (peeled & cubed)
1 Large Onion (sliced)
1 Cup Green Beans (chopped into 2" pieces)
1 Cup Asparagus (chopped into 2" pieces)
1 Medium Bell Pepper (cut into strips)
1 Cup Mushrooms (sliced)
1 Cup Corn (fresh or canned)
1 6 Oz. Can Tomato Paste
2 Tbs Patak's Vindaloo Curry Paste (Hot)

Additional Seasoning to add to taste:
Salt, Pepper, Aleppo Pepper, Garlic Powder, Ginger Powder, Curry Powder
Ground Cumin, Gharam Masala, Ground Cardimom, Ground Coriander

1. Heat olive oil in large pan big enough to hold all the vegetables and sauce. Sauté potatoes until they begin to brown. Add onions and continue to cook until onions begin to soften.

2. Stir in tomato paste, adding a little water if mixture becomes too dry. Stir in curry paste. Potatoes should be almost but not fully cooked at this point.

3. Continue to add vegetables, starting with those that take longer to cook. The ingredient list above is in the order I added my vegetables. Add water as necessary to keep the vegetables moving but the mixture should not be too saucy at this point.

4. Once the vegetables are almost cooked, add enough water create a thick sauce that almost covers the vegetables. Cover and continue to cook until vegetables are cooked to your liking.

Curried vegetables and bulgur served with a chopped salad and potato roll.
FYI, Armenian stores/bakeries generally have vegan option (like this potato roll) for lent.

Bulgur Pilaf

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Orzo Pasta
1 Cup Bulgur
2-1/4 Cups Water
Salt to Taste

1. Sauté orzo in non-stick pot on medium heat until it nicely browned but not burned.

2. Stir in bulgur, add water, increase heat to high until water boils.

3. Once water boils, stir one last time, reduce heat to low, cover pot, and cook for about 15 minutes.

4. Turn heat off and fluff bulgur before serving.

Other items can be added to the bulgur instead of the orzo, like sautéed onions or garbanzo beans. Butter can be used instead of oil, and the water can be substituted with broth.