Januaryu flew by and I managed to complete Veganuary. And did I celebrate? Not really, I have now got used to enjoying vegan food and will continue to remain vegan as long as I can and vegetarian all the time. On a positive note, Whilst I was doing Veganuary, I got interviewed by That’s TV Cambridge. Here is the link to my interview.
Most of my recipes can easily be made into vegan dishes and this curry is of them.
For a long time, I have noticed that one of my top recipes has been the Potato and Aubergine Curry . I wrote this recipe when I was fairly new to blogging and although it’s a dish I make regularly, I haven’t updated the pictures in that recipe as it has such warm feelings for me and I don’t want to jinx it by changing the photographs. Plus the curry is a favourite of mine too. Another Curry we often make is the aubergine and fenugreek curry which is really healthy. This week I substituted the fenugreek for kale and it worked really well using just the usual everyday spices.
What is kale? 
Information taken from here says that Kale is a cruciferous vegetable from the mustard family, which includes vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts, but it’s most closely related to cabbage. Like cabbage, its leaves are very tough and, while it’s growing, it can stand up to extreme temperatures–hot and cold. I bought the green curly kale but you can also get purple kale. Our farmers market brings these every week.
Is Kale good for you? This article lists all the benefits of Kale and I have copied them below.
1. Cancer Prevention
Kale contains cancer-fighting phytonutrients–compounds produced by plants which are sometimes called phytochemicals. These compounds may reduce the risk of chronic illnesses like cancer and cardiovascular disease.
2. Vision
Kale contains vitamin A, which supports eye health so you can see better for longer.
3. Strong Bones
Like spinach, kale contains calcium, which is critical for bone health. Not only that, but it’s also an excellent source of vitamin K, which helps with bone density and reduces the risk of fracture. In 2 cups of raw kale, you get about 160 mcg of vitamin K, or more than 130% DV.
Healing & Immunity
Kale is an excellent source of vitamin C, which supports growth, immunity and helps repair wounds. For 2 cups of raw kale, you get 40 mg of vitamin C, which is 44% DV.
5. Heart Health
Eating kale may also help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. A meta-analysis of eight studies found that eating plenty of leafy green vegetables is associated with a 15% decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Recipe:
There are lots of ways of cooking kale and adding them to a curry is the best way for getting my family to eat Kale. I usually add it to potatoes or aubergines.
Ingredients:
- 1 large aubergine
- 3 cup of chopped Kale ( I used curly Kale)
- 1 cup passata or tinned tomatoes
- 1 tbls oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds ( If you are watching calories, use 6-7 squirts of spray oil)
- I tbls lemon juice
Spices:
- Salt to taste
- Chili powder to taste
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp coriander and cumin powder (dhana jiru)
- 3-4 cloves of fresh garlic
Method:
1.Dice the aubergine into cubes and soak them in cold water to avoid them going brown. Wash and chop the kale into small strips.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the cumin seeds to the oil and wait for them to go dark. If you are watching calories, heat the cumin seeds first and once you get the aroma of the cumin warming, spray the oil over them.
3. Drain the aubergine and add to the saucepan. Add the Kale too and all the spices and garlic as listed under the spices in ingredient list. Mix and add a cup of water and cover and cook until the vegetables start to soften. This should take about 10 minutes.
4. Once the vegetables soften, add the passata or tinned tomatoes and mix. Also add the lemon juice now. If the curry looks too dry, you can add half a cup of water.
5. Allow the kale and aubergine curry to simmer for 5-7 minutes and then it’s ready to serve hot with any Indian bread.
You may wish to try more recipes using aubergine from my blog:
- Masala and Coconut Stuffed Aubergine and Potato Curry
- Spinach and aubergine mash curry
- Aubergine pickle
Aubergine and Kale curry
Ingredients
- 1 Aubergine
- 3 cups Curly Kale
- 1 cup passata or tinned tomatoes
- 1 tbls sunflower oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbls lemon juice
Spice Mixture
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp coriander and cumin powder (dhana jeeru)
- 3-4 cloves fresh garlic minced using garlic press
- chili powder to taste
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Dice the aubergine into cubes and soak them in cold water to avoid them going brown. Wash and chop the kale into small strips.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the cumin seeds to the oil and wait for them to go dark. If you are watching calories, heat the cumin seeds first and once you get the aroma of the cumin warming, spray the oil over them.
- Drain the aubergine and add to the saucepan. Add the Kale too and all the spices and garlic as listed under the spices in ingredient list.
- Mix and add a cup of water and cover and cook until the vegetables start to soften. This should take about 10 minutes.
- Once the vegetables soften, add the passata or tinned tomatoes and mix. Also add the lemon juice now. If the curry looks too dry, you can add half a cup of water.
- Allow the kale and aubergine curry to simmer for 5-7 minutes and then it's ready to serve hot with any Indian bread.
Notes
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