Indian is a genre of food that I don't cook very often as I don't feel terribly confident at making it. There are so many spices required and I don't have half of them in my cupboard Regardless of this, I still make curries, by using Curry mixes I buy at the Preston Market. I have been making curries since I was first married, over 15 years ago.
This soup came about purely by chance. I was craving a soup and Curry at the same time. I took that opportunity to clean out my fridge and this is what I came up with. It was delicious! Feel free to use the vegetables and meats that you have in your fridge/freezer. I didn't want to be bothered going to the shops with Four children, so I didn't add potatoes or broccoli (which would work a treat).
I want to have bit of a chat about Curry Pastes (that you can buy in the grocery store). I think these are fantastic items, and I always have them on hand. There are many brands out there, but I personally use the Ayam products. They don't have as much oils in them, have an intense flavour and last for ages in the fridge (once opened). To buy each of the ingredients separately could be very costly, in addition, they don't keep as long. If I had better access to the fresh ingredients (and they were cheaper) I would make my own. But for this recipe, please know that store bought will work.
Enough about that. This is a soup that's surprisingly light while being fragrant. It takes less than 20 minutes to make and feeds up to 8 adults. One of my sons found it a bit "spicy" but happily ate it with a glass of milk. I on the other hand thought it was fabulous and therefore had to share!
Recipe:
1 tablespoon oil (I like coconut oil, but canola or peanut would work well too)
500g (just over a pound) of Ground Beef (lean is best)
1 onion, diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
3 tablespoons Massman Curry Paste
2 carrots, diced smallish
1/2 cup red lentils
10 cups of boiling water (no stock needed here!)
1/2 a cauliflower, each floweret cut into thirds
1/2 a bunch of silver beet, stems removed and chopped (or a few handfuls of fresh spinach)
1 x 425 g tin coconut milk
In a large heavy based pot heat the oil. Fry the meat and use a wooden spoon to break up any large clumps of meat. Add the onions, garlic and ginger. Fry for 2 minutes. Add the Curry paste and fry until you can smell it and it becomes fragrant (about 90 seconds).
Add the boiling water, lentils and carrots. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer. Add the cauliflower and stir every 5 minutes for 15 minutes (the lentils will settle to the bottom of the pan and will stick if not moved and stirred).
Add the coconut milk and the silver beet. Stir through and simmer for a further couple of minutes.
Serve in large bowls and enjoy!
Happy cooking!
Elizabeth x
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