Root Veggie Curry with Roasted Chickpeas By Lucy Leonardi

There’s nothing more warming than a curry. Curries are also a great way to use up any vegetables you have in the fridge, so remember to check what needs to be eaten first!

Ingredients:

Curry Sauce
½ small white onion, roughly chopped
3-centimetre piece ginger
2 garlic cloves
1 green chilli (optional)
4 makrut lime leaves
1 stick lemongrass (choose the bottom inner part as it is softer to blend)
1 small bunch coriander, stems included
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
200 millilitres coconut milk
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
Roasted Vegetables:
1 small eggplant
1 small carrot
1 small parsnip
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
Roasted Chickpeas:
1 x 400-gram tin chickpeas, drained
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
For serving:
1 teaspoon dried mint (optional)
Lime wedge
Jasmine rice, cooked according to packet instructions

Method:

First, make a curry paste by placing the roughly chopped onion, ginger, garlic,chilli, makrut lime leaves, lemongrass and coriander in a food processor and blend until combined. You can add a splash of water if it helps the processor to run smoothly.
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat then add the curry paste and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Turn the heat to low then add coconut milk, brown sugar and light soy sauce. Simmer on
low heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens. Set aside.
To roast the root vegetables, preheat oven to 180ºC. Quarter all vegetables lengthways then place them in a roasting tray, drizzle with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for about 40 minutes or until tender.
On a separate baking tray, scatter chickpeas and toss in smoked paprika and oil. Put tray in oven along with roasting vegetables. The chickpeas can be taken out after 20 minutes or when they are crunchy – allow one to cool before testing for
crunchiness as they will be very hot!
To serve, make a bed of curry sauce on a serving plate then arrange the roasted vegetables and chickpeas on top. Sprinkle on some dried mint (optional), add a squeeze of lime juice and serve with warm jasmine rice.