Yellow Curry Basmati with Quick Pickled Beets

Recipe and photo by Emma Frisch

Ingredients:

For Yellow Curry Sauce:

• Hot water – 5 tablespoons
• Boiled potatoes – 4 tablespoons (if you’d prefer Red Curry, substitute for boiled beets!)
• Garlic – 1 clove, grated
• Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon, fresh squeezed
• Yellow curry powder – 1 tablespoon
• Coriander seeds – 2 teaspoons, toasted and ground
• Fresh ginger – 2 teaspoons
• Lemon zest – 1 teaspoon
• Yellow mustard seed – 1/2 teaspoon, toasted and ground
• Ground cumin – 1/4 teaspoon
• Turmeric – 1/4 teaspoon
• Ground cinnamon – 1/4 teaspoon
• Tahini – 1/4 cup

For Spiced Basmati Rice:

• Carrots – 1/2 cup, diced
• Onion – 1/2 cup, diced (yellow or red)
• Water – 4 tablespoons
• Thyme – 1 3-inch sprig, or 1 teaspoon dried
• Cinnamon stick – 1, broken in two pieces
• Basmati rice – 1.5 cups, ideally brown
• Water – 3 cups

Quick Pickled Beets:

• Beets – 2 cups, raw or boiled, very thinly sliced
• Lemon juice – 1/4 cup, fresh squeezed
• Sea salt – 1 teaspoon
• Garnish
• Cilantro leaves – To your heart’s content!

Instructions:

For Yellow Curry Sauce:

1. For the best flavor, toast and then ground the spices. In a blender, whip all of the ingredients together into a smooth, light sauce. For a “Red Curry Sauce” substitute the mashed potatoes for mashed boiled beets.

For Spiced Basmati Rice:

1. Combine the carrots, onion and 4 tablespoons of water in a medium pot and bring to a simmer.
2. Add the thyme, cinnamon stick, rice and water, and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook for about 30 minutes, until the rice has fully absorbed the water. Remove from heat and keep covered for 10 minutes to steam.

For Quick Pickled Beets:

1. Mix the beets, lemon juice and salt together in a bowl. Let marinate for as long as possible (refrigerate if longer than 30 minutes). When ready to serve, rinse the beets to remove the lemon juice and salt.

To serve, pour the curry sauce over the rice and beets. Garnish with cilantro.

For more recipes by Emma Frisch, visit her food blog at www.emmafrisch.com

This recipe is from the 3-Season Diet Challenge – a 12-month guide to eating with the seasons as nature intended. This FREE program takes you through a year of eating seasonally with month-to-month support and guidance. You can start the challenge anytime throughout the year. >>> Learn more and sign up here!

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