Autumn is well and truly upon us guys – September is over (where did that go?!), and the weather has definitely taken a turn for the chilly! I’ve had a hat AND gloves on on my walk to and from college this week – a sure sign winter is coming! But that means we get to DIVE into gorgeous seasonal recipes, which I am VERY excited about. I was born in Boston, so Autumn always means Thanksgiving and all of the pumpkin and root vegetable love as we move towards Christmas. Yep, I said it! So, this curry is a celebration of a recipe full of warmth and comfort. I am delighted to have created it with the new Avonmore Cooking Cream. With 50% less fat than standard cooking cream, Avonmore have created a product that adds a gorgeous smooth consistency and depth to a curry, with a lighter macro-nutrient profile. It gave my curry a really lovely texture and taste, and I’m really proud to have worked on this with such a prominent Irish brand, one my family have been buying for as long as I can remember! This recipe is a plant-based and vegetarian (as is my custom!), but you can of course add meat such as chicken breast or turkey to it. I’ve made it for my family both ways, and it’s a great one to add leftover turkey meat to come Christmas time! You’ll find Avonmore on Instagram @tasteofavonmore.

Recipe (Serves 5)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 red onion
• 1 green chili
• 1.5 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp each of ground cumin, turmeric and coriander
• 1 tsp dried coriander leaf
• 1/2 tsp mild chili powder
• 3 medium carrots, peeled
• 1 medium courgette
• 2 small sweet potatoes or 1 medium-large sweet potato
• 1 400g can of chickpeas
• 1 400ml tin of chopped tomatoes
• 300ml of water
• 150ml of Avonmore Cooking Cream
• To Serve: 5 Servings of Brown Basmati Rice + Fresh handfuls of spinach

Method

1. Prepare your vegetables, garlic and chili first. Peel and finely dice the garlic clove, then de-seed and finely dice the green chili.
2. Prepare the red onion by peeling and finely chopping. Next, peel the carrots and dice up both the carrots and the courgette. Wash the sweet potatoes, and chop them into 1 inch chunks.
3. Heat the olive oil in a pot on a medium heat, and then tip in the garlic and red onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions are translucent.
4. Combine the spices in a small bowl, and then tip them into the pot. Cook for another 3-4 minutes so the onions are coated in spices.
5. Add the carrots, courgette and sweet potato chunks, and cook for another couple of minutes.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes, followed by the water and chickpeas, and stir.
7. Add the Avonmore Cooking Cream, and stir it into the curry. Season with a pinch of sea salt and a twist of black pepper.
8. Bring the curry to the boil, then turn the heat down to the lowest setting, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Check at 20 minutes to ensure the sweet potato is cooked – pierce the flesh of one of the chunks with a fork, and it should be soft. If not, simmer for another 5 minutes.
10. Hey presto – your curry is ready! Serve with a side of brown basmati rice, or some fresh greens like spinach for a lighter meal.

Enjoy guys! Make sure you tag myself @theirishbalance if you try this recipe out!

Ciara 🙂 x