Coconut Cauliflower Chickpea Curry

This is probably my favorite Indian curry.... The original recipe is the creation of the wonderful Yamuna Devi, one of Indian cuisine's most celebrated ambassadors. Her massive and delightful tome, Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking, was my very first Indian cookbook... and my last -- I have never found I've needed another. The amazing and endless number of recipes in the book and her thorough coverage of Indian cooking theory has meant that I have yet to run out of things to make or adapt. It is, indeed, a vegetarian cookbook and not a vegan one: as is common in India, there is much dairy throughout and some use of eggs. But if you follow basic substitution principles, nearly every one of the 500+ recipes are potential-vegan delights.

I used to make this curry slightly differently -- in steps, on a stove, as it was intended to be made. Then I started my love affair with my crockpot, and voilà... I started being able to enjoy this lushly aromatic dish far more often. I highly recommend making it in this crockpot fashion -- not just because it is less work, but because it produces both a more flavorful curry (the spices and other ingredients have longer to meld together, with the low heat keeping their innate qualities from being washed out) and a healthier one (no need for oil, and the low heat again, as it preserves more enzymes). Even if you are not a cilantro/fresh corriander fan, try a bit of it, finely minced, on this -- it is like an entirely new herb. Beluga lentils are available at most healthfood stores in bulk, and are starting to appear more regularly in standard supermarkets. And never fear, singletons: this curry freezes beautifully, so go ahead and make the whole recipe -- you'll have several weeks of scruptious, pre-made dinner on hand.

Coconut Cauliflower Chickpea Curry
yields 16-17 cups

1 c dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1/2 c dried green or brown lentils
1/2 c beluga lentils
2 medium sweet potatoes ("yams" to Americans -- think dark orange) with skin, large dice
4 cups chopped cauliflower (or 340 g frozen, which tends to be cheaper)
4 tsp yellow curry powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp ground corriander
2 tsp ground fennel
2 tsp brown or black mustard seeds
1 tsp freshly and finely ground white or green peppercorns
1 tsp Thai curry powder
1/2 - 1 tsp garam masala
4 c water
1 c regular (not light) canned coconut milk (half the can), or freshly made if you have the time
3/4 c unsweetened soymilk
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1-inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled
1 tsp sea salt
garnish:
1-2 Tbsp finely minced cilantro/fresh corriander per serving

1. Add everything through the water to the crockpot (if using frozen cauliflower, reserve to add later). Cover and set on low for 6-8 hours, until the chickpeas and lentils are tender, the sweet potatoes are starting to soften into the broth, and the liquid level is low.

2. Add remaining ingredients to a blender bowl, and blend on high until ginger is completely purreed and the resulting liquid is smooth. Pour into the crockpot and allow to cook 30-60 minutes more for flavors to meld. Serve hot, garnished with the cilantro/fresh corriander.

Total Recipe: 2421 calories
Per 1-cup serving: ~150 calories