Romanesco has a short season so it’s a grab it when you can sort of vegetable. This means we usually just steam it but we came across this veggie curry recipe by Tom Kerridge and it was the perfect weeknight bowl of goodness.
Wine Suggestion: This works with lighter whites like the La Piuma Pecorino from Italy, but can see it working with so many other whites. Balanced, easy fruit, medium bodied and with enough texture, like Italian whites tend to have, except for Pinot Grigio.
Romanesco, corn and coconut curry – serves 4
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 500g romanesco, cut into florets
- 300ml vegetable stock
- 400ml coconut milk
- 350g tin sweetcorn, drained
- 200g frozen peas
- a handful of coriander, chopped
- 1 long red chilli, finely sliced
- cooked rice, to serve
FOR THE FRIED PANEER:
- 225g paneer, cut into cubes
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Heat the oil in a wide, deep frying pan. Add the cumin seeds and sizzle for a few seconds, then add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
Turn the heat down, then add the ground spices and stir for 1 minute, then add the romanesco and stir-fry for 1 minute. Pour in the veg stock and half the coconut milk and cook for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the paneer. Put it into a bowl and mix with the turmeric and salt. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the paneer and cook until browned, 5-8 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Add the rest of the coconut milk to the romanesco and stir in the sweetcorn, peas, fried paneer and half the coriander. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 5 minutes. Season to taste.
Serve scattered with the chilli and the rest of the coriander.
(Original recipe from Tom Kerridge’s Fresh Start, Bloomsbury Absolute, 2018.)
Yumm