The Vegbox Vindaloo

Plus the spellbinding ritual of creating your own spice blend and army of admirers

Veggie Vindaloo my friends! Feel the heat rioting through your veins and servicing every hair follicle.

There's something so special about making your own spice blend. The perfume from toasting and crushing each ingredient is utterly bewitching and absorbing. Their combined fragrance is guaranteed to fizz around your nervous system and embalm your senses. And under this heavy mouse-grey sky, I need some comforting food, soul-thumping nourishment, and exciting alchemy.  

So this month, the focus is on home-made spice blends without the unnecessary wastage of money, plastic or patience. No MSG. Zero preservatives or anti-caking agents. And total control over your salt intake.

I had a look at my spice shelf, and the veggies loitering in my fridge. Channeling my inner Ainsley Harriott, there was definitely a fabulously-tasty, zero waste curry to be made. In fact, you probably have all the ingredients listed for this week's Vindaloo loitering in your cupboard already. I've designed this recipe to use whatever veg you have left over from your vegbox delivery or weekly shop.

Usually, meat is the main star of Vindaloo. A medley of pepper, aubergine, sweet potato or green bean will equally cast a spell over your dinner table. Even left-over boiled baby potatoes work a treat. Caramelised pumpkin is always a good idea, as is extra chilli and waterproof mascara.

Use what you have! (As you can see from the photos, I had one sad carrot, a few despondent peppers looking to expire in the coming days, and one quarter of a pumpkin).

Let me know how you get on in the comment section below? And your favourite combinations?

Wishing you continued health and wild amounts of happiness in the kitchen!

Love, light, and Vindaloo,  

Susan Jane

Explosively tasty, rich, vibrant Veggie Vindalo

// Vegbox Vindaloo //

Serves 6, freezes well

4 teaspoons whole cumin seeds

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

2 whole star anise

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder (or to your preference)

6-8 cloves garlic, peeled

Thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger

4 tablespoons pomegranate molasses or white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil

2 brown onions, peeled and diced

1x400g tinned cherry or chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons honey, maple or date syrup

300ml stock

2 trays of roasted veg (I also added cooked kidney beans to stretch it out)

Natural yoghurt, to serve

Fresh coriander leaves, to serve

Your favourite style of rice, to serve

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Step 1

Dry fry the cumin, cloves, peppercorns and star anise in a pan (no oil) over a medium to high heat, until your nostrils start dancing.

Step 2

Remove your pan from the heat, and transfer the toasted spices to a coffee grinder or pestle and mortar. Blitz or grind until fairly fine.

Step 3

Add in the cinnamon, chilli, raw garlic, ginger and vinegar and pound or blitz until smooth. Your Vindaloo paste is ready!

Step 4

In a heavy-based pot, gently heat some butter or coconut oil and sauté the onions until caramelised. Tip in the Vindaloo paste, whack up the heat, and stir for one minute. Now you can add the tomatoes, favourite syrup and stock. Let it reduce and putt-putter for 10 minutes before adding your trays of roasted veg.

Step 5

Tip in your roasted veg, and cook for a further 15 minutes. You’ll have an explosively tasty meal to share, or store away in the freezer for a busy day! Serve in deep bowls with optional rice, alongside natural yoghurt and fresh coriander. Fried bread crumbs or pistachios can give a delicious crunch in the absence of crispy chickpea poppadoms.

Tips;

• Before step 5, you can buzz the pot's contents in a blender to make a super smooth sauce, before adding your roasted veg.

• Sunday roast leftovers also work here - cooked chicken and boiled spuds can be added in place of the two trays of veg.

• Go ahead and replace the vinegar with the juice of 1 lemon if preferred.

• If you only have one veggie to roast, you can bulk out the dish with a drained tin of kidney beans for example. Extra points for those SCFAs we delved into in April and May!

• I roasted my red peppers together on one tray, and the pumpkin, fennel and carrot on another tray. I wasn't confident they would all roast perfectly at the same time - better safe than sorry!

• Instead of adding honey, try chopped dates or unsulphured apricots.

• Check the discount shelf at your local supermarket. My local Dunnes Stores often sells heads of cauli for 40c, to be used same-day. I'll roast 2 or 3 heads and make a crazy good cauli Vindaloo for next to nothing.

• Local organic veg box schemes need your support to survive. Ireland lost its last organic beetroot farmer in 2022, due to lack of demand. This is a skillset that is now gone - an unwise and worrying predicament for an island to land itself in. For the future of our agriculture, for the health of our soil, and for the security of self-sufficiency as a country, I would urge everyone to seek out a farm-delivery box scheme. Green Earth Organics delivers all over Ireland, if you fancy starting there. You can shop far beyond veggies in this clever online store. I notice they have a 20% discount code on first-time orders ... NEW20.

• To save on plastic and on finances, your local refill centre will sell these Vindaloo spices by weight. The Source Bulk in Rathmines, and Pax in Westport both deliver plastic-free all over Ireland. You might like to order your spices from them, if you don't live near a refill store.