Beeting the Canberra Cold

Unlike the temperamental nature of Canberra weather, Australian politics, or your feelings about being at work or Uni on any given day, the Food Co-op Shop & Café continues to be a consistent source of good music, good people, delicious food and a supportive community. This recipe series aims to give you an insight into the incredible meals prepared by volunteers for the rush and bustle of rugged up Uni students, office workers, and miscellaneous hungry individuals. All of the meals at ‘The Co-op’ are vegan, organic, cheap, healthy and hearty, based around seasonal fresh, local produce, spices and whole foods (all stocked in the shop). If your taste buds are firing just reading this column then come in and join us for lunch 12-2pm weekdays, or volunteer in the mornings with the inviting and friendly kitchen gang to learn some skills and earn a 15% discount (valid for 2 weeks with every 1 hour worked) to use when you buy your own ingredients for cooking your $5 meal at home!

Beet purple vegetable with shadow on white background

 

There are few things more revitalising and comforting than beetroot and potato on a cold and windy winter day. It was a day just like this in Canberra when I nestled into The Food Co-Op, and prepared myself for a heart-warming lunch of Beetroot and Potato Nepalese Curry, prepared by their delightful chef Emma. This dish is not only vegan and made from The Food Co-Op’s all organic produce, but it is also nutritious and imbued with a vibrant beetroot red colour. Beetroot is an all round outstanding vegetable, rich in fibre and folic acid that detoxifies the liver and helps lower cholesterol levels. With only 43 calories and 3g of fibre in every 100g serving, this vegetable is definitely the star of the dish.

This curry is simple, cheap, nutritious and easy to prepare for an impressive weekend or weeknight meal. Served on brown rice and a slice of bread, it is one thing you can’t wait to cuddle up on the couch with. This recipe serves approximately 6-8 people and all measurements can be adjusted according to personal preferences. Every ingredient can be found at The Food Co-Op Shop and, if bought in the given quantity, will cost approximately $18 in total (not accounting for a member’s discount).

[one-half-first]What you will need:

Large Metal Pot

Chopping Board

Large Knife

Blender

Large Wooden Spoon

Saucepan or Rice Cooker

Teaspoon

Tablespoon

Cup Measure

Stove[/one-half-first]

[one-half]Nutritional Information:

The nutritional information below is for a small serving of the Beetroot and Potato Nepalese Curry. All information is approximate and dependent on serving size.

Calories: 156

Protein: 6.6g

Fat: 1.5g

Saturated Fat: 0.3g

Carbohydrate: 25.1g

Sodium: 36mg[/one-half]

[one-half-first]Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Fenugreek Powder

1 Tbsp Cumin Powder

1 Tbsp Turmeric Powder

20g sliced fresh Ginger

Pinch of Sugar

Pinch of Salt

1 Onion, halved

1 Cup Yellow Split Peas

2 large Beetroots

2 large Potatoes

1 ½ Cups Water

½ Cabbage

1 Tsp Coconut Cream

2 Cups Brown Rice

Bread[/one-half-first]

[one-half]Method:

Dice half the onion and add to a blender with the olive oil, fenugreek, cumin, turmeric, ginger, sugar and salt. Combine these ingredients to make a paste and put to the side.

Cook the yellow split peas until tender and dice the other half of the onion. Blend these two ingredients together and put to the side.

Roughly chop the beetroots and potatoes. Heat the fenugreek paste in a pot and add beetroot and potatoes. Coat vegetables in the spices and cook until tender.

Fill the saucepan with water and bring to the boil, adding the brown rice and cooking until soft.

Add roughly 1 ½ cups of water and the split pea and onion mixture. Simmer until the curry starts to thicken, stirring occasionally. Add more water if needed.

Chop the cabbage roughly and add it to the pot along with the coconut cream. Simmer until the cabbage is cooked and the curry is thickened to taste. .

Serve the curry over brown rice with a slice of fresh bread. Garnish with paprika to taste and enjoy![/one-half]

 

We acknowledge the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, who are the Traditional Custodians of the land on which Woroni, Woroni Radio and Woroni TV are created, edited, published, printed and distributed. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and emerging. We acknowledge that the name Woroni was taken from the Wadi Wadi Nation without permission, and we are striving to do better for future reconciliation.