The Colonial Irish stew has seen many variations and modifications in India. This is my Indian creamy vegetable stew and a healthier version of it. Usually, refined flour is used for the roux (thickening agent) but I used organic roasted chickpea flour, also called sattu in India. It is healthier and adds a nice nutty flavor with the goodness of vitamins, minerals and 10-12 g protein. This is completely non spicy and good for kids too.
Creamy vegetable stew Ingredients:
Veggies: cauliflower, capsicum, carrot, white pumpkin, potatoes, and beetroot. You can add as many vegetables as you like, beans too.
Shredded onions,
Masala: Few pods of cardamom, some cinnamon, and cloves, a tablespoon of ginger garlic paste, a small teaspoon of coriander power, cumin powder, and turmeric. You could add more if you like for a more pungent taste but I kept it as delicate as possible.
¾ cup gramflour (I used organic roasted black chickpea flour a brand by Luke Coutinho available on Amazon).
½ cup yoghurt
1 tablespoon veg Worcester sauce (without anchovies, the kind you get in India, I use Pouchong)
Creamy vegetable stew method:
Instead of making a roux of flour and butter, I tried a healthier version using good quality gram flour. This gives you the added advantage of protein in a vegan dish. Make a roux of roaster gramflour , (1/2 cup) butter, a bit of milk and turmeric. I used lactose free milk. Once smooth with no lumps, set aside.
Make a liquid paste of curd and set aside.
Brown some onions and set aside.
Make a liquid paste of curd and set aside.
Using sesame oil, first add the masala, stir, then the veggies. Once semi cooked, add the roux. Add a dash of Worcester sauce, preferably one without anchovy. Now add the curd and mix well. Just before completion, stir on high flame for 20 seconds, it all comes together well. Sprinkle the browned onions and serve.
Creamy vegetable stew is a very flexible dish where in the south of India, coconut milk and curry leaves are also added which gives it an amazing flavor. You could add pepper balls too, but I prefer adding pepper later. (check out this recipe of vegetarian coconut stew by Bridget White Kumar)
HEALTH QUOTIENT
There is everything healthy about this vegetarian dish. You have the goodness of vegetables which means antioxidants vitamins and fiber. The addition of gramflour means vitamin C, calcium, vitB6, magnesium, iron, and around 11g of protein.