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Sri Lankan-style beetroot curry

Serves 4

The beetroot curry from the second night of our Sri Lankan honeymoon has been obsessively recreated in our kitchen ever since. Deep purple, rich with coconut and the earthy, fragrant, smoky flavours of Sri Lankan curry powder, roasted to bring out extra flavour in the spices, it’s a favourite meal for when vegetarian and vegan friends are round. Sri Lankan curries centre around seasonal vegetables cooked with black mustard seeds, fresh curry leaves, roasted curry powder and, crucially, fresh coconut: its luscious oil, reviving water and rich, luxurious cream, which are all added at different stages. A tin of good-quality coconut milk and dried curry leaves make perfectly reasonable substitutes for fresh, but it is worthwhile making the roasted curry powder (see here). This dish is adaptable to almost any vegetable glut– swap beetroot for cauliflower, parsnip or courgette, even runner beans in summer. Serve with black or basmati rice, Tomato, Coconut and Spinach Dahl (see here) and Coconut Sambol (see here).

400g raw beetroot, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp black mustard seeds

handful of fresh curry leaves (or 2 tsp dried curry leaves)

½ red or white onion, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

⅔ green chilli, thinly sliced

1 tomato, finely chopped

1 tbsp Roasted Curry Powder (see here)

200ml coconut milk

cooked black or basmati rice, to serve

1 Put the beetroot in a bowl with the fenugreek, chilli powder and 1 teaspoon of the salt and mix by hand.

2 Heat a non-stick frying pan or wok (with a lid to hand) over a medium-high heat. Add the coconut oil and black mustard seeds and fry until they start to sizzle and spit, then add the curry leaves, swirling them around the pan with a wooden spoon to infuse the oil. Now, slide in the onion, garlic, green chilli and the remaining salt. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, until the onion is starting to colour, then add the beetroot and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring to combine it with the contents of the pan.

3 Add the tomato and roasted curry powder and fry for a couple of minutes, until the tomato is starting to break down and release its juice, then add the coconut milk, stirring to combine. Cover and cook, stirring every now and then, for 10–15 minutes, until the beetroot is tender and cooked through and the curry is glossy and reduced. Remove from the heat and serve with rice and yoghurt flatbreads (see here), spinach dahl and coconut sambol on the opposite page.