Home ยป Money Matters: Coconut Potato Curry with Basil and Cashews

Money Matters: Coconut Potato Curry with Basil and Cashews

Don’t you love when things turn out the way you imagine? Voila!

I hesitated to put this on last week’s menu…but I took the plunge. I risked the coconut-hating palate of Mr. Prevention in a stubborn move to make a meal that appealed more to my taste buds than his. I know, how dare me!

Hey, those who do all the dishes (every night) should make a selfish move once in awhile…right? I think yes.

While Mr. Prevention would prefer a meal with meat, he sure cleared his plate in approval. And did he detect the coconut milk? Nope. But it’s not that the coconut flavor wasn’t there…it was just complimented by savory cashews and Indian spices. And heat. Plenty of spicy.

Mr. Prevention described this as a stew. I guess I could agree with that. With tomatoes coming into season, this is the perfect flavor-packed, one pan, vegetarian meal to add to your weekly menu! Enjoy!

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Coconut Potato Curry with Basil and Cashews adapted from What’s For Lunch Honey?, as seen on Eats Well with Others

500 g. new potatoes, steamed for 10 minutes (I did this in the microwave for ~5 minutes)
1/3 cup cashews, soaked for 10-15 minutes and then chopped
1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 can light coconut milk
1 Tbsp olive oil
Handful of basil, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large pan, heat the oil and cumin. When they begin to sizzle, add the cashews and allow to gently roast. Add the steamed potatoes and toss to coat.

Add 1/2 cup water with the tomato paste and incorporate. Add in the cherry tomatoes and simmer for 5-8 minutes.

Add all the spices. Stir well to coat the potatoes. Mash any of the tomatoes that are cooked through.

Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and peas. Simmer until the sauce begins to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped basil, to garnish. Serves 4 (about 1 1/2 cups each).

Nutrition Information (per serving): 349 calories; 19 g. fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 385 mg. sodium; 39.8 g. carbohydrate; 5 g. fiber; 9 g. protein

Result: FABULOUS vegetarian Indian delight! Even Mr. Prevention liked this, especially with the heat…and he HATES coconut (what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him…). If spicy isn’t your thing, cut down on the cayenne 😉 I used purple and new potatoes in this dish for some additional color, and I think it added a really fun twist. This reheats beautifully as leftovers, too! Enjoy!

Money Matters: I calculated the total cost of the recipe at $10.30. The purple and new potatoes were $2.99/lb which can be reduced by buying new potatoes, saving $1-1.50. The peas I used were frozen Kroger brand – 2 cups for $1. The light coconut milk was $1.89. The spices I approximated to be $0.66, which I believe to be fairly accurate. Assuming 4 servings, the cost per serving for this recipe is $2.58. 🙂

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On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being “I hate my liiife” and 10 being “Woo!”) I felt a -1 towards working out last night. My workouts have been so sporadic and infrequent over the past week that my legs were rebelling against movement. I started slow by taking Lily on a 3/4 mile walk. And then I headed down to the treadmill to watch the Bachelorette and finished 5K in 35:10. It wasn’t until about 2 miles in that my legs no longer felt like lead. And I plan to either bike (weather pending) or ellipticize tonight. Five workouts this week…or bust!

Question: What’s your favorite Indian spice?

I have to go with cumin.

Be well,

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16 Comments

  1. Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun
    June 21, 2011 / 6:24 am

    Great job getting in the workout! And love this dish. I have been making a lot more veg meals and have loved being able to convince Peter to eat them. Thank goodness I can “blame” it on the budget. LOL But he ends up always loving them too.

  2. Brittany (A Healthy Slice of Life)
    June 21, 2011 / 7:18 am

    I don’t know what my favorite Indian Spice is, but I am LOVING Indian food lately (baby must be craving it ;)). What a creative dish!

  3. Kierstan @ Life {and running} in Iowa
    June 21, 2011 / 7:24 am

    That curry looks amazing! I love curry, but haven’t put it on the menu for a few months now. YUM!

    Way to go on getting in your workout – sometimes you just have to force yourself to do it and then end up enjoying it.

  4. Joanne
    June 21, 2011 / 7:50 am

    Yay! I’m so glad you liked the curry and that it passed the Mr. Prevnetion tastebuds test! The coconut definitely wasn’t SUPER prominent in it…there were just so many other flavors going on!

    I’m sorry you’re having an off workout week. ๐Ÿ™ But just think, if you push yourself this week, then next week will be that much easier!

  5. Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg
    June 21, 2011 / 8:36 am

    Wow– this is JUST my kind of recipe!!! Yum!

  6. Grace@ FoodFitnessFreshair
    June 21, 2011 / 8:57 am

    This sounds awesome. I’m actually a huge fan of the coconut flavor, and of course am in love with Indian spices! So many to choose, but I’d have to say a good quality curry powder would be my favorite because it combines several great spices!

  7. thehealthyapron
    June 21, 2011 / 10:01 am

    I really like cumin too! Turmeric is up there though!

  8. Faith
    June 21, 2011 / 11:13 am

    I have been on a real coconut milk kick lately! Love the flavor it gives to curries…this looks delicious, Nicole!

    Since it’s a blend of a ton of spices, is it cheating if I say my fav Indian spice is garam masala? ๐Ÿ˜‰

  9. Kristen (swanky dietitian)
    June 21, 2011 / 11:14 am

    I love indian dishes…especially curry!
    This looks great!
    I love your goal of 5 workouts this week! I need to start setting weekly goals with exercise.
    I LOVE garam masala! Combines all the best indian spices in one!

  10. Leah @ Why Deprive?
    June 21, 2011 / 11:30 am

    This looks amazing, and provided I can remember to steal some basil from my moms plant, Im totally making it tonight.

    Im glad you made a meal that would appeal more to you – it makes me feel a little better about ONLY cooking meals that appeal to me. When I cooked for the ex boyfriend, I told him, if you dont like it go to Subway ALL the time. ๐Ÿ™‚

  11. Anne Marie@New Weigh of Life
    June 21, 2011 / 11:39 am

    Looks so tasty! The only Indian spice I know of is curry….and I like that!

  12. Samantha Angela
    June 21, 2011 / 12:14 pm

    You got your workout in. AWESOME! It’s much easier to give up on it when you feel like a -1, so I’m really happy for you ๐Ÿ™‚

  13. Roz
    June 21, 2011 / 2:24 pm

    OH Nicole, this recipe looks SOOOOO good!!! (and I laughed out loud, I “sneak” coconut milk into some recipes and my husband is none the wiser. But if he knew it was in there, he’d say “ewwww – I hate coconut”. Sounds like both of our husbands are cut from the same cloth!! ๐Ÿ™‚ ) My favorite Indian Spice is more a blend…garam masala. And as a result of your post, I am craving Indian food….must make some soon. Have a great day. Yay for the workout!!!!!!

  14. Heather @ Get Healthy with Heather
    June 21, 2011 / 3:01 pm

    Cumin is my favorite too, but I do have to say curry and coconut go exceptionally well together. Glad you could sneak the coconut past your hubs ๐Ÿ™‚

  15. Rebecca @ How the Cookies Crumble
    June 21, 2011 / 7:16 pm

    Those who cook and clean get full rule over the kitchen! ๐Ÿ™‚

  16. Pingback: Vegetarian Entrees | Prevention RD

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