Curry Up
10
servings20
minutes25
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minutesSpices contribute far more than color and flavor to food; they beneficially affect inflammation, free radical formation, cancer cell proliferation, cancer cell apoptosis (programmed cell death), angiogenesis (new blood vessel formation to tumors), and immune function. But are all spices equally awesome? In order to find out, 13 groups of people consumed a defined amount of an herb or spice for 7 days. Blood from subjects was analyzed for its antioxidant capacity both at baseline and 1 hour after taking the final herb or spice capsule. The contenders were: black pepper, cayenne, cinnamon, clove, cumin, ginger, oregano, heat-treated oregano, paprika, rosemary, sage, turmeric, and heat-treated turmeric. And the best part? Quantities were those that you actually might consume in a given dish, like a pinch of turmeric. The
herbs and spices that best protected against DNA breakage were ginger, heat-treated turmeric, cumin, paprika, rosemary, and sage. The top fighters against oxidative stress and measures of inflammation like TNF-α were ginger, turmeric, and rosemary. That’s not to say that oregano and cinnamon don’t have powerful health benefits; they do, but others simply might have more.
After looking at that list of spicy winners, I’ve specifically designed this curry dish to deliver the antioxidant goods in quantities that will have each heaping cup filled with a solid serving of DNA protection. While curry powder and garam masala contain some of the spices that are additionally listed here, I’ve simply found this blend to simmer into a taste profile that has pushed some picky eaters to the brink of bursting from third (or more) servings. Also, I go heavy on the lentils for reasons I explain in my Lentil Loaf recipe.
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Ingredients
- Super Spice Blend
2 tbs yellow curry powder
1 ts ground cumin
1 ts ground coriander
1 ts ground cinnamon
1 ts ground turmeric (or 1-inch fresh grated turmeric)
1 ts ground black pepper
- Curry
4 cups (32 oz carton) low sodium vegetable broth or stock
1 tbs minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 medium red or yellow onion, diced
1 bell pepper (orange, red, or yellow), diced
1 tbs peeled, minced fresh ginger
2 medium sweet potatoes, keep skin, chopped
2 yukon gold potatoes, keep skin, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cups red uncooked lentils, rinsed and drained (if you soak them, they will become about 5 cups)
1 medium cauliflower head, cut into florets
5 big handfuls of spinach and/or kale
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs arrowroot powder (or tapioca powder or cornstarch)
1 tbs garam masala
1 tbs red miso
1 tbs lime juice
- Optional when served
Chopped cilantro (or parsley, basil)
Sea Salt
Black ground pepper
Instructions
- Make the Super Spice Blend: Combine the spice ingredients above in a small bowl and set aside. You will soon add it to the curry pot.
- Make the Curry: Use a 5-Qt or larger stockpot. Heat ¼ cup of the vegetable broth/stock over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the garlic, onion, bell pepper, and ginger and sauté until soft (about 3 minutes).
- Add the Super Spice Blend and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the sweet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, carrots, and lentils. Pour in all of the remaining vegetable broth, turn the heat to high, cover the pot, and bring to a boil (about 10 minutes).
- Once boiling, lower heat to medium. Stir in cauliflower, leafy greens, coconut milk and brown sugar. Cover pot and stir occasionally until all the vegetables are tender to a fork (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat.
- Put half a cup of the pot’s liquid in a small bowl, add the arrowroot powder, garam masala, red miso and lime juice and whisk it with a fork. Stir into the pot and allow the curry to cool for 10 minutes.
- Ladle into bowls, top with fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley or basil). Allow each person to season with salt and pepper as desired.
Notes
- All recipes from the Cancer-Kicking! Kitchen are always 100% plant-based and delicious. Check our Ingredient Spotlight feature to learn what makes each ingredient special, and use our Purity Scale to see just how healthy and plant-pure your recipe is.
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