Slow cooker vegetable curry
With no pre-cooking necessary, this mild and creamy coconut curry can be quickly assembled and left to bubble happily for up to 5 hours. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, chilli and coriander and serve on its own or with rice.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
- 2 tbsp medium curry powder
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp soft light brown sugar
- 200ml/7fl oz hot vegetable stock, made with 1 stock cube
- 400ml tin full-fat coconut milk
- pinch dried red chilli flakes
- 8–10 spring onions, trimmed and cut into 1cm/½in slices
- 600g/1lb 5oz potatoes, peeled and cut into roughly 2cm/¾in chunks
- 2 large carrots (around 300g/10½oz), peeled and cut diagonally into 1cm/½in slices
- 2 large red peppers, seeds removed and cut into roughly 3cm/1¼in chunks
- 50g/1¾oz roasted peanuts, roughly chopped, to garnish
- finely sliced red chilli, to garnish
- chopped fresh coriander, to garnish
- freshly cooked rice, to serve (optional)
Method
Put the peanut butter, curry powder, soy sauce and sugar in a large bowl. Add roughly half of the stock and whisk until the peanut butter dissolves – leaving just the nutty pieces.
Whisk in the coconut milk until well combined. Stir in the remaining stock and the chilli flakes. Pour into a slow cooker pot.
Set aside 1 sliced spring onion for the garnish. Add the potatoes, carrots and the remaining spring onions to the slow cooker pot and stir well. Scatter the peppers on top but do not stir. Cover with a lid and cook on high for 4–5 hours, or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened. Stir lightly.
Transfer the curry to four warmed deep bowls and sprinkle with the peanuts, chilli, coriander and sliced spring onion. Serve with rice, if preferred.
Recipe Tips
It’s best to choose a fairly waxy white potato for this recipe, rather than a floury one, such as King Edward, as they keep their shape better during the slow cooking. But both will work, so do not worry too much – just use what you have.
Add extra vegetables to the curry if you like, or stir in a tin of beans or chickpeas. You may need to adjust the cooking time.
If you don’t fancy a veggie curry, add lightly browned chicken thighs at the beginning of the cooking time. For a fishy version, stir in cubes of salmon or prawns at the end of the cooking time, cover and cook for an extra 10–15 minutes or until hot through.
It is possible to cook this curry on low too but the timings don’t vary by much. Try 5–6 hours on low. Any longer and you risk overcooking the vegetables.
The curry can be prepared ahead and will keep well in the fridge for a couple of days. Reheat in a microwave or in a saucepan over a medium heat, adding an extra splash of water if needed.
A slow cooker that holds around 4 litres/7 pints works best for this dish.
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