Okra & Sweet Potato Ital - Stew
It's December now, and no matter where you are (for the majority of the world) it's getting cold. So of course, you know what that means, soups and stews ! Who doesn't love a nice piping hot bowl of soup or a hearty stew ? Rastas (Rastafarians) have a saying, "If it's not Ital then it's not Vital". The word Ital, as you can guess, is derived from the word VITAL. Rastas don't eat meat, or anything that comes from an animal for that matter. Meaning, the only way it can be vital is if it's from PLANTS. And that's what this stew is, hearty, warm to the soul, delicious, and of course Vegan.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp Olive Oil (or Grapeseed Oil)
1 Red onion, chopped
1/2 Scotch bonnet, deseeded and diced (or keep seeds for more of a kick)
3 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp curry power
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
1 cup water
1 Medium-sized sweet potatoes (or 2 small) , chopped into cubes
1 can of Coconut milk (13 fl oz)
1 can of Diced tomatoes (13 fl oz) / or 1 medium sized tomato, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 can of Kidney beans (or garbanzo ), drained and rinsed
Handful of okra, chopped
Handful of chopped parsley(coriander), to serve
1 tsp Hemp seeds, to serve
1/2 Avocado, chopped to serve
1/2 Spring onion, chopped to serve
(Dash of cayenne for extra spice)
Directions:
Pour olive oil in the pan and put in the onion, scotch bonnet and garlic. Cook over medium heat for around 5-7 to minutes until soft, then add the curry powder, turmeric, ginger, and a little bit of the water and cook down for a couple of minutes.
Next, add the sweet potatoes and stir for a couple minutes until fully coated in the curry paste and lightly caramelised. Then, add the coconut milk, tomatoes, bay leaves and remaining water and let it cook for about 10-15 minutes. Once the potatoes are semi-soft, add the beans and chopped okra and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
When it's ready, add the avocado, parsley, hemp seeds, spring onion and salt & pepper to your own taste !
>Add more veggies if you'd like or sub the beans ! <
