If you are looking for a great way to use up a large quantity of summertime tomatoes and veggies then this dish is the one!  That’s the dilemma I faced that inspired this veggie-laden dish.  I had loads of peppers, zucchini, carrots and tomatoes, and I knew it would take a few days to use all these up, but these veggies were ready to be had ASAP.  I decided to make a giant pot of Indian stew/curry type of dish with all the veggies I could collect from the refrigerator.  I also wanted this to be a saucy dish as I had soooo many tomatoes too.  Indian Ratatouille, is the name the kids gave this stew. The name sounded pretty cool to me as this stew made with summer vegetables and Indian spices would have otherwise been called Carrot, Zucchini, Pepper Curry; but somehow the name Indian Ratatouille just sounds better.

I added some protein like paneer (or you can add tofu) to this ratatouilles, that way if the family wanted to eat it by itself it became a one-pot meal.  Actually that’s how we ended up having this dish – as a big bowl of summertime stew.

Make a giant pot and save the leftovers to have the next day.  And if you don’t have the veggies I used, this recipe is extremely versatile! Use whatever veggies you like – cauliflower, eggplant, squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, beans – any veggie goes in this dish!!  Give it a try!

Indian Ratatouille
makes a large pot of stew for 6-8 people

Ingredients:

• 3-4 zucchini cut into chunks
• 3 bell peppers cut into chunks
• 3 carrots diced into small pieces so they cook fast
• 2 onions finely cut
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 1 inch piece of ginger finely grated
• Fresh cilantro for garnish
• 1 lemon
• Salt
• Oil
• 1 block paneer cut into small pieces. Sauté the paneer with 1 tbsp oil until slightly browned and keep aside.  Or use extra firm tofu and do the same.
• Spices:
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala or curry powder (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder or paprika

Directions:

• In a large pot warm 2-3 tbsp of olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook until caramelized. About 5-7 minutes.

• Next add all the spices and stir in.

• Add the tomatoes, carrots, salt, plus 1-cup water. Cover the pot and cook the carrots until tender and tomatoes are soft and release their juices. About 10 minutes.

• Next add all the peppers, zucchini, and paneer.  Add 1-cup more water and stir. Cover and cook the veggies for an additional 7-10 minutes until all the veggies are cooked to your liking.

• Turn the stove off. Add juice of 1 lemon and garnish of fresh cilantro before serving.