Each week, Samantha Lewis shares her insights on various topics, from exploring new health trends to reimagining personal growth.
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Last weekend, I pulled the last of my tomatoes to make way for winter vegetables.
It’s been a good season — plenty of the best passata I’ve ever made, slow-roasted in the oven with garlic and onion, and this curry, which has quickly become a favourite among family and friends.
It’s from one of my favourite books, One Pot, Pan, Planet by Anna Jones.
What I love about it is the way it works from what you have on hand and what’s in season, rather than sending you hunting for ingredients.
Use what you’ve got, grow as much as you can, support local, buy seasonal.
In a time when the cost of living is biting, it’s also just a smarter, cheaper way to cook.
This curry is a perfect example.
The base is tomatoes, coconut milk and tamarind, and from there it’s wonderfully flexible.
Use fresh tomatoes from the garden or tins.
Corn off the cob or frozen.
Then load it up with whatever greens you have going — spinach, chard, silverbeet.
A personal favourite is sorrel, packed with vitamins A and C, iron, magnesium and fibre, with real benefits for immunity, digestion and energy.
I serve it with brown basmati rice and a spiced yoghurt on the side — Greek yoghurt with harissa and a squeeze of lemon or lime.
Don’t skip the yogurt. It’s what makes the whole dish sing.
I’m a big fan of one-pot dishes at the best of times — quick, easy, and less clean-up.
This one comes together in about half an hour, costs next to nothing, and reheats beautifully the next day.
This is the kind of cooking I want to do more of — and encourage more of.
Seasonal produce tastes better. Local produce tastes better.
Vegetables from your own garden cooked the same day taste better again.
No philosophy required. Your mouth will tell you.
The recipe is below.
If you make it, I’d love to hear about it — drop me a message or snap it and tag me on Instagram @_samantha_lewis.
Late Summer Curry
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tbsp coconut or groundnut oil
2 leeks sliced
4 garlic cloves chopped
1 green chilli chopped
400ml coconut milk
2 tbsp tamarind paste
1kg tomatoes (halved/quartered) or 2 x 400g tins cherry tomatoes
Kernels from one corn cob or 175g frozen/tinned
Two handfuls spinach, chard, silverbeet or sorrel roughly shredded, salt.
Method
Toast fennel and coriander seeds in a dry pan and grind to a coarse powder.
Add mustard seeds, toast briefly, set aside.
Heat oil in the same pan, cook leeks with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes until soft.
Stir in spices, then garlic and chilli for another 5 minutes. Add coconut milk, tamarind and tomatoes.
Simmer on medium-high for 20 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Add corn and greens, cook 2 to 3 minutes until wilted.
Serve hot with rice and a generous spoon of spiced yogurt (Greek yoghurt with harissa and a squeeze of lemon or lime).
To serve: Brown basmati rice, spiced yogurt, and fresh coriander if you like it.
Source: One Pot, Pan, Planet by Anna Jones