Sunday was Mother’s Day. And because my mom isn’t around anymore, I couldn’t make her a meal or call her on the phone. But I pulled out a tablecloth that I had picked up when I was visiting with my dad in April. It’s an object that is full of memories as it was on our table every Sunday or special occasion when I was little. It’s definitely retro with it’s vintage flower vase print and it felt right to put it on our table yesterday for dinner.
This isn’t fancy food at all. It’s an incredibly simple dish made with inexpensive ingredients. Potatoes. Onion. Cabbage. Carrots. Turmeric and cumin lend colour and flavour and I threw in some cooked French lentils to make this a good main dish meal. It’s a top-of-the-stove braised dish with no liquids needed. Just cover and let it do its thing. The vegetables will break down and get tender and in about an hour you’ll have something fragrant and hearty to eat alongside brown rice or your favourite grain.
turmeric-spiced potatoes, carrots & cabbage
2-3 T olive oil
1/2 red onion, large dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2″ ginger, peeled & minced
1 t ground cumin
1 t turmeric
1/2 t aleppo pepper (or 1/4 t cayenne pepper)
1/4 t kosher salt
1 large carrot, large dice
1/2 small head of cabbage, large diced
3-4 red potatoes, diced
1 c cooked french lentils or chickpeas (optional)In a large pan, heat up oil over medium heat. Add in red onion and sauté for a minute before adding in the garlic and ginger. Stir everything around until fragrant and stir in the cumin, turmeric, aleppo pepper and salt. Let the spices get toasty for a minute and then add in the cabbage, carrots, and potatoes. Give everything a good stir, cover and leave on medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. It’s important to keep this dish covered, so that the vegetables braise without the help of any extra liquid. Stir in the cooked lentils or chickpeas if using, lower the heat, and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve with brown rice. Makes 4 servings.
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