Vegan Massaman Curry

A proper massaman curry cooked from scratch in a cast-iron dish in your pizza oven. The spice paste is built from whole toasted spices - fennel, cumin, coriander - and the sauce gets its richness from coconut milk reduced slowly in the oven's heat. Butternut squash and sweet potato are the stars here, roasting in the sauce until they are tender and caramelised at the edges. This is comfort food at its finest, and entirely plant-based.

Ingredients

Spice Paste

• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 lemongrass stalks, chopped
• 8 shallots, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4cm piece of ginger
• 3 kaffir lime leaves
• 30g fresh coriander (stalks and leaves)
• 2 chopped red chillies

Curry

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 400ml coconut milk
• 250ml vegetable stock
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 tbsp roasted peanuts
• 6 cloves
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• A handful of green beans (optional)

Method

1. Toast the fennel, cumin, and coriander seeds in a dry pan until fragrant. Set aside.
2. Fry the chopped lemongrass, shallots, garlic, and ginger for 3 minutes until lightly browned. Blend with the toasted seeds, lime leaves, coriander stalks, and chillies into a paste.
3. Fry the paste in a little oil until golden brown. Add the coconut milk and simmer until reduced by a third.
4. Add the vegetable stock. Mix the cornflour with 40ml of cold water and stir half into the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes and add the rest if you want it thicker.
5. Stir in the tamarind paste, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, peanuts, and cloves.
6. Pour the sauce into a cast-iron dish. Add the cubed butternut squash, sweet potato, and green beans if using.
7. Place in your preheated pizza oven and cook for about 30 minutes, turning the dish and stirring regularly, until the vegetables are tender.
8. Serve with steamed jasmine rice and a scattering of fresh coriander leaves and roasted peanuts.