Carrot 'n Potato Swiss Chard Curry

Some of you may have noticed my love affair with chard. In the realm of dark leafy green vegetables, it rates only second to Russian kale on my list of favorites. This subtly sweet tomato-based curry uses relatively few ingredients, and can be whipped up in about the same amount of time it takes to make the pilau rice that makes the perfect accompaniment.

Ingredients:

3 medium red potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large carrots, cut into 1/4" rounds
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
2 Tablespoons evaporated cane crystals
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups Swiss chard, coarsely chopped
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes

Preparation:

Place potatoes and carrots in a large saucepan, and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil, and boil for 4-6 minutes, until crisp-tender. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add potatoes, carrots, sugar, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and Swiss chard. Cover and simmer for 4-6 minutes or until Swiss chard is tender-crisp. Serves 4.

Pilau

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups basmati rice
1 tablespoon Earth Balance spread or coconut oil
4 whole cloves
1 small cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods, bruised
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/4 cups hot water

Preparation:

Wash the rice well and leave to soak in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain well. Heat the Earth Balance in a heavy saucepan, and fry the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom pods, and cumin seeds, for 1 minute. Add turmeric and rice, and stir over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add salt and hot water, bring quickly to a boil, then turn heat very low. Cover with a well-fitting lid and cook for 20-25 minutes without lifting lid or stirring. Uncover at end of cooking time to allow steam to escape for about 3 minutes. Remove whole spices, lightly fluff rice, and serve hot with vegetable currie. Serves 4.