Vegetable curry – drive away that nausea

A pregnant woman needs to take in extra calories by eating a variety of nutritious foods for her and the baby’s proper growth and development.

For some women, cooking is often difficult, especially during the first trimester, as preparation of some foods triggers nausea and vomiting. Salty, sour, bitter, sweet, crunchy, fruity, wet, dry, hot , cold , bland, mushy, spicy or fizzy foods help to relieve morning sickness and nausea. Here is a simple recipe for a spicy curry.

Ingredients
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of oil
8 medium potatoes quartered
1½ fresh ginger root crushed
1 large garlic clove minced and crushed
1 tablespoon of curry powder
1 tablespoon of whole coriander, crashed
2 chilli peppers or 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)
½ teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of salt
4 ounces of tomato paste
1 cup of fresh cowpeas
½ of small cauliflower
1 medium eggplant
1 cup of fresh green peas
1 bunch of fresh leafy greens (sukuma/spinach)

Preparation
Moderately heat oil in a cooking hot pot and fry the onions till they turn brown.
Add the potatoes and stir each piece to mix well with the ground spices
Thin the tomato paste with about 2/3 cups of water and stir into the pot
Add vegetables in intervals, cooking for a minute or so between each addition. Leafy greens should be last.

If your pot is not oven proof, transfer the mixture to one and sprinkle coriander over the mixture. Cover with a lid of foil and bake for 45 minutes, checking after the first 20 minutes. The constituency should be rather thick but add liquid to prevent burning. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Serve over rice or with chapati.

End. PG40/8