This is a recipe from my adulthood. When I was a child the only real option in Rome when it came to foreign food was Cantonese Chinese. There was one Indian restaurant near Via Nazionale (it still exists, it’s called The Maharajah) that was extremely posh and expensive, a treat for very special occasions.

When I moved into the flat I’m currently living in, about 4 years ago, one of my flatmates at the time had a few cookbooks we would draw from on a weekly basis; one of them was the “30-Minute Indian” and this has my go-to recipe for years now when in the mood for coconut. This is the recipe as I remember it- my flatmate left and took the book with her. What I love about it, aside from the coconut of course, is that all ingredients are easily replaceable: I often use sweet potato instead of butternut, cavolo nero or chard instead of spinach. Also, the recipe was originally vegetarian. I like to add diced veil/beef/pork depending on what I have at hand so I don’t have to worry about preparing proteins on the side. I often use bone broth instead of vegetable stock, again depending on what I have.

Ingredients (for 3-4 people):

30 gr E. V. Olive Oil (not in the Indian recipe, but again, I’m Italian)

2 large Shallots, finely choppped

1 large garlic clove, crushed

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 red chilli pepper, finely chopped

4 curry leaves

300 gr diced veal

1 butternut squash/ large sweet potato, cut into large cubes

1 bunch fresh spinach/chard/cavolo nero/kale, rinsed and chopped

salt and black pepper to taste

In a large, deep frying pan heat the oil and add the spices, shallots and garlic. Stir frequently until the shallots and garlic are golden brown and covered evenly with the spices. Add the diced meat and let brown on all sides, then the cubes of squash. Stir for a few minutes then pour the coconut milk and the broth. Adjust with salt and pepper, cover with a lid and let simmer for about 20 minutes on a medium heat. Add the spinach and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Enjoy hot!

It keeps well in the fridge for 3 days.