A BIG and healthy curry: Don't eat it raw

Sometimes I crave the heat and taste of curry, cooked from scratch. This recipe of cubed shoulder of lamb and butternut squash contains just about everything in my spice cupboard. The spices need to be dry fried (don’t let them burn) in order to bring out the oils and aromas.

I know that the cooking process kills off a lot of the benefits in fresh and dried herbs and spices but try eating a raw curry. My ‘healthy’ version contained:

Cinnamon/Casia bark

Cinnamon has antifungal properties, and it's been said that candida cannot live in a cinnamon environment. 

Turmeric powder

Is a potent natural anti-inflammatory that works as well as many anti-inflammatory drugs but without the side effects.

Black pepper

Black pepper stimulates the taste buds in such a way that an alert is sent to the stomach to increase hydrochloric acid secretion, thereby improving digestion.

Cumin seeds

Antioxidant content of cumin seeds has been found to be 'potent'...

Coriander seeds

In the US, coriander has recently been studied for its cholesterol-lowering effects.

Fenugreek seeds

Several human intervention trials demonstrated that the anti-diabetic effects of fenugreek seeds ameliorate most metabolic symptoms associated with type-1 and type-2 diabetes in humans.

Cardamom pods

These aromatic pods are rich in many vital vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin, vitamin-C that is essential for optimum health.

Bay leaves

Arthritis, osteoporosis and rheumatism symptoms can be eased by adding bay leaves to your diet. 

Garlic

Garlic promotes the well-being of the heart and immune systems with antioxidant properties and helps maintain healthy blood circulation. 

Ginger

Ginger improves the absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients in the body.

Parsley

A rich source of anti-oxidant nutrients.

Onions

Flavonoids promote a healthy heart; Onions are rich in flavonoids which help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Butternut squash

Butternut squash delivers an ample dose of dietary fibre, making it an exceptionally heart-friendly choice. It provides significant amounts of potassium, important for bone health, and vitamin B6, essential for the proper functioning of both the nervous and immune systems.

Cloves

The active principles in the clove are known to have antioxidant, anti-septic, local anaesthetic, anti-inflammatory, carminative and anti-flatulent properties.

Cayenne pepper
Cayenne is a well-known digestive aid. It stimulates the digestive tract, increasing the flow of enzyme production and gastric juices.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are widely known for their outstanding antioxidant content, including, of course, their rich concentration of lycopene.

Red lentils

A fibre all-star.

Lemon

Being rich in Vitamin C, it is also essential for maintaining a fully functional immune system, aiding digestion, fighting cancer, helping wounds to heal faster and can even help to prevent heart failure.

Lamb

Grass-fed lamb is a significant source of omega-3 fats.

Now, who is for a BIG curry? I know this contains a lot of ingredients but you cannot hurry a curry - it needs time and love. 

P.S. It ALWAYS taste better the following day when things have had a chance to marry and mingle.

P.P.S. This is cooking for ONE so I shall be freezing the rest, obviously.