As our country continues to record lower-than-ever temperatures, many of us are turning to comfort food to warm us up. And, according to Catherine Clark, Founder, and Owner of the Harvest Table, there is no greater comfort food than a good ol’ fashioned curry. “One of the most popular dishes among all South Africans, curry is a delightful mix of flavours and aromatics. It is the very definition of ‘South African soul food’.”
Catherine adds that in addition to curry warming you from the inside out, it also offers a number of surprising health benefits:
1. Relieves inflammation:
A good curry is always packed with spices like turmeric, coriander, and chilli pepper – spices that are all known for their anti-inflammatory properties. The hero spice, turmeric, contains a pigment called curcumin, which is said to relieve symptoms of inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
2. Prevent illness and aging:
Curry powder contains an abundance of antioxidants, such as curcumin, quercetin, pinene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and cuminal. Antioxidants are compounds that help prevent or repair cell damage caused by reactive molecules known as free radicals (unstable atoms that damage cells, causing illness and aging eating). Eating antioxidant-rich foods (like curry) will help decrease the effects of oxidative stress and reduce your disease risk.
3. Helps prevent cancer:
Many of the spices in curry powder have been said to have anti-cancer properties. In particular, the curcumin in the hero curry spice turmeric has shown considerable anticancer effects against several different types of cancer, including prostate cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and head and neck cancer.
The one consistent ingredient throughout the above-mentioned health benefits is the active compound curcumin, found in the bright yellow-orange spice, turmeric. Catherine says that this is one of the reasons that the Harvest Table launched the Harvest Table Collagen Turmeric Latte. “We took the golden, spiced powder and combined it with the strength of collagen, and the result is a powerful health supplement.” The best part? It can be consumed as a drink or added to, you guessed it, a warm winter curry!
Winter curry pot
Ingredients
- 4 diced potatoes
- 4 diced or sliced carrots
- 2 diced onions
- 45ml olive oil
- 4tbsp Harvest Table bone broth
- 2tbsp curry powder
- 1tbsp Harvest Table turmeric latte
- 5 freshly chopped tomatoes
- 2tbsp tomato paste
- 15ml brown or coconut sugar
- 4 cubed chicken breasts
- 500ml water
Method
1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pot, add the onion, Harvest Table turmeric latte, and curry powder to the oil. Fry this up until your onion starts to brown.
2. Add your chicken or butternut and sweet potatoes and lightly fry them with the onion or curry mix for 5 minutes.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste, add the sugar to the pot – stir in and combine the mixture well.
4. Add your potatoes and carrots to the pot along with the water and Harvest Table bone broth
Combine the ingredients and simmer until your vegetables are cooked through and the liquid is a thicker, saucier consistency – this will take approximately 10 minutes depending on the size of your diced vegetables.
For more visit: www.theharvesttable.co.za
