Island Veggie Stew Pot
From Ainsley’s Taste of the Bahamas, ITV
This easy one-pot soupy stew is a delightful rundown of island veggies. It’s vibrant, comforting and full of the flavours of the Caribbean. Inspired by the zestiness of a Bahamian souse but with coconut milk and a little curry spice for a creamy, satisfying stew. I’ve also added a little aromatic lemongrass, or Fever Grass as it’s locally known. Although not typically associated with Bahamian cooking it’s often used in bush teas for its medicinal properties and adds a lovely zing to stews. You can mix up the veggies – yam, carrots and green plantain are great and if you don’t like okra replace with a couple of handfuls of spinach at the end of cooking.
Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan or casserole over a medium heat and cook the onion, celery and the diced pepper for 4 minutes until softened. Add the ginger, garlic, thyme, lemongrass, bay leaf, allspice berries and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the curry powder and turmeric and cook for 30 seconds, adding a small splash of stock to prevent burning if needed. Stir in the tomatoes and then add the potatoes and squash. Coat in the spices and then add 300ml of stock. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a splash more stock if needed.
Add the corn, okra, sliced red pepper, coconut milk, half the lime juice and zest. Pop in the scotch bonnet pepper and season with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Squeeze in the remaining lime juice to taste and check the seasoning. Serve in warm bowls, garnished with coriander.
TIP: if you prefer a thicker stew use a little less liquid and cook for a few minutes longer, giving a couple of the potatoes a squish if you like.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 large red pepper, deseeded, ½ diced, ½ sliced
- 1-2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
- 5cm fresh ginger, peeled, grated
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or minced
- 3-4 sprigs of thyme
- 1 large stick of fresh lemongrass, cut in half and bashed
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp allspice (pimento) berries – 1 tsp crushed, 1 tsp left whole
- 1 ½ tsp Caribbean mild curry powder
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 ripe vine tomatoes, deseeded, chopped
- 300g potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks
- 250g butternut squash or pumpkin, peeled, cut into chunks
- 1 large, sweet potato, peeled, cut into chunks
- 300-350ml of vegetable stock, plus a little extra if needed
- 1-2 corn cobs, each cut into 4-6 rounds
- 80g fresh (or frozen) okra, trimmed and sliced into 2cm pieces
- 400ml of coconut milk
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper (pierced or left whole if you prefer less heat)
- 2 limes, juice of 2, zest of 1
- To garnish – chopped coriander