Curried Summer Vegetable Medley with Coconut Rice

This recipe required a lot of time and chopping...

...but it was so worth it! Not only is this curry delicious but one serving probably fulfills more than your entire day's worth of vegetables.
But, then again, I'd love to know a vegan who doesn't eat more than the recommended daily amount of veggies. ;)

Curried Summer Vegetable Medley with Coconut Rice
(recipe obtained from an old issue of Fitness magazine)
serves 4

1 cup brown basmati or jasmine rice
1 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 15-ounce can light coconut milk
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1 scallion, white and light green parts chopped
1 tablespoon peeled and finely chopped ginger
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1.5 tablespoons curry powder
1 cup vegetable stock
1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into 1/4-inch strips
1 baby eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch chunks
1/4 pound green beans, trimmed
1/4 pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 yellow summer squash, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
Freshly squeezed lime juice to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional, but adds a lot of taste)

1. Combine the rice, 1 2/3 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of the salt and 3/4 cup of the coconut milk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is almost tender.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallion, ginger, and garlic; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook 1 minute.
3. Pour vegetable stock, remaining coconut milk and the bell pepper and the eggplant into skillet; stir to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add remaining vegetables and salt and the black pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the lime zest and lime juice.
4. Spoon rice onto serving plates and top with curried vegetables. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

The synergistic scent of the coconut and lime is amazing!

I highly recommend using the optional cilantro because then it makes the dish taste like Chipotle's Cilantro-Lime Rice! Very yummy. Another thing I loved was the texture of the yellow squash; it was perfect with the citrus-infused flavors.
If you want to save time (and who doesn't?), cut all the veggies and get all the spices and ingredients ready a couple hours before dinnertime, like I did:

Easy peasy!

And don't forget to separate the vegetables according to what goes in the skillet first. For instance, the scallions, garlic, and ginger should be in their own container away from the eggplant and squash, and so on. You get the idea. =)
By the way, I think this curry is also good for those of you who don't really like the taste coconut; the coconut flavor is very subtle. I'm thinking this is because light coconut milk was used instead of the usual full-fat kind. Either way, tell me what you think. =)

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories: 305
Fat: 9.9g
Carbs: 49.4g
Protein: 7.6g
Fiber: 6.5g
Calcium: 74.9mg

It serves four but it makes a lot of food! Don't you just love it when recipes make more than you could eat but it's still healthy and within reasonable caloric range? I certainly do. ^_^
This curry is a wonderful source of fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate, potassium, and manganese.

To see another recipe chock-full of summer veggies, check out my previous post.