Authentic Spicy Apple Curry {Sweet, Spicy & Vegan!}

A warm, sweet, spicy Green Apple Curry dish that transforms the sourness of green apples with the earthy spiciness and robust flavours of Sri Lankan roasted curry powder! This Sri Lankan apple curry is an easy, vegan side dish to prepare that’s full of flavour!

Updated: October 2016

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If an apple a day truly kept the doctor away, then I would never need health insurance. I love apples! It’s always been one of my favourite fruits and I always get some when I shop for groceries. Apples are also a key part of many classic desserts like apple pies, apple tarts, apple turnovers, apple cakes etc. But have you ever tried apples in a savoury dish? Like a curry? This is the best time of the year to give those apples a spicy makeover with this amazing Sweet, Spicy Green Apple Curry! It’s perfect for those cold fall and winter nights and with a side of rice this could fill your belly with lots of warmth and flavour. Plus it’s a great vegan dish too.

When I was growing up, every meal – no matter what we ate – was a chance to appreciate good food and the beautiful power it had in bringing people and families closer together. I’m guessing that’s got something to do with my Asian heritage. Rice and curry were a staple at our house and that certainly had plenty to do with my Asian heritage. We would usually have several side dishes to complement the rice, and the dinner table was a feast for the senses with all the different colours, smells and flavours of good ol’ Sri Lankan-style Asian cooking. That also meant different combinations of fruits, vegetables, meat or fish, that fit together like a weird yet taste-bud tantalizing puzzle.

Curries with fruits are a common occurrence in Asia. My mother had a knack for creating excellent curry dishes with fruits. After we moved back to New Zealand, it was harder to find the same tropical veges and fruits, so she came up with this  deliciously evil green apple curry which I’m sure you’re going to love too!

The sweetness and sourness of apples go so well with the earthy spiciness of the curry powder to create this truly warm and comforting savoury dish.

My Mum never took out the core of the apple when making this curry, and the first time I made it a few years ago, I did. And I soon found out why I shouldn’t have done that. It makes the apple disintegrate in to the curry sauce. If you would like the apple to have some texture once it has been cooked, cut it into chunkier pieces, or if you like it softer (like I sometimes do), cut it thinner.

Curry powder is a very regional thing (not all curry powders are the same, not even close!) and I intend do a separate post about all the different kinds of curry powder someday. For this apple curry, I used a Sri Lankan roasted Curry Powder, for which I have now shared the recipe  I’m going to share the recipe, very soon! This has a toastier flavour and is dark in colour with peppery notes.

A simple curry powder with robust flavours can transform a dish. And amazingly enough, it can impart completely different flavours depending on the main ingredient of your dish as well. This green apply curry is a wonderful example of that. You start with the sourness/tartness of  Granny Smith apples and end up with a tug of war between some amazing spicy and sweet flavours.

Sri Lankan Spicy Green Apple Curry

Author: Dini from The Flavor Bender

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Ingredients

• 2 large Granny Smith apples or any crisp apple with slight sour notes
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 medium onion roughly chopped
• 1 - 2 bay leaves dried
• 1 green chili peppers jalapeno or serrano
• 5 dried red chili peppers de-seeded, if you prefer a milder curry
• 1 tbsp Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 -1 tsp chili powder/cayenne pepper less for a milder curry
• 2 garlic cloves chopped finely
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/3 cup water or apple cider/natural juice NOT VINEGAR
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Chop the onions and slice the green and red chili peppers. Remove the seeds if you prefer less heat in your apple curry.
2. Wash and cut apples into quarters. Do not remove seeds or the core. Halve the quarters length-wise for thinner slices or across for chunkier pieces.
3. Heat the oil over medium heat in a non-stick saucepan or skillet.
4. Add the onions, bay leaves, green and red chili pepper and mustard seeds, and saute for a few minutes till onions are softened.
5. Add the Sri Lankan curry powder, turmeric and chili powder and mix for about 30 seconds, just until you start to smell the spices.
6. Add the sliced/quartered apples, garlic, salt and sugar and cook on medium high heat for a few minutes while gently coating the apples all over with the spices.
7. Cook the apples for about 10 minutes - uncovered, stirring occasionally. The apples will start to soften slightly.
8. Add the coconut milk and water/apple cider and stir through with the apples. Return to the stove for another 5 - 10 minutes covered, until the apples soften - PLEASE SEE NOTE.
9. Taste and season with more salt if desired.
10. Carefully stir through to coat the apples with the sauce/gravy - since the apples have softened and you don't want them to break up (add more water if you like more sauce - but I recommend a thicker sauce).

Recipe Notes

NOTE - cook the apples for only about 5 minutes if you prefer slightly firmer apples that still have a good bite to it. Cook them up to 8 minutes if you prefer softer apples in your curry. I love apples that are very soft, but they are firmer in traditional Sri Lankan apple curries.

So go ahead and try something new and spicy this Fall with those fabulous green apples. And do let me know how it goes. Have you tried green apple curry before? Or any curry with fruits?

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