Vegetable Kurma

Equipment needed: pressure cooker (but you could just simmer things longer, as I may do)

Ingredients:

2 Tbs oil (I used olive)
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Measure into separate bowls
1 stick cinnamon
4 cloves
2 star anise
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1 L onion, chopped
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1 Tbs ginger garlic paste (if you don't have this, just finely chop, then grind, equal parts of fresh ginger and garlic)
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1 L tomato, chopped
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1 L carrot, cubed
1 c green beans, chopped into about 2" pieces
1 medium potato, cubed
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salt to taste (start with 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp turmeric
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Ground masala
Grind into paste:
5 (or more) green chilis
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp aniseed
6-8 cashews
3 Tbs coconut
1 Tbs coriander (cilantro) leaves
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1 1/2 c water

Instructions
1, Heat oil in a pressure cooker or large, deep (and heavy) pan. Sautee cinnamon, cloves, and star anise for about 2 minutes.

2. Add chopped onions, sautee for another 2-3 minutes, then add ginger garlic paste and cook for a minute.

3. Add tomatoes and sautee until the tomatoes get a bit soft, then add green beans, carrot, and potato.

4. Add salt, garam masal, and turmeric, then the ground masala. Now, sautee for 2-3 minutes.

5. Add water, close pressure cooker, and cook 'til the rocker starts, then remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes, then cool under running water.

6. Serve over rice. We had this over tamarind rice - it's not a low-calorie meal!