The inspiration for this recipe comes from “Vij's: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine,” by Vikram Vij and Meeru Dhalwala.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped ginger and 1 tablespoon thinly sliced ginger
• One 2-inch piece cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or splash hot pepper sauce
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes, canned or fresh
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 large carrot or 2 to 3 medium, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 small butternut, delicata or acorn squash, peeled (don’t peel if using delicata), deseeded and cut into 1/-2 inch cubes
• 1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup sour cream OR a can of low-fat coconut milk
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup spinach, Swiss chard or kale, coarsely chopped
• About 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional
• 1/2 cup chopped cashews, optional

Instructions

In a medium-large pot, heat the oil over moderate heat.
Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, ginger (both cuts), and cinnamon stick and stir.
Add the turmeric, garam masala, ground cinnamon, cumin and cayenne and cook 1 minute, stirring.

Add the tomatoes, and salt and pepper; bring to a low simmer and cook 5 minutes.
Add the parsnip, carrot, squash, and potato and stir well; cook 3 minutes.
Stir in the sour cream (or coconut milk) and water and mix to create a smooth sauce.
Simmer, covered, over low heat for 20 minutes.

Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper to taste. Add the spinach (or kale) and cook another 5 minutes.
Taste for seasoning and serve hot over basmati rice. Scatter with cashews if desired. Serves 4.