Yummy Beetroot Stew

I find this meal sums up what comfort food is for me; Nourishing, warming, grounding and calming. My mom makes a beautiful version of this. I have tried to replicate her recipe but she never wrote anything down a bit of this and a bit of that she would say but nothing too precise. She always insisted that I put bay leaves in it as that is what gave the subtle earthiness to it. Make this in autumn and winter when beetroots are in season, make extra as it is a great thing to have on hand the next day for lunch.

Serves 6-10 people (depending how many serves you go back for!)

10 fresh beetroots peeling and sliced thinly and chopped in half

6 very large carrots peeling and sliced same thickness as the beetroot

1/2 head of purple cabbage finely sliced

3 large leeks washed and trimmed and finely sliced

1 bunch of coriander stems washed and chopped up

4 cm of fresh ginger peeled and grated

3 large garlic cloves peeled and minced

4 tablespoons of Sunflower Oil

2 tsp of caraway seeds

2 tsp of cumin seeds

1 tablespoon of Ajwain seeds

2 tsp of Black Mustard seeds

5-7 bay leaves dried

2 tsp of Turmeric Powder

1 heaped tablespoon of coriander powder

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp of pink salt

2 tsp ground black pepper

3 cubes of organic vegetable stock

21/2-3 Litres of boiling water

Method

Get your oil nice and hot at the bottom of a large cooking pot with a solid base. Then add your seeds let them sizzle and pop and then add the leeks, garlic, ginger and coriander stems, sautee for 10-15 minutes until almost golden. Add you dried spice powders, then toss in all your chopped veggies make sure you mix them in all the spices and leeks etc. Then boil up 3 litres of water add the soup stock and mix in with all the vegetables. Bring to a nice rolling boil then reduce to a simmer for 1.5 to 2 hrs or until veggies soften up. Serve with parsley and dill on top.