A slightly different curry

I don't usually bother posting when I make a variation on my favorite curry-type meals, of which I make a big batch at least every other week. There's a simple, flexible formula that is successful pretty much no matter what specific ingredients you use: aromatics + spices + protein + vegetable one + vegetable two + liquid + grain. The one I did last night was good enough though, that I wanted to make a point of mentioning it.

Aromatics: one onion, browned in olive oil, and three cloves of garlic, chopped. Then, and this is what really put this dish over the top, one slightly-past-its-prime apple, cut into very small pieces. It dissolved into the sauce and gave it an extra fragrant, ever-so-slightly sweet dimension.
Spices: 2 t. spicy red curry paste, 2 t. cumin, 1 t. random curry powder, 1 t. garam masala.
Vegetable 1: sweet potato, peeled and cubed. Vegetable 2: half a bag of frozen green beans. Protein: can of chick peas, drained and rinsed. Liquid: can of light coconut milk. Extra protein: an egg that I dropped into the pan to cook while everything was simmering. It took a surprisingly long time.
Grain: this blend from my boyfriend, Trader Joe's.

Extremely delicious, good for me and cheap. Not to mention that I finally have a use for sub-par apples besides throwing them at anyone who happens to annoy me. Guy sitting next to me on the G train jingling your keys for seven stops this morning: consider yourself lucky.

[originally posted on my old food blog 11.12.2008]