Curried Shaved Brussels Sprouts were my conversion to a Brussels sprouts lover.
These Brussels sprouts make a light and flavorful side dish. Even with a light sauté, the leaves remain crispy and the curry adds just a hint of seasoning that complements the Brussels sprouts quite nicely. For me, eliminating the “core” of the sprouts also eliminated what I didn’t like about them. I can’t nail it down exactly, but the strong and bitter earthiness that I didn’t like, is absent when you are eating just the leaves.
This recipe was inspired by two recipes from Kitchen Riffs: Hashed Brussels Sprouts and Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Hot Bacon Dressing.These recipes were my introduction into shaved sprouts which has lead to an expansion of my vegetable side offerings.
These Brussels sprouts are a very nice complement to Peppered Lemon Chicken.
A delicate and delicious recipe using Brussels sprout leaves "shaved" from the core and lightly sauteed with a touch of curry powder.
*See Kitchen Notes for more information.
- 2 tsp. bacon drippings or olive oil
- ¼ cup minced onion
- ½ pound Brussels sprouts
- a heaping ¼ tsp. of a sweet & spicy curry powder
- 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Remove any discolored leaves from the Brussels sprouts. Wash and drain. Cut off the stem end of each sprout about ¼ of an inch into the body. Thinly slice the sprouts lengthwise. Break the leaves away from the cores. Discard the cores.
Melt the bacon drippings or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook for 1 minute.
Add the shaved sprouts and cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes.
- Add the curry powder and cook stirring for another minute.
- Add the vinegar, salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 more minutes or until the sprouts are cooked to your liking. (We liked ours still somewhat crispy, so 2 minutes was plenty.)
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Bacon Drippings – What isn’t better with bacon? 🙂 The bacon drippings provide just a hint of bacon which is quite nice with the shaved sprouts, but if you don’t have any drippings or you are vegetarian, then use butter or olive oil.
Curry Powder – A Sweet & Spicy curry powder is my favorite curry powder, but if you don’t have one like it, you could substitute with your favorite curry powder. If it’s not a spicy curry, then add a little red chile powder as well.
We serve these shaved sprouts with a variety of dishes from a simple chicken dish to a vegetarian main. The curry flavor is so subtle that this side doesn’t have to be served with another Indian type dish. The entrèe can have a strong lemony or smoky flavor or something more subtle like a quiche or vegetable patty. Below are some of our favorite complementary dishes to serve with these sprouts.
