Curried Tomato Stew

I talked about kitchen failures, and about insecurities. And still, I'd like to continue thinking out loud here.
You see, I really love to cook, I enjoy spending time in the kitchen, I talk about food - a lot (just ask my boyfriend), and still, I can get really insecure when it comes to cooking. So often I find myself thinking: "I couldn't do that. This must be really difficult. How does s/he do that? The thought of making x scares me."
I really need to stop doing that, because, you know, these insecurities do not only show up in the kitchen, but also in the rest of my life.
I sometimes nurture my insecurities, tell them that they have a reason to be there, where really, there is nothing to fear.
I have been trying to challenge myself these past weeks, because really, that is the only thing that can take away my fears. Your fears, too. I will continue to challenge myself, and think I want to share some of the things I try as I go on exploring.
But today, I want to share my adaptation of this weeks recipe for the Food Matters Project. It is a really easy recipe, quick to make, but still delicious. And it is great for the days between the challenges,  something that can't really go wrong and warms you from within.



Curried Tomato Stew, topped with a Fried Egg

1 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee
2-3 cm of the white part of a leek
1/2 carrot
2 cloves of garlic
1 can whole tomatoes (if there seems to be too much liquid, drain some. Crushed tomatoes are better not used here, they contain to much liquid and lose their texture too much)
2 small potatoes
1/4 tsp dried ginger
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
pinch of sugar and pepper
1/2 tsp sambal oelek, or to taste
1 egg

Chop the carrot and the leek very thinly. Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the carrots and the leek. While it cooks, stirring occasionally, chop the potatoes into very small cubes. Add them to the vegetables in the pan, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Chop the garlic cloves, add them together with the tomatoes to the skillet. Add the spices, salt and pepper and let it cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
Just before the tomatoes are ready, fry an egg in a little bit of vegetable oil in another skillet. Sprinkle with a bit of salt, pepper and garam masala.
Spoon the tomatoes onto a plate, top with the egg and enjoy.

Serves 1.