As a day-in-day-out home cook, there is no more welcome tool in my dinner toolbox than a bung-it-in-the-oven dish. A second necessary tool in the month of January is the ability to dispose of or transform a swede into an evening meal. For the uninitiated, when roasted, the swede, that pretty, purple-creamed, dense little ball, is part-creamy, part carrot-like in nature, and earthy and sweet in flavour. It also takes to big-flavoured sauces such as this tomato, ginger and coconut curry like a chip to vinegar and couples up well with its seasonal pal, fresh, crunchy purple sprouting broccoli.

Roast swede and purple sprouting broccoli curry

I use Mutti tomatoes, which are very finely chopped and which transform into a sauce much quicker than general chopped tomatoes. Other brands are available, of course, and may label their finely chopped tomatoes as rustic pomodoro.

Prep 15 min Cook 1 hr 10 min Serves 4

2 medium swedes (or 1 large swede; 1.2kg), peeled, halved and cut into wedges of 2cm at their widest point Rapeseed oil 2 tsp fine sea salt 1 large onion (or 2 medium ones), peeled and finely sliced 6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 6cm x 2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and very finely chopped (45g) 1½ tsp kashmiri chilli powder 1 tsp ground turmeric 400g tin finely chopped tomatoes, or rustic pomodoro **2 **400ml tins coconut milk 400g sprouting broccoli, florets kept whole, the rest cut into 2cm pieces 20g bunch Thai basil, leaves picked Rice or flatbreads, to serve

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Toss the swede wedges with three tablespoons of oil and three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt, then spread out on an oven tray and roast for 35-45 minutes, turning once halfway, until soft, tender and golden at the edges. Remove, and leave the oven on.

While the swede is roasting, put four tablespoons of oil in a wide, ovenproof frying pan on a medium heat and, when hot, add the onion and one and a quarter teaspoons of salt. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and turning golden brown, then stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for another two minutes. Add the kashmiri chilli and turmeric, then tip in the tinned tomatoes and coconut milk, cook for 10 minutes more, and take off the heat.

Add the broccoli and roast swede to the curry sauce, stir to coat, then pop the pan in the oven for 15 minutes, until the broccoli is tender and everything is well coated in the sauce.

Finely slice the Thai basil leaves, fold half of them into the curry, then scatter the rest over the top. Serve warm with rice or flatbreads.