Chickpea Curry (Indian Style)

This mouth watering chickpea curry is guaranteed to satisfy a healthy appetite.  In our family we can never say no to a good curry and this vegetarian and vegan friendly dish boasts wonderful spices, Indian flavours and only a few ingredients.  This humble dish is filling, delicious and easy to prepare.

Meatless dishes are becoming more popular in our every day lives.  This simple and yet satisfying Indian curry is one to add to your repertoire of  weekly dishes.  One doesn’t need meat to get their protein.  Chickpeas are a great source of protein and much more.

Curry Paste
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 tablespoon Paprika
2 tablespoons Turmeric
2 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Cardamom
2 cloves Garlic
2 Cayenne Chillies
1 Onion (roughly chopped)
1 knob ginger (approximately 6cm roughly chopped)
4 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
fresh Coriander (small handful)

Ingredients
1 Sweet Potato (cut into 4cm pieces)
2-3 handfuls of Baby Spinach
500 grams cooked Chickpeas
1 onion (finely chopped)
1 cup of water
400ml Coconut Milk
4 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation Time:   15-20 minutes + soaking chickpeas overnight
Cooking Time:     20 minutes (Approximately)
Serves:     4-6 people (Approximately)

1. Wash and soak the dry chickpeas in a bowl overnight.  Well covered with water.
2. Discard the water they have been soaking in and place in a pot.
3. Cover the chickpeas with fresh water and bring to a gentle boil.  Cook for 20-30 minutes or until soft.  Remove from the heat, strain the water reserve 2 cups and place aside.
4. In a food processor add garam masala, paprika, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, garlic, onion, chillies, ginger, coriander and oil.  Blitz until you have a paste.
5. In a large pan, add the oil over a medium heat, add the chopped onion and sauté for a few minutes.
6. Add the curry paste and continue to cook for another 3 minutes, then add the sweet potato.  Continue to cook until well mixed and coated with the paste.
7. Add the cooked chickpeas and a cup of reserved water, place a lid on the pot and allow to simmer gently stirring occasionally until the sweet potato is cooked.
8. Once the potatoes are cooked add the coconut milk, salt and pepper. Mix well, allow to come to a gentle simmer.
9. Add the spinach leaves to the curry, place the lid back on the pot for a minute allowing the leaves to wilt.
10. Turn the heat off, serve immediately.

Cooks Tips

• Once you have cooked the chickpeas if there are some that are slightly discoloured, they may be old and my advice is discard them.
• If you find the curry is a little on the dry side, add a little of the reserved chickpea water.
• If you are pressed for time and cannot soak and cook the dry chickpeas, feel free to use the canned ones.  Check which brands contain less salt and sugar.
• This dish can be served with steamed rice.

Enjoy!