Chickpea and Spinach Curry

Chickpea and Spinach Curry

Perfect for dinner. Wonderful when warmed up in a microwave for a leftovers lunch with a chapatti on the side. Made with a vegan recipe, but dairy cream/yoghurt/ butter can be used.

Taste: Simplicity: Cost:

Recipe by Lucy Pimlott

Ingredients

• 1 brown onion
• 2 tins of chickpeas (2 x 400g)
• 1 tin of peeled tomatoes/ chopped tomatoes
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon tumeric
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste
• 1/2 tablespoon ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Butter (dairy/vegan/ghee)
• Spinach
• Vegetable oil
• Lemon juice
• 100ml yoghurt/cream
• Optional: fresh coriander

Method

1. Splash some oil and butter/ghee into a pan on medium-high heat. Once hot, add a diced brown onion and sprinkle salt on top. Fry until the onions are soft and have a golden hue. Add a tablespoon of garlic puree and half a tablespoon of ginger puree (or a tablespoon of a combined paste) and fry until you can no longer smell the raw garlic.
2. Add these spices to the pan: turmeric, chilli powder, paprika, coriander powder, cumin powder and curry powder. Add around 1 teaspoon each. Toast the spices in the pan. Turn down the heat to medium from medium-high and add splashes of water to loosen up the spices. Let the spices and onions form a paste with the water.
3. Add a teaspoon of tomato puree to the paste and cook before adding the tinned tomatoes. Let the tomatoes settle with the spice paste for a couple of minutes.
4. Once you’ve added the tomatoes, add the 2 tins of drained chickpeas. Stir them into the mixture and add 100ml of water. Let them cook on a medium heat for 15 mins.
5. After 15 mins, add spinach. Cook until fully wilted (another 10/15 mins). Sprinkle on some garam masala.
6. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the yoghurt or cream, try not to let the mixture split. If using, sprinkle some fresh coriander on top.