Chickpea Curry

Not pictured:  fluffy naan to soak up the curry sauce

Two of the biggest gripes I hear when people talk about eating meatless meals are, "Not enough protein!" and "Not enough flavor!"  I gotcha covered on both counts with this recipe.  (This is my own recipe, and I've never made it for Indian friends, but I think it is spiritually, if not actually, authentic.)

Between the two cans of chickpeas and the large helping of spinach, you are totally caught up on your protein.  And with the fiber content through the roof, this will leave you feeling full and happy (but not bloated and gross.  Big difference there!)  As for flavor, fresh spices, two kinds of curry, and oven-dried tomatoes pack a potent punch and are the opposite of bland!

If you don't have the whole spices, you can use ground, but there is such a huge difference in quality that I really urge you to splurge for the whole spices.  If you go to an Indian market you will find whole coriander and cumin for a steal, way cheaper than the ground (flavorless, odorless powder) at the American grocery stores.  Also, find a few curry powders and pastes that you like.  I always have Madras curry paste in the fridge (it lasts forever) and two different curry powders.  Some are sweeter, some are more bitter - experiment!

Serve this with a green salad and bread, or with brown or jasmine rice.  I also like to eat the curry the next day, with a sunny side egg on top.  Like bacon, a fried egg makes everything better too!

Chickpea Curry

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 cup oven-dried tomatoes packed in oil (homemade or store-bought)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 10-ounce box frozen spinach, or fresh
• 2 cans chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) - do not drain off water
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon Madras curry paste
• salt to taste

So pretty and festive before it all cooks down into curry!

Directions:

1. Drain the oil from the tomatoes into a large non-stick pot.  Over medium-low heat, add the coriander and cumin.  When you can smell them, about 3 minutes, add the onion and stir.
2. When the onion softens, add the tomatoes, spinach (go ahead, throw it in the frozen), and chickpeas.  Add the chickpea water too. If you must rinse them, or are using rehydrated dried chickpeas, add 1/2 cup water or broth.  
3. Add curry powder and paste, stir to combine, and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Taste for salt and serve.