merrifood

Chickpea curry

Posted by merrifood on March 24, 2013 · 1 Comment 

As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve gotten really into chickpeas lately, so wanted to share another recipe that features them.  I love Indian food but don’t eat it that often because the curries are so heavy that I typically feel grossly full after eating them.  This is a healthy, light curry that uses Greek yogurt  as a thickener instead of coconut milk.  The spinach is a great vegetable add and it tastes delicious over brown rice.  Plus, the addition of tumeric and cumin make it smell utterly fantastic.  If you have garam masala you could use that as well.  This is a fantastic and easy recipe that is easy to make in a big batch if you want to serve others or just make the original recipe and have leftovers for lunch throughout the week.

Chickpea curry  (adapted from The Sweets Life)

Ingredients – makes 3-4 servings

-1 large onion, diced
-3 carrots, diced
-1 tsp each of tumeric and cumin
-1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
-1 can crushed tomatoes
-1 package fresh baby spinach
-1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
-1 cup rice (I used brown rice)

Directions:
1. Cook rice according to package instructions.
2. While rice is cooking, spray a large pot with non-stick spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes or until tender.  You may need to add in a splash of water to make sure the onions don’t stick to the pan.
3. Stir in the spices for about 30 seconds.  Add chickpeas and tomatoes, and bring to a boil.  Continue to stir and let cook for a few minutes.  Turn down the heat, and stir in the spinach.  As soon as the spinach wilts, remove from heat.
4. Stir in the salt and the yogurt.  Sprinkle with cilantro if using and then serve it over the rice.

Diced carrots and onions cooking in the pan

Adding the tomatoes and chickpeas

Adding in the spinach

Finished product (post yogurt being stirred in over rice

This curry was fantastic for leftovers and smelled absolutely amazing when re-heated.  It is also hearty enough to serve as a dinner to guests.  Although it may not look the prettiest, it is utterly delicious and unlike some really heavy Indian curries you might get at a restaurant, it’s light enough to enjoy totally guilt free.