chickpeas, curry, spinach, what more could you want?
This is one of the first recipes I followed from NYT Cooking, by Alison Roman. I discovered her video on #TheStew on Youtube, then fell into the rabbit hole of NYT Cooking videos. One of the most educational was Melissa Clark’s guide to eating less meat in 2020 — very helpful! She advises to cut down on dairy, especially butter and cheese, as these are the second largest contributors to global warming from the livestock industry, behind beef. I have already been able to cut out beef from my diet, and most of my family’s diet, but dairy is a more difficult issue to tackle.
Switching to plant-based protein and milk is actually better for you! Tofu is high in protein and calcium, and doesn’t have the saturated fats and cholesterol found in meat. I’ve discovered that hemp milk, made right in my blender at home, is great for granola! It’s slightly nutty flavor is reminiscent of soy milk, and it has more calcium than cow’s milk! I never would have thought the “milk” of a seed could be superior to a cow’s.
I got a little off topic, but #TheStew is a great vegetarian dinner, chock full with healthy ingredients. There’s a healthy amount of protein in the chickpeas, iron in the spinach, and antioxidants in the turmeric. It can be served on rice, along with pita, or on its own.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 inch ginger, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 cans coconut milk
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 bunch spinach
- mint, yogurt for serving
Directions:
- In a Dutch oven, cook oil, garlic, onion, ginger, salt, and pepper, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add turmeric, red pepper flakes, and chickpeas, along with more salt and pepper to taste. After 10 minutes, remove 1 cup of chickpeas for garnish.
- Crush remaining chickpeas to release their starchy insides, then add milk and stock, seasoning again with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until desired consistency is reached.
- Add greens and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
- Serve with reserved chickpeas, a sprinkle of turmeric and red-pepper flakes, a solid drizzle of olive oil, and mint and yogurt, optionally. Enjoy!
