An easy, anytime curry that comes together in a snap.
Prep Time: 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 30 minutesminutes
Total: 35 minutesminutes
Servings: 3to 4
Ingredients
Rice
1cupraw white basmati rice(185 g)
1 3/4cupswater(415 ml)
1/2teaspoonfine sea salt
Curry
2cupsdrained, cooked chickpeas (from about 1 1/2 [14-ounce] cans, or homemade – see note below)(350 g)
1/2cupraw cashews(70 g)
2tablespoonscoconut oil (or other mild cooking oil)(25 g)
1smallish onion, diced (about 1 cup)
3-4medium-large carrots scrubbed and sliced into scant 1/2" coins(8 ounces / 230 g),
1fat, inch-long chunk ginger root, peeled and slivered
2teaspoonscurry powder
1large garlic clove, peeled and sliced
1can full-fat coconut milk(14-ounce / 414 ml)
1/2teaspoonfine sea salt
2-3cupslightly packed baby spinach leaves, rinsed and spun dry(100 g)
juice from 1/2 large lemon
Sriracha or other hot sauce, for serving, optional
Instructions
Make the rice:
Place the rice in a strainer and rinse under cool water until the water runs mostly clear, 10 seconds. Drain well and place in a medium saucepan with the water and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and steam the rice until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes. Use the tines of a fork to gently fluff the rice.
Meanwhile, make the curry:
Have the chickpeas cooked and ready to go.
Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Place the cashews on a small, rimmed baking sheet and toast until golden, 8-12 minutes. Let cool.
Heat the coconut oil in a wide skillet set over a medium flame and when it shimmers, add the onion, carrot and ginger. Cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, then the curry powder, cooking until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add a splash of the chickpea broth or water to deglaze the pan.
Add the coconut milk, chickpeas, and salt to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the curry has thickened a bit and the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the spinach just until the spinach is wilted, then remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste, adding more salt if you feel the curry needs it.
Divide the rice between 3-4 bowls, top with the curry and a handful of cashews, and serve with hot sauce, if you like. Extras keep well, refrigerated airtight, for up to 2 or 3 days.
Notes
An easy, anytime curry that comes together in a snap. Adapted from The Clever Cookbook: Get-Ahead Strategies and Timesaving Tips for Stress-Free Home Cooking.To cook your own chickpeas, soak 1 cup (200 g) of dried chickpeas (a.k.a garbanzo beans) in 4 cups (1 liter) cool water for 8 hours or overnight. Drain the chickpeas and put them in a large saucepan covered by 4 inches of water and 1 large bay leaf. Simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. When nearly cooked, add 1 teaspoon sea salt to the pot. Let cool in the broth and refrigerate for up to 1 week. You'll have more chickpeas than you'll need for the recipe, perfect for adding to green salads, pastas, or for making Emilie's Smashed Chickpea Salad in her book.Nutritional values are based on one of three servings.I made this with super-flavorful curry powder from Spice Society.