“This is an easy vegetarian dish that is hearty, flavorsome and delicious”
I am so excited to be talking about this meatless dish. When I thought of creating a vegetarian meal, I wanted to keep things incredibly simple. This included easy dinner and lunch ideas that you can recreate in no time and enjoy with your family. So, let us get into this recipe! My strong Caribbean roots certainly influenced this meal. There is no secret that us west Indians absolutely love curry. Growing up my mom pretty much ‘curried’ everything with chickpeas being one of them. The smell was always so aromatic, and I remember always being so excited for her to ‘yell’ our names to the dinner table. Putting together my own recipe for this meal is so nostalgic.
Kale and spinach together have always been one of my favorite vegetable combinations. It is incredibly tasty and when you add a bit of coconut milk and fresh tomatoes, it is on a whole different flavor profile…AMAZING! Coconut milk adds a kick and unique flavor to the dish. If you enjoy coconut curry, then you will certainly appreciate this dish. We are putting together curry, garam masala and geera (roasted cumin powder) for a delightful seasoning that adds so much flavor to your chickpeas. In my opinion, a good curry must involve both geera and masala. Then there is the addition of fried ripe plantains to this dish…. I do not know about you, but no meal is ever complete without fried plantains as a side dish (also the Caribbean in me). Honestly, in my household I fry plantains at least 2-3 times per week that is how much we love it! It is one of those things that my mom always made growing up and let’s say I followed that path. The icing on the cake for this meal is that you can prepare it in less than 40 minutes AND all you basically need is a skillet, so it is mess-free! I do hope you enjoy this chickpea-licious Caribbean-inspired meal with a hefty portion of white rice.
Helpful Tips
- You want to fry your curry a bit to take out the raw taste. If you tried my curry recipe you know that I usually mix my curry with spices to form a paste before frying. Same process here.
- You can also use chickpeas from the bag instead of the canned ones. Just soak them overnight, then boil or pressure it for faster results.
- If you cannot find the spinach and kale together in a bag, then it’s okay to buy them separately.
- I always drain the water out the can of chickpeas, this takes out the salty water.
- I prefer Yukon gold potatoes when making curry. The taste of these potatoes with curry is remarkable.
- You can slice the potatoes to your liking. Keep in mind the thicker you cut them the longer it will take to cook.
- Do not stir the chickpeas too much to avoid them from breaking up and becoming too mushy.
- Be sure potatoes are done before removing from heat. If not done, you can add 1/4 cup of water and cook on medium heat.
Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Serving size: 2-3
Ingredients
- 28 oz can of chickpeas
- 2 scallions
- 1 finely chopped onion (small), divided
- 2 Yukon gold potatoes
- 3-4 finely chopped garlic, divided
- 3 tbsp curry powder
- ¼ tsp garam marsala
- ¼ cumin (geera)
- Chicken bouillon or salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 hot pepper
- 1 large bag of baby kale and spinach
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 small tomato
- 2 tbsp coconut milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Curry Chickpeas
- Mix curry, marsala and geera in a bowl then set aside.
- Add 2 tbsp of oil to a skillet on medium heat.
- Add garlic, ½ of onion, curry paste mixture, and potatoes then sauté for 6-7 minutes making sure to stir periodically to ensure the curry does not burn.
- Drain the can of chickpeas and add to the skillet. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add hot pepper, 1 cup of water, scallions, and chicken bouillon or salt to taste.
- Cook on medium heat until potatoes are soft.
Sauteed Kale and Spinach
- Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a pan on high medium heat.
- Add onion and garlic.
- Chop kale and spinach and add to the skillet.
- Add butter, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Allow to cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Add fresh tomatoes, cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and Serve hot.
