Chickpea and cauliflower curry

This recipe comes from Food Glorious Food, by Patrick Holford and Fiona McDonald Joyce.  I did adapt the quantities slightly, increasing the chickpeas, giving more protein to keep you fuller for longer.   We also used curry powder instead of the curry paste recommended and it was still lovely.  It isn’t hot. The curry is really a meal in itself without needing accompaniments though we did roast some pumpkin wedges.  We coated them in tomato puree and spices according to Patrick and Fiona’s recipe for Indian Spiced butternut squash, also from the same book.  Don’t be tempted to leave out the coconut oil – extra (healthy) oils are very important for keeping you fuller longer when you eat animal-free meals.

 

For 3 big eaters, with a little left for lunch next day:
Remember to go to my “larder & shopping” section for unusual ingredients.

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
2 heaped tbs Thai curry paste or Sharwoods Madras curry powder (or any curry powder – make sure to check labels for gluten if relevant)
2 large onions, sliced
2/3 large cauliflower, broken into bite size florets
2 x 400g tins chickpeas or 220g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, then boiled till tender to yield 440g when cooked and drained (about 2 mugs)
400ml can full fat coconut milk
100ml hot vegetable stock (use 1/4 teaspoon Marigold bouillon or 1/2 a Kallo vegetable stock cube to make this up)
1 tbs tamari sauce
250g fine green beans (or you could use runner beans, cut into 2″ lengths)
Optional: Handful of coriander, torn or roughly chopped

1. Put the oil, curry powder and onions in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Le Creuset type pot on a medium heat, mix around, cover with a lid or plate and sweat until softened and translucent – this usually takes around 10 minutes.  Add the cauliflower and chickpeas to the pan and stir to coat them in the other ingredients.
2. Pour in the coconut milk, stock and tamari, and stir.  Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over a gentle heat until the cauliflower is nearly done.  I found this took about 15 minutes.
3. Stir in the green beans, cover and cook for another 5 minutes or so until they’re tender.  Scatter with the coriander leaves (if using) before serving.

To serve: You can eat this curry on its own, or serve with brown rice or with the gorgeous Indian spiced butternut squash recipe I will be posting shortly.

Why this recipe is good for you:
Thousands of clinical studies show that a wide range of spices have profoundly anti-inflammatory properties, helping soothe joints, digestive system and delay ageing.  Sometimes people complain that Indian takeaways upset them, thinking it is the spices.  It is more likely to be the heavy use of low quality refined oils that promote inflammation and play havoc with their stomachs!!  The chickpeas in this recipe are a good source of protein and also of soluble fibre, that feeds beneficial bacteria in the gut to help your health.  Chickpeas, like all beans and pulses, need to be soaked and boiled thoroughl (or tinned!) to make them digestible.  Virgin coconut oil and full fat coconut milk contain important medium chain triglyceride fats that feed your brain.  MCTs also used by the body directly to make energy, rather than being stored as fat – good news if you want to be slim and trim.  People with ME/chronic fatigue syndrome particularly benefit from coconut oil in their diets.  Cauliflower is a sulphurophane vegetable, helping your liver detoxify used-up hormones and other waste products.   Substituting beans/pulses for meat/cheese in some of your meals every week is a good way of helping your kidney function and supporting joint and bone health. Fresh coriander binds to heavy metals such as mercury and aluminium in the gut, helping their safe elimination.  “Silver” fillings give off toxic mercury while “normal” tea is high in aluminium, a known neurotoxin.  Helping your body eliminate these is good news.