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Chickpeas and Spinach
Difficulty Level: Easy
I generally cook vegetarian meals for our weeknight dinners.We occasionally have meat, but not that often. Not only is it healthier for us and for the environment, it's easier on the pocketbook. We've been trying to get our fiscal house in order and that means I have to do my part and provide healthy, nourishing meals that don't cost a lot of money.
So far this week I've been doing pretty well. I made black bean chili which provided dinner and lunch for two and Thai green curry which provided dinner and lunch for two and last night we had Chickpeas and Spinach which provided dinner for two and lunch for one. All those meals and I spent less than $15.00.
I should also say, that this is the time of year when all that preserving I did in the summer and fall starts to pay off. I paid $18.00 for a bushel of tomatoes and I got 41 pint jars and 4 quart jars out of it. A can of tomatoes costs about $1.99 so it's a big saving. I've been using my own canned tomatoes since they went out of season in the fall, and I still have lots of jars left. I used a preserved tomato in this recipe rather than a fresh one. Add some naan, and some chutney if you have it, and a green salad if you like.
INGREDIENTS
| 2 cups | chickpeas, soaked overnight then cooked till tender, or 1 can chickpeas |
| 1 bunch | spinach leaves, washed and chopped |
| 1 tsp | black mustard seeds |
| 2 tbsp | canola oil - or ghee |
| 1 tsp | ginger, finely chopped |
| 1 | onion, finely chopped |
| 2 teaspoons | tomato paste |
| 1 large | tomato, finely chopped |
| 1 | green chili, finely chopped |
| Salt to taste | |
PREPARATION:
- Heat canola oil (or ghee) in a medium sized pan over a medium to high heat. Add the mustard seeds, cover and cook until the seeds have stopped popping - approx. 30 seconds. Lower the heat and add the ginger, stir-frying for about 30 seconds until light brown.
- Add the onion and cook for 10 minutes until onions are slightly caramelized and brown. Then add chopped tomato, tomato paste, green chili and salt. Finally tip in the chickpeas and coat with the sauce.
- Add about 2 cups of water and bring the mixture to a boil. The lower heat and add the spinach in two to three batches, stirring until each batch has wilted. Once all the spinach has been added allow the curry to simmer for 10-12 minutes on a medium low heat, until the sauce has thickened.
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