Welp, it happened. I got a job - WOOT! And so, back to the juggling act I go. I’ve also got a commute attached to this so, from here on out, Monday through Friday dinners need to be either 30 minutes or less or tossed in the crockpot before I head out the door in the morning. Gone are the days of the 2-3 hour stew on a Wednesday. *sigh* Oh well, this is a bonus for you guys because I will definitely be trying some new recipes that will hopefully be quick and easy to put together and I'll be letting you know how they went. Tonight though, you’re not getting a quickie. Sorry. (Hey! Get your mind out of the gutter! This is a FAMILY show!) BUT, I promise that tonight’s recipe is worth the time and effort.
So, we love curry. Curry is delicious! And, usually, recipes with curry don’t require too much time but this one is so chock full of good stuff that prep is a little lengthy and then there’s time waiting for veggies to soften. Oh…the dish is vegetarian and is a total WINNER with Things 1, 2 and 3! In fact, we’re all pretty excited about leftovers tomorrow and with what I know about flavors mingling after a dish sits overnight, tomorrow’s lunch promises to be the envy of all my new colleagues. J
You know when you go to Indian or Afghani restaurants and you see those dishes of curried chickpeas? Oh my goodness, are those GOOD or what? Anyway, this is not an exact replica but is an EXCELLENT substitution – and has way less oil so the fat content is cut way down. I found this recipe for Chickpea Curry in my 1,000 Lowfat Recipes cookbook. It says it makes 5 servings – um, I served 5 tonight and you already know we’re talking about the leftovers….. This dish is chock full of really good stuff – butternut squash, carrots, potatoes and, of course, chickpeas! The prep of the veggies is what takes the extra time – the potatoes need to be peeled and cubed, the butternut squash needs to be peeled and grated and the carrot needs to be shredded. Well, let me tell you, if you have a food processor, you will move through the butternut squash in no time flat. Otherwise, well, add some additional time for prep. I took a shredded carrot shortcut and bought a bag of preshredded carrots. Hey, don’t judge me - those are really good in salads! The potato? Well, sorry, you still have to peel and cube it so plan for that.
The recipe calls for 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons of curry powder. I used hot curry powder because I figured that the amount of veggies in this dish would just soak it up and it wouldn’t be super spicy and I was right. It did have a nice kick but nothing you couldn’t tame by using a blend of hot and regular or just even using regular. If I were to just use regular, I would definitely recommend the full 2 teaspoons (or maybe even a ½ teaspoon more) just to make sure the curry doesn’t get lost in the dish. It also calls for a peeled, cored and chopped apple to be added during the last 10 minutes. Thing 2 was not a fan. She didn’t like the texture. The rest of us liked it – it did add a nice freshness – but it’s certainly not necessary. Next time, I will prep an apple and put it in a bowl along with the other condiments. It won’t have the same effect but it should be tasty, nonetheless. Oh, condiments? We used raisins, Spanish peanuts and the Cucumber Raita recommended with the recipe but you could use anything you like. The recipe also suggests a chutney – you pick your favorite flavor. J
This is definitely a winner – delicious and full of all kinds of good stuff. This is a new staple in my house. Here’s the recipe for you to make it a regular at your dinner table. Happy cooking, eating and drinking!
Chickpea Curry
Makes: 5 servings
Have small bowls of condiments, such as raisins and nuts, Cucumber Raita and a chutney on the table so diners may garnish their plates to their own liking. Always serve curry with rice.
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
1 to 2 leeks, white part only, washed well and minced
1 ½ cups peeled, grated butternut squash (easily grated in food processor)
1 carrot, shredded
2 medium all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups water
4 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 ½ to 2 teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Sauté the garlic, ginger and leeks in the oil over low heat until soft.
2. Add the squash, carrot, and potatoes. Pour in the water and simmer, covered, until the vegetables soften. If necessary, add more water so that the curry doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
3. Add the remaining ingredients except the apple and cook for 30 minutes longer.
4. Ten minutes before serving, add the apple. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
Per serving: Calories 359; Protein 15g; Fat 6g (Saturated 1g); Carbohydrates 66g; Fiber 11g, Sodium 125mg
Cucumber Raita
Makes: 4 servings
This cooling salad is served as an accompaniment to spicy Middle Eastern or Indian foods.
½ cup plain lowfat or nonfat yogurt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh mint
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
Whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, mint, and cumin in a bowl. Stir in the cucumber and mix well.
Per serving: Calories 31; Protein 2g; Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Carbohydrates 5g; Fiber 1g; Sodium 23mg
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