December 5, 2010

Vegetable & Chickpea Curry


I have recently become obsessed with coconut milk and have been pouring it into just about every meal these past few weeks. No joke.

I absolutely love the combination of coconut milk, curry powder and tomatoes - such a great flavor that is oh-so comforting. You can imagine my excitement when I found this recipe for Vegetable & Chickpea Curry that makes use of a slow cooker...my true love!


This dish does require a fair amount of chopping/dicing as preparation, as well as a bit of sauteing to begin. But the satisfaction you get when you can literally just throw everything in the slow cooker and forget about it, totally makes up for it. Just stir in the coconut milk and spinach right before eating and serve with brown rice - a simple meal that will warm you up during these chilly winter months! 


Vegetable & Chickpea Curry
Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
1 c. sliced carrots
1 T. curry powder
1 t. brown sugar
1/2 t. ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, chopped (omit the seeds if you're not a fan of the spice!)
3 cups chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 1/2 c. cubed potatoes
1 c. chopped green pepper
1 c. small broccoli florets
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 - 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 - 14 oz. can vegetable broth (I used low sodium)
3 c. fresh baby spinach
1 cup coconut milk


Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add curry powder, sugar, ginger, garlic, and chile; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Place onion mixture in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Stir in chickpeas and next 8 ingredients (through broth). Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Add spinach and coconut milk; stir until spinach wilts.