Spinach, Chickpea & Coconut Curry

Ingredients

• 2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• Basmati rice or warm naan bread, to serve
• 200g spinach
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 25g ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 tbsp mild curry powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 400ml coconut milk
• 200ml hot vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 15g coriander, roughly chopped
• Kachumber salad, to serve

Method

1. Heat the coconut oil in a large casserole over a medium flame. Add the onion with a generous pinch of salt and soften for 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until translucent and just turning gold at the edges.
2. Stir in the garlic, ginger, curry powder, turmeric, cardamom and chilli flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, until the spices smell toasty and the kitchen starts to wake up. Tip in the chopped tomatoes and let them bubble down for 5 minutes, stirring so nothing catches.
3. Pour in the coconut milk and stock and bring to a gentle bubble. Add the chickpeas and red lentils, drop the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken to a glossy, spoon-coating consistency.
4. Add the sugar and taste for salt — it usually wants more than you think. Fold the spinach through in handfuls, letting each one wilt before adding the next.
5. Finish with a good squeeze of lime to brighten the coconut richness. Check the seasoning one last time.
6. Serve straight away over basmati rice, or cool and portion for the freezer — it reheats beautifully with a splash of stock if it has tightened up, and works just as well spooned over a jacket potato.