Chickpea & Coconut Curry

This is the curry to make when the fridge is bare but the cupboard has a couple of tins. Chickpeas and coconut milk do the heavy lifting, spinach adds freshness, and a handful of everyday spices ties it together. It's hearty enough to satisfy without any meat, naturally vegan, and the kind of thing that tastes like you spent far longer on it than you did.

Blitzing or lightly mashing a few of the chickpeas thickens the sauce naturally — a small trick worth doing.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp curry powder or garam masala
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder, to taste
• 1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes
• 2 tins (400g each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 400ml coconut milk
• 100g spinach (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tsp salt, to taste
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Fresh coriander, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6–7 minutes until soft and golden.
2. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for a minute, then add the curry powder, cumin, turmeric and chilli powder. Fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until thickened and darkened slightly.
4. Add the chickpeas and coconut milk with the salt. Lightly mash about a quarter of the chickpeas against the side of the pan to thicken the sauce.
5. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 12–15 minutes until rich and creamy, stirring now and then.
6. Stir in the spinach and cook for 2 minutes until wilted. Finish with lemon juice, taste for salt, and scatter with coriander.
7. Serve with rice or warm flatbread.