Coconut Chickpea Curry

Good day!

I have some exciting news! I love baking, but I realize that some people don't love sugar as much as I do. Lucky for you, I also love to cook, so I am going to start adding savory recipes to my blog! You can find them under the Hungry Llama link!

Here's the first of many "Mama Llama approved" recipes! 

We're big curry eaters in our house. Spouse Unit can make a mean pot of it. We're trying to eat healthier (it's not going very well. We like treats too much) and incorporate more meat-free dishes into our meal plan, so I recently made this Coconut Chickpea Curry recipe from Jessica In the Kitchen and it was great! 

It's also vegan and gluten free, which you might care about, but I don't. I just like good food. 

Anyway, I posted a picture of it on Instagram and received a lot of requests for the recipe. My cute friend Nicole (hey, shoutout to you!) asked me to put it on my blog, and I couldn't say no to that!

 

The picture that started it all...

I have adapted this recipe to my tastes, based on my previous curry-making experiences, and I was pretty happy with the results. I have included notes below, along with some tips and tricks that will hopefully make me sound like a smarty-pants and make you want to read further recipes I post. If not, sorry, you can tell me and I'll back off. Maybe. Deal? Deal. 

If you want to check out Jessica's blog, here is the link. The curry link can be found above, and right below this line is my version. Here we go!

COCONUT CHICKPEA CURRY from Jessica In The Kitchen

Yield: 4-6 servings

• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 to 1 1/2 c. carrots, peeled and chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and cut into strips

• 3 medium to large fresh tomatoes, chopped

• Kosher/sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 (16 oz.) can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed well (super duper important, otherwise you'll taste metal. Yuck.)

• 1 1/2 Tbsp. (or 4 1/2 tsp) garam masala

• 1 tsp. curry powder

• 1/4 tsp. cumin

• 1 (13.5 oz.) can coconut milk (If you're going to eat this curry with rice, my friend Morgan from Rediscovering Morgan recommended using less coconut milk so that the flavors won't be diluted. I love coconut milk, so I would plan on using the full amount and either amping up the spices or eating this curry with naan instead)

• 2 tsp. coconut flour (you can also use regular flour, it just won't be gluten free anymore. I used coconut powder instead because I couldn't pass it up when I saw it at the store. It worked great for me!)

• 1 small lime, cut into wedges

• Chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional, if you think it tastes like soap, but necessary if you don't)

1. In a large saute pan, heat your coconut oil on medium-high heat. 
2. Drop a small piece of onion in the oil. If it doesn't make any noise or just slightly bubbles, it's not hot enough. If it spatters, it's too hot. You want it to sizzle. 
3. If it's sizzling, add the rest of your onion and garlic.  
4. When the onion/garlic mixture is starting to turn translucent, add your red pepper and carrots. After a few minutes, they should be getting soft.  
5. At this point, add the tomatoes along with the salt and black pepper. The salt will help the tomatoes release their juices and soften. Lower the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes.  
6. Add in the chickpeas, garam masala, curry powder, and cumin. Stir to combine.  
7. Add the coconut milk and stir again.  
8. Stir in the (coconut) flour.  
9. Bring the curry to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Season the curry with any additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. 
10. Serve alongside rice or naan. 
11. Garnish with chopped cilantro and a lime wedge. 
12. Take a picture and make your friends drool. 
13. Squeeze the lime juice over the curry before eating.  
14. Eat it.  
15. The end.

What kind of curry is your favorite? If you have any tried and true recipes, send them my way! I'd love to try them!

Also, feel free to send any other recipes or requests that you'd like to see on here. I'm always open to suggestions! Except for when I'm not (hey, I'm human, but I'll be nice about it). 


Thanks for reading! See ya on the flip-flop,

Melissa