Red Pepper + Chickpea Coconut Curry

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 5-6

It’s officially fall (although it doesn’t feel like it in Chicago) and my brain biscuits are whirling with ideas for warm, comforting plant-based meals. I took a sabbatical from blogging this summer for a few reasons including our first home purchase, moving, vacations, and general busy-ness with failure to make time for hobbies. Another reason I’ve been M.I.A relates to my rare knee condition and some experimenting I’ve done with diet and lifestyle changes, but that’s for another post. I cannot take credit for this recipe as I modified it from this dish by One Green Planet. I was confused that the original recipe contained no actual curry or spices to warrant use of the term “curry,” so as a rebellious curry-loving gal prone to straying from all recipes, rules, and regs,  I felt compelled to spice things up. This dish is hearty, sweet, savory, and warming. The recipe below will yield a very mild dish in terms of heat, but feel free to add some chili powder or red pepper flakes if mouth-on-fire is your jam!

Ingredients:

• 3 red/orange bell peppers, quartered
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 red or yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 cans organic garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 oz baby spinach
• 1-13.5oz can coconut milk
• 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• pinch of smoked paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups dry quick brown basmati rice, cooked according to package instructions (I use Trader Joe’s Organic Brown Quick Basmati Rice).

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425F. Chop bell peppers, onion, and garlic, and place in foil-lined baking dish with coconut oil, salt, and pepper. Bake x 30 minutes.
• In a good blender, add bell pepper-onion-garlic mixture, coconut milk, and nutritional yeast. Blend on high until smooth.
• Start cooking quick rice according to package instructions
• Saute grape tomatoes in a large skillet, add blended sauce, then add spinach and chick peas.
• Season with turmeric, garam masala, and salt/pepper to taste.
• Once spinach is wilted, turn off heat.
• Serve over rice and/or with naan.

Enjoy!

<3, Christina