My husband Howard and son Ted are not great fans of chickpeas. Ted when he was about three or four went through a stage of loving these little balls of nourishment but nowadays he’s not so keen. Therefore I’m always trying to invent new ways for us all to enjoy a chickpea or two. Howard always enjoys a curry so I thought I would try to make one with aubergine. It’s not a vegetable we have that often so I really love it when we do.
Aubergines are an excellent source of dietary fibre. Plus they are also a great source of B6, B1, potassium, magnesium and manganese. Chickpeas are also a good source of dietary fibre and they are a good source of vitamins too. Both these vegetables can help with weight management and reducing the risk of several diseases.
They also make an awesome curry. Well at least that’s what I thought. Howard and Ted weren’t so keen. My husband liked the sauce and not the chickpeas. Ted liked the chickpeas, sort of, and not the sauce. Which is what normally happens in our house. It’s definitely a curry I will be eating again and one dish I would recommend to everyone.
What’s your favourite vegan/vegetarian curry? Let me know in the comments below and please don’t forget to like and follow me.
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Baking tray
- Blender
- Saucepan
- Teaspoon
- Stirring spoon
Ingredients
- Dried chickpeas x 300g or 2 tins
- Onions x 1
- Aubergine x 1
- Courgette x 1
- On the vine tomatoes x 4 large
- Garam Masala x 1 tsp
- Ground ginger x 1 tsp
- Ground cinnamon x 1 tsp
- Mild chilli powder x 1 tsp
- Dried oregano x 1 tsp
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Coriander x 1 handful
- Spinach or kale x 2 handfuls
- Vegetable stock or bone broth x 200mls
- Salt and pepper to your taste
- Olive oil
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C or gas mark 4.
- Peel the courgette and the aubergine.
- Cut both these vegetables into large chunks.
- Place these into a baking tray along with the tomatoes.
- Sprinkle over salt and pepper to your tastes.
- Drizzle the olive oil all over as well.
- Toss all the vegetables in the oil and the salt and pepper.
- Once the oven is preheated, place the baking tray into the oven for 30 – 40 minutes.
- When the vegetables are a golden brown colour, remove them from the oven.
- Leave to cool for 5 – 10 minutes.
- Now put the roasted vegetables into the blender along with the vegetable or chicken stock.
- Blend all of these ingredients together.
- Once they are smooth, set aside.
- Next peel and slice the onion.
- Put a large saucepan onto a high heat and add enough oil to cover the base.
- When the pan is hot, put the onions in and fry until they start to soften.
- If the pan gets too hot, turn it down and then add in the garam masala, ground ginger, ground cinnamon and dried oregano.
- Keep frying until the onions are covered in the spices.
- Once the onions are covered, add in the blended ingredients to the pan.
- Let these heat through if they have cooled down.
- If using dried chickpeas, cook the chickpeas as per the packet instructions.
- You may need to start cooking them at the beginning of the cooking process.
- Add them to the pan.
- If using tinned, drain and rinse thoroughly in the colander.
- Now add these to the pan.
- Turn the heat right down and leave to simmer while you cook the rice as per the packet instructions.
- Once the rice has cooked, chop the coriander and spinach.
- Add these to the saucepan and let them wilt down in the pan.
- Then serve and enjoy.
Chickpea and Roasted Aubergine Curry was delicious to me. As I mentioned earlier Howard and Ted aren’t great fans of either of these vegetables. Although I know this fact, I still like to try different meals on them in case they ever change their minds. Under what circumstances, I have no idea, but it’s always worth a try just in case. I still enjoyed this dish and I liked it so much I had it for leftovers the next day. It’s delicious as leftovers plus you could make double of this meal and freeze for another occasion. However you decide to eat this dish, as always, please enjoy.
Googies Kitchen Life 