I don’t have a lot of vegan/vegetarian recipes on here and that sucks. I don’t eat a lot of meat but it’s hard for me to let go of it so I have decided to go meatless once a week and push myself even further by making it completely vegan.

My approach to vegan cooking is not to give you meat alternatives. I don’t think that anyone could convince a meat lover and meat eater that something is meat no matter how much that thing tastes like meat or even looks like meat. I want the food to be so good that you don’t even remember that there’s no meat in it and even after you notice, it won’t make any difference because it’s that good. That is exactly what this chickpea curry is. It is super delicious and just a celebration of flavor on the palette. I added extra veggies and used a couple of spices indigenous to Ghana to make it my own. I hope it becomes that recipe that you make everytime on your meatless days and I hope it even progresses to a recipe that you just love to make.

Enjoy and do tag me if you make it.

Recipe 6 Servings

what you need

2 cups cooked chickpea

Spices

1 teaspoon whole coriander

1 teaspoon whole cumin

3 small green cardamon pod

1/4 teaspoon Ashanti pepper

1/4 teaspoon alligator pepper

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek 

1/2 teaspoon broken up cinnamon stick

For the curry paste

dried chili peppers, as much as you want

1 cup (1 large onion), chopped 

6 garlic cloves (3 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

For the curry

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 onion, sliced

2 cups diced tomatoes (seeds in or out)

1 cup sliced green beans 

2 1/2 cups creamy coconut milk

1 tablespoon turmeric powder

1 tablespoon of the blended toasted spices

sea salt, to taste

2 1/2 cups chopped kale/spinach, as much as you want.

1 1/2 cups chopped sweet potatoes 

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons brown sugar

• To rehydrate the dried chilies, place them in water for about 15 minutes.

• Use fresh chilies/pepper instead if dried chilies are unavailable.

• You can substitute garam masala for the spices if that’s what you have or even use already ground spices.

• I make my own coconut milk and so it is quite creamy. Try to find one or make yours.

• I haven’t used canned chickpeas for this recipe however you can use that if that’s what you have. Gently rinse under running water before using for the curry.

• I cook my own chickpea mostly because I like to be able to control the salt content and how soft I want it. I always cook it just to the point where it’s just cooked and soft so it doesn’t fall apart completely in my currys or stews. I also barely add salt so I can control the salt when I use it in other recipes like my honey roasted chickpea salad.

• There’s a lot of simmering happening here. Don’t be tempted to turn up the heat. We want the curry to cook gently so the flavors develop nicely.

• It tastes better the day after so you can always just make it a day ahead.

Directions

Toast the spices over low heat until fragrant. Don’t let it burn. If for whatever reason it burns, start the whole process again. Allow the toasted spices to cool down then blend in a spice grinder into a powder. Set aside for later. Combine all the ingredients for the curry paste and process in a blender until smooth. Add a little water at a time if you’re having difficulty blending. Set aside for later.

To make the chickpea curry, place a pan over medium low heat and add the oil. Allow the oil to heat up then add the sliced onions. Fry onion until it’s golden then add the curry paste. Gently fry the paste stirring occasionally for 6 to 10 minutes, until all the moisture has evaporated . Add the ground turmeric powder and 1 tablespoon of the blended spice mix. Stir and fry for 2 minutes. Turn heat to low and add the chopped tomatoes and sweet potatoes. Stir and allow it to simmer for 2 minutes then add the coconut milk. Allow it to simmer for 50mins then add the chickpeas. Add a bit of water if too thick. Add the green beans if using any let it simmer for for 15 more mins. LET IT SIMMER. Add the chopped kale/spinach and stir. Add the lemon juice and brown sugar. Stir and let simmer for 4 more minutes. Taste and adjust salt. Turn off heat. If it’s too thick for you, thin it out with more water. Don’t forget to adjust salt if you add water. Serve with my turmeric rice , cumin rice or my yoghurt flatbread or flaky flatbread