Chickpea and Spinach Curry

My first curry experience was only a few years ago.  It was a korma - and I was not impressed.  My next encounter was an incredibly oily dish that frankly made me feel sick.  It took a long time before I realized that it wasn't curries that I didn't like, but creamy curries.  I absolutely love hot curries!  We now regularly order currys and I flit between the vindaloo and phal - that's right - two of the hottest curries available.  I'll admit, I cannot replicate the curryhouse flavor, but every so often I do like to make my own at home. You can buy premixed curry spices or pastes, but if you accumulate the individual ones it's fun to experiment with different ratios yourself.  Apart from the spices, the ingredients are pretty basic, and you can add/substitute pretty much any vegetable you like.  I add slices of grilled chicken to my partners, but you could add any meat.

Chickpea and Spinach Curry
serves 2

1 tsp oil
1 tsp butter
1 onion - chopped
2 cloves garlic - finely minced
2-3 thin chilies - finely chopped (more or less depending on how hot you want it)
1 inch ginger - thinly chopped
1 pepper - chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tsp tomato puree
1 tin chickpeas/garbanzo beans
large handful spinach
chopped coriander/cilantro

Heat oil and butter in pan.  Fry onions for 2-3 minutes until soft.  Add chilies, garlic, ginger, tomato puree and spices then fry 2-3 more minutes.  Add in chopped pepper and reduce heat to low for 5 minutes.  Add chopped tomatoes and chickpeas and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes.  In the last few minutes of cooking stir in the spinach to wilt.  Top with fresh chopped coriander.  Serve with rice, naan bread, poppadoms, onion bhajis, mango chutney, onion salad...

NB: if you're not adverse to creamy curries, or don't like a very spicy curry you can stir in natural yogurt or coconut milk at the end.

Mushroom en croute

As a vegetarian I often cook one pot meals focused around vegetables, pulses or a grain.  I rarely cook the typical 'non-meat' and two veg that is so common for meat eaters as I find it difficult to make something that isn't meat the center of a meal.  This recipe allows a clear meat-like focus to a meal and is extremely satisfying. 

My partner made himself beef wellington and the 'two veg' were chive tossed new potatoes and grilled asparagus. As you can imagine this meal was very filling, but also delicious.  I think when I make it again I may use less spinach, as when it concentrated down the iron-y flavor was really strong and competed too much with the meaty mushroom.  Other than that it was a perfect vegetarian 'meat and two veg' meal.

Mushroom En Croute  

Serves 1 (generously!)

1 large flat mushroom

large handful baby spinach

2 thick slices cheese (I used swiss gruyere)

dusting of thyme (I used dry as I never buy fresh)

1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry

1 garlic clove - finely chopped

1 beaten egg yolk

Preheat oven to 200 C/ 395 F.  Fry the mushroom in a little olive oil for a few minutes on each side until lightly browned and cooked through.  Then fry the chopped garlic for a minute, add the spinach, season with salt and pepper and cook til wilted.  Strain the spinach well in a sieve (I used my spatula to push it against the sieve and get out as much liquid as I could).  Cut the pastry into a circle about an 1 inch bigger than your mushroom.  Lightly butter a baking tray and place on the pastry disc.  Pile the spinach in the center of the pasty, followed by a slice of cheese, the mushroom (gill side down) and the other piece of cheese.  Use a pastry brush to brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten yolk.  Drape the remaining pastry over the top, push gently to seal the edges, then trim any extra pastry.  Use a fork to fully seal the edges of the pastry together.  Brush the top of the pastry with the remaining egg and sprinkle with thyme then bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until golden.