Chickpea Curry
 

 

To convert any of these ingredients into US measurements please use this Quantity Conversion Chart.

Ingredients:

1 large onion, cut into thin slivers
I red capsicum (sweet pepper), cut into strips
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 - 2 teaspoons curry powder
1 rounded tablespoon jam
1 rounded tablespoon fruit chutney
Large handful sultanas
1 cup of stock
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 cups of cooked chickpeas
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Saute the onion and capsicum in the oil for 10 minutes

Add curry powder, jam, fruit chutney, sultanas, stock, tomatoes and salt and pepper.  Simmer for 30 minutes.

Add chickpeas and tomato paste.

Serves 4 with rice, noodles or couscous etc.

Notes:

If you have time the day before you can use dried chickpeas and cook them up yourself. Otherwise drained, tinned chickpeas are fine.

Food Facts:

Chickpeas are also known as Garbanzo Beans. They have a nutty flavour.  They need lengthy cooking and are used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking. They are high in fibre and  flavonoids, keeping the digestive system healthy and lowering cholesterol. They are rich in Vitamin E and zinc so they help fight infection and they promote healthy cell growth.

Tomatoes first grew as wild cherry sized fruits in the South American Andes but the tomato as we know it today, originates from Mexico.  Tomato seeds were taken back to the Mediterranean countries where they quickly became popular.  There are now more than 7,000 varieties of tomatoes. Eating tomatoes at least two times per week is now believed to reduce the risk of prostate cancer and to be beneficial in fighting other forms of cancer.  The key ingredient in tomatoes is Lycopene which is a carotenoid.  Cooking tomatoes, most especially in oil, releases the lycopene making it more available to the body.  Tomatoes are also said to be good for the eyes.  Tomatoes that are ripened on the vine have far more vitamin C than those that are picked green.