Curry, curry everywhere

I love me some curry. Any kind. I’ve had Thai curries, Indian curries, Caribbean curries…and some combination of spices that may or may not have been a “curry” in some Egyptian and Pakistani feasts that coworkers used to bring in to break their fasts during Ramadan.

I traveled to Jamaica last fall and stayed in an apartment where we made most of our meals. The grocery stores weren’t as robust as the ones I’m accustomed to at home, so I had to get somewhat creative with some of our meals. I ended up with several rice and bean dishes that I’ve been continuing to make back at home. Here’s one of my favorites that can be made with a few items quickly. It can be made thicker to serve over rice, or add a little chicken broth to thin it out, mix the rice in and serve it as a soup.

Curried Chickpeas

1 15 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

1 15 oz can coconut milk

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

1-2 cloves garlic, minced (one is sufficient, but I really like garlic)

Diced bell peppers

Diced onions

Curry powder, about 2 Tbsp (I used Jamaican curry, but any curry would work)

1 tsp coconut oil (or other oil of your choice)

Prepared rice  - I like baked brown rice

Heat oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add bell peppers, onions and garlic. Saute about 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder and heat until fragrant (about a minute). Add tomatoes, chickpeas and coconut milk. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer. I like to let it cook down a little and thicken. Usually about 20-30 minutes on low heat. Serve over rice, or stir rice in. If desired, add about a cup of chicken broth to make it more like a soup.

I can think of other ways to improve this, but it would also require more ingredients and I like that this is a really easy recipe with ingredients many people have on hand.