Chickpea Curry With Mushrooms And Spinach
ABOUT CHICKPEAS AND SPINACH: The combination of chickpeas and spinach makes for a nutritionally complete vegetarian or vegan meal and it is a combination that appears in many traditional cuisines throughout the world. There are spinach-chickpea combos with regional variations in parts of the Peloponnese and northern Greece, especially the northwestern part of the country, Epirus. There are Sephardic renditions of this dish. This particular recipe is a bit of a potpourri taking its flavor cues from the East and even from India.
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Extra virgin Greek olive oil
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2
cups
white button mushrooms
thickly sliced
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1
onion
roughly chopped
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3
garlic cloves
crushed
-
2
inch
knob root ginger
grated
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1
Tbsp
tomato purée
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1
Tbsp
garam masala
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½
tsp
smoked paprika or chili powder
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1
cup
cooked chickpeas
drained
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1
cup
chopped tomatoes
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1
cup
frozen spinach
defrosted
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½
cup
Greek yogurt
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2
Tbsp
fresh coriander
cilantro, chopped
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Seasalt and freshly ground black pepper
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Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat and saute the mushrooms for 5-6 minutes until golden brown, then transfer to a plate.
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Add two more tablespoons of olive oil and reduce the heat slightly. Fry the onions for 4–5 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and ginger and fry for a couple more minutes. Add the spices, fry for 30 seconds, then add the tomato purée and tip in the chickpeas. Fry for a further minute, then add the chopped tomatoes to the pan and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in the cooked mushrooms, then cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
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Remove from the heat, stir in the spinach and yogurt and season to taste.