vegan butter chickpeas

ah, butter chicken - a white person's favourite curry. it was always ordered when my family went to our local favourite indian restaurant along with coconut rice and naan bread. after going vegan, i tried a read-to-serve butter chicken sauce that was surprisingly healthy {i mean i had it with like 3 cups white rice but that's neither here nor there} but it lacked that wholesomeness "from home" cooked food. after being inspired by a recipe by 'it doesn't taste like chicken' and my extensive research {looking up a recipe on taste.com} i wrote out my own recipe. initially i was going for cauliflower instead of chickpeas but a) i didn't have any cauliflower at home and b) i wanted it to be a bit heartier to give the feeling of take-away without the sodium and saturated fat.

the trick with a great butter chicken/chickpea/cauliflower is letting it simmer for a few hours so the flavours marry together while simultaneously having their own unique addition to the dish. you have to trust the process. yes, that spice might taste awful on its own but paired with 7 others it is actually essential in balancing and improving the flavour. another piece of wisdom is don't wear a light denim dress as you will spill this on it and turmeric stains like nothing else. if you have a slow cooker, feel free to use it so you can go about your day, knowing dinner is already sorted as of 9 am. this is a very sauce-heavy dish {as it should be} but feel free to add more chickpeas.

please appreciate the spice jars

if you try to {or know you should} keep FODMAPs low, there are a few easy substitutions so you can enjoy this without any symptoms. firstly, use spring onion and chives instead of onion and garlic - you probably know that one already. if you rinse your chickpeas really well, it removes most of the GOS but if you're not convinced, feel free to swap them out with firm tofu, squeeze out the excess moisture, and add it in the last 15 minutes {so it's marinated and absorbs the flavour but doesn't get mushy}.

adding cornstarch to coconut milk adds creaminess without the fat. fat isn't bad for you, but i personally prefer a moderate amount but if you want to use full-fat cream, go for it. i'm not going to tell you what to do. just be nice.

feel free to serve this with brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice, wholemeal naan bread, spread it on a collard wrap or eat it as is. hope you enjoy!

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Vegan Butter Chickenpeas

time: 2+ hours (mostly inactive)

servings: 3 bowls (depending on appetite)

serving size: 1 1/3 cups

cuisine: indian, dinner & lunch

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Ingredients

• 2 cups coconut milk (carton type, not canned. If carton is not available, use 1 cup light coconut milk and dilute with 1 cup water)

• 1 tbsp corn starch

• 1 onion or 2 spring onions, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp garam masala

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground ginger or 2 tsp freshly grated ginger

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric

• pinch pepper

• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped (you can roast the skins or save them for homemade vegetable stock)

• 400g tin chopped tomatoes, low sodium

• 1 cup vegetable stock, low sodium (can use stock powder)

• 1 tsp cashew butter or powdered peanut butter (try to get one without added sugar)

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tin | 240g chickpeas, drained and thoroughly rinsed

• 3 tbsp coconut yoghurt, unsweetened

• parsley, to garnish ('cause we're fancy)

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Method

1. whisk together the coconut milk and cornstarch then set aside.

2. add a splash of vegetable stock to a large pot over medium-high heat.

3. add onion, garlic and spices and cook until fragrant, adding water if need be.

4. add onion and tomatoes and remaining stock. reduce heat to low-medium and simmer for 15 minutes covered. get yourself a coffee, take out the bins, dance around the kitchen because of the coffee - oh, look it's done!

5. pour in the coconut milk, nut butter, and bay leaf and simmer on medium for 30 minutes then on low for 1 hour or more (up to 4 hours on stove) covered until sauce has reduced and your whole kitchen smells amazing. the carrots should be very soft

6. remove the bay leaf but don't throw it out and with an immersion or high-speed blender, blend the sauce until smooth. add the yoghurt and taste. add more spice and yoghurt depending on preferred taste and texture.

7. add the chickpeas and bay leaf and simmer on medium for 15 minutes and chickpeas are soft and have absorbed the flavour.

8. you can keep the pot on the stove on very low until dinner to keep it warm. remember to remove the bay leaf before serving. garnish with parsley or coriander and more yoghurt if you so desire. enjoy!