Eastern Spiced Chickpea and Vegetable Stew

23 November 2015

I always love incorporating eastern spices into my recipes, not only for taste and flavour, but for the health benefits too. I especially love cumin because it breathes life into just about any stew or curry. Cumin is a fantastic digestive aid, it improves immunity, relieves insomnia, and prevents diseases due to its antifungal and antimicrobial properties. So I am sure you have guessed now that this recipe definitely features cumin. As for chickpeas, these are high in protein, so for those of you who are vegan or vegetarian, this is a fabulous plant-based protein to meet your protein needs. Chickpeas are also high in fibre to keep your tummy healthy and regular. For the meat-eaters, I recommend adding an animal protein of your choice to finish off this delicious dish. I find that this stew is really satisfying as is, but if you feel the need for a little extra bulk, I recommend serving this chickpea stew with some steamed quinoa.

Ingredients

Ready in 20 mins | Serves 4

High in Fibre | Low GI | Vegan Friendly

2 x cans organic chickpeas or 2 cups raw chickpeas –soaked and steamed for 40 mins until soft

½ cauliflower head – chopped into small florets

2 tbsp. tomato paste

½ red onion – chopped

½ tsp. crushed garlic

1 tbsp. coconut oil

4 baby marrows – sliced into rounds

1 cup cherry tomatoes left whole

3 carrots – cut into rounds

1 cup green beans – chopped

1 tbsp. dehydrated organic vegetable stock

½ cup boiling water

1 heaped tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. masala curry powder

Himalayan salt to taste

¼ cup fresh coriander leaves - destalked

Instructions

Step 1:

Place coconut oil in large frying pan and allow to heat up on medium heat

Step 2:

Add garlic onions, masala powder and cumin to coconut oil and sauté for 2-3 minutes until onions have browned slightly

Step 3:

Now add chopped cauliflower, baby marrow slices, carrot slices, chopped beans and salt to pan and continue to fry for 6 minutes on high heat, taking care to stir continuously. If you find that vegetables are sticking to the bottom of the pan, simply add a little water.

Step 4:

Add chickpeas, whole cherry tomatoes, and tomato paste to vegetables, stir well and continue to fry  on medium heat for 5 minutes.

Step 5:

While chickpeas and vegetables are cooking, add vegetable stock to water and stir thoroughly.

Pour stock over chickpeas and vegetables and stir continuously. Allow to simmer for 3-5 minutes until excess liquid evaporates. Remove from heat

Step 6:

Stir in some fresh coriander leaves into the stew and serve hot!

Enjoy!

Yours in Health Always,

Cara-Lisa

@caralishious

xoxo