Easy Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry

I think I’ve said it before but I’m absolutely bloody useless when it comes to eating lunch.  I’m a grab and go kinda girl – and that would be absolutely fine if it wasn’t for the fact that the kind of foods that I usually end up grabbing are doughnuts, a bag of crisps, five custard creams, a yoghurt, a cheeky cinnamon bun…  You know?  Not great.  So, when I sit down and make my meal plan for the week ahead, I’ve started factoring in lunch, and – more specifically – one meal that I can batch-cook at the start of the week that’ll serve me through those grab and go lunchtimes.  The provisos are that it needs to be healthy(ish), microwavable and survive in the fridge through to Friday, and this cauliflower and chickpea curry ticks all those boxes.

I absolutely love cauliflower in a curry (my mother-in-law makes the best Aloo Gobi) and Chana Masala is always on the menu if we eat out at an Indian restaurant.  So, why not put the two together, eh?  It’s a quick and easy meal to whip up, and a damn tasty treat for lunchtimes when you fancy something warm and comforting to eat.  Not everyone’s got Indian spices banging around in their cupboard though, so if you don’t fancy cooking the curry sauce from scratch, just cheat and buy a jar of Rogan Josh instead. 😉

Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry (Gobi Chana) – serves two (double up if you’re batch-cooking)

Ingredients

• 1 can of chickpeas, strained
• 200g cauliflower florets
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (fill the empty tin to halfway with water)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp ginger paste/puree
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1tbsp chilli flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• chopped fresh spinach to serve

1. Put the chickpeas and cauliflower florets in a saucepan with some water and bring them to the boil.  Strain, then set aside.
2. Set your frying pan on the hob on a medium heat, then add the vegetable oil.  Add the diced onion and ginger paste and fry for around ten minutes.  Add your ground spices and burn them off for a couple of minutes.  Pour in the tinned tomatoes (and water), the chickpeas and cauliflower florets.  Pop the lid on your pan and allow the whole mix to simmer for ten minutes.
3. Season with salt and then serve with chopped fresh spinach and cooked basmati rice. 🙂

Happy weekend! 😉