Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Coconut Chickpea Curry

This chickpea curry is so good you may even forget its a health food. There’s many reasons to include chickpeas in your diet. This one might surprise you, chickpeas are actually good for your gut! You’ve probably heard that they are a great source of protein (only a half cup of chickpeas gives you you 7 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber). But did you know chickpeas are low in natural sugars and high in prebiotic fibers which feed the good bacteria in your stomach?  This is great news for us, as we are trying to heal our own symptoms from possible “leaky gut syndrome“. Chickpeas also contain a healthy heaping of minerals and nutrients such as magnesium, zinc, Vitamin K, folate, manganese, phosphate, calcium and potassium.

This recipe also calls for coconut milk, another aid to your digestive system. Coconut Milk  contains Lauric acid, which is converted in the body into something called monolaurin, a super powerful antiviral and antibacterial compound that destroys all kinds of “bad little buggers”  in your tummy; like yeast for example. Particularly candida yeast which lives in your digestive track. Coconut oil is extremely beneficially for this as well, along with hundreds of other uses for it, but that’s a whole nother’ topic which you can read about for hours.

And lastly the spices in this recipie. Ahhh.. Garam Masla.  A common spice in Indian dishes, Garam Masala is an Ayurvedic Spice which is known for its many health benefits. Ayurveda is am ancient practice developed thousands of years ago in India and is said to be the “oldest healing science”.  Ayurvedic medicine uses herbal remedies, breathing techniques, and food to help keep the body in balance. Definitely some best natural stuff. Anyway back to spices. This stuff is amazing. It lowers blood sugar levels, promotes weight loss, increases ability to absorb vitamins and much more. It’s literal translation is ” hot spice blend”. Don’t worry this chickpea curry is not spicy but the flavor itself can be described as warm…you’ll have to try it for yourself.

Since moving to Atlanta our life in relation to food has drastically changed.  Not only have we been blessed with a new way to access healthy foods on a budget which we never could have imagined. Two words, farmers markets.  Atlanta is such a diverse city full of incredible people and cultures and we’ve gotten a chance to explore it all.  There’s a large Indian population here and we’ve been diving more into Indian food and experimenting with it in all its glory.  In the past I’ve always heard of Indian food spoke of in such a “taboo” like manner, or it was joked about sending you to the bathroom. But this couldn’t be farther from the truth! Indian food brings to the table dishes that incorporate so many different herbs and spices; which are not only healing but simply delicious!  Here’s one of our favorites, this chickpea curry is such a “feel good” meal and if you enjoy subtle hints of coconut with your curry, you’ll love this!

 

Coconut Chickpea Curry

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
  • 2 Cups Cooked Chickpeas
  • 1 13.5 oz Can Coconut Milk
  • 1 Cup Vegetable Stock
  • 1 Yellow Onion Chopped
  • 2 Garlic Cloves Minced
  • 1 Tablespoon Garam Masala powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
  • Pinch Salt To taste
  • Pinch Pepper To taste

Instructions

  1. Soak Dry Chicpeas in water Overnight*
  2. Cook Plain Chickpeas separately prior to recipe*
  3. Heat Coconut oil over medium low heat in skillet.
  4. Add onions and garlic and cook until they are caramelized and fragrant
  5. Add garam masala, Turmeric, Chili powder, Cumin powder, Salt pepper and Ground coriander directly on top of garlic and onions and stir around for a few seconds ( it should become like a paste and will smell amazing)
  6. Quickly add Vegetable Stock and Stir
  7. Next add coconut milk and chickpeas bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 10 mins until sauce has thickened a bit.
  8. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary
  9. Serve over basmati rice and garnish with cilantro

Notes

( I also love all my beans/soups with avocado on the side... but that's just me)

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by Yummly Rich Recipes
http://www.bestnaturalstuff.com/coconut-chickpea-curry/

 

Sources:

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/chickpea-and-protein/

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/ingredient-focus-coconut-milk

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