Coming home to an empty kitchen and a room full of dirty laundry, it was no easy feat to find lunch for us today.  Our train was delayed and we got home way too late for anyone’s comfort, kids weren’t able to go to school, and although I’m still on my holiday break from class, the burnout that comes with a day’s travel won over the need to get myself to the supermarket.  Oh, and did I mention our refrigerator decided to bid us farewell two days before Christmas?  Yep, it’s been dandy!

Despite the day’s woes, I found a great way to feed some hungry mouths with limited resources.  Cans & grains saved my day!  Vegan chickpea curry came to the rescue…and our tummies were filled with this warm & extra spicy meal perfect for a lazy rainy day.

Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are super healthy.  It’s one of the earliest cultivated legumes: 7,500 years old!  They can be used in a variety of manners, eaten cold in salads, cooked in stews, ground into flour, ground and shaped into fried balls as falafel, made into a batter and baked to make farinata…pretty much said they’re popular in every cuisine all over the world!

A great vegan option, this chickpea curry is absolutely fantastic.  After a Scandinavian diet for some days, I was definately craving some spicy goodness.  Chickpeas and Bengal grams are often used to make curries and are one of the most popular vegetarian foods in South Asia served with variety of breads or steamed rice.  Popular dishes in Indian cuisine are made with chickpea flour and unripe chickpeas are often picked out of the pod and eaten as a raw snack.  It’s no surprise that India is the world leader in chickpea production, with approximately 10 times as much as the second-largest producer, Australia!  So, without much more to say to further worship the chickpea, this meal will keep you feeling full throughout the day.

For the Garbanzo Curry

• 1 medium onion
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 lime
• 2 tablespoons of curry paste (use your favorite!)
• 1 can of chickpeas, keep the aquafaba!
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
• 1 tablespoon of ketchup
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon of red hot chili sauce
• 1 teaspoon of red chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• Salt & pepper to taste

Before you begin preparing the chickpea curry, be sure to start preparing your basmati rice to serve on the side,  That’s all your garbanzo beans will need!  Chop the onions and garlic.  Add the oil to a large pan and add the onions on low-medium heat until soft and clear, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and continue to sautée.

Add the curry paste and a pinch of salt.  Throw in the chickpeas, aquafaba and all!  I’ve heard wonderful things about aquafaba, but my favorite use is as a thickener for these kinds of stews.  Sure, someday I’ll try it out for merengue purposes.  Add the soy sauce and cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, bringing the curry to a boil.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.  Taste test the curry, and if desired add more soy sauce or curry paste for an extra kick if you’re up for it!

The rice should be done by now.  Serve the curry and rice together with lime and Greek yogurt on the side to reduce the impact of the spicy kick!