Mushroom & Chickpea Curry with Brown Rice

This Indian style curry is delicately spiced and can be as hot as mild as you like by simply adjusting the strength of the curry powder used. Mushrooms and chickpeas are combined with spices and potato to gently thicken into a delicious sauce.

The recipe calls for onions, garlic and ginger to be liquidised to a pulp. The easiest way to do this is with a hand blender or food processor. If you don't have this equipment, simply grating them would also work.

The following recipe makes makes two portions.

Ingredients

For the rice

• 120g brown rice

• 1 vegetable stock cube

• ½ teaspoon salt (Or better still low sodium salt)

• 2 pints of boiling water

Ingredients

For the curry

• 1 teaspoon of low fat butter spread

• 1 medium onion. (Red or white). Peeled and quartered

• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger. Washed, but not peeled

• 2 or 3 garlic cloves. Peeled and blitzed with a hand blender or food processor along with the onion and ginger

• 2 teaspoons of ground curry powder (hot, medium or mild)

• 1 teaspoon of ground coriander

• ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric

• 2 sweeteners

• 1 vegetable stock cube. Crumbled

• 150g mushrooms. Washed/wiped and quartered

• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas. Drained and rinsed in cold water

• 200g peeled potatoes. Cubed 

• 1 pint boiling water

• Salt and black pepper for seasoning

• small bunch of coriander. Washed and finely chopped

Method

1. Add 2 pints of boiling water to a large sauce pan and bring back to the boil.
2. When the water is bubbling, add the stock cube and salt and stir to make sure it's fully dissolved.
3. Add the rice and stir to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Bring the pot back to the boil again. Then reduce the heat to medium. Loosely cover the pot with a lid. Let it bubble away for 40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat a large pot over a medium to high heat and add the butter. When it's bubbling add the onion, ginger and garlic pulp and fry it until golden for approximately  3-5 minutes.
5. Next, add the spices, sweeteners and stock cube and stir well to combine while enjoying the aroma!
6. Next add the mushrooms, chickpeas and potato and stir to combine with the spices for a minute or so. 
7. Add the boiling water and stir to combine.
8. Turn the heat to high and bring the sauce to boil. When, it's boiling reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the rice is ready. Loosely cover  the pot with a lid or plate. You should stir the sauce every now and then to make sure it's not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
9. When the rice is ready, drain it into a colander and shake to get rid of any residual water. Divide between two warmed bowls or plates.
10. Finally, add most of the coriander, leaving a little for garnish, and stir well. If the curry is a little watery, break up some potato pieces with the back of a spoon and stir to thicken.
11. Taste the curry and add salt and pepper as needed.
12. Serve immediately with the rice, garnished with the remaining coriander.