Living in London - the weather can be grim and cold on most days of the year. Sometimes all you’re craving is something warm– and this Thai-inspired Coconut & Chickpea Curry is exactly that, a hug in a bowl. One of my most versatile recipes, the base ingredients stay the same, but depending on what spices and vegetables you have, you can make the flavour profile more Indian or Malaysian, or even thrown in some oregano, sun-dried tomatoes and basil to make it a close cousin of a “marry me” stew. Quick and easy, it's the perfect dinner, served with a side of rice. 

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Base ingredients:

1 can of chickpeas (or soak a cup of dried chickpeas overnight) 

1 can Coconut milk

2 small tomatoes

3-4 cloves of garlic 

1/2 an onion 

1 tbsp of grated ginger 

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Optional spices/herbs/veggies (or use your own of choice): 

10-15 leaves of Thai basil

1/2 tbsp red chilli powder

1 tsp chilli flakes 

1 tsp dried lemongrass 

1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice 

1 tbsp neutral oil 

Salt and Soy sauce to taste 

1 sweet potato 

2 handfuls of spinach 

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Add the chopped onion into a saucepan with a bit of salt and sauté for a minute. Add in the garlic and ginger, sauté for another minute, add in the chopped tomatoes. After 2 mins add in your dried spices and mix well. Once the spices have combined well, add in the coconut milk while stirring and let it come to a boil. Once the bubbles appear, add in the sweet potato (or veggies of choice). Cover and cook until the veggies are cooked to your liking. Then add in the chickpeas, spinach, Thai basil, chilli flakes, lemon juice and soy sauce, and stir well. Reduce the heat a little, and let it cook for about 4-5 mins. Stir once or twice in the middle. Take it off the heat, drizzle more lime juice on top and stir once again. Serve over steamed white or brown rice, or just eat as is!