Peanut Butter Chickpea Curry

Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving all! Normally we troop down to Montreal to spend Thanksgiving weekend with the rest of my family (and extended family), but this year we’re scattered all over the place this year due to work/travel and all the other stuff that tends to get in the way of grand gatherings. If we had been a great big gang gathered around the table I would have created a vegan, gluten-free riff on the traditional Thanksgiving feast, but seeing as it’s just me and my Darling on our own this year, my tummy led me in a completely non-traditional direction (as if you hadn’t guessed by the title).

I served this curry over brown rice with turmeric and pistachios and garlic-dusted green beans. It was a great “Thanksgiving” meal for two, with tons leftover for tomorrow’s lunch. Nom, nom nom!

This is one of those recipes that you can throw together and then walk away from (my favourite kind) – at least for a little while. The idea came to me earlier today; I had a craving for peanut butter and wanted to incorporate another protein without resorting to tofu. I figured chickpeas would be the best bet texture and flavour wise, and it worked out really well. It’s a velvety, warm, homey meal that’s super filling and ends up making your house smell amazing. If that’s not Thanksgiving-y, I don’t know what is. The only thing missing is the rest of our family, and I’m going to rectify that shortly with a call to the folks (and a look forward to Christmas!).

For all you peeps who aren’t able to share a traditional weekend feast with the rest of your clan, rustle up the following ingredients and get cracking. Who knows, maybe you can start a tradition of your own!

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1-2 tbsp red curry paste
• 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium potatoes, cubed
• 1 small squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1-1.5 tsp sugar
• sea salt to taste (probably about 1 tsp)

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté until golden (about 5 minutes). Add the minced ginger and curry paste, stirring to break up the paste. Cook for about a minute and then add the chickpeas. Stir and cook for a minute or two, then add the potatoes and squash. Stir to mix everything together and then add the coconut milk. Pour some water into the can and swirl it around to get all the coconut milk out, then add about 1/4 of the can of water to the pot as well. Stir, then add the peanut butter, sugar and sea salt and stir to combine. Now cover, bring to a boil and simmer for about 35-40 minutes or until the potatoes are nice and tender, stirring every once in a while to prevent sticking. The squash will break down and will provide a nice thickness to the sauce. Serve over rice and voilà!