Adapted from the River Cottage Veg cookbook by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

I came across this recipe a couple weeks back when my sister and I were together. She had brought her copy of the River Cottage Veg cookbook and highly recommended I look through it. This was one of the first recipes I stumbled upon and immediately wrote down. Now finally having gotten around to making it, it is hands down one of my new favorite weekday meals. It is simple, quick, and feels a little bit fancy without the effort. The original recipe called for only curry powder, but in our version, we added cumin and cinnamon as well. Serve over rice, or your favorite grain and with a side of flatbread for dipping.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup basmati rice (or rice of choice) prepared
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 yellow onion chopped
• 1 piece ginger grated
• Pinch of red pepper and/or chili flakes
• 1 garlic glove crushed
• 2 tsp of curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• 1 (14oz) can chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 5 tbsp of ketchup
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Cook the rice using a rice cooker or over the stove in a saucepan. Set the rice aside or keep on very low heat. (Note, if cooking on a stove, most rice instructions note to use 1 cup rice with 2 cups of water. For a firmer/less sticky rice consistency, we suggest using 1 cup rice and 1 1/4 cups water)

Pull out a medium-sized saucepan (we like to use our cast iron skillet) and add the oil. Bring the pan up to medium heat and then add the onion. Cook the onion until translucent and golden brown around 5-8 minutes.

Add the ginger, red pepper flakes, garlic, curry powder, cumin, and cinnamon to the saucepan. Combine with the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes more.

Next, add the prepared chickpeas, ketchup, and lemon juice to the onions. Stir until combined and then add a little bit of water to help loosen the mixture. Bring to a simmer until the mixture is loose but still thick. Feel free to add a little bit more water to reach desired curry consistency.

To plate, place rice at the base on the bowl and top with the chickpea curry. Feel free to add a garnish of your choice and accompany the dish with naan or your favorite bread.

Enjoy!