- 150g brown basmati rice
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- A thumb of ginger
- 1 chilli
- 400g tin of chickpeas
- 1 tbsp mild curry powder
- 400g tinned cherry tomatoes
- 1 short cucumber
- 150g Greek style yogurt
- 50g baby leaf spinach
- 300ml boiling water
- Sea salt
- 1 tbsp coconut, sunflower or olive oil
- 200ml cold water
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1.
Tip the rice into a bowl, cover with cold water and whisk for 1-2 mins till the water goes cloudy. Drain, rinse and tip the rice into a pan. Pour in 300ml boiling water. Add a pinch of salt. Cover, bring to the boil, then turn the heat right down. Gently simmer for 20-25 mins till the water has been absorbed. Take off the heat and leave to steam, lid on, for 2-4 mins till the rice is cooked. The rice will stay warm in the pan while the curry finishes cooking.
- 2.
While the rice is cooking, peel and thinly slice the onion. Peel and grate the garlic and ginger. Halve the chilli and scoop out the seeds. Set the seeds to one side. Finely chop the chilli.
- 3.
Set a large pan on a medium heat for a few mins. When warm add 1 tbsp oil. Add the onion and cook gently for 5 mins, stirring, till golden. While the onion cooks, drain and rinse the chickpeas.
- 4.
After 5 mins, add the garlic, ginger, and 1 tbsp curry powder. Cook for 2 mins, stirring often. Add a splash of water if it starts sticking. Add the chilli and half of the seeds (or leave them out if you prefer a milder curry).
- 5.
Pour in the tin of cherry tomatoes and the drained chickpeas. Half fill the tomato tin with cold water (around 200ml) and add that too. Give the curry a good stir, then pop on a lid. Simmer for 15 mins stirring now and then.
- 6.
While the curry simmers, peel and coarsely grate the cucumber or chop it into small chunks (the peel can be bitter). Pour the yogurt into a bowl and stir in the cucumber with a good pinch of salt and plenty of pepper.
- 7.
Tip the spinach leaves into the curry and stir to wilt them. Taste the curry and add salt and pepper to taste. Add more chilli seeds too if you like things hot.
- 8.
Fluff the rice with a fork and divide it between a couple of warm bowls. Top with the chickpea curry and serve with the yogurt on the side.