Curry Chickpea & Pumpkin Stew

The weather is getting colder which calls for comforting meals. Comfort has always meant indulgence for me- lots of cheese, roasted meats and stews, and creamy anything. Yes, it’t true that all of those things are delicious and very comforting but they’re also so unhealthy and if enjoyed in excess not great.

My vibe lately is living life (Kourtney Kardashian voice lol) and to me that means watering the things that feul me, praying more, exercising weekly, loving myself more, and being more mindful of the things I consume (food included). That doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy the great things in life it just means that I have to do better. I still indulge here and there but in moderation. Cooking healthier meals and more meatless recipes during the week as well. You know that flavor is a must so these recipes are both comforting and flavorful, without all of the bad stuff.

Queue in this recipe! A delicious chickpea stew with the addition of pumpkin. The pumpkin adds such a nice bit of sweetness to this and it just melts in your mouth. It’s a great quick and easy meal you can execute on weekdays that doesn’t miss the mark. This meal takes 30 minutes to make- can you say convenience? Even if you’re not very into meatless meals, you’ll find yourself loving this dish. It’s even great as a side dish! I already added this to our Friendsgiving menu.

Ingredients

• 2 cans of Chickpeas

• 2 cups of cooked and chopped Pumpkin

• 1 can of Coconut milk

• A quarter of a Red Bell Pepper, chopped

• A quarter of a White Onion, chopped

• 4-6 cloves of Garlic, mashed or minced

• 1 small Shallot, sliced

• 2 inch knob of Ginger, mashed or minced

• 3 sprigs of fresh Thyme

• 1 Bay Leaf

• 1 tablespoon of Garam Masala

• 2 teaspoons of Jamaican Curry powder

• 1 teaspoon of Turmeric powder

• 1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon of Home Beis House blend

• 1 teaspoon of Home Beis Irie Rub

• 1/4 teaspoon of Veggie Bouillon base (like Better than Bouillon)

• 1 tablespoon of Tomato Paste

• Salt and Pepper, to taste

• 1/4 cup of water

• 1/2 cup of Cilantro, chopped

• 1 tablespoon of Butter, for cooking

• 1/2 teaspoon of Oil, for cooking (I use avocado oil)

Directions:

First, we build our curry stew. Add avocado oil and butter to a pan under medium to high heat. Then ad in onions, red bell pepper, garlic, and ginger. Sauté until fragrant. Then, add in all of your spices - garam masala, turmeric, curry powder, House blend, Irie rub, and cayenne. Mix to combine.

Then we add in our cooking liquid and herbs to continue building flavor. In the same pan, add in your coconut milk, tomato paste, vegetable bouillon base, bay leaf and thyme. Add salt to taste as well and then mix to combine. Cover and simmer until sauce thickens. About 5 minutes.

It’s time to add the pumpkin and chickpeas. Add in your chickpeas and cooked pumpkin. Mix to combine while also roughly mashing the pumpkin into the chickpea/sauce mixture. Then, add 1/4 cup of water and bring heat down to low. Simmer for about 8-10 minutes. You should have a nice thick stew with some gravy in the pan as well.

Last add in cilantro and combine. Pair with rice and/or roti and enjoy! 🙃