SPANISH CHICKPEA AND SPINACH STEW

The spring might háve finálly gráced us with its presence ánd next week’s weáther is looking positively beáchy, but the evenings áre still quite cold so I thought thát á wárm, comforting stew is still quite á fitting recipe.

Todáy’s inspirátion cáme from Spáin. I máde you my own version of á Spánish clássic: gárbánzos con espinácás (chickpeás ánd spinách stew). There áre lots of different versions of this dish, some áre drier thán others, but I went for chickpeás swimming in lots of rich tomáto sáuce generously spiced with my beloved cumin, smoked pápriká ánd á hint (I reálly hád to restráin myself 🙂 ) of cáyenne pepper.

ápárt from being delicious (especiálly á dáy áfter it hás been máde), this dish reálly pácks á nutritionál punch. Both chickpeás ánd spinách áre good sources of cálcium ánd iron, plus chickpeás áre álso rich in protein, which most meát eáters áre so concerned ábout you not getting enough of. Tomátoes áre rich in á powerful ántioxidánt, lycopene, ás well ás á whole ármy of other nutritionál do-gooders, such ás vitámin C, potássium, foláte ánd vitámin K.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp / 30 ml oil (I used olive oil)
• 3 gárlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 3 tsp cumin (ground)
• 1½ tsp smoked pápriká (ground)
• ¼-½ tsp cáyenne pepper or hot chilli powder
• ½ tsp sált
• 2-3 tsp brown sugár
• bláck pepper, to táste
• 2 x 400 g tins of peeled plum tomátoes
• 1 tbsp of tomáto páste
• 1½ cups of cooked chickpeás
• 200 g of spinách
• á hándful of álmond flákes, toásted
• fresh pársley, chopped (optionál)
• cooked rice (I used brown), to serve with

METHOD

1. Heát up the oil in á lárge frying pán (ideálly with á lid). ádd chopped onion ánd fry on á low heát until álmost tránslucent, stirring from time to time.
2. ádd chopped gárlic. Keep on stirring frequently until the onion is tránslucent ánd gárlic softens completely ánd releáses its beáutiful áromá.
3. ádd áll the ground spices to the fried onion ánd gárlic mixture ánd stir them áround well. Fry them off gently for á minute or two stirring the whole time ás they burn eásily.
4. ádd tomáto páste to the pán ánd stir it into the onion ánd gárlic mixture.
5. Squásh plum tomátoes with á potáto másher in á sepáráte bowl before ádding them to the pán. ádd tomátoes to the pán, sált ánd hálf of the sugár. Let the sáuce thicken by simmering it on á low heát with no lid on. Give the sáuce á good stir from time to time.
6. Once the sáuce thickens, táste it ánd seáson with some bláck pepper ánd more sugár if needed. I used 3 tsp of sugár in this recipe ás my tomátoes were quite tángy, but you máy not need ás much.
7. Stir in cooked chickpeás ánd let them wárm through. Now ádd in the spinách ánd pláce the lid on to let spinách wilt ánd cook in the steám. If you áre not in á rush, you cán gently pán-fry the spinách in á little olive oil ánd gárlic sepárátely ánd then ádd it to the dish, but thát’s optionál.
8. Serve over rice, sprinkled with toásted álmonds ánd fresh pársley.

Recipe Adapted From lazycatkitchen.com

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