Chickpea & Baby Potato Curry w/ Spinach

Once you’ve made your Bombay spice mix, this dish comes together ridiculously easily. It’s a one-pot dinner so if you are sick of doing the washing and want something simple and super tasty, give it a go!

Chickpea & Baby Potato Curry w/ Spinach

Serves 4

Ingredients

40g butter

2 brown onions, cut into wedges

3 Tbsp Bombay spice mix

1 x 400ml can coconut cream

400ml water

2 stock cubes

800 g baby potatoes

1 tsp brown sugar

1 can chickpeas, drained

2 handfuls of fresh spinach or sorrel (1-2 cups) roughly chopped

2 spring onions, finely sliced (to serve)

For the Bombay spice mix

(makes just over 1/2 a cup)

1 Tbsp cumin seeds

1/2 Tbsp fennel seeds

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tsp yellow mustard seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cardamom pods

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp cloves

2 tsp ajwain*

6 bay leaves, sliced into slivers

2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp smoky paprika

Method

First, make the spice mix. Put the cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom pods, allspice, cloves, ajwain and bay leaves in a frying pan.

Dry fry until fragrant, then crush with a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Add the turmeric, cinnamon and smoky paprika and mix well.

You should have about 1/2 a cup of spice mix. It will store in an airtight container for several weeks but the intensity of flavour is best when it’s fresh. You can use it to make the Bombay Potato Shells or add it to flavour dals and other curries.

Put the butter and onions in a deep, heavy-bottomed frying pan and cook on moderate heat until the onions are translucent and starting to caramelise. Add the spice mix and fry for 1-2 more minutes.

Add the coconut cream, water, stock cubes, baby potatoes, brown sugar and chickpeas. Cover and let simmer gently until the potatoes are cooked through (about 30 minutes).

Remove the lid and cook down for a further 5 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken a little. Just before serving, stir through two handfuls of fresh spinach (or sorrel) from the garden, and top with the spring onions before serving.

Serve with rice on the side, or some papadams or naan bread.

*Note: Ajwain is a plant in the same family as caraway, coriander, carrots and parsley. It is indigenous to Egypt and grows well in dry regions generally. The leaves and ‘fruit’ (which look little fennel seeds) are often used in Indian dishes, and you should be able to find it at Indian supermarkets (ask for Ajwain seeds or Carom Seeds). Bonus points if you chuck some of those seeds in your garden and try to grow more yourself!

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