Braised Chickpeas with Spinach and Coconut

I have to admit, this is a post I prepared before the birth of our son, for times just like this when I don’t have time to cook and write as I’d much rather be spending time with Alexander who develops and changes with every day.

But if you are a new mom, and feeding on draft, then don’t eat this. I repeat, do no eat this! Our son, has basically tailored my diet as of late. There are certain foods I now totally avoid in light of having a happier baby. Chickpeas are one ingredient I cannot cook with for the forseeable future. I won’t even look at them, as it exaggerates Alexander’s digestion problems.But this dish is super yummy and one day, soon I hope I will be back in the kitchen and making this.

I love simple dishes, I love dishes with a bit of bite to them. There are a few things I like to make when I know my husband won’t be home until late, and I can eat a dinner of my choosing. This is one such dish. Braised chickpeas with spinach in a delicious coconut broth. This dish is perfect with rice and also works well served over a baked sweet potato. I don’t always like to spend too much time in the kitchen, especially when hungry. So this dish is perfect and feels really good for you. You can cook it for longer than I do if you want everything to melt into each other, but I love to keep it easy and to allow each ingredient to speak for itself. The nuttiness of the chickpeas pairs brilliantly with the taste of fresh spinach and a slightly spicy and fragrant lemon coconut broth.

Like I said, it’s simple, no explanation necessary here.

BRAISED CHICKPEAS WITH SPINACH, LEMON AND COCONUT

• 2 cans (400 g) of chick peas, drained
• 1 bag of baby spinach ( g), roughly chopped
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/3 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 1 tin of light coconut milk
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• salt and pepper

THE HOW

Melt the coconut oil in a large flat casserole dish. Add the onions and saute for about 3 minutes. Don’t let them take on too much colour. Add the garlic and the chilli flakes and stir. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Throw in the chickpeas and the lemon.

Give it a good stir and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Pour the coconut milk in and cook for a further 5 minutes. Turn the heat off and add the chopped spinach. The spinach will cook in the residual heat of the dish. Frozen spinach does not work for this dish! Believe me, I’ve experimented. If you want the spinach really wilted, then cook over a low heat for a few minutes, but i like the spinach to still hold it’s shape and flavour.

Eat as it is on it;s own or serve over rice or a baked potato.