Chickpea & Mango Curry!

Though I do like to experiment with flavors, I'm not one to usually put fruit in with my savory dishes.  Occasionally I'll throw fruit in a salad, or Craisins in a rice dish, but it's not really my thing.  My husband, however, loves anything sweet.  The sweeter the brisket, meatballs, or veggies, the more he likes it.  So, when I saw a Chickpea & Mango Curry Recipe by Mollie Katzen (author of the Moosewood Cookbook...among others), and I saw how easy it was, I figured I would give it a try.  Aside from having to remember to buy a bag of frozen mango from the store (I never even knew they carried that!), I had everything else in the house.  Plus, the whole thing took me no more than 20 minutes.

And what do you know? We ALL loved it.  Henry was a little slow going in trying it, but once he did, he ate a good portion of my bowl (he didn't want his bowl and fork...only mine).  With such an easy and unusual recipe (at least by my standards), we will definitely be having this again!

I basically followed the entire recipe by Mollie Katzen, but I'll write it out anyway with my slight changes - I also used some of her suggestions as additions to the recipe.

Chickpea & Mango Curry (adapted from Mollie Katzen's Get Cooking)

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 onion, diced

1 HEAPING tbsp curry powder (for me it was more like a tablespoon and a half)

1/2 tsp salt

2 15-oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 heaping cups frozen mango (I used the 12 ounce bag)

1 cup chopped frozen spinach

cayenne pepper to taste (I used very little)

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

lime wedges

1. Place a large pan over medium heat and wait for about a minute. Pour in oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion, curry powder, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften.

2. Add the chickpeas to the onions, stirring until they get completely coated with the onion and spices. Turn the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the mango and spinach, and cover the pan. Let it cook on its own for another 5 minutes, then give it a stir. If it looks like it needs more “sauce,” you can add up to 1/2 cup water. If you do, let it come to a boil, then turn the heat back down to low, cover the pan again, and cook slowly for and additional 10 minutes. (At this point, the curry benefits greatly from being allowed to just sit, covered, off the heat for about 5 to 10 minutes longer. Not absolutely necessary, but it helps develop the flavor.) Top with a bit of cayenne and the fresh cilantro.  

Serve over rice with a lime wedge for squeezing on top.

Happy and (mostly) healthy eating!