I’m always looking for ways to incorporate more vegetarian dishes in our diet. Not that I don’t love meat, but it’s nice to have a break a couple of nights a week. Lentils, beans and chickpeas are all excellent alternatives to meat – they provide protein and are low in fat, but high in fibre. They are so inexpensive and make dishes like curry and casseroles go further. The tinned versions are handy and all you have to do is open the tin and drain them – no soaking overnight required. Have I convinced you to try them yet?
I also love using seasonal ingredients when I can. Cauliflower is in season at the moment and is a wonderful addition to curry. It might sound strange, but trust me, it really works. And at under €1.50 per portion including rice, this curry might just become a staple in your house like it is in ours!
Makes 4 portions. Approximate cost per portion: €1.47
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, broken into florets & washed
- 1 tin chickpeas, drained
- 2 tins tomatoes
- ½ jar curry paste (e.g. Pataks)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 tsp rapeseed oil
- Water
- Basmati or wholegrain rice, cooked to serve
Method
- In a large saucepan, gently fry the onion and red pepper in the rapeseed oil until they start to soften.
- Add the cauliflower florets, tomatoes and curry paste and stir well.
- Fill one of the tins from the tomatoes with water and add to the saucepan.
- Finally add the chickpeas and stir to incorporate.
- Simmer over a medium heat for 20-30 minutes, until the cauliflower is cooked through.
- Serve with rice.
Like most curries and casseroles, this will taste even better the day after cooking it. Once it has cooled, keep it in the fridge overnight, or you can also freeze it. Feel free to use any other veg of your choice and you could also add some chicken if preferred.
Nutrition information per serving (with brown rice): 320 calories, 5.9g fat, 0.6g saturates, 6g fibre, 9g protein
- High in fibre, low in saturated fat
- High in Vitamin C, Folic Acid
- Source of Iron
