Butternut Squash, Chickpea & Coconut Curry for #OrganicUnboxed
Creamy butternut squash curry with chickpeas and spinach. Served with a crunchy fresh salad and flatbread to scoop it all up – delicious!
I’m really excited to be taking part in the #OrganicUnboxed campaign again this January.
As you know, I’m a big advocate of incorporating organic food into your diet where you can and also getting the message out about how good a plant based can make you feel–so I’m thrilled to be spreading the word.
A lovely box of organic products and a big box of veggies from Abel & Cole arrived on my doorstep last week. The challenge was to create a delicious meal using them.
I really wanted to include as many of the gorgeous goodies as possible. Too many to do that, but I tried.
So I made a wholesome and delicious butternut squash, chickpea & coconut curry with a big dollop of Biona chilli peanut butter. Creamy curry, coconut curry with chunky cubes of squash, chickpeas, fragrant spices, a hint of peanut, then topped with more crunchy peanuts.
Very delicious.
I don’t think you can beat scooping up your curry with a flatbread so I made some quick flatbreads with Marriages Organic Flour, and then finally a fresh and crunchy fennel salad with toasted seeds and a tahini and apple dressing.
And I had so much fun creating a little video to show you how easy and quick my delicious curry is to make.
I really hope you like it!
Some reasons it’s great to support organic:
Organic farming works with the environment as it uses fewer pesticides. It protects and encourages wildlife whilst looking after the health of the soil. Instead of relying on chemicals, organic farmers work with nature to feed the soil and control pests. And, they use crop rotation and clover to build fertility in the soil.
Organic farming uses mainly natural methods, developing a good soil and healthy crops which have stronger natural resistance to pests and diseases, and encourage natural predators to avoid the need for almost all pesticides.
Organic farming releases fewer greenhouse gases and can significantly reduce your carbon footprint.
Organic farmers are helping to look after our wildlife by managing and maintaining habitats, which are a vital part of a successful organic farm. This helps organic farms support up to 50% more wildlife–that’s more of our great British bees, birds and butterflies for us all to enjoy!
When it comes to organic, you know exactly what’s in your food. GM crops and ingredients are banned in organic farming as are hydrogenated fats, artificial pesticides and it does not allow aspartame, tartrazine, and monosodium glutamate to be used. Put simply, organic food is a more natural choice.
And the food tastes better; organic farmers rely on developing a healthy, fertile soil to grow a mixture of crops that are bursting with flavour.
Not only did I use amazing 100% organic ingredients in this curry recipe but, of course, it is also 100% plant-based to coincide with Veganuary.
Launched in 2014, Veganuary is a global charity that encourages people to try vegan for January. Veganism is one of the most effective choices a person can make to reduce the suffering of animals, help the planet and improve personal health.
I think initiatives like #veganuary are a fun way of trying out adopting a vegan lifestyle for a month to see how it suits you.
Love, Niki x
Ingredients
For the curry
- 1 tbsp coconut oil–I used Biona
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 organic butternut squash peeled and sliced into cubes
- 1 can organic coconut milk–I used Biona
- 1/2 can water
- 1 tin organic chickpeas–I used Biona
- 1 tbsp peanut butter–I used Biona chilli peanut butter
- 1 tbsp tamari
- Juice 1/2 lime
- Handful coriander
- 2 handfuls spinach chopped slightly
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- To make the fennel salad
- 1 organic fennel
- Squeeze lime
For the tahini & apple dressing
- 1 tbsp. tahini
- 3 tbsp organic apple juice–I used Pip Organic
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- Salt & pepper
For the flatbread
- 1 cup flour of choice–I used Marriages Organics brown
- 1/2 cup water
- A little olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
To make the curry
- Add the coconut oil and chopped onion to a large frying pan and cook on a medium heat for 5-6 minutes until soft. Add in the garlic and spices and stir for another few minutes.
- Add the cubed squash and toss to coat in the onion and spices, cook for a few minutes, then add in the coconut milk and water.
- Simmer for 20 minutes until the squash is soft. Add in the chickpeas, peanut butter, tamari, lime juice, coriander, chilli and salt.
- Add the spinach and stir in to wilt.
- Top with more coriander, season and add crushed peanuts
To make the salad
- Slice the fennel into thin slices. And squeeze the lime over the top.
- Next make the tahini dressing. Add all the ingredients to a mini chopper and blitz.
- (If you don’t have a mini chopper, you can smash up the garlic, salt & pepper in a pestle and mortar and the mix all the ingredients thoroughly in a small bowl)
- Dress the fennel with the dressing
To make the flatbread
- To make the flatbread; pre-heat a griddle pan (or frying pan) so that its nice and hot.
- In a bowl, mix the flour, oil, salt & pepper and then add the water.
- Mix to form a dough and knead a little so that it comes together.
- On a floured chopping board, roll out the dough and then place on a griddle pan (griddle pans work the best as you get lovely charred stripes on the flatbread, but a frying pan also works).
- The flatbread will literally cook in a couple of minutes, simply flip it over when the underside is charring and cook on the other side a minute longer.
4 Responses
We all loved this. Nothing left on plates!! Thank you
Fantastic! So happy to hear xxx
Wow, this dhal looks like my favorite type of meal: it contains all my favorite ingredients!
So curious to make it this weekend, will let you know how it was, Niki!
Thank you!
Me too!
Love it know if you made it lovely xx