Chickpea Quinoa Curry

I like an easy meal, and a simple curry meets the mark. I've been making Thai curries a lot lately. I savor the idea of coming home from work, throwing some chopped veggies on the pan, pouring in spices and a few other goodies such as coconut milk, and then eating soon after. Lots of flavor, but not labor-intensive. I've learned to be more heavy-handed with my seasoning lately (I need to do it), and I think that the curries I've been cooking are tasty. Even Al likes them. 

I like my curries better when I cut my onions into long strips instead of dicing them. It changes the texture of the dish. 

I've also been using baby bok choy quite a bit. I'm not very experienced with this vegetable, but I like the crunch and the look of it. I rinse them and then break off the leaves (from the bottom) and add them to the pan. The slow heat breaks down the base, which is much tougher than the leaves. 

Colorful veggies = WIN!

I planned to make a tofu curry for this recipe, but my grocery store was out of firm tofu. I was irritated for a few seconds, and then I realized that I could still make a protein-packed dish with chickpeas and quinoa. To make this a fully-vegetarian dish, omit the fish sauce. 

Chickpea Quinoa Curry
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed 
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T coconut oil
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 2 baby bok choy
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 Tablespoon dried basil
• 1 Tablespoons red curry paste
• 1.5 Tablespoons fish sace
• 1/2 Tablespoon curry
• 1/4 teaspoon white ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1 13.5-oz can coconut milk
• 1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Directions

1. Pour 2 cups of water into a small pan and add quinoa. Bring water to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until water is absorbed. 
2. Meanwhile, while quinoa is cooking, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat in separate large frying pan/wok. Add onions and garlic and saute until onions are translucent. 
3. Add red pepper and baby bok choy (leaves should be broken off individually and washed). Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until bok choy begins to soften. 
4. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the chickpeas. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. If you want more liquid, add water in small amounts. Stir occasionally. 
5. After 30 minutes, uncover and add chickpeas. Mix well. 
6. To plate your curry, put your desired amount of quinoa in bowl and spoon curry on top. Enjoy!