Figuring out how to cook at university is definitely a steep learning curve. While Domino’s will always be there for you in times of trouble, cooking your own food is the cheapest and healthiest way to go about feeding yourself, but figuring out what to cook is often 90% of the challenge. I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve found some really awesome looking meal on Pinterest, only to realise that it calls for some obscure (and ridiculously expensive) ingredients. But, if you’re on the hunt for a tasty, healthy, and cheap dinner, look no further than this simple potato and chickpea curry!
I know it looks kind of gross, but it tastes so, so good. It’s so full of flavour, so filling, and it’s mostly made with store cupboard ingredients, so you can make it even when you’re in dire need of a trip to ASDA. I usually make enough so that I have leftovers, which you can keep for a couple of days, but I’ve also been known to eat two full portions of this curry in one sitting.
It’s just really good, ok? Don’t judge.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
– 1 onion
– Approx. 150g of potatoes (baby potatoes usually work the best)
– 2 crushed garlic cloves
– 1 tsp each of coriander, turmeric, chilli powder, and cumin (or substitute the spices for 3 tsp of garam masala or curry powder)
– 1/2 tin of chickpeas, drained
– 2 tbsp of tomato puree
– 200 ml of vegetable stock
– A good handful of spinach (frozen or fresh)
Peel the potato and chop it up into small chunks – if you’re using baby potatoes, I usually cut them in half. Also, peel and dice your onion.
Boil your chopped potatoes in salted water for about ten minutes, or until tender. You want them to be soft, but preferably not falling apart!
While your potatoes are boiling, lightly fry off the garlic and the diced onion in some olive oil in a frying pan for a few minutes, until they’ve softened up a bit. Then, add in all your spices, mix it up, and fry for approximately one more minute.
Then, stir in the chickpeas, tomato puree, and 200 ml of vegetable stock. Turn up the heat a bit, let it bubble, and stir occassionally so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. It should start smelling really great at this point!
When your potatoes are done boiling, drain them off and then stir them into the pan. If the curry is looking a little dry, add a little bit more boiling water.
Cook up the curry until the sauce is thickened, and then put your spinach in.
Once the spinach has wilted, season your curry to taste, and serve it with rice. Enjoy!