Veggie dinner recipe "Chickpea & bell pepper curry"

It's finally summer, the time for enjoying delicious meals with family and friends on your terrace or balcony. I always find that feeling the fresh air around you makes the food even more enjoyable. Once a week I go to the local market to stock up on lots of fresh fruits and veggies for the whole week. I am usually left at the end of the week with large amounts of some vegetable, so this is when my inspiration kicks in. Today we'll be cooking with lots of fresh bell peppers, also making sure the meal is high in protein to keep your energy up! Below I am sharing with you my recipe for the chickpea & bell pepper curry.

CHICKPEA & BELL PEPPER CURRY

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 6-7 medium bell peppers
  • 2 cans chickpeas
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon of tomato concentrate
  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric 
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika (spicy)
  • salt & pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1,5 cup millet

DIRECTIONS: 

COOKING THE CURRY

  • Put the bell peppers in preheated oven (180 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until ready. Cut out the stem after they are cooled. 
  • Dice the onion and garlic and fry on olive oil. Add bell peppers and chopped tomatoes.
  • Use hand blender to blend until smooth.
  • Add the chickpeas into the smooth sauce.
  • Add the tomato concentrate, paprika, turmeric, pepper and salt for taste.
  • Cook for 10 more minutes on low heat.
  • Chop the parsley and add when the curry is ready.

COOKING THE MILLET

  • Wash the millet in cold water before cooking.
  • 1,5 cups of millet with 3 cups boiling water, add a little salt, cook for about 15 minutes without mixing.
  • Take off the stove, cover and leave for 10 more minutes.

Serve the curry with millet on the side, topped off with some fresh parsley, salt and pepper. Today's portion will serve 4-6 people.

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BENEFITS: Whether you're following the clean eating or vegan movement, or even if you are 100% carnivore, it's always nice to keep to fresh and seasonal vegetables for our meals. From my experience it's best to have a full fridge of fresh fruit and vegetables to keep you on the right track throughout the busy week. I also love to have a few go-to quick meals that I know are both healthy, tasty and easy to make. My chickpea and bell pepper curry is one of these!

Perfect served with a side of millet/quinoa/rice or a slice of sourdough bread.

Today we are using millet, one of the healthiest grains you can choose. It's gluten-free, rich in vitamins and minerals and has a long list of health benefits. It promotes a healthy gut, aiding digestion, lowers cholesterol levels, reduces risk of heart-disease and cancer. Also, if cooked right, it's really tasty and full of nutrients.

Chickpeas are a source of protein, a great substitute for a vegan or vegetarian diet. They are rich in fiber, which helps promote a healthy digestive system. They may also help control blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure, promote a healthy heart and reduce risk of some kinds of cancer.  Bringing chickpeas and other legumes into our diet, while eating many fruits and vegetables, helps to keep a healthy weight. Chickpeas are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, they have high levels of iron, zinc, magnesium, folate, phosphorus, vitamin C, K and B6 and B12.  

Enjoy!

 

 

NutritionMilka HutnaRecipes, nutrition, Health, Vegan FoodComment