Not only am I on a curry kick but I am loving chickpeas (garbanzo beans) lately. Luckily my kids like them too. Hummus is one of their favorite snack foods and they won’t object to falafel or chickpeas in any dish I make. I don’t think I started eating them until I got to university and tried falafel for the first time from the cart in the Octagon. (Dunedin’s town ‘square’ is actually octagonal.)
The other night I made a different version of my Spiced Chickpeas and Potatoes from the other week. This time I added a bunch of kale from our shared harvest (CSA), lentils and fennel seeds, which added a nice flavor dimension. It was perfect for warming little ones up on these chillier autumn nights. My eldest son declared it “delicious” and that he “loved it” and not surprisingly my middle son said he didn’t like it because it was too spicy but he ate more than half of it before he gave up on it. My youngest son missed out on it because he fell asleep before dinner after a busy day of play dates and running around. 
It’s fairly easy to make especially since I used canned chickpeas and precooked belgua lentils from Trader Joe’s.
Curried Chickpeas, Potatoes, Kale and Lentils
- Olive oil
- 1-2 shallots, diced (or med onion)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp turmeric
- tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/4 tsp cayenne (adjust if needed)
- 2 cans chickpeas
- 5 sm/med potatoes cut into bite sized pieces (with skins on)
- 1 cup chicken stock (vegetable stock if vegetarian)
- bunch kale, remove large stems and cut into strips
- lentils (I used the beluga lentils- 1 cup)
- 3 large tomatoes, peeled and crushed
- 1 Tbsp fresh thai basil, chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- sea salt and ground pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp lime juice (had no lemon)
Sauté shallot and garlic. Add spices and stir for a minute or two. Stir in chickpeas, potatoes, tomatoes, kale and stock, salt and pepper to taste. (I think I should have added it later, but it was fine). 
Cook for 20 minutes then add the lentils, basil and parsley. 
Cook for another 10-20 minutes. This can be made in crock pot but I suggest sautéing onion/shallot and garlic and then heating the spices over the stove first then adding it all to slow cooker. Cook on low for 5 hours or high for 3.
I loved the additional flavor that the fennel seeds added and the kale really went well with the other ingredients. Of course you can tailor this to suit your tastes and what’s in your pantry/refrigerator. I find that eating less meat is not only healthful and good for the environment but less expensive. Not that I ever break the food down into it’s nutritional parts; still it was interesting to find out that not only is there plenty of protein (even vegetarian version) and fiber in this dish, it also is fairly high in folate and other vitamins and minerals. Meaning it is really good for you and your kids, as well as tasting fabulous.
My eldest son and I had the leftovers for lunch the following 2 days.
I served it with asparagus, organic baby spinach and organic red potatoes. “Conventional” asparagus is considered “clean” in terms of pesticide contamination. If you’re wondering which vegetables and fruits to buy organic over conventional there are lists of those considered “clean” and those you should always buy organic (like I recently got reminded that strawberries contaminated with pesticides , which we eat almost daily, have been linked to ADHD among other problems). I had been buying the cheaper conventionally grown strawberries because the price was right, but now I think the price I have to pay is greater in the long run.
I take the whole bunch in its rubber band and chop off the bottom third of the stalk before I put it in the boiling water. That is the woody part and what most people complain about. You can save it for asparagus soup or just compost it if you’re like me. Just need to lightly boil the asparagus for a few minutes until tender (you can always taste test one), take off heat, and cold shock with ice water. 
It’s one veggie that needs to be cooled completely to stop cooking. No one likes mushy vegetables. Wish someone would tell/teach that to the cooks at the elementary school. Once you’re ready to serve everything, reheat in a little butter, salt and pepper (once again, notice the pattern).