Meat Free Monday

If you can avoid any complicated cooking on a Monday you should. Sadly, due to an unforeseen infestation of gannets on Saturday night there's was to be no left over curry. Which led to a look for something new and that would use up things around the fridge. 

The lovely Brixton Roti lady was also missing this weekend so in homage to her, a Guyanese curry modestly adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's curry bible which I'm on a mission to cook through eventually.


Ingredients

Two cans of chickpeas (Kala Chana if possible, and dried and cooked if you have the time) 
1 large onion - roughly chopped 

6 garlic cloves
1/2 -1 Scotch bonnet - depending on heat level you like. 

3-4 Tablespoons of oil
1 heaped Tablespoon of hot curry powder (I'm currently keeping Bolsts which is easy to get or make your own)

1 heaped Teaspoon of dry roasted and ground cumin  

4 medium potatoes peeled and 2cm cubed
Teaspoon of Salt + more to taste at the end
Green Cabbage / Spring Greens - lots - maybe a whole cabbage. just keep putting it in until you have enough. - cut the core out of the leaves and then cut the leaves into inch wide strips and then crossways to give roughly 1 inch square pieces.

Coconut Milk - Optional

Directions:

1 Put the onion, garlic, Scotch bonnet and 4 Tablespoons of water in a blender and process until smooth. 

2 Heat the oil over a medium high heat. Put in the onion paste and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

3 Reduce the heat to medium low, then cover and continue cooking the paste. for another 2-3 minutes. Stir it frequently just to prevent sticking, and keep it covered between stirs.

4 Add the curry powder and the cumin, stir.
  

5 Add the chickpeas, potatoes, 1 Teaspoon of salt, and a pint of water or weak vegetable stock.   Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cover. Cook gently, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are done to your tastes, 20 - 25 minutes.
  

6 Add in the cabbage and half to one can of coconut milk if you have it - if not just 200ml of hot water. Bring back to a simmer, cover and cook for an additional 10 - 15 minutes, or until the cabbage is just softened. Do not over cook the cabbage.
  

7 Taste and add more salt and / or chillies if you need to.