green bean and chickpea coconut curry

… isn’t it funny how we favour certain vegetables and that they seem to become fridge staples because we know they work so well and that everyone in the family will eat them?  I’m lucky because I don’t have any kids around to grumble about eating greens and with The Viking being a vegetarian he’s a massive vegetable fan, whatever it is… looking back on recipes here on Belleau Kitchen I notice that I have a thing for green beans.  They seems to be in nearly every savoury dish I make.  No exaggeration.  I think my love for them stems from the fact that my mum used to serve them a lot in meals when we were kids and I used to help her top and tail them, preparing them for the pot.  They’re a simple sweet vegetable, available all year round thanks to some very clever farmers in kenya and I think they work really well in both winter dishes such a stews, summer dishes such as salads and of course curries like this lovely little recipe…

green bean and chickpea coconut curry
I do love a creamy coconut curry… knocked together with lazy abandon on a Sunday afternoon with the veg you have left-over in the fridge and a tin of chickpeas.  The inspiration for chickpeas, which in fact I rarely use, came from my adorable friend and London neighbour Jenny who made me the most inventive coconut chickpea curry last week.  It was so simple and yet so packed with flavour I just had to make myself a version.  Chickpeas are so perfect here as they’re quite filling and add a bite to the rest of the dish which is quite soft.  I absolve the fact that because you’re cooking them in the curry you don’t actually need any rice or carb to eat with this so it’s a really simple one-pot meal too.  Perfect for any time of year but always nice when the ‘summer’ sun is high in the sky and you can dine al-fresco…

1 medium onion – finely chopped
1/2 fennel bulb – finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic – peeled and finely sliced
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 crushed cardamon seeds
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large carrot – peeled and sliced
a large handful of green beans – topped and tailed and cut in halves
a handful of tenderstem broccoli – cut into large chunks
1 400ml can of chickpeas – rinsed well
1 400ml can of coconut milk
2 tablespoons ground almonds
seasoning and olive oil

gently heat a little butter and olive oil in a large pan with lid, throw in the onion and fennel and let it sweat for 5 mins without browning, then when the onion is beginning to soften, add the garlic and all the spices and stir around and let is sweat again for another 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the spices are nutty and dark brown

add the carrots, broccoli and green beans and pop the lid on and let them sweat for about 5 mins, then add the coconut milk and chickpeas and let the whole thing bubble away gently for no less than 30 minutes, longer if you have it, stirring in the ground almonds 15 minutes before serving

eat and of course, enjoy!