Lent 2013 Challenge Day 33: Curried Rice by the Dashboard Light

Last night’s adventures included a visit to a homeschoolers’ used curriculum sale. It was early enough in the evening that I could not have made it if I had waited until Mr. M’s train returned him home. Thus, we had to pick up Mr. M at a train station along the way and go to the sale as a family. That ended up being a good thing, because the rest of the family found better goodies than I could have done on my own. Had we not been playing by the Lent 2013 Rules, however, we would’ve just picked up something for dinner along the way. That was not an option last night.

Instead I made Chickpea Curry In A Hurry, a nutritious one-dish meal. Erm, one Thermos meal. We packed this up in our Thermoses and threw in a few tall, lidded cups of lemonade. It wasn’t paradise, but it was certainly satisfying.

So here we go!

Chickpea Curry in a Hurry (prep time: 20 minutes as long as you’ve made your rice ahead of time)

1 15oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 sm onion, finely diced
1 tsp salt, divided
2 T oil, divided
1 1/2 c plain yogurt
1/2 c mayonnaise
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1 1/2 c cauliflower florets, chopped
1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 c vegetable stock
1 c prepared rice

In a small bowl, toss chickpeas with paprika and black pepper and set aside (this will help the flavors and colors get all melded and pretty).

Sautee onion and 1/2 tsp salt in 1 T oil over medium-high heat until golden brown. Combine browned onion with yogurt, mayonnaise, curry and ginger (again with the melding and the pretty). Set aside.

In the same skillet, sautee seasoned chickpeas, diced pepper and cauliflower over medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes. Pour remaining 1/2 tsp salt and vegetable stock over all. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover, simmering for 3-5 minutes. Remove lid and stir in yogurt sauce and rice.

Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you. This is one of the easiest recipes ever. We usually make this with chicken or eggplant, but it’s just as awesome with chickpeas. If yours is another busy family that can’t seem to find a way to avoid picking up fast food on your way to choir practice or soccer games or contortionist class, Thermoses are a really good investment.