Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry

This is one of our all-time favourite dishes, a brightly flavoured bowl of half stew, half soup and all flavour. Its spicy aromas are so tasty and addictive that you'll never notice it doesn't include meat. This dish is at its best when it's served over rice. Serves 6-8.

a splash of vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped
a small knob of frozen ginger
1 teaspoon (5mL) of Thai curry paste
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
one 19 oz (540mL) can of chickpeas
one 14 oz (398 mL) can of coconut milk
1 cup (25o mL) of orange juice
1/2 cup (125 mL) of peanut butter or any other nut butter
a sprinkle or two of sea salt
1 cup (250 mL) or so of frozen green peas
several handfuls of baby spinach
a bunch of chopped cilantro

• Add a splash or two of vegetable oil to a stockpot over medium-high heat. Toss in the onion and garlic and saute them until they're lightly browned, about 5 minutes or so.
• Grate the frozen ginger into the pan and add the Thai curry paste. Continue cooking until the spices are heated through and fragrant, another few minutes.
• Add the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, coconut milk, orange juice, peanut butter and slat. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat and continue simmering until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the peas, spinach and cilantro. Serve over rice.

There are three basic types of Thai curry paste, each with its own distinctive flavour. Yellow is the mildest, red is a bit spicier and green is the spiciest. This dish cooks very well in your slow cooker. You may use any type of hard winter squash instead of sweet potatoes, like butternut an acorn.